NASA selected an IBM supercomputer called the IBM System p575+ supercomputer for evaluating next-generation technology to meet future NASA supercomputing requirements.

The IBM system is being installed at the NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) facility at the Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., where it is undergoing testing and evaluation. With 640 computational cores and a peak performance of approximately 5.6 teraflops, the system will augment the existing NASA “Columbia” system, currently ranked as the eighth fastest supercomputer in the world.

A teraflop is a measure of computer speed: one teraflop can be expressed as a trillion floating point operations per second.

The NAS supports scientists and engineers throughout the United States who work on projects such as designing spacecraft, improving weather and hurricane models, and understanding the behavior of the sun. Many NASA projects require large, complex calculations and sophisticated mathematical models that can be efficiently handled only by a supercomputer.

The IBM p575+ supercomputer acquisition is the first of a four-phase procurement process that eventually will replace the Columbia supercomputer system. This phased replacement supports the requirements of the agency Strategic Capabilities Assets Program (SCAP) High-End Computing Capability to provide supercomputing capability to meet the needs of NASA’s programs and missions