The probe carries American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh‘s ashes (he discovered Pluto in 1930) and has been navigating the solar system using two computer systems: one is used for command and data handling while the other handles guidance and control. For safety reasons, each of the two systems is duplicated, leading to a total of four on-board processors.
One small step for technology, one giant leap for CPUs
The CPU of choice for New Horizons is a MIPS-based Mongoose-V chip clocked at a whopping 12 MHz. Mongoose-V is a radiation-hardened version of the MIPS R3000 CPU and is manufactured by Synova, a Florida-based company that specializes in turnkey aeronautics solutions.
via Imagination Technologies
