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Draft for review. This page is under review before the Operational Readiness Review. Panels marked as open questions are still waiting for an answer. Send corrections to the Research Platform team. |
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Status: The Research Platform is live and fully supported as of August 15, 2026. Our team continuously updates the platform with new features and improvements. |
The
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Research Platform is a ready-to-use cloud workspace for science computing. You access it through your web browser at rp.sciencecloud.nasa.gov using your standard Science Cloud login. There is nothing to install.
When you log in, you get a personal notebook workspace—a single web page where you can write code, process large amounts of data, view charts, and use
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SI tools.
- Easy sharing:
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- Your files save automatically, and you can easily share data with your team.
- Power on demand:
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- You don't need to buy or maintain hardware. If a job is too big, the platform gives you more computing power.
- Cost control:
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- When you finish working, the machines turn off, and you stop paying immediately. You only pay for compute and storage.
Who can use the Research Platform?
Any Science Mission Directorate (SMD)-funded project can use the Research Platform. To get started, a project admin requests a workspace. Once approved, they can add their team members. See How to get accessTo Get Access to the Research Platform.
Why use the
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Research Platform?
Previously, science teams had to manage their own computing environments. The Research Platform handles the heavy lifting for you:
| The Old Way | On the Research Platform |
|---|---|
| Request cloud accounts and build servers | Log in and start working in minutes |
| Install Python, libraries, and drivers by hand | Essential science software is pre-installed |
| Copy data files between laptops | Keep data in shared team storage with secure access rules |
| Guess what the computing costs will be | Track your usage and remaining budget in real time |
| Buy expensive machines for temporary big jobs | Get more computing power instantly, only when you need it |
| Set up your own |
| SI tools and API keys | Approved |
| SI assistants are built right in |
What's included in the Research Platform?
- Personal workspace:
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- Private file storage with essential science software pre-installed.
- Flexible power:
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- Choose how much memory you need (from 4 GB up to 64 GB) every time you start.
- Shared team storage:
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- Secure folders visible only to your project members.
- Power on demand:
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- Spread a single massive job across multiple machines when needed.
- Background processing:
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- Set a long notebook to run on its own while you work on other tasks.
- Real-time collaboration:
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- Edit the same notebook at the exact same time as your teammates.
- Built-in
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- SI:
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- Use an in-workspace
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- SI assistant and access a catalog of approved tools.
- Clear budgets:
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- Always know what you've spent and what's left in the project budget.
Want to learn more? You can read the detailed guide for each feature, or jump right in with How to use the platform.
Who runs it, and who pays
Roles and Billing
- Project Admins: The person managing the A project admin (the person who runs a research project and its money) asks for a project, and adds funding. They request the workspace and manage team members.
- The Platform Team: The platform team that runs the service, keeps it securemaintains security, and provides cost reports the cost.
- The Project: The project itself pays only for what the resources its members actually use. See How you pay for it Research Platform Billing and Costs.
The
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Four Parts of the Platform
You will hear these four names . You only touch the first one day to dayused across the Science Cloud.
| Name | What it is for you |
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| Research Platform | The browser-based workspace you open in your browser. This is where you where you write code and do your work. |
| RPAdmin | The admin console . Project admins use it for where Project Admins manage team members and budgets. |
| STAR | The login service. It checks who you are, one time, for your identity once to give you access to everything. |
| AI SI Registry and & Gateway | The catalog and front door access point for approved AI SI tools. |
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Permitted Data Types
The Research Platform is currently authorized for FISMA Low today data only. (FISMA is the US federal law that sets the security level levels for federal government systems. ; "Low" is the level for data where a security problem issue would have only a limited effectimpact.)So: put only
- The Rule: Only upload FISMA Low data
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- to the platform today. Do not
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- upload data that
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- requires a higher level of protection.
- Coming Soon: The team is actively working to
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- add support for FISMA Moderate and ITAR
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- (
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- export-controlled defense
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- data
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- ). We will update this page as soon as those options are available.
Where to go next
| You want to… | Go to |
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| Know what works today, and what is coming | Capabilities and roadmap |
| Get an account | How to get accessTo Get Access to the Research Platform |
| Start workingHow to use the platform | Quick Start Guide: The Research Platform |
| Get help | Email support@sciencecloud.nasa.gov |