We have excellent news from the science and technology world! The Square Kilometer Array’ Science Data Processor (SPD) organization has now officially stated that they managed to conclude its engineering design work for the supercomputer that would analyze the data from the SKA telescope. This can be translated into a complicated process, taking around five years to accomplish, aimed to design two supercomputers.
The construction of the Square Kilometer Array’s supercomputer is done
Roughly 40 institutions from 11 different countries, out of which worth mentioning are CSIRO, Paysey Supercomputing Center and many others that were led by the UK’s prestigious Cambridge University, formed the international consortium. The core scope of this consortium was designing computing hardware platforms, software, and algorithms that had to convert science information provided by the Central Signal Processor (CSP) into “science data products.”
Science Data Products (SDP) is designed to be composed of two supercomputers located strategically in different areas of the world, more precisely in South Africa and Western Australia to process data that comes from SKA-mid, respectively SKA-low telescopes. SDP is the second phase of handling the number of digital signals which are to be assembled by the telescope’s receivers.
How advanced is this Square Kilometer Array’s supercomputer?
The total computing power of SDP is estimated to be impressing, overcoming by no less than 25% the computing power of the actual fastest supercomputer, IBM’s Summit, having roughly 250 PFlops. Moreover, it is also estimated to distribute around 600 PB of data worldwide each year.
The Square Kilometer Array is a massive project that is stated to be the most advanced radio telescope the humanity ever knew. It will cover a surface of over one million square meters to collect large amounts of data. It is a worldwide project that will include a large number of antennas spread all over the world to collect data that will be centralized in South Africa and Western Australia. It is said to begin in 2020 as the local infrastructure design are ready since February.
Tommy’s hobby has always been playing video games. He enjoys competing in video games tournaments and writing about his experience. It’s not a big surprise that he mostly covers the latest trends from the gaming industry.