Programmer Successfully Runs Classic Doom Game on Orbiting ESA Satellite in Groundbreaking Experiment

Historic Gaming Achievement in Orbit

In what represents one of the most unusual technological demonstrations in space history, a programmer has successfully run the classic 1993 game Doom on an orbiting satellite, according to reports from the Ubuntu Summit 25.10. The achievement marks perhaps the game’s most extraordinary port yet in its three-decade history of appearing on unexpected platforms.

Historic Gaming Achievement in Orbit
The Developer Behind Space Doom
Technical Challenges of Space Gaming
Scientific Value in Gaming Experiment
Creative Visual Adaptations
Broader Implications for Space Computing
Legacy and Future Space Gaming

The Developer Behind Space Doom

Ólafur Waage, a senior software developer from Iceland now working in Norway, described himself as a “professional keyboard typist” and creator of humorous videos who nevertheless achieved this serious technical feat. The project utilized the European Space Agency’s OPS-SAT satellite, which sources indicate was specifically designed as a “flying laboratory” for testing novel onboard computing techniques., according to industry reports

The satellite featured experimental computing hardware approximately ten times more powerful than conventional spacecraft systems, analysts suggest. “OPS-SAT was the first of its kind, devoted to demonstrating drastically improved mission control capabilities when satellites can fly more powerful onboard computers,” Waage explained, according to summit reports. “The point was to break the curse of being too risk-averse with multi-million-dollar spacecraft.”

Technical Challenges of Space Gaming

Porting Doom to the satellite presented multiple technical hurdles, the report states. The spacecraft’s ARM dual-core Cortex-A9 processor, while advanced for space hardware, remained relatively slow by terrestrial standards. Additionally, the satellite lacked dedicated graphics hardware, requiring all rendering to be handled through software.

Waage selected Chocolate Doom 2.3, a popular open-source version, for its compatibility with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS already running on OPS-SAT. “We picked Chocolate Doom 2.3 because of the libraries available for 18.04 — that was the last one that would actually build,” Waage noted during his presentation., according to market analysis

Scientific Value in Gaming Experiment

The space Doom experiment relied heavily on pre-recorded demo files that enabled the game to play back complete levels using deterministic input sequences. This approach allowed researchers to detect radiation-induced errors, as any deviation from expected output would indicate potential bit flips caused by stray radiation., according to market insights

“The idea was to run as many demo files as possible, comparing output from space and from Earth,” Waage recounted. The team also conducted radiation testing by enlarging the random number generator table to determine if single events could impact gameplay, though sources indicate this particular experiment didn’t yield detectable results in the space environment.

Creative Visual Adaptations

Perhaps the most visually striking adaptation involved replacing Doom’s traditional Mars skybox with actual satellite imagery of Earth. The team used the satellite’s camera to capture real-time images of our planet, then rendered them using the game’s restricted 256-color palette.

“Trying to draw all of these beautiful colors with those colors,” Waage said, “it’s probably not going to work right off. But we tried gradient tests, NASA demo photos. It took quite a bit of tweaking.” The result transformed the game’s backdrop from fantasy Mars to a recognizable Earth landscape.

Broader Implications for Space Computing

Beyond the novelty factor, the experiment demonstrates significant advancements in space computing capabilities, according to analysts. Such projects showcase the adaptability of open-source software and enable creative crossovers between software engineering and space science.

“The mission is to make it easy for anyone to propose and run innovative experiments,” Waage summarized. “Running Doom may seem trivial, but it proves our infrastructure and builds global interest for future missions.”

Legacy and Future Space Gaming

The success has already inspired similar achievements, with Polish company KP Labs reportedly running Doom on its Intuition-1 satellite while simultaneously capturing hyperspectral images of Earth. Looking ahead, Waage hopes to port Doom to the upcoming OPS-SAT VOLT satellite focused on quantum communications.

The continuing orbital journey of the 1993 classic demonstrates how internet culture and world-class engineering can intersect in space exploration, while remaining what Waage described as “a heck of a lot of fun to play if you enjoy some good old-fashioned mindless demon blasting.”