NASA Ames Fuels UC Berkeley Research with Supercomputing Power

In a significant boost to scientific research, NASA's Ames Research Center has inked a three-year Reimbursable Space Act Agreement with the University of California, Berkeley, to host and support the university's supercomputing resources. This partnership marks an expansion of the collaborative bond between the two institutions, paving the way for groundbreaking developments in computing algorithms and various scientific domains.

NASA Ames, nestled in California's technological heartland of Silicon Valley, is set to house the new addition to UC Berkeley’s “Savio” supercomputer within its Advanced Supercomputing Facility, known as the crème de la crème of NASA’s supercomputing capabilities. With this, UC Berkeley researchers are positioned to advance their research with access to unprecedented computational strength and expert support from NASA in optimizing modern computing codes.

The hardware setup, impressive in its technical specifications, comprises 192 dual Intel Ice Lake Xeon processor nodes and 32 NVIDIA graphics processor unit accelerated nodes, coupled with 1.3 petabytes of high-performance flash storage. This facility not only offers copious computational power but also sets the stage for a symbiotic relationship where both NASA and UC Berkeley can exchange wisdom on the management of high-performance computing systems.

Beyond the nuts and bolts of computing hardware, the arrangement has broader implications. It falls in line with the joint venture forged in October 2023 between UC Berkeley and developer SKS Partners to establish the Berkeley Space Center. This hub of discovery and innovation is an ambitious plan set to unfold over 36 acres at NASA Research Park, adjacent to Ames. Promising educational spaces, labs, office facilities, student accommodations, and a new conference center, the project is poised to become a nexus for research and development in aeronautics, materials sciences, and information technologies, among other fields.

Rupak Biswas, director of Exploration Technology at NASA Ames, emphasizes the strategic value of the collaboration, highlighting the prospect of gaining new insights across a range of scientific disciplines. The interchange of best practices and knowledge in supercomputing promises to enhance NASA's own operations and maintenance of high-performance computing systems, ensuring that both the agency and the university remain on the cutting edge of technology.

NASA Ames and UC Berkeley's strengthened alliance through this agreement signals a future where technological innovation and scientific discovery converge, leading to potential advancements in aeronautical and space sciences that were once confined to the realm of imagination. As the worlds of academia and government research intertwine, the supercomputing resources at NASA Ames emerge as a critical tool for fostering innovation, further cementing their position as stalwarts of scientific progress.