Observing and modeling the merger of neutron stars with each other and with black holes are challenging tasks that push understanding of the universe as embodied by Einstein’s equations for general relativity. Observatories such as National Science Foundation-funded Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) need the results of computational models to help understand the signals they receive. Computational modeling of neutron star mergers in turn is extremely demanding and requires the use of the most advanced supercomputers. Even on these unique computing resources operated by the US Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, computer models may still require weeks to run. Improvements to gravitational wave modeling software that take advantage of improved algorithms have the potential to reduce this execution time down to hours. This project improves the open-source gravitational wave-modeling software SpECTRE to use new algorithms and to make optimal use of one-of-a-kind supercomputing resources. The results from these computations are needed for scientists to understand black holes, the expansion of the universe, and how stars explode and leave behind black holes. The transformative techniques used by SpECTRE have the potential to also be applied to research areas in fluid dynamics, geoscience, plasma physics, and nuclear physics and engineering. The project is training the next generation of computational astrophysicists on the use and e