This article is based on an official press release from Archer Aviation.

Archer Aviation Selects NVIDIA IGX Thor to Power Next-Gen Aviation AI

At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) announced a major strategic collaboration with NVIDIA to integrate the NVIDIA IGX Thor platform into its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This partnership marks a significant step in the deployment of “Physical AI” within the Aviation sector, aiming to enhance aircraft safety, optimize airspace integration, and lay the groundwork for future autonomous operations.

According to the company’s announcement, Archer will utilize its recently acquired Hawthorne Municipal Airport in central Los Angeles as the primary testbed for these new technologies. The facility is expected to serve as both an operational hub for Archer’s planned LA air taxi network and a development center for integrating high-performance computing into the Midnight aircraft.

The NVIDIA IGX Thor Platform

The core of this collaboration is the NVIDIA IGX Thor, a computing platform designed specifically for edge AI and robotics. Unlike standard consumer electronics, this platform is engineered to meet the rigorous safety standards required for aerospace applications.

Technical Specifications

Based on technical specifications released during the announcement, the IGX Thor platform offers substantial processing power tailored for safety-critical environments. Key features include:

• Architecture: The system is powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell GPU architecture paired with a 14-core Arm Neoverse-V3AE CPU.
• Performance: It delivers up to 2,070 TFLOPS (trillion floating-point operations per second) of AI compute performance, with scalability options that can reach over 5,500 TFLOPS.
• Safety Systems: The platform includes a dedicated “Functional Safety Island” (FSI) and a safety microcontroller to monitor system health in real-time, designed to align with standards such as ISO 26262 and IEC 61508.

Archer intends to leverage this computing power to process data from onboard sensors, including cameras, radar, and LiDAR, to provide pilots with enhanced situational awareness and to support advanced flight control algorithms.

Strategic Implementation at Hawthorne

Archer’s acquisition of the lease for Hawthorne Municipal Airport, valued at approximately $126 million, provides a controlled environment for testing these AI systems. The company stated that this location will allow for real-world validation of the IGX Thor platform without disrupting major commercial traffic at hubs like LAX.

Advancing “Physical AI”

The collaboration focuses on “Physical AI,” a domain of artificial intelligence that enables systems to perceive, reason, and act within the physical world. In the context of the Midnight aircraft, this involves understanding environmental dynamics and physics to ensure safe operation.

“NVIDIA’s AI compute capabilities and software stack give us the foundation to accelerate toward safer, smarter aircraft systems and modernize how aviation interfaces with the world’s airspace.”

, Adam Goldstein, Founder & CEO of Archer Aviation

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Path to Autonomy

While Archer’s Midnight aircraft is scheduled to launch with a pilot, the integration of the IGX Thor platform is a forward-looking strategy. The hardware is capable of supporting semi-autonomous and fully autonomous operations, allowing Archer to potentially activate these features via software updates as regulatory frameworks evolve.

AirPro News Analysis

The Shift to “Data Centers in the Sky”

We observe that the integration of server-grade computing power like the IGX Thor into light aircraft represents a paradigm shift in avionics. Historically, certified avionics have prioritized simplicity and determinism over raw processing power. However, the requirements of electric aviation, which involve complex battery management, distributed electric propulsion, and high-density urban operations, demand a new level of computational throughput.

By installing hardware capable of 2,000+ TFLOPS today, Archer is effectively future-proofing its fleet. This “hardware-first” approach mirrors strategies seen in the automotive industry, where vehicles are shipped with sensors and compute power for autonomy features that are unlocked later. For investors and industry watchers, this suggests that Archer is prioritizing long-term scalability and software-defined capabilities over short-term hardware cost savings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NVIDIA IGX Thor platform?

It is a high-performance computing platform designed for edge AI and robotics, featuring safety-critical architecture suitable for industrial and automotive applications.

Will Archer’s aircraft be autonomous immediately?

No. The Midnight aircraft is designed to launch with a pilot. The NVIDIA technology provides the hardware foundation for future autonomous capabilities.

Where will these technologies be tested?

Archer plans to debut and test the integration at Hawthorne Municipal Airport in central Los Angeles.

Sources

• Archer Aviation Investor Relations