It is surprising that advanced spacecraft still rely on outdated computing systems, such as the Perseverance rover running on a PowerPC 750 processor from the late 1990s.
Aethero, based in San Francisco, is introducing a more powerful computing system to space. Their first payload, AetherNxN, built on an Nvidia Orin processor and launched on SpaceX’s Transporter-11 rideshare mission, features new radiation shielding material by Cosmic Shielding Corporation (CSC) to enable better computing capabilities in space.
Current electronics in space are protected from radiation through physical shielding and radiation hardening. Aethero’s AetherNxN computer, combined with CSC’s shielding, offers improved performance under harsh conditions in space, creating opportunities for advanced computing capabilities.
CSC’s new Plasteel shielding material, a 3D printed polymer blend with radiation-blocking nanoparticles, has proven more effective at minimizing radiation exposure and mitigating single event effects compared to traditional materials like aluminum, enhancing the safety and efficiency of electronics in space.
As the demand for advanced processors in space grows, Aethero and CSC emphasize the need for innovative shielding technologies to support complex computing systems. They foresee applications in edge processing for Earth observation data and deep space exploration, highlighting the transformative impact of advanced edge compute capabilities in space.
CSC’s CEO, Yanni Barghouty, compares the importance of mitigating single event effects in space to prevent damage to a wall from multiple tennis balls versus a single bullet, emphasizing the necessity for next-generation shielding technologies in supporting AI-driven computing solutions in space.
Barghouty notes that launching AI-capable technology into space opens new possibilities for space exploration and marks a significant progression in bringing Moore’s Law into the realm of space computing.
