NASA enters contract for computing processor that will change space exploration

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California selected Microchip Technology of Chandler, Arizona, to develop a High-Performance Spaceflight Computing (HPSC) processor that will advance all types of future space missions, from planetary exploration to lunar and Mars surface missions, NASA said in a release Monday. The processor architecture will allow computing power to be scalable based on mission needs, which will significantly improve overall computing efficiency for exploration missions. The design will also make the processor more reliable, enabling spacecraft computers to perform calculations up to 100 times faster than today's state-of-the-art space computers, according to NASA. SEE: NASA is blazing an inspirational trail. "Our current spaceflight computers were developed almost 30 years ago," said Wesley Powell, NASA's principal technologist for advanced avionics.