Spacecraft New Horizons which is underway to Pluto, has the same MIPS processor on board as could be found in the first PlayStation from Sony. The CPU is a MIPS R3000 processor, adapted for space travelling.
The MIPS R3000 CPU, a 32bit RISC processor became available in 1988 and has been used in a wide array of electronics. The CPU also powers the first PlayStation console from Sony. In the PlayStation the processor ran at a clock speed of 33 MHz. One of the characteristics of the chip is its limited instruction set, a feature described by someone developers as 'elegant'.
NASA also noticed the processor design of the R3000 and the chip is now in space. The CPU has been adapted for space travels and was fitted in the spacecraft New Horizons which is about to arrive at planet Pluto.
The adapted processor is called Mongoose-V and built by the company Synova. They lowered the clock speed to 12 MHz and added a special layer to the CPU that should protect it against cosmic radiation.
