By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
TechgoonduTechgoondu
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
    • Software
    • Cybersecurity
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
    • Cellphones
    • Tablets
  • PC
  • Telecom
Search
© 2023 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: HPE targets space as next frontier
Share
Aa
TechgoonduTechgoondu
Aa
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
  • PC
  • Telecom
Search
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
    • Software
    • Cybersecurity
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
    • Cellphones
    • Tablets
  • PC
  • Telecom
Follow US
© 2023 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Techgoondu > Blog > Enterprise > HPE targets space as next frontier
Enterprise

HPE targets space as next frontier

Grace Chng
Last updated: October 4, 2017 at 4:52 PM
Grace Chng Published October 4, 2017
5 Min Read
SHARE
HPE’s Spaceborne Computer. PHOTO: HPE blog

Space, the new frontier. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is angling its way into intergalactic travel.

Commercial space travel maybe years away. However, a nascent industry is beginning, built by the likes of Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos who have invested in aerospace and spaceflight companies such as SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin respectively.

HPE is undaunted by the long view it is taking to opening a new market. It is taking a baby step by putting its supercomputer into space in a collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa).

Called Spaceborne Computer, the supercomputer was installed at the International Space Station (ISS) last month for a one-year pilot to check if it can withstand the pull of gravity and harsh conditions of space.

Nasa’s goal is to explore Mars in the 2030s, an interplanetary journey likely to take a year. It has identified that the computers accompanying the astronauts must be self-reliant, robust machines capable of handling intensive computational activities and dealing with unexpected challenges.

The computers will likely be steeped in artificial intelligence and machine learning so that it can predict astronauts’ well-being, equipment failure or events in the future.

Mars astronauts need near-instant access to high performance computing as their spacecraft hurtles towards the red planet more than 54 million kilometres away from Earth. According to Nasa, Mars is 26 light minutes round-trip away.

There’s no option for any communication lag because Earth’s interplanetary explorers will have no one to rely on except the computers. They cannot wait 26 light minutes to get critical answers during a system failure in a life-and-death situation.

Can any computer meet these specifications?

Dr Goh Eng Lim, chief technology officer of SGI at HPE, believes his company’s machines can do the job. The Spaceborne Computer contains two of HPE’s beefy Apollo servers, built using off-the-shelf servers and custom-built software. It was submitted for rigorous testing before being certified by Nasa as fit for space travel.

In the past, customising computers for space took a long time. By the time the space mission was launched, the computers were already several generations old because the pre-flight testing took very long.

The Spaceborne Computer passed Nasa’s tough pre-flight tests in a very short time because of HPE self-care intelligence concept for computers developed by Dr Goh.

This concept sees computers imbued with machine learning capabilities so that it can take care of itself for example, undertake virus scans and then acts to protect itself against malware.

Dr Goh believes such a machine will take care of itself in space. The astronauts will not have to be IT engineers to maintain it.

The Spaceborne Computer is housed in a locker-like casing which can be installed in the spacecraft using regular tools. It was installed with standard Ethernet cables, standard 110-volt AC connectors and NASA-approved water cooling technology for keeping the system from overheating.

It also uses the low temperatures of space to cool itself and is fully powered by solar cells. Tests conducted at the ISS have shown that it can achieve over one trillion calculations per second, or one teraFLOP, which is up to 30 times faster than a laptop.

HPE says that it is the first high performance commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computer system to run one teraFLOP at the ISS.

On Earth, Nasa’s certification showed potential HPE customers that the Spaceborne Computer is  robust and reliable which makes them ready to be used anywhere.

Nasa’s planned trip to Mars is about a decade away. Hopefully, HPE will survive its business pressures to explore the new market frontier of space.

You Might Also Like

Foodpanda to use Gogoro electric scooters in battery swapping trial with Cycle & Carriage

RedCap: A new cellular IoT technology for the 5G era

Q&A: Delivering movies digitally and securely from around the world

In remote Taiwan, firefighters use a 5G base station “in a box” when responding to emergencies

Sensing strong demand, Tata Comms pitches “hyperconnected” ecosystems

TAGGED: HP Enterprise, HPE, NASA, space, Spaceborne Computer, supercomputer

Sign up for the TG newsletter

Never miss anything again. Get the latest news and analysis in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Grace Chng October 4, 2017
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Copy Link Print
Share
Avatar photo
By Grace Chng
Follow:
A seasoned writer, author and industry observer, Grace was the key tech writer for The Straits Times for more than three decades. She co-founded and edited Computer Times, later renamed Digital Life. She helmed this publication, the de facto national IT magazine, for nearly 19 years. Grace is also the editor and co-curator of Intelligent Island: The Untold Story of Singapore’s Tech Journey, a book highlighting Singapore’s ICT development.
Previous Article Best practices to block ransomware with a firewall
Next Article Pixel 2 XL listed on new Google Singapore store, but you can’t buy anything yet
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Stay Connected

Facebook Like
Twitter Follow

Latest News

Oppo Find N2 Flip review: A worthy flip phone alternative to Samsung
Cellphones Mobile March 26, 2023
As TikTok faces a possible ban in the US, should users elsewhere be worried?
Cybersecurity Internet March 24, 2023
Foodpanda to use Gogoro electric scooters in battery swapping trial with Cycle & Carriage
Enterprise Internet March 23, 2023
RedCap: A new cellular IoT technology for the 5G era
Enterprise Software Telecom March 23, 2023
//

Techgoondu.com is published by Goondu Media Pte Ltd, a company registered and based in Singapore.

.

Started in June 2008 by technology journalists and ex-journalists in Singapore who share a common love for all things geeky and digital, the site now includes segments on personal computing, enterprise IT and Internet culture.

banner banner
Everyday DIY
PC needs fixing? Get your hands on with the latest tech tips
READ ON
banner banner
Leaders Q&A
What tomorrow looks like to those at the leading edge today
FIND OUT
banner banner
Advertise with us
Discover unique access and impact with TG custom content
SHOW ME

 

 

POWERED BY READYSPACE
The Techgoondu website is powered by and managed by Readyspace Web Hosting.

TechgoonduTechgoondu
Follow US

© 2023 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Terms of Use | Advertise | About Us | Contact

Join Us!

Never miss anything again. Get the latest news and analysis in your inbox.

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
 

Loading Comments...
 

    Welcome Back!

    Sign in to your account

    Lost your password?