Linux and open-source software are crucial in powering space missions from the International Space Station to Mars, offering flexibility, cost-efficiency, and reliability.
NASA's Mars Ingenuity helicopter, the first powered flight on another planet, ran on a customized Linux kernel and open-source flight software.
Linux dominates critical systems on the International Space Station, including climate monitoring tools, satellites, scientific experiments, and even an AI-based robot assistant for astronauts.
The use of open-source software by NASA provides cost-effectiveness, global collaboration opportunities, and customizable solutions for space missions, with Linux playing a key role in future space exploration endeavors.