Google thinks SpaceX's Starship has to launch 1,800 times before space data centers get off the ground

Key Points:

• Google launched its first orbital compute satellite equipped with a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) onboard a SpaceX rocket, aiming to test the chip's performance and durability in space conditions.
• The satellite, built by Planet Labs, will operate the TPU in short bursts to manage power and thermal constraints, with future missions planned to deploy more advanced satellites capable of collaborating via laser communication.
• Google envisions a long-term project called Project Suncatcher, aiming to create an orbital data center network of 81 satellites processing AI workloads in parallel, anticipating future demands and technological advancements.
• Google's recent peer-reviewed white paper analyzes the economics of orbital data centers, projecting that SpaceX's Starship could reduce launch costs to around $200 per kilogram by 2035, contingent on a significant increase in launch frequency.
• Testing shows Google's TPUs are likely to withstand space radiation with a low error rate suitable for inference tasks over a satellite's five-year lifespan, though large-scale training workloads may face challenges due to error rates.