Early History 1956-1959
- 1956: USA, supercomputer contract for atomic R&D: IBM7030 (STRETCH)
- 100 times power of IBM 704
- 1957: NIRNS formed to build Nimrod at Rutherford Lab (RL) for university research (free)
- Nimrod designed using Harwell's Mercury computer
- 1958: UKAEA needs supercomputer power: 3D calculations:
-
75% of UK's existing R&D computer power owned by UKAEA
-
Aldermaston: Weapons Research (IBM 704)
-
Risley, Winfrith: Reactor Physics (Ferranti Mercury)
-
Harwell: Basic Research (Mercury run by Jack Howlett)
- Thermonuclear Research: later moved to Culham
- 1958 Ferranti/Manchester Univ to build Atlas
- 1959: Ferranti Presentation to Harwell
- 1960: Aldermaston to rent two shifts of a STRETCH, arriving 1962
- 1960: Harwell letter of intent to purchase Atlas arriving 1963