Cores in space: The core memory module from a 1980 Spacelab computer
This article provides a technical deep dive into the magnetic core memory system of the Mitra 125 MS minicomputer used in the 1980s Spacelab project. It details the physical construction of the memory stack and how it was integrated into the Space Shuttle's laboratory module.
Why it matters
It offers historical insight into early space-faring computing hardware, highlighting the transition from magnetic core memory to modern silicon-based storage.
Spacelab was a reusable laboratory that could be carried in the Space Shuttle's cargo bay, providing lab space for astronauts and experiments. 1 Because Spacelab was a European project, it used a French-built minicomputer, the Mitra 125 MS, 2 rather than the Shuttle's main computers, IBM-built AP-101 systems. For storage, the Spacelab computer contained 128 kilobytes of RAM. Rather than silicon memory, the computer used magnetic core memory, with each bit stored in a tiny ferrite ring. In this article, I take a close look at this computer's core memory system.
The core stack from the Spacelab computer. I removed the top board to show the core planes.
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