Google considering building datacentres in space to meet demand for AI

Google considering building datacentres in space to meet demand for AI
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Google is hatching plans to build artificial intelligence datacentres in space, with its first trial equipment sent into orbit in early 2027, The Guardian reported.

Its scientists and engineers believe tightly packed constellations of about 80 solar-powered satellites could be arranged in orbit about 400 miles above the Earth’s surface equipped with the powerful processors required to meet rising demand for AI.

Prices of space launches are falling so quickly that by the middle of the 2030s the running costs of a space-based datacentre could be comparable to one on Earth, according to Google research released on Tuesday.

Using satellites could also minimise the impact on the land and water resources needed to cool existing datacentres.

Once in orbit, the datacentres would be powered by solar panels that can be up to eight times more productive than those on Earth. However, launching a single rocket into space emits hundreds of tonnes of CO2.

The orbiting datacentres envisaged under Project Suncatcher would beam their results back through optical links, which typically use light or laser beams to transmit information.

Major technology companies pursuing rapid advances in AI are projected to spend $3tn (£2.3tn) on earthbound datacentres from India to Texas and from Lincolnshire to Brazil. The spending has fueled rising concern about the impact on carbon emissions if clean energy is not found to power the sites.

TPUs are processors optimised for training and the day-to-day use of AI models. Free-space optical links deliver wireless transmission.

Google is planning to launch two prototype satellites by early 2027 and said its research results were a “first milestone towards a scalable space-based AI”.