The Astra Supercomputer Team was recently awarded an NNSA Defense Programs Award of Excellence “For excellence in design, acquisition, and integration of the Astra prototype System.” These prestigious annual awards are granted to National Security Enterprise teams and individuals across the NNSA complex to recognize significant contributions to the Stockpile Stewardship Program. The Astra team was one of two Sandia teams to receive an Exceptional Achievement Award at a recent ceremony that recognized a total of 31 teams and three individuals from Sandia. The team successfully delivered the first advanced prototype system for NNSA’s Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Program, moving from requirements definition, through acquisition to delivery, integration, and acceptance of the large-scale computing system in less than twelve months. The Astra system is the world’s largest and fastest supercomputer based on Arm processors. The team is composed of managers, staff, and contractors from the Center for Computing Research, the Center for Computer Systems and Technology Integration, and the Information Technology Services Center.
