Edge Computing in Space: Microsoft’s Azure to Power HPE’s Spaceborne Computer-2 for ISS

Microsoft and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) have announced the integration of Azure Space to HPE’s Spaceborne Computer-2. The edge computing system will enable astronauts to eliminate longer latency and wait times associated with sending data to-and-from Earth, conduct advanced analytics, and gain quick insights for a range of projects.

HPE’s Spaceborne Computer-2Opens a new window , an edge computing system built for the International Space Station, will be connected to Azure Space via NASA and the HPE ground station. Spaceborne Computer-2 will launch into orbit aboard the Northrop Grumman Resupply Mission to Space Station (NG-15) on February 20 and its mission will last for up to three years. 

With HPE’s Spaceborne Computer-2 (SBC-2), astronauts and space explorers aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will speed time-to-insight from months to minutes on various experiments in space, from processing medical imaging and DNA sequencing to unlocking key insights from volumes of remote sensors and satellites.

Astronauts aboard the ISS will also be able to use the Azure cloud system for intensive processing and transmitting results back to the device, as soon as the computer is operative in orbit. Based on the HPE Edgeline Converged Edge system, Spaceborne Computer-2 is specifically designed to function in a harsh environment in space that also features high levels of radiation that can damage IT equipment.

The collaborative project is based on learnings from an earlier Spaceborne Computer, a proof-of-concept device which flew to ISS in 2017 for a year-long mission. The purpose of the Spaceborne Computer was to explore the reliability of this machine in a zero-gravity, highly radioactive space environment. 

“The goal was to test if affordable, commercial off-the-shelf servers used on earth, but equipped with purposefully-designed software-based hardening features, can withstand the shake, rattle and roll of a rocket launch to space, and once there, seamlessly operate on the ISS,” HPE said in the press release.

Cloud computing technologies and advanced processing are an absolute essential for astronauts and space explorers, saidOpens a new window Tom Keane, VP at Microsoft Azure. “Sometimes analysis needs to be done immediately at the edge where every passing moment counts, and other times the analysis is so massively complex that it can only be performed with the power of the hyperscale cloud,” he added.

With the integration of Azure with SBC-2, Microsoft has further extended the scope of its Azure Space initiative and has advanced its position as a leader in the space- and satellite-related connectivity/compute part of the cloud market. 

Azure Space was launchedOpens a new window by Microsoft in October last year to enable cloud computing capabilities to meet the unique needs of space such as simulating space missions, discovering insights from satellite data, and fueling innovation both on the ground and in orbit. The company has already partnered with SpaceX Starlink to provide high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband for the new Azure Modular Datacenter (MDC), and also enjoys a partnership with SES to support its O3B Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellation O3b MEO.

Microsoft is presently assessing the potential of HPE’s space, state-of-the-art processing in conjunction with hyperscale Azure, along with the development of advanced AI and ML models that support new insights and research advancements. The use cases will include plant and hydroponics analysis to support food growth and life sciences in space, weather modelling of dust storms to enable future modelling for Mars missions, and medical imaging using an ultrasound on the ISS to support astronaut healthcare.

Mark Fernandez, the principal investigator for Spaceborne Computer-2 and solutions architect of Converged Edge Systems at HPE, said he is excited to work with Microsoft on Azure Space. “HPE and Microsoft are collaborating to further accelerate space exploration by delivering state-of-the-art technologies to tackle a range of data processing needs while in orbit.”

“By bringing together HPE’s Spaceborne Computer-2, which is based on the HPE Edgeline Converged Edge system for advanced edge computing and AI capabilities, with Microsoft Azure to connect to the cloud, we are enabling space explorers to seamlessly transmit large data sets to and from Earth and benefit from an edge-to-cloud experience. 

“We look forward to collaborating with Microsoft on their Azure Space efforts, which share our vision to accelerate discovery and help make breakthroughs to support life and sustainability in future, extended human missions to space,” he added.

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