Google's Project Suncatcher, which aims to put large AI installations in low-Earth orbit, is preparing for a milestone event. The company will send a tiny AI data center into space to see how it reacts to harsh conditions, as reported by The New York Times. A satellite named MVP will be aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket set to launch on October 1.

This isn't a full data center. It's four specialized computer chips called "tensor processing units" which offer the power of a single server. Solar panels will supply just one kilowatt of power, equivalent to a hair dryer. Google plans to let the satellite answer simple AI queries for a year, though it will orbit Earth for six years.

The chips have undergone tests, including radiation blasts at Crocker Nuclear Laboratory. Radiation can cause "bit flips," flipping binary code. Google plans on restarting the chips when they act up. A proprietary cooling system expels heat into space, but only works for around 15 minutes before shutdown.

James Manyika, Senior Vice President at Google, urges tempering expectations: "We don't expect... anything usefully operational in the next few years." Brandon Lucia of Carnegie Mellon University notes expanding to a vast network will take years and enormous funds. Despite challenges like cosmic rays and high costs, Google plans to launch two similar satellites next.