Montana State doctoral student receives two payloads from International Space Station

Two Montana State University RadPC payloads pictured in a MSU lab on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Bozeman, Mont. Both computers spent time on the International Space Station before being returned to MSU. MSU photo by Colter Peterson

BOZEMAN – Montana State University doctoral student Hezekiah Austin recently received two packages with a unique return address: that of the International Space Station.

Each box contained a computer specially developed by MSU researchers to withstand the unforgiving environment imposed by outer space, known as RadPC.

Austin, who has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from MSU, was introduced to the RadPC project when he applied to pursue his Master of Science in electrical engineering, which he earned this past spring.

“Brock LaMeres interviewed me,” said Austin. “He mentioned that he had multiple grants available, one was going to the ISS. He eventually put me on that project.”

LaMeres, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, originally designed RadPC as an alternative to the large and expensive computers that are standardly used on spacecraft. The standard space computers can cost around $250,000, explained Austin, due to the parts inside them requiring special materials to withstand the radiation in outer space.

“RadPC is looking at a price somewhere between $5,000 to $20,000,” said Austin.

This difference in cost is due to the nature of the computer’s design. RadPC uses a processor that could be found in normal desktop computers, but it’s running special MSU-developed software that allows the machine to continue to function even when struck by a disruptive radiation particle whizzing through space.

Throughout the project, MSU researchers and students worked closely with San Mateo, California-based Stottler Henke, a company focused on artificial intelligence development for aerospace applications. During his research on the project, Austin outfitted RadPC to successfully interface with the company’s hardware and software.

Two payloads containing RadPC were sent to the ISS while Austin was working on the project. The first payload was in orbit for five months before it was sent back to Earth. Upon the computer's return to MSU’s campus, Austin and the team began to study the data from the computer's trip.

“This is the first time that RadPC has been used in a stressful environment as a full computer,” said LaMeres. “The unique part of it is that the payloads came back in time for Hezekiah’s master’s degree. It’s rare that you get anything back.”

The data presented from the ISS told the MSU researchers that their recovery mechanism was good, but that the computer’s design was not well-suited to be programmed by anyone other than members of the MSU team, explained Austin. He used that feedback to streamline things so that RadPC could be programmed more easily by anyone.

Soon after, Stottler Henke informed the researchers of another opportunity that would allow them to send this new iteration of RadPC back to the ISS.

“Naturally, we said yes,” said Austin.

This time, RadPC stayed in orbit for 13 months, and it took an additional seven months to get the payload back after its return. But, despite the long wait, the ISS payloads are both home and can be viewed in Norm Asbjornson Hall 324 inside the window display.

“By this upcoming August, we are looking to get RadPC as a commercially viable product that can be sold,” said Austin. “Long term I’ll be doing my Ph.D. research on adding in the capability of in-flight image processing.”

For more information about RadPC and its history at MSU, visit Brock LaMeres’ research overview website.