A contractor for Lonestar Data Holdings chose the 8TB SSD, and Skycorp, a space logistics firm and Phison Electronics’ partner, also selected it. Phison Electronics Corporation announced that the 8TB M.2 2280 SSD memory module had passed the requirements for space flight required by Lonestar Data Holdings’ initial data centre mission into space.
Phison obtained certification for NASA Technology Readiness Level 6, or TRL-6, by successfully completing a number of corresponding flight and space tests, including vacuum conditions experienced in space travel and deep cryogenic temperatures that you would experience on the Moon’s surface.
Skycorp also holds the rank of partner to Lonestar’s engineering design and manufacturing for the upcoming mission, which will launch in the second half of next year. Additionally, Phison had to put their SSD through environmental and stress tests similar to those that occurred during the SpaceX Falcon 9 voyage at commercial and federal test facilities in Silicon Valley.
Skycorp will provide cutting-edge RISC-V multi-core chips for space server architectures and Phison’s SSD. Last September, Phison and Skycorp announced the partnership, describing that the main focus would be on in-space processing and archiving data.
Phison has an 8GB uSSD used on the Mars Persev lander. Lonestar will launch the initial data centre to be sent to the Moon as “a payload on Intuitive Machines’ Skycorp’s RISC-V-based computer system is using the SSD.
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Phison’s 8TB NVMe SSD Passes NASA’s Flight Test
Prior to entering space, not only astronauts but also goods and technologies, especially storage products, go through rigorous training and testing. Therefore, it seems sense that Phison would be happy that its 8TB M.2 NVMe solid state drive (SSD) has achieved NASA Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL-6) certification and is now ready for launch.
In order to provide edge processing and off-site archive services, Lonestar Data Holdings intends to build a number of data centres on the Moon. The first of those will be launched as a payload aboard the NOVA-C lander from Intuitive Machines under NASA’s Commercial Lunary Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
Lonestar hired Skycorp, a space logistics business, to manage the qualification of the hardware infrastructure that will be constructed on the lunar surface as part of the mission. In response, Skycorp has decided to use Phison’s 8TB NVMe SSD for what has been dubbed “history’s first lunar data centre expedition.”
According to Dennis Wingo, CEO of Skycorp, “space is in change, and the usage of high-quality commercial components in a space environment is frequently problematic.” On the surface, it may appear like sending a storage device to space is no big deal.
However, Phison has proven not just the quality of their products but also their excellent product engineering support for our efforts. But there is a lot of testing that goes on in order to function and survive on the surface of the Moon.
The conditions in space are extremely different from those on Earth, thus Phison’s 8TB SSD had to demonstrate, among other rigorous testing, that it could resist deep cryogenic temperatures and vacuum conditions found on the lunar surface. A variety of stress and environmental tests that mimicked the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 were also required to be passed.
According to K.S., “Phison is delighted that our SSD technology has cleared all the strict standards for Lonestar’s future Moon trip after extensive testing and certification process.” Pua, CEO of Phison. We also want to thank our exceptional customer, Lonestar, and partner, Skycorp, for helping to make this possible.
“We are excited about playing a critical role on this essential mission, and potential future ones as we continue our push into the new frontier. For Phison, this isn’t exactly unfamiliar ground. It teamed with Skycorp a little over a year ago; Skycorp has been using components of the business’s 4TB SSD inside a RISC-V computer on the International Space Station (ISS).
Before the voyage to the Moon, the increase to 8TB is described as a big enhancement. For the second half of 2023, a lunar mission is planned.
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Lonestar’s Lunar Data Center
“Phison is happy that our SSD technology has cleared all the tough requirements for Lonestar’s future Moon trip,” remarked K.S. after a protracted testing and certification process. Pua, CEO of Phison. “As we continue our excursion into the new frontier, we are thrilled about playing a crucial role on this important mission and other future ones.”
The 8TB M.2 from Phison has to undergo a number of tests, including being exposed to the extreme cold and vacuum of the moon, in order to receive NASA certification, or Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL-6).
Sebastien Jean, Chief Technology Officer at Phison, explained in an exclusive interview with TechRadar Pro that while there are always challenges involved in sending data to space, the company’s SSD designs are made to minimise any additional risks that space travel may present for the longevity of data.
According to him, HDDs are not advised for use in space missions because of their flimsy moving parts, greater power requirements, slower performance, and heavy structure that makes it uneconomical to leave Earth. “SSDs are slim, light, extremely dependable, high performance, and use a lot less power in comparison.”
SSDs used in space missions are created in concert with a suitable computer motherboard and chassis container to survive the rigours of space settings. The data saved on SSDs in space can have as good or greater data retention with careful preparation than what we generally design for on Earth.
With an 8GB uSSD on board the Mars Perseverance Rover and a 4TB SSD inside Skycorp’s RISC-V-based computer on the International Space Station, Phison is no stranger to interstellar travel (ISS).
As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme in cooperation with aerospace business Intuitive Machines, the first data centre featuring Phison’s 8TB SSD will be a payload aboard the NOVA-C lander.
According to Christopher Stott, founder and CEO of Lonestar, “Phison is proving to be a terrific provider.” “We are genuinely encouraged by the qualification tests’ success and the fact that our payload has passed these crucial next steps towards flying. The Moon itself is the next major leap for us.
In order to offer off-site archive services, Lonestar will soon begin building a number of data centres on the moon. Phison plans to participate in additional expeditions to the moon, “nearby space installations,” and other planets in the solar system.
Skycorp And Phison
- Dennis Wingo founded Skycorp, which is redefining the design, deployment, and use of orbital vehicles. An important step in Skycorp’s development of the Orbital Logistics Vehicle was reached with the recent delivery of the Intelligent Space Systems Interface Flight Qualification Experiment. In collaboration with NASA and others, Skycorp has taken part in and made possible a number of successful space missions. Skycorp and Phison have a partnership to offer SSD solutions for various space missions that are in the works. www.skycorpinc.com.
- The market leader in NAND Flash controller IC and storage products is Phison Electronics Corp. (TPEX:8299). We offer a wide range of services, including controller design, system integration, IP licencing, and full turnkey solutions. Our services encompass applications for SSD (PCIe/SATA/PATA), eMMC, UFS, SD, and USB interfaces, and we cater to the consumer, industrial, and enterprise industries. Phison participates actively in industry groups, serving as a contributor to JEDEC, PCI-SIG, ONFI, UFSA, and the Board of Directors for SDA, ONFI, and NVMe. Visit the websites phison.com and phisonblog.com for further information.
Conclusion
The revelation, which follows the report that NASA’s Artemis spacecraft has safely landed on the moon, shows that Phison’s solid state drive (SSD) technology has successfully passed the essential testing to be used in the historic first lunar data centre mission by Lonestar Data Holdings.
The 8TB M.2 2280 SSD solution from Phison has announced that it has successfully passed the necessary TRL-6 flight qualification tests. For its lunar data centre mission, which is slated for the second half of 2023, the space logistics firm Skycorp, a partner of Phison and a contractor of Lonestar, has chosen the SSD.
“After a thorough testing and certification process, Phison is delighted that our SSD technology has cleared all the stringent standards for Lonestar’s future Moon trip,” said K.S. Pua, CEO of Phison. “As we continue our journey into the new frontier, we are thrilled about playing a crucial role on this critical mission, as well as other ones in the future. Additionally, we appreciate Skycorp and Lonestar for their support in making this possible.”
Phison’s 8TB M.2 SSD had to successfully complete a series of tests in order to receive the NASA Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL-6) certification. These tests included stress and environmental tests, electromagnetic environment qualification, and immersion in deep cryogenic temperatures and vacuum conditions that replicate those on the moon (simulating the launch on the SpaceX Falcon 9).