Google CEO Sundar Pichai has revealed that the company is preparing to launch a bold new initiative: building data centers in space, powered entirely by solar energy, with the first steps expected as early as 2027. Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Pichai described the project as one of Google’s most ambitious "moonshots," aimed at reimagining how AI infrastructure is powered and scaled. The effort, internally known as Project Suncatcher, is designed to eventually enable machine learning operations beyond Earth. Pichai said Google will begin by sending small, compact racks of computing hardware into orbit on satellites, where they will be tested in the space environment. “We're taking our first step in '27,” he said. “We'll send tiny, tiny racks of machines, and have them in satellites, test them out, and then start scaling from there.” He added that within a decade, it could become routine to operate data centers off the planet. “At Google, we're always proud of taking moonshots,” Pichai said. “One of our moonshots is: How do we one day have data centers in space so that we can better harness the energy from the sun, which is one hundred trillion times more energy than we produce in all of Earth today?” The announcement comes amid increasing global concern over the environmental footprint of AI and data centers. The United Nations Environment Programme has warned that AI’s impact on the planet remains poorly understood, but early data is troubling. Sally Radwan, the UN’s chief digital officer, said in November that the environmental toll of AI stems from the mining of rare earth materials, the production of electronic waste, the massive water consumption required for cooling data centers, and the greenhouse gas emissions from their energy use. Google’s space-based data center plan is seen as a potential solution to these challenges. By moving computing infrastructure into orbit, the company aims to reduce Earth-based energy demands and leverage the abundant, clean power of sunlight—unlimited by atmospheric interference or grid limitations. Pichai also confirmed on the “Google AI: Release Notes” podcast that the company hopes to deploy its custom AI chips, known as Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), in space by 2027. While details about the technology, launch timeline, and partnerships remain limited, the vision represents a major shift in how tech giants are thinking about the future of computing. Google has not yet responded to requests for comment on the project from Business Insider. However, the announcement underscores a growing trend: as AI’s power needs surge, companies are exploring radical new frontiers to meet them—both in scale and in location.