Yellowstone Times

A computer developed at Montana State University has successfully landed on the moon, as part of Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1. The mission touched down near Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium, a basin located on the moon's near side. This marks a significant milestone for the radiation-tolerant computer created by Brock LaMeres, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at MSU.

The lander was launched on January 14 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After orbiting Earth for two weeks, it embarked on a four-day journey to the lunar surface. The onboard computer, named RadPC, is expected to operate for one lunar day, equivalent to about 14 Earth days.

RadPC stands out due to its ability to withstand high levels of radiation emitted by celestial bodies. According to LaMeres, it is three times more stable than current satellite computers. This capability will be tested further as it operates on the moon's surface and during its transit through Earth's radiation belts.

The mission is part of NASA’s Artemis lunar-surface space campaigns and could expose RadPC to intense radiation levels. "When the Earth is between the moon and sun, the Earth blocks radiation," LaMeres explained. However, strong solar winds can extend Earth's magnetic fields to encompass the moon, potentially leading to extreme radiation exposure.

RadPC measures four inches square and half an inch thick and relies on four redundant computers mounted on one chip. This design helps it endure inevitable radiation strikes by running software that checks for disruptions caused by radiation.

Alison Harmon, MSU’s vice president for research and economic development, praised LaMeres: “Brock LaMeres is a decorated faculty member at MSU... It is gratifying to see his radiation-tolerant computer be tested on this space mission.”

Resilient Computing, an MSU spinoff company based in Bozeman, is commercializing this patented technology with funding from several organizations including Idaho National Laboratory and NASA.

Over 100 undergraduate students and 20 graduate students from MSU have contributed to this project alongside nearly a dozen faculty members. Staff engineers from MSU’s Space Science and Engineering Laboratory played a crucial role in building RadPC's payload.

LaMeres highlighted student involvement: “MSU students have contributed significantly... And they have developed skills along the way that will help them as they become computer scientists and engineers.”

This mission supports NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach by preparing for future human missions. Once proven effective on the moon, RadPC could also enhance everyday applications like maintaining power grids and communication satellites while offering protection against cyber-attacks.