The US Department of Energy’s Exascale Computing Project (ECP) has changed its timeline for getting the first post-petascale system into the field. The new goal is to get an initial exascale system deployed sometime in 2021, with acceptance nine months after that. That shrinks the schedule significantly and puts the country back on a more competitive trajectory with regard to China and Japan. According to Paul Messina, who heads up the ECP effort, the new plan came about as a result of internal discussions over summer within the DOE. The compressed timeline was ratified on November 17th, Messina told TOP500 News. From his perspective, the more ambitious plan is “a signal to the vendor community that there is room for more options,” although he wouldn’t speculate on the agency’s rationale for compressing the timeline. Although the first US system will be deployed a full year earlier than the original date, the second exascale system is still scheduled for deployment in 2022, with a 2023 acceptance date. Originally both systems – or more precisely, at least two systems – were on track for 2022/2023 deployment/acceptance.  Keep in mind, the ECP effort itself does not entail the acquisition of these exascale systems by the DOE, just the R&D and NRE support efforts necessary to propel those designs to realization. Learn more at https://www.top500.org/news/first-us-exascale-supercomputer-now-on-track-for-2021/