SpaceBlast unveils palm-sized TENEDGE CORE for in-space AI

SpaceBlast's effort sits at the intersection of two trends: growing AI demand and faster space development led by companies such as SpaceX. Satellites capture large images, and sending that raw data to the ground over limited links is difficult. TENEDGE's approach is to process data on the satellite with a small language model and send only extracted metadata. The company is also considering a TENEDGE SPACE AI CLOUD, where users on the ground would specify data conditions and the in-space model would process data accordingly, though that ground-side piece is still in the planning stage. SpaceBlast's ambitions go beyond the current JAXA-backed scope, which covers development of TENEDGE. The company envisions deploying multiple edge computers in orbit to operate like a space data center, with uses such as efficient acquisition of satellite imagery for construction, urban development and agriculture. It also expects the technology could play a role in building and operating a lunar data center, possibly combined with domestic lunar positioning efforts. Development, however, is just beginning: the JAXA-backed project started in April and runs through fiscal 2031, and the company plans at least two satellite flights and a space station installation while pursuing customers for commercialization.