Cloud computing techniques enable scientists to access the latest computing technologies, quickly spin up environments tailored for their projects, and analyze data without having to download huge datasets to on-premises computers. To help NASA researchers leverage these benefits, the agency’s Science Mission Directorate has created Science Cloud, a modernized cloud infrastructure for NASA-affiliated projects.

Science Cloud is a single platform that unites three existing NASA cloud environments: EarthData Cloud, Science Mission Cloud Environment (SMCE), and science tenants from the Mission Cloud Platform. The advantages of Science Cloud include access to commercial clouds such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, standardized security guardrails, and science-ready computing environments.

Many NASA projects have already used Science Cloud to achieve rapid results. For example, NASA’s 2024 Eclipse Explorer, a web tool that allowed users to explore the path of the April 2024 total solar eclipse, was deployed on Science Cloud in less than one month and served 7.35 million unique IP addresses. Another NASA science project, Aquaverse, laid critical groundwork for AI-powered studies of the atmosphere, and accelerated its research timeline by 12 to 18 months thanks to Science Cloud.

Science Cloud may only be used by NASA-affiliated projects. Science Cloud is now available for use by Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) Low projects, with a FISMA Moderate capability coming by early 2026. To learn more about Science Cloud and how NASA researchers can take advantage of its benefits, visit the new Science Cloud page.