Meet Intel's 18A-Based Starfire Orbital Chip Design
In space, no one can hear you churn out AI calculations, but you need the chips to do the job. Intel's new Starfire is a pitch to be the company behind a new wave of potential orbital AI data centers, per company documentation spotted by a user on X. The chips are based on Intel's new 18A process and support high operating temperatures and anti-radiation protection, but performance may be limited.
The big pitch for AI data centers in space from proponents like Elon Musk is that they can enjoy consistent solar power and don't need to worry about noise levels, local pollution, or building permits. But they face other concerns instead: How do you cool data centers in space? How do you make them fast enough to compete with ground-based alternatives? And how do you make them even remotely cost-effective?
If building a data center on the ground takes...
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