Intel Corporation Unveils Starfire Space-Grade AI Chips for U.S. Government

Intel Corporation unveiled Starfire, a space-grade system-on-chip designed to provide the United States government with on-orbit AI inference capabilities. Based on the Panther Lake architecture, the hardware is manufactured in the U.S. using a multi-chip Foveros package that pairs a CPU and NPU built on the Intel 18A node with a graphics tile built on the Intel 3 node.

Starfire is available in two configurations to balance power and speed. A 10W Low-Power SKU provides up to 45 TOPS, while a 35W Performance SKU reaches up to 75 TOPS. Both versions feature an 8-core configuration comprising four P-cores and four LPE cores.

To survive the extreme environment of space, the chips are rated for temperatures ranging from -55°C to 125°C. The design includes radiation protection against total ionizing dose, single-event latch-up, and single-event effects. Intel Corporation provides a 10-plus year warranty for the hardware, with samples expected to ship in the third quarter of 2026.