AI supercomputer mission marks first use of GPGPU in space
NewsJune 05, 2023
CHATSWORTH, Calif. Aitech’s NVIDIA-based, space-characterized S-A1760 Venus artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputer became the first use of GPGPU [general-purpose graphics processing unit] technology in space when it went aloft with the successful launch and re-entry of NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) mission, which occurred in November 2022, the company reported.
According to the company's announcement of the LOFTID launch, six S-A1760 Venus GPGPUs were onboard to help control and record the visible and infrared camera images from each of the six camera pods viewing the LOFTID heatshield. During the mission, the Venus system aided in repovery of the backup recordings for the camera data captured during the mission and provided critical information on the aeroshell/heat shield performance.
The company describes the S-A1760 Venus as a small-form-factor (SFF) AI supercomputer that carries a varied choice of I/O interfaces. The LOFTID mission demonstrated a cross-cutting aeroshell – a type of heat shield – critical for crewed and robotic missions' atmospheric re-entry.
