Google will launch an experimental satellite early next week as it seeks to realize a data center for AI in space powered by solar energy. The satellite will be used to verify semiconductor operation in the space environment.
US tech giant Google has announced that it will launch its first experimental satellite early next week to help realize a data center for AI that operates in space using solar energy. The company will examine whether AI semiconductors inside the satellite operate properly amid the vibration and acceleration experienced after launch and during orbital insertion, as well as the levels of radiation in space.
The massive power consumption of data centers is a challenge, and proposals to build them in space, where solar power can be used continuously, are attracting attention. US space development company SpaceX is also aiming to build data centers in space.
The experiment is one of several initiatives exploring the feasibility of space data centers, including those by Google, and the future of data-processing infrastructure in space is being debated.