NASA Tests Space Chip at 500x Current Processor Speed for Deep-Space Missions
Updated
Updated · Interesting Engineering · May 12
NASA Tests Space Chip at 500x Current Processor Speed for Deep-Space Missions
3 articles · Updated · Interesting Engineering · May 12
Early Jet Propulsion Laboratory tests showed NASA’s new High Performance Spaceflight Computing chip running at nearly 500 times the speed of radiation-hardened processors now used on spacecraft.
The system-on-a-chip is designed to survive radiation, launch shock and extreme temperature swings while handling onboard data processing that missions now often send back to Earth.
JPL has put the processor through radiation, thermal, shock and electromagnetic-interference trials, and also used high-fidelity planetary landing simulations that demand near-instant sensor-data analysis.
NASA says the added computing power could support autonomous navigation, hazard avoidance and future AI systems on orbiters, rovers, crewed habitats and deep-space probes once the chip is flight-certified.
Microchip Technology, selected as NASA’s commercial partner in 2022, co-developed the processor, which the agency also expects could spill over into aviation and automotive uses on Earth.
As private firms launch AI in orbit, can NASA's new processor outpace the commercial space-computing gold rush?
Is moving data centers to space the ultimate solution for Earth's AI energy crisis, or just shifting the problem?
When a self-driving spacecraft is millions of miles away, who is accountable if its AI makes a catastrophic decision?
NASA’s HPSC: The 100x–1000x Performance Revolution in Spaceflight and Critical Systems Computing
Overview
The High-Performance Spaceflight Computing (HPSC) processor is nearing deployment, having completed rigorous testing such as high-fidelity planetary landing simulations. These demanding scenarios require spacecraft to process vast streams of sensor data almost instantly, a challenge the HPSC chip is specifically designed to meet. This breakthrough marks a major step toward modernizing spaceflight systems. The HPSC project is a collaborative effort led by NASA, with its Space Technology Mission Directorate and Science Mission Directorate providing leadership and support, while the Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the project, highlighting a strong partnership driving the future of space computing.