Computing in Spaceflight

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

NASA has never made a request of the computing industry that cannot be realized with current state-of-the-art technology. However, computer scientists and engineers have adapted their design practices to meet the challenges of spaceflight. In this course, students will learn how those adaptations contributed to innovations in computing in space and on Earth. They will survey legacy spaceflight computing systems, modern systems for supporting manned spaceflight, and incident reports. Then, students will learn about High-Performance Space Computing (HPSC) design principles, including fault tolerance, radiation hardening, demand for onboard computing resources, complete platform security, and adoption of industrial standards for project development, and their applications in space environments.