The Space Becomes the Next Frontier with the Collaboration Between Red Hat and Axiom Space to Develop a Prototype for the ISS.
The prototype will conduct various tests outside of Earth at the International Space Station.
Red Hat has partnered with Axiom Space to send an orbital data center to the International Space Station (ISS) in the spring of 2025. This project, named Data Center Unit-1 (AxDCU-1), will feature advanced technology including Red Hat Device Edge, an enterprise version of MicroShift, as well as Red Hat Enterprise Linux and the Red Hat Ansible automation platform.
The AxDCU-1 aims to test applications in areas such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data fusion, and space cybersecurity. During its operation, it is also expected to demonstrate the initial capabilities of an Orbital Data Center (ODC). Tony James, Chief Architect for Science and Space at Red Hat, emphasized that off-planet data processing represents a new frontier, and that edge computing is an essential component for making real-time decisions from space.
This data center will be part of Axiom Space's ongoing efforts to develop space infrastructure, enabling data processing closer to sources outside of Earth, such as spacecraft and satellites. The goal is to enhance safety and speed in space decision-making.
Jason Aspiotis, Global Director of Space Data and Security at Axiom Space, expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunities this collaboration with Red Hat provides for ODC infrastructure. By integrating Earth-compatible cloud solutions into ODCs, users will be able to optimize their workloads in orbit, taking advantage of the lower latency and enhanced security these centers offer.
Axiom Space has also pointed out that potential uses for ODCs include space data processing for satellites, artificial intelligence training, cybersecurity, autonomy, space weather analysis, and critical Earth infrastructure backup.