Google advances space‑solar data center project amid rising data‑center concerns

Google announced Project Suncatcher, a research effort to deploy satellite‑based data centers powered by solar energy. CEO Sundar Pichai said two prototype satellites equipped with third‑generation Tensor Processing Units will be launched in early 2027 to test low‑Earth‑orbit computing and assess whether space‑based facilities can reduce the strain on Earth’s water and power resources. The company highlighted potential cost savings if launch costs fall below $200 per kilogram.

In a separate marketing move, Polaroid erected a billboard on Coney Island that reads “Jump into the sea before data centers drink all the water,” promoting its new Go Generation 3 camera and its “best of summer is analog” campaign, which critiques the environmental impact of growing AI‑driven data‑center usage.