The International Space Station prepares to receive a supercomputer

La ISS or International Space Station currently housing three Americans, two Russians and an Italian, it is scheduled to receive its first supercomputer in the next week. HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise) has been commissioned to create the supercomputer, the first to be launched into space. It will launch on the SpaceX Dragon on Monday as part of a joint experiment with NASA. And what does this have to do with Linux or free software? Well the truth is that a lot ...

The ISS ported its systems Windows XP from Microsoft to Debian a few years ago, as we announced in an article on this blog. Therefore, we opted for free software for the International Space Station where constant experiments are being carried out in zero gravity, etc., that is, our particular space laboratory. In addition to robots managed by Linux systems, etc. But there is something else ...

This is all part of an experiment that aims to see how this type of technology will react out there. HPE has taken the first step with this shipment, but they will send more computer technology to the station, such as advanced computer systems such as memory computing, etc. We will see how the Spaceborne computer in outer space, and if it is reliable or has any problems when working in conditions other than on earth.

Spaceborne Computer, as HPE's supercomputer has been called, is based on Apollo 40 class systems and run linux. It will be integrated into a single water-cooled housing due to space and environmental limitations of outer space. The experiment will last 1 year, almost the same as it takes to go to Mars, so perhaps it is with a view to taking a supercomputer of this type to the missions that will go to the red planet, undoubtedly of great help to reduce the latencies of the communications and ensure the survival of astronauts. Keep in mind that communications take about 20 minutes to go from Earth to Mars or 40 if you have to wait for a response ...