HPE sends Spaceborne Computer-4 to the Moon for AI tests

HPE has introduced its Spaceborne Computer-4 for a lunar mission with Astrolab's FLIP rover. The system is intended to run artificial intelligence workloads and high-performance computing benchmarks on the Moon.

The module is due to travel as a payload on Astrolab's rover under the Moon Base programme as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.

Designed for space conditions, the computer will be carried to the lunar surface by Voyager Technologies' Griffin-1 lander after touchdown near the Moon's south pole. Once deployed, it is scheduled to carry out computing tests directly on the surface rather than sending all processing back to Earth.

The mission will include large language model retrieval-augmented generation, vision inference and LiDAR data processing. These tests are intended to support mapping, navigation, terrain analysis and infrastructure development on the Moon.

The system is a lightweight, fanless compute module fitted with a low-power CPU and GPU. It uses flash storage in solid-state drives supplied by KIOXIA.

Mission tests

Alongside AI workloads, the computer is set to run high-performance computing benchmark tests. These experiments are intended to assess how advanced computing can operate in the lunar environment and support future scientific and commercial activity.

Earth-based support systems will also form part of the mission. HPE will support Astrolab's mission control in Hawthorne, California, with its private cloud and cloud operations software to manage workloads and return insights from the Moon.

The project also includes work from NASA and Deloitte. NASA plans to run its Federated Learning for Unbounded and Intelligent Decentralization, or FLUID, experiment, using an AI neural net model trained on data from Earth, the Moon and the International Space Station.

NASA is also expected to conduct a tuned large language model test with semantic processing to help search and interpret onboard documents. Deloitte plans to deploy Silent Shield, a cyber intrusion detection system designed to provide predictive cyber-analytics and near-real-time anomaly detection.

Space computing

The lunar mission follows earlier work in HPE's Spaceborne Computer programme on the International Space Station. The new system extends that effort from low-Earth orbit to the lunar surface, where communications delays, power constraints and environmental conditions make local processing more important to mission operations.

Scott Wiest, Vice President, Fellow and Global Sales Chief Technologist at HPE, said the mission marks the next stage in the company's work in space computing.

"For more than 70 years, HPE innovation has supported some of the world's most important space missions. The next chapter of lunar exploration will depend on the ability to turn data into insights at the point of discovery," said Scott Wiest, Vice President, Fellow and Global Sales Chief Technologist at HPE.

"With HPE Spaceborne Computer-4, we are bringing AI and high-performance computing to the lunar edge, helping to accelerate scientific discovery and build the infrastructure for the next era of exploration," Wiest said.

Astrolab said the mission will also test how commercial rover platforms can carry a range of technology payloads for lunar operations and research.

"The Moon presents a challenging environment for advanced computing, and we're pleased to provide HPE with an opportunity to demonstrate its technology on the lunar surface," said Jaret Matthews, Founder and CEO of Astrolab.

"Our FLIP rover is designed to accommodate a variety of payloads, and this mission will demonstrate how commercial lunar mobility platforms can support technology development and scientific research," Matthews said.