A discussion on Linux in space
There was something of a space theme that pervaded the Embedded Linux Conference (ELC) portion of the 2023 Embedded Open Source Summit (EOSS), which is an umbrella event for various sub-conferences related to embedded open-source development. That may partly be because one of the organizers of EOSS (and ELC), Tim Bird, described himself as "a bit of a space junkie"; he made that observation during a panel session that he led on embedded Linux in space. Bird and four panelists discussed various aspects of the use of Linux in space-related systems, including where it has been used, the characteristics and challenges of aerospace deployments, certification of Linux for aerospace use, and more.
The panelists in the room were Lenka Třísková, a lecturer and researcher at the Technical University of Liberec (which is in near Prague, Czechia, as was where the conference was held), who is also the main technical advisor for the Linux4Space project, and David VomLehn, who is the lead flight-software engineer at Astra. VomLehn gave a keynote about Linux in space (YouTube video) earlier in the conference. They were joined by two remote participants, both on the US west coast, thus joining the session at a pretty early hour for them: Steven VanderLeest, chief technologist for Boeing Linux, and Rob Bocchino, from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).