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.
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.