Phison Electronics Corporation announced that the 8TB M.2 2280 SSD memory module had passed the qualifications for space flight required by Lonestar Data Holdings' initial data center mission into space.
Phison's 8TB SSD ready for liftoff in 2023 after receiving NASA certification with TRL-6 tests passed
A contractor for Lonestar selected the 8TB SSD, and Skycorp, a space logistics company and Phison Electronics' partner. Skycorp also holds the rank of partner to Lonestar's engineering design and manufacturing for the upcoming mission that will launch in the second half of next year.
After comprehensive testing and certification process, Phison is thrilled that our SSD technology has passed all the rigorous requirements for Lonestar’s upcoming Moon mission. We are excited about playing a vital role on this important mission, and other future ones as we continue our foray into the new frontier. We also want to thank our outstanding customer, Lonestar, and partner, Skycorp, for helping to make this happen.
— K.S. Pua, Chief Executive Officer, Phison
Phison achieved certification for NASA Technology Readiness Level 6, or TRL-6, by completing several corresponding flight and space tests, such as vacuum conditions experienced in space travel and deep cryogenic temperature tests that you would experience on the Moon's surface. Additionally, Phison had to test their SSD against environmental and stress testing experienced during the SpaceX Falcon 9 flight at Silicon Valley commercial and governmental test facilities.
Lonestar will launch the initial data center to be sent to the Moon as "a payload on Intuitive Machines' NOVA-C lander under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program." Skycorp will provide advanced RISC-V multi-core chips for space server architectures and Phison's SSD.
Phison is proving to be a superb provider. We are truly heartened that the qualification tests have gone well, and that our payload has passed these fundamental next steps for spaceflight. Our next giant leap is the Moon itself.
— Christopher Stott, Founder and CEO, Lonestar Data Holdings, Inc.
Last September, Phison and Skycorp announced the partnership, explaining that the main focus would be on in-space processing and archiving data.
Space is in transition, and the use of quality commercial components in a space environment is often complicated. Phison has demonstrated not only the quality of their products but their incredible product engineering support for our efforts.
— Dennis Wingo, Chief Executive Officer, Skycorp
Phison has an 8GB uSSD used on the Mars Perseverance Rover and a 4TB SSD on the International Space Station. The SSD is being used for Skycorp's RISC-V-based computer system.
News Source: Phison Blog
