ESA partners with HPE to establish state-of-the-art supercomputer in Italy

Italy is now home to a new high-performance supercomputer called Space HPC, initiated by the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Inaugurated on March 12, 2025, at the ESA Centre for Earth Observation (ESRIN), this state-of-the-art facility is designed to aid scientific research and foster technological developments while extending support to businesses and researchers. Its architecture boasts an impressive configuration, featuring 34,000 CPU cores, 108 Nvidia H100 GPUs, and 3,600 terabytes of storage, providing immense computational power for processing large datasets, running sophisticated simulations, and accelerating artificial intelligence applications. One significant aspect of Space HPC is its accessibility to start-ups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), scientists, and industrial professionals. All eligible groups can utilize the supercomputer free of charge until the end of 2025, although restrictions exist on the maximum utilization amounts. This initiative aims to ignite innovation and foster R&D in various domains, especially those related to space exploration and beyond. The ESA has emphasized the strategic importance of this facility, referring to it as a critical infrastructure for driving the digital economy and supporting the European Green Deal and Digital Agenda. Moreover, the Space HPC has already showcased its capabilities by enhancing the European Space Weather Programme, offering better predictions for solar activity that could impact space and terrestrial systems. The ESA anticipates that the supercomputer will also serve as a reference point for all high-performance computing needs across different ESA directorates and their industrial associates. Significant implications are expected in Earth observation data management, as well as the development of innovative applications and services. The opening of Space HPC comes at a pivotal time for the ESA, which recently announced the decommissioning of Gaia, an advanced digital camera that has garnered valuable insights into the Milky Way for over ten years. This transition reflects the ongoing evolution within the agency and highlights the importance of continuously advancing computational resources to meet the demands of research and industry in the field of space observation and exploration.