**Red Hat and Axiom Space to Launch Orbital Data Center on ISS in 2025**
Red Hat and Axiom Space have announced a collaboration to advance space-based computing with the launch of Axiom Space’s Data Center Unit-1 (AxDCU-1) to the International Space Station (ISS) in spring 2025. This initiative aims to showcase the first Orbital Data Center capabilities, utilizing **Red Hat’s Device Edge platform** to process data directly in orbit.
### **Enhancing Space-Based Computing**
This partnership will enable real-time computing closer to data sources like spacecraft and satellites, reducing dependence on **Earth-based data centers**. The project will explore applications in data fusion, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and space cybersecurity. By integrating cloud-native processing into space infrastructure, Axiom Space and Red Hat aim to improve decision-making speed, security, and autonomy for space operations.
AxDCU-1 will feature **Red Hat Device Edge**, which includes Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, a lightweight Kubernetes distribution based on Red Hat OpenShift’s edge capabilities, and MicroShift, an open-source project supported by Red Hat. This platform will allow Axiom Space to run cloud-native workloads and hybrid cloud applications in orbit, minimizing the need for costly and potentially unreliable network connections to Earth.
Axiom Space’s Orbital Data Centers are designed to provide **Earth-independent cloud storage and edge processing**, eliminating data transmission delays while enhancing security and reliability. By processing data in space, these centers will reduce reliance on traditional terrestrial data centers and offer faster, more secure access to mission-critical information.
### **Applications of Orbital Data Centers**
Potential applications for **Orbital Data Centers** include:
– Faster data processing and storage for Earth observation satellites
– On-orbit AI/ML training for autonomous space operations
– Multi-factor authentication and cyber intrusion detection
– Supervised autonomy for spacecraft and satellite missions
– Space weather analytics
– Off-planet backup and disaster recovery for critical Earth-based infrastructure
### **Axiom Space’s Vision for Space-Based Infrastructure**
The launch of AxDCU-1 is part of **Axiom Space’s broader vision** to enable businesses to operate in space. By developing scalable industrial infrastructure, Axiom Space is making it easier for companies to integrate space-based solutions into their operations. The expansion of **Axiom Station** and the development of Orbital Data Centers are key components of this long-term strategy.
**Jason Aspiotis, Global Director of In-Space Data and Security at Axiom Space**, emphasized the importance of the partnership with Red Hat, stating that integrating terrestrial-grade cloud solutions into Orbital Data Centers will allow users to benefit from reduced latency and enhanced security while seamlessly transferring workloads to orbit.
**Tony James, Lead Architect for Science and Space at Red Hat**, highlighted the significance of edge computing in space, describing it as a critical element of the next frontier in off-planet data processing. He noted that **Red Hat Device Edge** will provide Earth-based mission partners with the tools they need to make reliable, real-time decisions in space.
As demand for **high-performance computing and data security** continues to rise, the ability to process and store data in space could revolutionize industries such as telecommunications, Earth observation, scientific research, and space exploration. By combining **cutting-edge space infrastructure with enterprise-grade cloud computing**, Axiom Space and Red Hat are paving the way for a new era of orbital cloud computing.
