Google to test space-based datacenters for AI by 2027

Google has unveiled plans to launch artificial intelligence datacenters into space as part of a new research initiative named Project Suncatcher, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.

According to the company’s statement, the first prototype satellites are expected to enter orbit in early 2027.

“In the future, space may be the best place to scale AI computers,” Google said. “Working backward from there, our new research moonshot, Project Suncatcher, envisions compact constellations of solar-powered satellites, carrying Google TPUs and connected by free-space optical links.”

The company’s scientists propose orbiting clusters of around 80 satellites, positioned about 400 miles above Earth, equipped with high-performance processors designed to meet the growing global demand for AI computing. These datacenters would rely on solar panels that, in orbit, can generate up to eight times more energy than those on the ground.

Google estimates that by the mid-2030s, the cost of operating a space-based datacenter could become comparable to that of terrestrial facilities due to the rapid decline in rocket launch prices.

The company also emphasizes that the approach would “minimise impact on terrestrial resources” such as land and water used for cooling traditional datacenters.

However, the company acknowledged that “significant engineering challenges remain, such as thermal management, high-bandwidth ground communications and on-orbit system reliability.”

Earlier, it was reported that Google had achieved a major milestone in quantum computing, announcing that its latest processor solved a complex problem significantly faster than any existing supercomputer.

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