Google tests an AI model on an orbital satellite
AI · First reported 2 Nov, 16:34 · Updated 17:19
Google says its Gemma model generated a poem using an onboard processor in orbit, an early test of Project Suncatcher. The company plans further tests of the hardware and a two-satellite demonstration in 2027.
- Google reported that its Gemma model generated a response on a tensor processing unit aboard a prototype satellite in orbit.
- The next tests are expected to examine how the satellite’s processors withstand radiation and temperature changes; Google has set a 2027 goal for testing two interconnected satellites.
- The experiment is not a commercially available service, and the sources describe launch expense, hardware durability and operating economics as unresolved challenges.
Summary written by Lux AI from 2 articles
Key facts
- Project
- Google’s Project Suncatcher
- Demonstration
- Gemma generated a response using an onboard TPU in orbit.
- Next milestone
- Google plans a two-satellite demonstration in 2027.
- Current availability
- The satellite is experimental; the source says no public space-computing service is available.
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- Google’s space AI is online and writing poetry2 Nov, 16:34
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