TelePIX's AI Satellite Processor Sets New Space Computing Record

Seoul, South Korea—South Korean satellite solutions company TelePIX has successfully tested TetraPLEX, an artificial intelligence processor designed for satellite operations. 

This marks the first demonstration of real-time AI processing of satellite data in space.

The processor, launched via SpaceX Falcon 9 in August, completed performance tests at an altitude of 597 kilometers, processing satellite images 35 times faster than conventional systems, the company said on Monday.

TetraPLEX processes AI computations directly on satellites, eliminating the need for ground station transmission and reducing costs and data loss risks.

The system's three processing boards, including the Application Processor Board, Data Interface Board, and Intelligent Processing Board, all functioned normally during testing. 

The satellite image preprocessing was completed in 11 seconds, compared to traditional FPGA board processing times.

The company's Future Innovation Research Team, led by Dongshik Won, confirmed that image processing quality matched ground-based performance despite exposure to radiation, thermal shock, and vacuum conditions.

TelePIX will conduct additional stability tests over the next four months to evaluate the system's resistance to radiation exposure in the space environment.

"We plan to implement more complex and advanced algorithms on satellites," said Seonghui Kim, CTO of TelePIX, adding that this advancement would improve space mission success rates.

The company, which received the CES 2024 Innovation Award and the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer 2024 designation, recently showcased TetraPLEX at the International Astronautical Congress 2024.