ISS Replaces 1990s-Era Laptop Systems With Modern Computing Infrastructure

The International Space Station is upgrading command-and-control multiplexer units and guidance systems originally built around IBM 760 laptops. Expedition 74 crew members are coordinating phased replacements of critical infrastructure while maintaining ongoing research operations. The modernization reflects two decades of computing advances while addressing the unique demands of orbital operations. Worth flagging: the ISS now executes major infrastructure overhauls alongside active science—a stark contrast to early station operations, when such upgrades would have halted all other activities.