Linux-based operating systems have been successfully deployed on orbital CubeSats
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Peer-reviewed aerospace literature reports the development of specialized Linux-based operating systems designed for deployment on orbital CubeSat missions.
With recent exponential advances in AI-particularly with respect to the tremendous power and efficiency accessible for data processing-there is now a countless array of applications for aerospace missions and space exploration, even in experimental CubeSats. However, with the large volume of data acquisition required for satellite missions, downlinking presents an increasingly expensive bottleneck that drastically reduces mission efficiency. Hence, there is a skyrocketing demand to perform edge computation on board the payload system, often via a graphics processing unit (GPU). Multiple edge-computing CubeSat missions set to operate in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), including the University of Georgia's Multiview Onboard Computational Imager (MOCI), house an Nvidia Jetson TX2i module to perform onboard computer vision. As is the case for many commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) devices used in CubeSats, the TX2i does not come radiation-hardened, and its most vulnerable component is its eMMC disk. Even with the option of radiation shielding, there is nevertheless a possibility of single event effects (SEEs) reaching the TX2i, calling for software-level mitigation as a final line of defense. The MOCI team and partners at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Lab have developed Space Operating Linux (SOL), a minimized Yocto-based operating system with built-in redundancy designed to handle these environmental pressures. While SOL contains patches that enable real-time scheduling in Linux for time-sensitive reliability in flight, the methodologies of operating system minimization, software-based triple modular redundancy in persistent memory with associated bootloader modifications, and a RAM-based file system allow the device to rely less on its eMMC card and render it less prone to radiation-induced damage. Results from proton SEE tests on the device's chip exhibit lower expected error rates in LEO compared to stock devices. Additionally, the devices tested were less prone to permanent failure under a narrower beam than used in previous tests, confirming that peripherals including flash are the highest contributors to critical failures on the TX2i.
thresholds are monitored on-orbit, during missions. There have been no persistent mission-related hearing threshold shifts among US Orbital Segment crewmembers
The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station in low Earth orbit (LEO). It is the product of the International Space Station program and is operated by five partner space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada). It is the first space station built, maintained and crewed through international cooperation and the largest human space
The US Orbital Segment of the ISS is equipped with approximately 100 commercial off-the-shelf laptops running Windows or Linux. These devices are modified to use the station's 28V DC power system and with additional ventilation since heat generated by the devices can stagnate in the weightless environment. NASA prefers to keep a high commonality between laptops and spare parts are kept on the station so astronauts can repair laptops when needed.
The laptops are divided into two groups: the Portable Computer System (PCS) and Station Support Computers (SSC).
PCS laptops run Linux and are used for connecting to the station's primary Command & Control computer (C&C MDM), which runs on Debian Linux, a switch made from Windows in 2013 for reliability and flexibility. The primary computer supervises the critical systems that keep the station in orbit and supporting life. Since the primary computer has no display…
The ISS operates on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). A typical day aboard the ISS begins at 06:00 with wake-up, post-sleep routines, and a morning inspection of the station. After breakfast, the crew holds a daily planning conference with Mission Control, starting work around 08:10. Morning tasks include scheduled exercise, scientific experiments, maintenance, or operational duties. Following a one-hour lunch break at 13:05, the crew resumes their afternoon schedule of work and exercise. Pre-sleep activities, including dinner and a crew conference, begin at 19:30, with the scheduled sleep period starting at 21:30.
The crew works approximately 10 hours on weekdays and 5 hours on Saturdays, with the remaining time allocated for relaxation or catching up on tasks. Free time often involves enjoying personal hobbies, communicating with family, or gazing out at Earth through the station's windows. The crew can watch TV aboard the station.
When the Space Shuttle was operating, the ISS crew aligned with the shuttle crew's Mission Elapsed Time, a flexible schedule based on the shuttle's launch.
To simulate night conditions, the station's windows are covered during designated sleep periods, as the ISS experiences 16 sunrises and sunsets daily due to its orbital speed.
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