- Sandia National Laboratories is using the International Space Station as a proving ground to rapidly test and mature technology for national security space systems.
- The payload, named LEONIDAS, will operate in orbit for about 10 weeks and may be the first to fly an Advanced Micro Devices Versal in space.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., August 28, 2023 — In a move that could significantly accelerate the integration of cutting-edge technology into national security space systems, Sandia National Laboratories has initiated a groundbreaking experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Bridging the Tech Gap in Space
“Because of their critical missions, national security satellites always need to work as expected,” said James Meub, manager and one of the project’s engineering leads at Sandia. The project aims to bridge the gap between the rapid development of new technologies by the industry and the slower pace of integrating them into satellites that must meet stringent security and space-readiness standards.
LEONIDAS: A Leap in Space Computing
In collaboration with the National Nuclear Security Administration, NASA, and commercial space company NanoRacks, Sandia’s payload, named LEONIDAS, was installed on the ISS’s Japanese External Module. The payload will test high-performance computing technology and may be the first to fly an Advanced Micro Devices Versal in space. This commercial chip offers advanced processing capabilities and could better withstand the naturally occurring radiation in space.
A Faster Path to Innovation
Meub emphasized that the data generated from each payload hosted on the ISS will help inform and improve the next system’s design. This iterative process will enable the team to be more responsive to national security threats and opportunities.
Beyond LEONIDAS: The Future of Space-Readiness
Scheduled to launch after LEONIDAS, the upcoming payload named ASTRID will test four different technologies initially developed under Sandia’s Science and Technology Advancing Resilience for Contested Space mission campaign. These technologies range from vanadium dioxide paint that changes its optical properties to act as a heat window, to radiation-hardened neural networks.
A New Paradigm in Space Technology Testing
“With this new approach, we can test new technology in space within 12 to 18 months,” said manager John Dickinson. This will enable the rapid incorporation of the latest technology into long-term missions like the Global Burst Detector, which can take a decade or more to go from concept to launch.
