AIM Photonics Joins University of Florida and NASA in First Space Test of Photonic AI Chips

In a key advancement for space-enabled semiconductor research, a suite of photonic AI chips were launched to the International Space Station aboard JAXA’s HTV-XI spacecraft this weekend for testing in space.

In a major milestone for space-enabled semiconductor research, photonic AI chips designed for next-generation computing are now being tested in orbit through a project led by the University of Florida with NASA, AIM Photonics, MIT, Vanguard Automation and Germany’s Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute.

The devices, launched recently aboard JAXA’s HTV-XI spacecraft as a part of NASA’s Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE), will help determine how advanced photonic semiconductors perform in the extreme environment of space. The mission will evaluate how these photonic technologies withstand radiation and atomic oxygen exposure to support the future development of more durable, energy-efficient computing systems for space and defense applications.

Developed at the University of Florida’s Nanoscale Research Facility with contributions from AIM Photonics and other partners, the prototypes represent a first-of-its-kind demonstration of photonic computing hardware in space.

Read the full story from the University of Florida:
Florida engineers test photonic AI chips in space