Google is continuously seeking innovative ways to overcome the growing resource limitations faced by artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, which are becoming increasingly energy-intensive. The tech giant has announced its plan to send its AI chips into space using satellites powered by solar energy.

This ambitious initiative is encapsulated in Google’s latest research project, known as “Project Suncatcher.” In essence, the project aims to develop an AI data center that operates in orbit, outside Earth’s atmosphere.

Google envisions that such a space-based data center could rely entirely on unlimited solar power available 24 hours a day, eliminating the need for AI computation to depend on Earth-based power plants that emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

“In the future, space may become the best place to scale up AI computing,” wrote Travis Beals, Google’s Senior Director, in a blog post cited by The Verge on Saturday (November 8, 2025).

“At the right orbital position, solar panels can be up to eight times more productive than on Earth and can generate electricity almost continuously, reducing the need for batteries,” he added.

Through Project Suncatcher, Google intends to deploy its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs)—specialized AI chips—onto solar-powered satellites that will be launched into orbit.

However, realizing this bold vision presents numerous challenges. Operating in space exposes TPU chips to intense solar radiation, which could quickly damage their electronic components.

Nevertheless, Google stated that it has conducted radiation tolerance tests on its chips and found that they can withstand a five-year mission without suffering permanent failures.

Another major challenge lies in ensuring seamless communication among all satellites. This requires ultra-high-speed data links, reaching tens of terabits per second, with very low latency. Such performance is difficult to achieve in space, as long-distance data transmission demands substantial power.

To address this, Google noted that it might need to position the satellites in a tighter formation, possibly just a few kilometers apart. This configuration would also reduce the need for frequent propulsion maneuvers to maintain orbital stability.

Although launching data centers into orbit will be costly, Google’s analysis indicates that by the mid-2030s, the system’s power efficiency could rival that of Earth-based facilities.

As part of its roadmap, Google plans to launch a test mission in 2027 in collaboration with the satellite company Planet. This experiment will send a prototype satellite into space to evaluate how AI models and TPU chips perform in an orbital environment.