Nvidia Sends GPUs to the Moon

Nvidia's graphics processing unit technology is set to deploy to a new, unprecedented destination: the Moon. Amidst NASA's push for private companies to explore lunar capabilities, Nvidia's Jetson chips are slated for installation on Lunar Outpost's moon rover, potentially marking the first GPUs on the lunar surface. Lunar Outpost, a startup focused on robotics for space infrastructure, announced Thursday that its upcoming lunar rover will utilize Nvidia's Jetson chips to control its LiDAR system. This deployment aims to test the chips' performance in the extreme environment of the Moon. "We're taking the NVIDIA Jetson and comparing it to our flight compute platform that has a little bit more spaceflight heritage," said Lunar Outpost CEO Justin Cyrus. "We're looking at the pros, looking at the cons. And we're really pushing towards trying to adopt these more capable GPU-powered systems in these extreme environments." NASA has initiated a program to incentivize private companies to explore the lunar surface ahead of potential crewed missions, possibly by 2028. This initiative, mirroring NASA's collaboration with SpaceX, encourages tech firms to develop vehicles carrying scientific sensors to collect data about lunar terrain and identify resources like water. Nvidia has also recently partnered with Firefly Aerospace, the first private company to successfully land a robot on the Moon. This collaboration involves the Jetson platform operating on a satellite in lunar orbit to process imagery, aiding scientists in mapping the Moon and tracking surface robots. Lunar Outpost's rover will be carried by a lander built by Intuitive Machines. The rover is designed to transport sensors into difficult-to-reach areas, such as craters. The upcoming mission will focus on an area known as Reiner Gamma, noted for a puzzling magnetic anomaly. Both missions are scheduled to launch on a Falcon 9 rocket before the end of the year.