NASA Needs to Revamp its Supercomputing Structure — OIG Report

A new report by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) emphasizes that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) high-end computing (HEC) technologies require a comprehensive revamp to effectively compete with space research programs of other nations and maintain its leadership role.

The oversight body discovered that NASA's supercomputing resources lack centralized management as a program or strategic service within the agency.

This fragmented oversight hampers NASA's capacity to allocate resources efficiently, adjust to diverse mission requirements, and promptly respond to technological advancements.

“This disjointed organization and management of HEC resources exacerbates several issues, including oversight, monitoring, and the foreign national accreditation access process,” the report said.

“Although NASA has identified HEC as a capability portfolio, we found that key guiding documents and frameworks are absent, such as a management plan — an agreement detailing how the portfolio will be managed—and a commitment agreement designed to engage all relevant stakeholders and identify HEC as a strategic activity,” the report added.

It further states that although the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) holds some oversight over HEC, it is not directly involved in HEC activities or governance. 

Finally, NASA's failure to keep pace with technological advancements and advanced research computing requirements is attributed in part to these organizational and funding limitations.

The OIG recommends the appointment of executive leadership to define HEC's scope, ownership, and structure. Additional suggestions include validating stakeholder commitments, identifying technology gaps, and prioritizing asset allocation, among other things.