NASA Tests 500x More Powerful Spacecraft Processor

NASA has begun rigorous testing of a palm-sized, radiation-hardened processor at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, designed to deliver up to 500 times the computing power of current spacecraft chips and enable autonomous operations on future missions.

The High Performance Spaceflight Computing project processor, a system-on-a-chip developed in partnership with Microchip Technology since 2022, integrates central processing units, memory, advanced networking, computational offloads and input-output interfaces into a single compact unit. Testing started in February with a symbolic email titled "Hello Universe," a nod to early computing traditions. Early results indicate the chip performs as designed under extreme conditions, operating at 500 times the power of existing radiation-hardened processors while enduring simulated space hazards.

Engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are subjecting the chip to radiation bombardment, thermal extremes, shock from launches and landings, and electromagnetic interference. These tests replicate challenges like high-energy particles from the sun and cosmic rays that can force spacecraft into safe mode, halting nonessential...