"NASA has chosen Silicon Graphics Inc. to assemble a 500-terabyte supercomputer based on more than 10,000 Intel Itanium chips. The configuration, for applications in space exploration, global warming research, and aerospace engineering, will be one of the world's largest Linux-based supercomputers. Called Project Columbia, NASA's Advanced Supercomputing Facility will experience a tenfold increase through the project. The integrated 512-processor SGI Altix systems -- there will be 20 separate installations -- will be called the Space Exploration Simulator," reports Information Week.
"In a statement, Silicon Graphics said of the partnership with Intel, 'The present collaboration builds upon the highly successful eight-year partnership that last year developed the world's first 512-processor Linux server -- based on standard, off-the-shelf microprocessor and open-source technology'."
