A new commercial payload agreement will demonstrate advanced AI computing capabilities in lunar orbit.
Starcloud announced that its computing payload, designated SC-1L, will fly aboard Firefly’s Elytra orbital vehicle to validate the core capabilities of a future lunar data center capable of supporting the lunar surface and orbital infrastructure.
We pair Starcloud’s AI computing payload with our Elytra vehicle
“We are proud to partner with innovative customers like Starcloud and together take another step toward building the infrastructure that will enable a sustained human and robotic presence on the Moon,” said Ray Allensworth, vice president of spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace.
“By combining Starcloud’s AI computing payload with our Elytra vehicle and Solux vision system, we are demonstrating how data from lunar orbit can be collected, processed and delivered, laying the foundation for the computing infrastructure on which future lunar operations will depend.”
Starcloud’s SC-1L processor integrated into Elytra will ingest data from Firefly’s integrated Solux image processing system, perform powerful AI calculations in orbit, and quickly transmit the processed data back to Earth. The demonstration builds directly on Starcloud’s recent AI computing demonstration in low Earth orbit and extends these proven capabilities to lunar orbit, according to available details.
Starcloud will be aboard Firefly’s third lunar mission, scheduled to launch in 2028 at the earliest. On this mission, Firefly’s Elytra orbiter will initially serve as a transfer vehicle and communications relay for Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander, which will land on the Moon’s Gruithuisen domes and operate multiple science and technology instruments as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. After the mission is completed, Elytra will remain in lunar orbit for five years to support customer payload and imaging operations, including Starcloud demonstrations, according to a press release.
High performance AI computing
“Space is the future of data centers and the moon is the next frontier for that vision,” said Ezra Feilden, co-founder and CTO of Starcloud.
“We have successfully validated our ability to run and train AI models on enterprise-class GPUs in low Earth orbit, and now we are bringing this proven technology to lunar orbit. Aboard Firefly’s Elytra vehicle, we will demonstrate high-performance AI computing and further prove that we can process massive amounts of data right where it is generated to support growing infrastructure beyond Earth.”
Formerly known as Sol3, Firefly’s Solux vision system on board Elytra enables spacecraft to autonomously navigate, land and track their orientation in space environments where global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and GPS are not available. Elytra will also have high-resolution telescopes onboard to enable Firefly’s Ocula lunar imaging service, which enables advanced lunar surface mapping, mineral detection and reconnaissance.
This will be the second Elytra vehicle that Firefly sends to lunar orbit following the launch of Blue Ghost Mission 2, scheduled for 2027 at the earliest. Each Elytra vehicle is designed to remain in lunar orbit for up to five years, allowing government and commercial customers shorter lunar surface revisit times, the release said.
