Google CEO Sundar Pichai unveiled an ambitious plan: under the “Suncatcher” project, the company will launch the first solar satellite data centers into space by 2027, potentially revolutionizing how AI infrastructure is built.
Google plans to launch two prototypes in 2027 in partnership with Planet to test AI hardware under space conditions. The satellites will carry the Trillium-generation Google TPU chips, which have successfully passed simulations of low-Earth orbit radiation conditions without any damage.
Solar panels in space can generate up to 8 times more energy than those on Earth due to almost continuous direct sunlight. However, for the project to become economically viable, launch costs must fall to around $200 per kilogram by 2035 — a target Google believes SpaceX can achieve.
According to Pichai, space data centers could become quite normal within the next decade, harnessing solar potential that is “100 trillion times greater” than total electricity consumption on Earth. If Google can overcome engineering challenges, space data centers could significantly reduce pressure on global power grids.
In Brief: Tech World Highlights
- Flexion Robotics unveiled a demo of its modular “brain” for humanoids, capable of moving autonomously over rough terrain, detecting trash, and cleaning it.
- A 16-year-old from Bristol, UK, spent two years designing and building a fully functional robotic arm out of Lego bricks.
- UBTech Robotics signed a multi-million-dollar deal for a test deployment of its Walker humanoid at Chinese border crossings, managing crowds and directing passengers.
- Chinese company Deep Robotics conducted a rescue exercise to demonstrate how their X30 robot dogs can operate in hazardous environments and assist in disaster response.
- The Australian Marine Science Agency is testing AI-guided robotic vessels that scan the seabed and deploy baby corals on ceramic substrates to help restore the Great Barrier Reef.
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