This was an interesting article, and it highlights some of the challenges engineers face when getting technology to work in extraordinary environmental conditions, like naked exposure to extreme sub-freezing temperature. It's not the first time that SQL Server has been running in space. This document released by the International Space Station Program back in March 2000 appears to contain an inventory and description of software installed on "payload laptops" used by station crew members for monitoring and operational tasks. It mentions SQL Server in addition to Windows NT Server, ISS, Internet Explorer, Outlook 98; basically the typical Microsoft server / client stack of that time period.
http://www.spaceref.com/iss/computer/iss.ops.lan.icd.pdf