Applications like spacecraft autonomy and processing data from high-rate sensors are driving up requirements for future space systems. Throw in the need for high radiation tolerance and it becomes a major challenge to develop hardware for the future.  To leverage modern processor architectures, applications must be matched to the best hardware. This research will explore the processor/software landscape for future space missions. The landscape for space computation is highly constrained due to the need to meet requirements for (1) high-performance, (2) low power, (3) low-weight and (4) radiation hardness. These needs frequently compete. The low power needs of space systems constrains performance both with respect to clock speeds and also with respect to heat dissipation. Radiation tolerance requirements also frequently result in lowered performance as hardening techniques require introducing some form of redundancy or slower clock speeds to protect circuits from radiation effects. This research seeks to leverage recent trends in computing technology arising from the introduction of novel processing architectures (graphics processors, compute-in-memory architectures) in recent years. Due to the high cost and long development and qualification timelines of space grade processing, it is important that architectures of relevance to space applications be identified early. 

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