Accelerating space exploration with the Spaceborne Computer

Manned missions further out in our solar system will require sophisticated computing capabilities to cut down on communication latencies and ensure astronauts’ survival. In an effort to advance these missions, HPE and NASA launched a supercomputer aboard the SpaceX CRS-12 rocket destined for the International Space Station (ISS) to study the technology's ability to operate in the harsh conditions of space. Learn more about the Spaceborne Computer’s continued journey below and be sure to check back to discover more about new milestones we're achieving.

Image Analysis Software Run on the International Space Station

New level of advanced onboard computing enabled for analyzing Earth Observation data and other imagery in space.

Jan 22, 2022

Cornell Software Enables 3D Printing on the International Space Station

Modeling software successfully tested aboard the ISS, demonstrating potential ability for astronauts to fabricate own components.

Jan 1, 2022

Failover experiment leveraging HPE Serviceguard for Linux completed on board the ISS

Experiment demonstrated ability to protect critical data in Space through failover and then subsequent recovery in less than 30 seconds.

Oct 7, 2021

HPE Spaceborne Computer-2 Successfully Powers Up in Space

The 2nd iteration of the SBC, comprised of the HPE Edgeline Converged Edge system and HPE ProLiant server, powers up on the ISS.

May 7, 2021

HPE Accelerates Space Exploration with First Ever In-Space Commercial Edge Computing and AI Capabilities

HPE’s Spaceborne Computer-2 (SBC-2) will enable real-time data processing with advanced commercial edge computing in space for the first time.

Feb 11, 2021

HPE Busily Prepares for a Return to the International Space Station with its Spaceborne Computer-2 (SBC-2) System

Expanding on the success of the SBC-1, the SBC-2 will allow crew and core ISS researchers to take advantage of on-board, state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High Performance Compute (HPC) capabilities.

Nov 26, 2020

NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal Awarded to HPE’s Dr. Eng Lim Goh

Dr. Eng Lim Goh, SVP & CTO of AI at HPE, receives NASA’s prestigious Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal for exceptional technology contributions.

Aug 28, 2019

HPE’s Spaceborne Computer Returns to Earth

The Spaceborne Computer returns to Earth after successfully completing its one-year mission aboard the International Space Station, pioneering the use of high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) in space for humanity’s future missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Jun 3, 2019

Spaceborne Computer Now Open for Supercomputing Use on the ISS

Astronauts aboard the ISS now have direct access to the supercomputing capabilities of the Spaceborne Computer.

Nov 1, 2018

One Year Aboard the International Space Station

It’s officially one year since the Spaceborne Computer arrived aboard the ISS and achieved one teraflop in space. Soon, it will be on its way home.

Sep 14, 2018

Anniversary of the Spaceborne Computer Launch

In the one year since its launch, the Spaceborne Computer has completed hundreds of test to determine how the harsh conditions of space affect supercomputing technology. Soon it will come home, where our team will uncover more learnings from its time aboard the International Space Station.

Aug 14, 2018

Spaceborne Computer Wins ISS Award

At the annual ISS R&D Conference, Bill Mannel accepts the 2018 ISS Innovation Award in Technology Development and Demonstration for the Spaceborne Computer.

Jul 26, 2018

Six Months Since Launch

The Spaceborne Computer had a busy first few months, passing numerous benchmarking tests and operating efficiently despite an emergency shutdown due to a false fire alarm.

Feb 14, 2018

One Month On and Going Strong

During the past month, the Spaceborne Computer has been operating nominally, completing over 300 benchmark experiments and successfully dealing with two anomalies.

Oct 14, 2017

The Spaceborne Computer Faces its First Anomaly

Two weeks after the Spaceborne Computer has been powered on, it encounters its first anomaly and the software reacts as designed to restore nominal performance.

Sep 25, 2017

HPE’s Spaceborne Computer Successfully Powers Up in Space

With the system securely in place aboard the ISS, astronauts conduct the physical installation and power up the Spaceborne Computer.

Sep 14, 2017

One Teraflop is Achieved!

The high performance computing benchmark tests are performed, in which the Spaceborne Computer achieves over one trillion calculations per second, also known as one teraflop.

Sep 14, 2017

The Spaceborne Computer Reaches the ISS

Two days after the Spaceborne Computer is launched on the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft, the system reaches the ISS.

Aug 16, 2017

HPE Sends the Spaceborne Computer into Space

HPE launches the Spaceborne Computer as part of a year-long experiment with NASA to test how well a supercomputer can operate under the harsh conditions of space.

Aug 14, 2017