Intel Starfire brings 18A process to space with radiation-hardened chip for US government

Intel's new space-grade Starfire chip is a Panther Lake SoC that puts an 18A CPU into orbit -- chip designed for the US government leverages Intel 3 for the GPU

Intel has unveiled Starfire, a space-grade system-on-chip designed for the U.S. government that pairs eight CPU cores and a three-tile NPU built on its Intel 18A node with an Intel 3 graphics tile, all in one Foveros package. Intel published the Starfire sell sheet, listing two versions that draw 10 W and 35 W and reach up to 45 and 75 TOPS, respectively, rated to run between -55 and 125 Celsius. Both SKUs share the same layout of four Intel 18A P-cores, four low-power efficiency cores, a three-tile NPU also on 18A, and a four-core Xe GPU with 64 execution units built on Intel 3. The Low Power part runs its P-cores at 1.0 GHz, efficiency cores at 850 MHz, and the GPU between 800 MHz and 1.0 GHz. The Performance part clocks the P-cores to 3.1 GHz, efficiency cores to 2.1 GHz, and the GPU to 2.0 GHz. Both carry 12 PCIe Gen4 lanes, support LPDDR5 or DDR5, and are rated for a 10-plus year lifetime. Intel builds the CPU and NPU on 18A and the GPU on the older Intel 3, the same node division it used for Clearwater Forest, the 288-core Xeon that stacks 18A compute tiles on Intel 3 base tiles. Smaller transistors hold less charge per stored bit, which makes leading-edge silicon more prone to radiation-induced bit flips, so committing 18A to orbit leans on RibbonFET and design-level hardening rather than a mature, inherently more tolerant node. The market Starfire is targeting has run on BAE Systems' RAD750 for two decades. That radiation-hardened PowerPC part clocks 110 to 200 MHz, carries 10.4 million transistors, and is built on 150nm or 250nm lithography, per public specifications, and it flies on the Mars rovers, Kepler, and Fermi, among more than 150 spacecraft. BAE's multi-core RAD5545 and the Microchip-built processor NASA is developing to reach 100 times the throughput of current spaceflight chips are the more recent step up. Starfire's up to 75 TOPS and dedicated NPU put it in a different bracket, built for on-orbit AI inference rather than telemetry and control. Intel lists the radiation data, covering total ionizing dose, single-event latch-up, and single-event effects, as characterization in process, so the part isn't radiation-qualified yet, and it notes the specs are subject to change. Intel Government Technologies is handling Starfire, with samples in Q3 2026 and a pitch of market-competitive pricing and domestic manufacturing. Intel Foundry is the only U.S.-based maker of leading-edge logic, holds Trusted Foundry status, and has tied its 18A and packaging roadmap to Pentagon programs including RAMP-C and SHIP, though 18A yields aren't expected to reach industry-standard levels until 2027. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.

Intel Brings 18A Silicon To Orbit With Starfire, A Space-Grade SoC Rated For 125°C And Radiation

Intel has unveiled its latest SoCs, codenamed Starfire, that offer space-grade survivability and are based on the 18A process technology. Intel Rolls Out Space-Grade "Starfire" Chips With 8 Cores, 18A Tech, & 10+ Years of Lifetime Space-grade platforms require extra engineering as they are built to withstand various aspects of space, such as exposure to radiation and extreme temperatures. Plus, these chips need to offer utmost levels of stability as space systems need to retain a steady operation throughout their life-cycle. As such, Intel has new space-grade chips ready for the market. Codenamed Starfire, the SoCs are manufactured in the United States for the US Government, and Intel claims that they offer market-competitive pricing. Some of the main highlights that Intel Starfire SoCs have on offer include: * Space-Grade Survivability * Low-Size, Weight, Power * Advanced AI Performance * Multi-chip Foveros Package The Intel Starfire SoCs will come in two flavors, a low-power SKU and a Performance SKU. Both SKUs feature the same 8-core configuration with 4 P-Cores and 4 LPE cores. The clock speeds for the Low-Power SKU are rated at 1 GHz (P-Cores) and 850 MHz (LPE Cores), while the Performance SKU is rated at 3.1 GHz (P-Cores) and 2.1 GHz (LPE Cores). These chips are essentially based on the Panther Lake 4Xe3 SKU. For the iGPU, both SKUs feature 4 Xe3 iGPU cores, which are once again clocked at up to 1.0 GHz for the Low-Power and 2.0 GHz for the Performance variant. The NPU is also based on the Intel 18A node, while the iGPU is based on the Intel 3 node. The whole chip offers up to 45 TOPs on the Low-Power SKU and up to 75 TOPs on the Performance option. The Low-Power chip is rated at 10 Watts while the Performance chip is rated at 35W. Besides the core configuration, the chips offer radiation protection such as TID, SEL, and SEE, operate between -55 °C and 125 °C, offer 12 PCIe Gen4 lanes, support LPDDR5/DDR5 memory, and come backed by a 10+ year warranty. News Source: @x86deadandback Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.