NMP ST8 dependable multiprocessor: TRL6 validation — preliminary results

Space exploration, science, and autonomy missions are requiring ever-increasing bandwidth and processing capacity to the extent that the ability to apply high-performance COTS processors for onboard computing in space is becoming a critical need. To date, Dependable Multiprocessor (DM) technology has been developed as part of NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP) ST8 (Space Technology 8) project. DM was one of four technologies selected for the ST8 flight experiment. The objective of the NMP ST8 effort is to combine high-performance, SEU-tolerant, COTS-based cluster processing and SEU-tolerant middleware in an architecture and software framework capable of supporting a wide variety of mission applications. The goal of the Dependable Multiprocessor project is to provide spacecraft/payload processing capability at speeds 10x — 100x of what is available today, enabling heretofore unrealizable levels of science and autonomy.