Hybrid or system-on-a-chip (SOC) FPGAs with embedded processors are demonstrating levels of performance and efficiency that were previously impossible using traditional processors for spaceborne computational platforms. Hardware acceleration of science instrument algorithms promises to dramatically improve onboard data processing in future NASA science missions as required by the Decadal Survey. Software-to-hardware autocode design tools can play an important role in the fast prototyping and development of legacy algorithms into hardware accelerated FPGA implementations. The Xilinx FPGA development platforms provided an excellent and cost-effective prototyping environment and a path-to-flight for future instrument on-board processing technology development. The Xilinx Virtex-4 and Virtex-5 FPGA-based developments and capabilities presented in the design cases of Section 4 respond directly to the future needs of the Decadal Survey missions for instrument science data on-board processing. The results to date demonstrate the benefits of FPGA-based processing for spectrocopy and image processing. The new RHBD architecture of the Virtex-5 FPGA promises to resolve the SRAM-based FPGA limitation of SEU susceptibility. (Part of) This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.