Aerospace and defense technology company BAE Systems in Manassas, Va., is debuting its next-generation hardened computer designed for space-based use. The new RAD5545 single-board computer beats its predecessor in size, speed, and efficiency, BAE systems says. The new space microprocessor is radiation-hardened against ambient radiation, which means it can work reliably in the challenging conditions of outer space for protracted periods. The RAD5545 is designed to be simpler than computers used on previous generations of space-faring vehicles and satellites, since it replaces multiple cards with just one. It can also unlock new capabilities for future spacecraft, including encryption, running multiple operating systems at once, processing extremely high-resolution images, and autonomously operating spacecraft. Each of these tasks was beyond the capabilities of previous single-board computers designed for space.
