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Google sends satellite carrying TPU into space; launch costs key

Google has sent a demonstration satellite carrying its TPU chip into space for the first time to test an orbital data centre concept. The Planet Labs-built satellite will check whether the TPU can operate in space, including continuous 1 kW power supply, chip cooling and errors while running models. The company’s longer-term plan envisions 81 satellites flying in formation for parallel computing, but it says the concept requires significantly lower launch costs.