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Advanced / Transformational Technology

NRO Created GPU-Based Testing Environment To Validate AI Models, Director Says

By Cal Biesecker

Monday, May 11th, 2026

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NRO Created GPU-Based Testing Environment To Validate AI Models, Director Says

On orbit photo of a National Reconnaissance Office satellite released at the 2026 GEOINT Symposium. Photo of NRO image taken by Cal Biesecker

To test and verify the artificial intelligence-based models that the agency is increasingly using as it applies the technology to its workflows, on-orbit checkout, satellite tasking and data fusion, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has developed a testing environment based on the computer chips foundational to AI, NRO Director Chris Scolese said last week. The Ultra Dense Environment consists of a series of graphics processing units (GPUs) to experiment with “AI models and AI capabilities,” including technologies that have already…

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