Google thinks SpaceX's Starship has to launch 1,800 times before space data centers get off the ground
Google launched its first advanced chip into orbit to pave the way for space data centers.
TL;DR
- Google's first orbital compute satellite, featuring a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), has been launched by SpaceX.
- The satellite will test the performance and durability of Google's TPUs in the space environment.
- Google envisions a network of 81 satellites forming an orbital data center for future AI workloads.
- The feasibility of this project depends on SpaceX's Starship significantly reducing launch costs, requiring an estimated 1,800 launches over 10 years.
- Google's research indicates that its chips are resilient enough for space radiation, although large-scale training runs may still present challenges.