What is the Research Platform?

The 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 AI tools.

• Easy sharing: Your files save automatically, and you can easily share data with your team.
• Power on demand: You don't need to buy or maintain hardware. If a job is too big, the platform gives you more computing power.
• Cost control: 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 Access to the Research Platform.

Why use the Research Platform?

Previously, science teams had to manage their own computing environments. The Research Platform handles the heavy lifting for you:

What's included in the Research Platform?

• Personal workspace: Private file storage with essential science software pre-installed.
• Flexible power: Choose how much memory you need (from 4 GB up to 64 GB) every time you start.
• Shared team storage: Secure folders visible only to your project members.
• Power on demand: Spread a single massive job across multiple machines when needed.
• Background processing: Set a long notebook to run on its own while you work on other tasks.
• Real-time collaboration: Edit the same notebook at the exact same time as your teammates.
• Built-in AI: Use an in-workspace AI assistant and access a catalog of approved tools.
• Clear budgets: 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.

Roles and Billing

• Project Admins: The person managing the research project and its funding. They request the workspace and manage team members.
• The Platform Team: The team that runs the service, maintains security, and provides cost reports.
• The Project: The project itself pays only for the resources its members actually use. See Research Platform Billing and Costs.

The Four Parts of the Platform

You will hear these four names used across the Science Cloud.

Permitted Data Types

The Research Platform is currently authorized for FISMA Low data only. (FISMA is the federal law that sets security levels for government systems; "Low" is for data where a security issue would have a limited impact.)

• The Rule: Only upload FISMA Low data to the platform today. Do not upload data that requires a higher level of protection.
• Coming Soon: The team is actively working to add support for FISMA Moderate and ITAR (export-controlled defense data). We will update this page as soon as those options are available.

Where to go next