Google launches Project Suncatcher satellite with TPUs running Gemma AI
Google just launched a satellite for Project Suncatcher, its bold plan to run AI-powered data centers in space.
This prototype is packed with Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) running a version of Google's Gemma AI, and will see if these chips can handle the tough realities of outer space: think extreme temperatures and radiation.
Google, Planet plan laser-linked satellites
The satellite sits in a sun-synchronous orbit, soaking up solar energy so it doesn't need bulky backup systems.
Google teamed up with Planet for this project and plans to launch more satellites next year, connecting them with lasers to create clusters of space-based data centers.
The big goal? Scale up AI while tapping into the best way to use solar power to run AI compute, a move that could make future tech both powerful and planet-friendly.