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This is part of an experimental computer, developed in the mid-1980s by the Goodyear Aerospace Corporation for the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The comptuer derives it name from its ability to operate on large arrays of data in parallel, i.e. on many numbers at once. By contrast, computers of conventional design operate on one or at most a few pieces of data per cycle. One intended application for such a design was the analysis of the large amounts of data received by remote sensing satelliltes.

The Massively Parallel Processor represented one of several approaches to the problem of processing data in parallel. Nearly all modern supercomputers use parallel processing, although not all follow this machine's architecture.

Transferred from NASA to the Museum in 1996.

 Display Status

This object is on display in James S. McDonnell Space Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

James S. McDonnell Space Hangar
Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type INSTRUMENTS-Computers, General Purpose Manufacturer Goodyear Aerospace Corporation
 Dimensions 3-D: 111.8 x 71.1 x 200.7cm (44 x 28 x 79 in.)
 Materials Case: sheet steel cabinet, blue
Circuit boards: epoxy resin printed circuit boards
Circuits: silicon integrated circuits
 Alternate Name Massively Parallel Processor Unit Inventory Number A19960047000 Credit Line Transferred from NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use. You may also like The Mystery of the Massively Parallel Processor July 02, 2010