Astera labs introduces orion, a modular, open-frame architecture for compute-independent systems

On October 12, 2026, Astera Labs unveiled its Orion, a rack-mounted reference design built on open standards and modular architecture. The platform allows users to customize compute configurations based on their needs and available supply. Orion features six production-grade reference architectures, including rack, compute blade, switch blade, memory blade, interconnect board, and compute board, supporting a variety of CPUs and AI inference accelerators. At the core of Orion is Astera Labs' 320-lane PCIe switch, which enables predictable low-latency communication and scalable memory capacity between the rack and pod. Each pod can support up to 160 accelerators, delivering strong token throughput performance. The Orion rack reference design and system are progressing as planned and will be available through Astera Labs' OEM and ODM partners starting in Q1 2027.