Google officially launched Project Suncatcher on April 4th (US time), another disruptive and risky innovation project aiming for "moonshots" (a metaphor for achieving breakthroughs) within Google, following its self-driving cars and quantum computing initiatives.
By taking its TPU AI chip to space, Google launches Project Suncatcher research program.
Under this research program, Google is exploring launching satellites equipped with its self-developed TPU AI chip to build a scalable computing network in space, fully utilizing the far greater amount of solar energy available on Earth's surface. Google plans to launch two hardware test prototype satellites in early 2027 in collaboration with Planet.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned in a related X platform social media post that early research indicates Google's TPU v6e "Trillium" chip performed flawlessly in tests simulating near-Earth orbit radiation using a particle accelerator, but significant challenges remain regarding thermal management and on-orbit system reliability.
