Computer Support Blog

It might seem obvious, but computers perform essential functions aboard the International Space Station and it is no surprise that computer support and computer repair are essential functions of the astronauts and cosmonauts who travel to the station.

The computer system aboard the International Space Station is a blend of technologies from several different countries, mostly the United States and Russia.  Since a computer worm infected the International Space Station in 2008, data on the operating system for the International Space Station has been classified.  Most computer support experts believe that, like the space shuttle, the operating system for the International Space Station is unique, custom written for the space station.

What is not a mystery is that the computers aboard the International Space Station have required quite a bit of computer support from personnel on Earth and computer repair from the astronauts and cosmonauts visiting and living on the station.  The International Space Station was assembled from at least sixteen modules from at least six countries over the course of a decade.  As a result, the International Space Station received computer support with every mission to connect the conflicting systems.  Networking the computers has been one of the top priorities each time a mission brought a new computer system to the space station.

With the computer network growing with each mission, astronauts and cosmonauts have brought laptop computers with them on the latest missions to provide computer support.  The astronauts and cosmonauts use the laptops to upgrade the outdated aspects of the station’s network.  Each new mission to the space station involves computer repair and adjustment.  Because the laptops are more modern, they often provide computer support to the newer modules and experiments brought up to the station.

For example, experiments like taking images of the oceans require computer support from the upgraded systems.  On August 12, 2011, the Naval Research Laboratory utilized an experimental payload designed to take images of oceanic topography to create a truer map of the Earth below the oceans.  The computer support system was integral to acquiring and processing the images from the advanced sensor array.  The sensor from the experiment could map the bottom of the ocean.  Because of the power of the sensor, computers are aiding in the exploration of the planet.  In a way, computers are protecting human life from environmental conditions where manned exploration is too hazardous.

While details on the exact programming of the computers aboard the International Space Station remains closely guarded, one thing is clear: like terrestrial computers, the computers aboard the International Space Station require frequent computer repairs and computer support from trained professionals.

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