Today people all around the world will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of humanity's greatest technological achievements: landing on the Moon. Technology has undergone immense change since 1969. The computer systems and software that took Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to our nearest celestial neighbor pale in comparison to the smartphones we carry around in our pockets today. Fifty years on, as we set our sights on a return to the Moon, as well as future human spaceflight to Mars and beyond, what are the innovations that will get us there? Research institutions and national labs across the globe are pouring hundreds of thousands of research hours into every conceivable aspect of space science.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is angling its way into intergalactic travel. However, a nascent industry is beginning, built by the likes of Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos who have invested in aerospace and spaceflight companies such as SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin respectively. HPE is undaunted by the long view it is taking to opening a new market. It is taking a baby step by putting its supercomputer into space in a collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa). Called Spaceborne Computer, the supercomputer was installed at the International Space Station (ISS) last month for a one-year pilot to check if it can withstand the pull of gravity and harsh conditions of space.

A SpaceX shipment arrived at the International Space Station on Wednesday, delivering a bonanza of science experiments. The SpaceX Dragon capsule pulled up following a two-day flight from Cape Canaveral. NASA astronaut Jack Fischer used the space station's hefty robot arm to grab the Dragon 250 miles (400 kilometers) above the Pacific, near New Zealand. A SpaceX shipment arrived at the International Space Station on Wednesday, delivering a bonanza of science experiments. The Dragon holds 3 tons of cargo, mostly research.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is poised to launch an unmanned cargo ship carrying a supercomputer to the International Space Station (ISS) today. The supercomputer is hoped to help direct astronauts on future deep-space missions. The goal is to test the computer for one year to see if it can operate in the harsh conditions of space - about the same amount of time as it would take for astronauts to arrive at Mars. The liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon cargo ship, is planned for 12:31pm ET (5:31pm BST) from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The goal is to test the Spaceborne Computer for one year to see if it can operate in the harsh conditions of space.

When SpaceX's latest cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) lifts off Monday, among the rest of its payload will be something that has possible ramifications for future long-term space travel: an experiment to design computers that are resistant, if not immune, to the effects of radiation in space. Called Spaceborne Computer (SBC), the year-long experiment is a joint effort between NASA and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. It is a supercomputer which HPE has developed for the space agency "to run a high-performance commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computer system in space," according to a statement the company sent to International Business Times. "The goal is for the system to operate seamlessly in the harsh conditions of space for one year – roughly the amount of time it will take to travel to Mars," it added. This kind of an experiment is important because "radiation is likely to have a number of unanticipated effects on complex computer systems. This experiment helps identify critical failure points in electronic systems, as well as potential software'patches' that can prevent them," according to NASA.