SpaceX CRS-12 rocket will be launched from Kennedy Space Center and will carry a payload which includes an HP Enterprise (HPE) supercomputer. The supercomputer is named Spaceborne Computer and it's being sent to space to study the extent of harsh conditions the components of a supercomputer can withstand.
The brutal conditions faced by technology during space travel shortens their life span. To give you an idea how brutal it can actually be, consider this. The lifespan of even the most sturdy computers and laptops is sized down to just a few months due to space travel and hence NASA has to send new laptops to International Space Station every few months.
As we have already seen tons of times in several sci-fi movies, the heavy computing is mostly done from the ground while the results are sent back to the ISS through the sparse data connections.
Humanity dreams to leap out of the Solar System with schematics ready to be deployed for Mars missions in few years. It's very certain that long span space travel beacons will require an onboard system that can rectify complex problems related to the astronomical voyage.
NASA only allows computer systems to be sent to space that are rugged enough to withstand the radiations, solar flares, and intense pressure.
To match up to NASA standards HPE has incorporated a software system that can automatically rectify errors that are environmentally induced.
The Spaceborne Computer will be carried by a SpaceX rocket that will be launched on August 14, 2017, at 12:31 EST.
