- Axiom Space and Red Hat deployed AxDCU-1 prototype data center to the ISS
- System uses MicroShift Kubernetes, delta updates, and self-healing for orbital conditions
- Researchers expect local data processing on the ISS to speed up experiments
A prototype data center has arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) to test whether terrestrial computing systems can operate in orbit.
The device, called AxDCU-1, was developed by Axiom Space and runs Red Hat’s Device Edge platform. It was delivered aboard SpaceX’s 33rd commercial resupply mission on August 24. The project, which we wrote about previously, was sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory.
The aim is to see if data can be processed directly in orbit rather than sent back to Earth through limited satellite downlinks.
In-space data processing
The system runs containerized applications, similar to those in modern data centers, but adapted for orbital conditions where connectivity is poor and hardware needs to function independently.
It is built around a lightweight version of Kubernetes called MicroShift that is designed for resource-constrained environments, allowing containerized workloads to be updated and managed remotely.
“The platform incorporates automated rollbacks and self-healing capabilities through delta updates and health monitoring,” Tony James, chief architect of science and space at Red Hat, told Data Center Knowledge.
Delta software updates transmit only changed portions of code to minimize bandwidth use.
“These features are especially critical in space, as they serve as a safeguard to allow the system to detect failures and revert to a stable state without human intervention,” James added.
Patrick O’Neill, of the ISS National Laboratory, said bandwidth limitations have long been a problem for researchers. “Through the years, a limiting resource for the research community on the space station was the transfer of data and near real-time data analysis,” he said.
Processing data locally could let scientists adjust experiments while they are still running, with particular benefits expected in life sciences and biomedical research.
The deployment also acts as a testbed for future commercial space stations.
Axiom Space is building its own station, which will need more advanced data processing than the ISS currently provides.
The containerized approach is intended to support edge AI, automation, and mission-critical applications in future orbital platforms.
Axiom isn’t the only startup sending data centers into space. Lonestar Data Holdings successfully tested a software-defined data center on the ISS in 2021 and 2022, before conducting a full data storage demonstration from the Moon’s surface in 2024.
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