SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink, is being used by an American startup called Armada, based in San Francisco, to bring AI to remote locations around the world. While Armada isn’t working directly with SpaceX on this project, the company has developed solutions that work with Starlink.
Since ChatGPT’s launch last year, hundreds of AI applications have emerged. All of them rely on centralizing data into a model that powers some of the world’s most powerful computers built in the last few years. While this model can work for design and early testing, if you’re going to be using AI in demanding environments using real time data, then the analysis of that data must be decentralized.
SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is building a massive network to bring ultra-high-speed internet access to remote locations. But the company has focused so much on network expansion that it has failed to build a software stack atop its satellites. That’s where Armada is hoping to capitalize. The company emerged from stealth this week with a suite of products that take AI to where data is being created.
Massive-scale data centers are essential for processing large volumes of data. Since these can’t be built in far-off places, Armada has developed an easy-to-use solution. These are rugged, modular data centers, known as Galleons. The infrastructure is made up of high-performance GPU’s and multicore CPUs packed into container-sized units that can be moved around on flatbed trucks.
Galleons can be connected to the internet via 5G, fibre, or any other network infrastructure, but the company has taken it to the next level by launching Armada Connect. Armada Connect is a specialized operating system that can be used to connect using starlink assets. The company claims that this allows businesses to bundle multiple starlink terminals into a single hub and boost connection bandwidth to a level that even SpaceX can’t match.
Armada is also introducing a marketplace where Armada’s customers can access self-developed and third-party apps that could provide a variety of functionalities, such as regulatory compliance or maintenance notifications.
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