Axiom & Spacebilt to Launch First Optical Data Center to ISS in 2027
Axiom Space and Spacebilt have revealed plans to send a data center node equipped with optical communication links to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2027. This mission will mark the first spaceflight for Microchip's PIC64 High-Performance Spaceflight Computing, developed with NASA's support.
The Axiom Orbital Data Center Node (AxODC Node ISS) will incorporate an optical communications terminal from Skyloom, hardware from Phison Electronics, and Microchip Technology's latest computing solution. Once connected, Axiom's three orbital data centers will provide substantial capacity, enabling cloud-computing applications like AI and machine learning in space.
The project's roadmap, led by Axiom's global director Jason Aspiotis, envisions a distributed and federated network of orbital data center nodes. Spacebilt, a Florida startup, is spearheading the design of AxODC Node ISS and its integration with ISS payloads.
Axiom's foray into space-based data centers began in 2022 with testing an Amazon Web Services Snowcone solid-state drive. In August 2023, they sent another data center, AxDCU-1, to the ISS. Phison's Pascari solid-state drives, part of the upcoming mission, previously traveled to the moon on an Intuitive Machines Athena lunar lander in February 2023.
In 2027, Axiom and Spacebilt will deliver the AxODC Node ISS, expanding the capabilities of space-based data centers. This mission signifies a significant step towards establishing a robust, high-performance optical data center node on the ISS for data storage and processing.
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