NASA Unveils Athena: New Supercomputer Powers Next-Gen Missions
NASA has announced the availability of Athena, its newest supercomputer, housed at the agency’s Modular Supercomputing Facility at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. Designed to support a new generation of missions and research projects, Athena is part of the agency’s High-End Computing Capability project, expanding resources for scientists and engineers tackling complex challenges in space, aeronautics, and science.
Advanced Performance and Efficiency
The Athena system delivers over 20 petaflops of peak performance, a measure of calculations per second. This capability significantly surpasses previous NASA systems, Aitken and Pleiades, in both power and efficiency, leading to reduced supercomputing utility costs for the agency. Following a beta testing period, Athena was successfully rolled out to existing users in January.
Athena's capability surpasses previous NASA systems, Aitken and Pleiades, in power and efficiency.
Strategic Impact and Key Applications
Kevin Murphy, chief science data officer for NASA's High-End Computing Capability portfolio, highlighted Athena's role in providing tailored computing resources for evolving missions. Supercomputers like Athena are vital for critical operations such as simulating rocket launches, designing next-generation aircraft, and training large-scale artificial intelligence models to analyze extensive datasets. The system is accessible to NASA researchers and external scientists supporting NASA programs, who can apply for usage time.
The Naming of Athena
The name Athena was selected in March 2025 through a contest among the agency’s High-End Computing Capability workforce. The name references the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare and her thematic relation to Artemis.
Hybrid Computing Strategy and Future Discovery
Managed by NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer, the High-End Computing Capability portfolio employs a flexible, hybrid computing approach. This strategy strategically combines powerful supercomputers with commercial cloud platforms, enabling NASA teams to select the most effective computing environment for their specific research needs. NASA is committed to continued investment in advanced supercomputing as mission complexities grow, with Athena serving as a foundational element for future discovery.
NASA plans to continue investing in advanced supercomputing as mission complexities increase, with Athena serving as a foundational element for future discovery.