Science & Tech · Space · 1 hr ago
Astrolab’s FLIP rover will carry an AI computer to the Moon
Astrolab plans to send its FLIP rover to the lunar south pole later this year on NASA’s Griffin-1 mission.
The uncrewed rover will carry Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Spaceborne Computer 4, a compact computer with a processor and graphics chip.
It will be the first time high-performance computing and AI are tested on the lunar surface.
The year-long mission will test whether the equipment can withstand lunar conditions, including long periods of darkness and extreme temperatures.
The computer is also expected to analyze camera and LiDAR data and run AI and computing tests.
The tests could help prepare technology for future lunar missions, including human activity, though how astronauts might use it is not yet clear.
The plans depend on a safe landing, and the mission is expected to launch later this year.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise plans to test high-performance computing and artificial intelligence on the Moon aboard Astrolab’s FLIP rover.
The uncrewed rover is scheduled to travel to the lunar south pole later this year as part of NASA’s Griffin-1 mission.
Its Spaceborne Computer 4 will run AI and computing experiments during a planned year-long mission.
The tests will assess whether the computer can operate in the Moon’s harsh conditions and process data for navigation, mapping and terrain analysis.
The results could help support future human activity on and around the Moon.
- Who
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Astrolab are involved. The computer will fly aboard Astrolab’s FLIP rover.
- What
- HPE plans to test high-performance computing and AI on the lunar surface using its Spaceborne Computer 4.
- When
- Later in 2026; the mission is planned to last about a year.
- Where
- Near the Moon’s south pole.
- Why
- To test the computer and AI in lunar conditions and explore capabilities that could support future lunar activity.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Astrolab founder and CEO Jaret Matthews discussed the mission at a media event at the company’s headquarters.
Astrolab plans to send the uncrewed FLIP rover to the lunar south pole on Griffin-1.
Spaceborne Computer 4 is set to run AI and high-performance computing experiments on the Moon.
- Computer
- HPE Spaceborne Computer 4
- Rover
- Astrolab’s FLIP
- Mission
- Griffin-1
- Destination
- Lunar south pole
- Planned mission duration
- About one year
- Storage
- Two mirrored Kioxia SSDs totaling 1 TB, according to The Register
4 sources
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What people are saying
We're sending the first supercomputer from HPE to the lunar surface later this year, doing the first GPU [graphics processing unit] on the moon [and the] first AI experiments on the moon
NASA's given us a real challenge