Computing and shielding startups join forces to put AI-capable chips in space

Aethero and CSC are launching an AI-capable chip with new radiation shielding into space to enhance computing for spacecraft.

: Aethero's new AI-capable chip, AetherNxN, launched via SpaceX, employs advanced radiation shielding by CSC to improve space computing. The shield, called Plasteel, is a 3D printed, polymer blend with radiation-blocking nanoparticles. This initiative could revolutionize deep space exploration by enabling advanced edge computing.

San Francisco-based Aethero is launching an AI-capable chip named AetherNxN on SpaceX’s Transporter-11 mission this month. The chip, built on an Nvidia Orin processor, benefits from Cosmic Shielding Corporation’s (CSC) advanced radiation shielding, called Plasteel, to protect against space radiation.

Plasteel, a flexible 3D printed polymer blend with radiation-blocking nanoparticles, is more versatile than traditional materials like aluminum. This material not only reduces radiation but also mitigates single event effects, providing crucial protection for advanced electronics in space.

Aethero views edge processing for Earth observation data as its primary market but, in collaboration with CSC, anticipates enabling new frontiers in deep space exploration. The launch marks the fastest AI hardware dispatched into space, representing a significant advance in spaceborne computing capabilities.

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