As part of NASA's New Millennium Program, Space Technology 8 (ST8) is a mission to validate four new subsystem-level technologies never before tried in space. Each of these technologies was selected for its promise in advancing NASA's most important future science missions, as so deemed by the science community of the U.S. and the world.

The ST8 technologies are:

	Dependable Multiprocessor: A commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)-based computing architecture that enhances the immunity of a high-performance onboard processing system to the error-causing radiation environment of space.
	UltraFlex 175: A deployable solar array system that is a highly efficient power producer for the entire spacecraft.
	SAILMAST Ultra Lightweight Boom: A technology for strong, ultra-lightweight structures that can be used to support huge, deployable solar sails and other large structures.
	Thermal Loop: A miniature thermal management system for small spacecraft that tightly controls the operating temperatures of the instruments while using little power.