Google's first data centre satellite is online and writing haiku in orbit

[Ellie40]

Google's experiment with computing in space is up and running. TechCrunch reports that the first prototype satellite from Project Suncatcher, Google's effort to explore data centres in orbit, is online and talking to the ground

The satellite launched earlier this month on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket along with more than 100 other spacecraft. It was built by Planet Labs, carries a single Google TPU chip and generates up to one kilowatt of power. It spent around three weeks being commissioned

To test it, engineers asked the onboard Gemma 4 model to write a haiku. It produced: Blue marble below, data streams in silent grace, starlight feeds my core. It also wrote space themed limericks and reported on orbital conditions, and a Google spokesperson said it is operating normally

There are big limitations. Power constraints mean the TPU can only run for about 20 minutes at a time, and radiation induced bit flips in orbit are an unknown, possibly more of a problem for training models than for running them. Two more satellites with more advanced chips and laser links between them are planned for 2027

Orbital data centres are a bold idea, with constant solar power and natural cooling as possible advantages. They will only make sense if launch costs fall dramatically, which depends on reusable rockets such as SpaceX's Starship. For now, this is a clever proof of concept with a charming haiku

Could data centres in space ever be practical? And what do you make of an AI writing poetry from orbit?

Google's first data center satellite is online and writing poetry | TechCrunchtechcrunch.com