Astronauts aboard the ISS are set to receive an upgraded laptop from HP.

      The International Space Station is set to undergo a significant upgrade for its HP laptops.

      Few experiences are more aggravating than using a slow, lagging laptop, and I can’t imagine enduring one while working in space. Even astronauts are not exempt from the wear and tear of aging laptops, hence NASA is preparing for an extensive upgrade.

      The Expedition 74 crew recently discussed a comprehensive computer upgrade planned for the weekend, which will begin with the replacement of network servers and will be followed by the introduction of "new, more powerful laptop computers" on the International Space Station.

      Which HP laptop is heading to space?

      NASA

      NASA’s brief update did not specify the laptop model, but a NASA representative later informed The Verge that the upcoming laptop model for the station is the HP ZBook G9 Mobile Workstation. This new model will replace the older HP ZBook Fury G2 laptops currently utilized on the ISS, with the first set of these newer systems having launched in October 2025.

      This upgrade is not merely a standard equipment exchange. While the ISS continues to rely on reliable, mission-proven hardware, contemporary life in orbit includes scientific tasks, imaging, communications, logistics, and system monitoring—all of which will gain from more advanced equipment.

      How powerful are these laptops?

      The International Space Station NASA

      HP's new laptops are high-performance workstation-grade systems. The customized configuration for the ISS includes an Intel Core Ultra 9 vPro HX processor, an Nvidia RTX Pro Blackwell GPU, 128GB of DDR5 memory, and four 2TB NVMe SSDs. Although such specifications are not typical for a consumer laptop, HP indicates that these machines also require a specially designed NASA-exclusive AC/DC power adapter, as the ISS operates mainly on DC power, rendering standard Earth AC chargers unfit for use in space.

      Over 100 HP workstations are already operational on the ISS, along with microgravity-compatible printers, and the G9 laptops mark the third generation of HP computing platforms onboard. With the station expected to be decommissioned in 2030, this may be one of the last major PC upgrades before the planned deorbit.

      Vikhyaat Vivek is a tech journalist and reviewer with seven years of experience in covering consumer hardware, focusing on…

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