Why SSDs are Problematic in Space

NASA photo of the Syncom IV satellite with a cloudy earth in the backgroundWhen the switch is made from HDDs to SSDs in most applications there are usually very strong benefits, but in the case of spacecraft, SSDs are causing no end of trouble.

Sure, SSDs provide certain extraordinary performance and other technical benefits.  Of particular importance in space applications are the facts that they consume less power, they are more resilient to the high g-forces endured during  launch, and, most importantly, they weigh less than HDDs, which is extraordinarily valuable when it costs tens of dollars per gram to put satellites into orbit.  The big drawback is that Continue reading “Why SSDs are Problematic in Space”

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