Supercomputer pulled back into NCAR’s hands for now

A court ruling on Monday put the brakes on a plan to kick Boulder’s National Center for Atmospheric Research out of its role at the supercomputer center in Cheyenne. The judge said the National Science Foundation can’t strip NCAR or its parent body of access to computers, money, or projects tied to the facility until the dispute is settled.Back in April, NCAR’s managing group told a court the foundation’s move looked like punishment. Now the judge says that charge can’t be ignored while the case moves forward. The fight matters because the center handles huge amounts of data about storms, climate, and air quality that scientists worldwide use every day. More than 1, 500 researchers from over 500 schools and labs log on yearly. Without steady leadership, routines like running thousands of simulations or sharing fresh datasets could get messy. The temporary order buys time, but the bigger question remains: who should steer this massive machine next?