OPS-SAT: ESA’s flying lab, open to all

What would you do with a powerful computer based in space? At just 30 cm in height, OPS-SAT is a tiny CubeSat designed to serve as a large-scale software laboratory in orbit – containing one of the most powerful flight computers ever flown – to test innovative control software from teams all over Europe. Anyone can apply to try out their software aboard OPS-SAT, from companies to research teams to computer clubs, linking directly from the internet. The small satellite packs in a high-resolution camera, radio antennas, optical receiver, reaction wheels and GPS. OPS-SAT can be rebooted if any experimental software crashes, allowing otherwise risky inflight testing as a way to make space smarter.