Sensors and payloads are the eyes, ears, and scientific instruments that collect data in space, and the computing system must interface with them efficiently. Think of the onboard computer as the brain that must quickly understand and process what its many senses are telling it.
Continue reading...Flight software is the code that runs on the spacecraft’s main computer and controls its day-to-day operations in orbit. Unlike regular desktop or mobile software, flight software must be extremely reliable because bugs or crashes cannot be easily fixed after launch. It typically runs on…
Continue reading...The space environment includes all the harsh conditions outside Earth’s atmosphere that affect spacecraft and their computers. Think of it as stepping outside into an extreme wilderness where there is no air, no weather protection, and temperatures swing wildly — all while traveling at thousands…
Continue reading...Orbital delivery systems determine how easily and affordably computing hardware reaches its final working orbit. Rockets are still the main method, but new approaches and capabilities are expanding what is possible for space computing. Traditional expendable rockets versus reusable vehicles, dedicated small launchers versus rideshares…
Continue reading...Launch vehicles affect space computing by imposing strict limits on mass, volume, vibration, cost, and schedule. Different rockets give your computer very different “rides” to space, and those rides shape almost every design decision you make. Heavy-lift rockets allow bigger, more powerful computers and heavier…
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