News, updates, and events related to scientific data at NASA.
September 30, 2024: Spotlight on Data — Astromaterials Data System (Astromat)
On September 24, 2023, the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) mission swung by Earth to drop off a historic piece of cargo: a sample from the asteroid Bennu. This marked the first time a U.S. space mission returned samples from an asteroid to Earth. Data from Bennu samples are some of the latest additions to the NASA Planetary Science Division’s open archive for laboratory analyses of planetary samples: the Astromaterials Data System (Astromat).
In addition to Bennu data, Astromat’s offerings include analyses of lunar samples, meteorites, and cosmic dust, as well as data from the JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Hayabusa mission. The Hayabusa mission returned samples from asteroid Itokawa on June 13, 2010. A central component of Astromat is its data synthesis search feature, which allows users to pull data from across 40+ years of scientific publications about specific types of targets. The data synthesis service includes online tools to help search, mine, and retrieve the content.
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate fosters a culture of open science to enhance scientific discovery. Astromat’s open data offerings align with this commitment. Explore open data in Astromat here.
September 16, 2024: Explore Open Data Hosted on Amazon Web Services
NASA has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) through a Space Act Agreement to make a selection of high-value scientific datasets open and available to the community. These analytics-optimized data products reduce the need for preprocessing and allow researchers to conduct their studies more quickly and easily.
The selected data span all five of the NASA Science Mission Directorate’s divisions: astrophysics, biological and physical sciences, Earth science, heliophysics, and planetary science. These offerings include infrared astronomical imaging, results from reduced-gravity physics experiments, biological data from spaceflown mice, sea surface temperature data, comet observations, and Mars spectrometry data. Many of the datasets are suitable for training AI models for further scientific discovery.
The Open Data Registry Project is part of the NASA SMD’s ongoing commitment to making science data as free and open as possible. Explore data products in the Registry of Open Data here.
August 20, 2024: Spotlight on Data — NASA Exoplanet Archive
Exoplanets are planets that orbit a star other than the Sun. Over 5,000 have been confirmed to date, with thousands more candidates waiting to be confirmed. Astronomer-vetted data about all these planets are available for anyone to access in the NASA Exoplanet Archive.
The NASA Exoplanet Archive is a collaboration between the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, and the California Institute of Technology’s IPAC (formerly the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center). The archive contains measurements of the physical properties of known exoplanets and their host stars, as well as data aimed at identifying more exoplanets through methods such as transits and radial velocity curves.
The archive’s data come from NASA exoplanet satellites such as Kepler and TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and from ground-based observatories such as KELT (Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope) and SuperWASP (Wide-Angle Search for Planets). The archive also recently added exoplanet atmosphere spectra from the James Webb Space Telescope, opening up access to even more details about these alien worlds.
The Exoplanet Archive also features tools and resources for exoplanet research. These include plotting and fitting tools, calculators for the best time to observe an exoplanet host star, and alternative ways to access Exoplanet Archive data.
Open exoplanet data, such as the data hosted on the NASA Exoplanet Archive, have enabled several citizen science projects. These initiatives do not require U.S. citizenship and allow interested members of the public, known as citizen scientists, to collaborate with professional scientists in making exoplanet discoveries. To learn more about the future of exoplanet citizen science, read the recent feature: How NASA Citizen Science Fuels Future Exoplanet Research.
August 1, 2024: Save the Date to Learn About Citizen Science Opportunities at NASA
July 19, 2024: Spotlight on Data — Open Science Data Repository
The Open Science Data Repository (OSDR) is a public repository of space-relevant biological studies. Anyone can browse and download the data, and researchers can submit studies and biological data to be included in the repository. As humans return to the Moon and work toward sending people to Mars, investigating the effects of space travel on the body has become more important than ever.
The majority of the data hosted by the OSDR come from studies of plants, microscopic organisms, or non-human animals such as rodents and insects. However, in June 2024, the OSDR added the first ever open-access dataset of human biological data from a commercial spaceflight.
The 2021 SpaceX Inspiration4 mission, the first space mission crewed only by civilian astronauts, lasted three days and collected a variety of data from the four astronauts’ blood samples, skin biopsies, swabs, and more. The OSDR’s open science approach with this dataset creates new opportunities for space biology studies and will ultimately allow humanity to explore space safely.
To learn more about the new OSDR human spaceflight data offerings, read the recent feature: NASA’s Repository Supports Research of Commercial Astronaut Health.
July 2, 2024: Spotlight on Data — OMNI
The OMNI dataset contains near-Earth solar wind, plasma, and magnetic field data from current and former satellites. These data help shed light on how activity from the Sun affects Earth’s atmosphere and weather. The name “OMNI” reflects the variety of the dataset and is stylized in all caps.
OMNI data span from 1963, when the Explorer 18 satellite was launched, to present day. Modern satellites that continually provide new data to the OMNI dataset include the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), the Global Geospace Science (GGS) Wind spacecraft, and the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR).
In a survey of seven top heliophysics journals, OMNI and/or OMNIWeb were referenced in 408 papers in the year 2022 alone, with the mentions of OMNI having steadily increased year over year. The extensive collection of historical solar wind data and the regular updates to the dataset make OMNI an invaluable asset for understanding the past and present of the Earth-Sun relationship.
OMNI data are accessible via the OMNIWeb portal, which also allows users to create plots from the dataset. Access OMNIWeb here.
June 17, 2024: Extreme Ultraviolet Stellar Spectra Available through PEGASUS
The Phoenix EUV Grid and Stellar UV Spectra (PEGASUS) web application is an innovative tool that allows users to find complete ultraviolet stellar spectra for exoplanet host stars.
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectra are impossible to observe from stars directly, so PEGASUS uses a robust model to automatically fill in the EUV part of the spectrum based on known stellar parameters. EUV radiation can greatly affect the evolution, atmospheric stability, and habitability of close-orbiting planets. In keeping with NASA’s open science philosophy, the web tool will enable anyone researching exoplanets or stellar physics to easily find the UV spectra they need.
PEGASUS is currently in beta and will receive more updates soon. To learn more about the tool and try the beta version, visit the new PEGASUS page.
May 30, 2024: Save the Date to Shape the NASA Science Mission Directorate’s Data Governance and Coordination Efforts
May 23, 2024: Spotlight on Data — Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2
The first in a new monthly series to highlight a data project that fuels innovative research and discoveries.
NASA’s Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) project provides new surface reflectance data for all global land masses, except Antarctica, every two to three days. The data come from the combined efforts of four satellites: Landsat 8 and Landsat 9, which are jointly run by NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and the European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B.
The satellites collect data in different spectral bands with different methods, but NASA’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT) engineered the solutions that make the HLS project a success. Images from each satellite are processed through an algorithm and corrected to account for the conditions during each observation, making a seamless, compatible dataset ready for analysis.
The possibilities for using HLS data are vast. The project allows researchers to monitor and track everything from deforestation to natural disasters to crop yields. Inline with NASA’s commitment to open science, HLS data are freely available for anyone to use.
As scientists leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques for greater discovery, the vast repository of HLS images has become a dataset of choice for Earth researchers looking to train AI models. A team of experts from NASA and IBM Research recently launched an AI foundation model for Earth scientists, trained entirely on HLS data, to help fuel AI studies of the planet. Just like the HLS data, the model is free and open for anyone to use.
To learn more about the HLS project and see more examples of science powered by HLS data, watch NASA Goddard’s Data in Harmony video feature.
May 3, 2024: Have You Taken the Open Science 101 Training Yet?
NASA’s Transform to Open Science (TOPS) Initiative is designed to transform agencies, organizations, and communities by helping them transition to an inclusive culture of open science. TOPS accomplishes this by providing training materials for researchers, students, and citizen scientists. Its current offering is the Open Science 101 curriculum.
Open Science 101 is a free training course that provides the tools and understanding for anyone to put open science into practice and solve 21st century challenges. In addition to open science proficiency, Open Science 101 prepares researchers in applying for NASA funding.
If you are interested in taking this curriculum, virtual and in-person instructor-led trainings are available, as well as a self-paced online version. Training dates for the instructor-led courses are available to view on the TOPS website, and more will be added soon.
In addition to the benefits mentioned, everyone who completes the Open Science 101 training, whether self-paced or instructor-led, will earn a digital badge that can be displayed on their social media, portfolio, or resume.
April 22, 2024: NASA’s Science Discovery Engine Launches the Environmental Justice Data Search Interface
The Science Discovery Engine (SDE) is a search tool that helps users find publicly available data across the NASA Science Mission Directorate. Now, just in time for Earth Day, the SDE team has launched the Environmental Justice Data Search Interface. This new tool promotes access to information to aid in tackling environmental challenges with science-based solutions for equitable decision-making.
The interface stems from NASA’s commitment to environmental justice — the meaningful involvement of everyone in shaping the environmental policies and regulations that affect their communities, regardless of their race, color, national origin, or income.
Following the open science principle of accessibility, the new search portal allows everyone interested in environmental causes to explore NASA resources and information related to environmental and climate justice. Users can search focus areas such as urban flooding, food availability, and climate change. The team will continually improve the interface to promote the development of this important field of study.
Explore the Environmental Justice Data Search Interface here.
April 9, 2024: Find Scientific Publications Fast with SciX
Finding relevant, high-quality research papers is a continual need for researchers. In keeping with the open science principles of making data findable and accessible, Science Explorer (SciX) makes this process easy.
A collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and NASA, the SciX digital library portal assists astronomers, planetary scientists, heliophysicists, Earth scientists, biologists, and physicists with finding literature for their work. The powerful and easy-to-use search function provides a range of filters to help researchers narrow their focus to the most useful results for their area of study.
SciX is the successor to the highly acclaimed Astrophysics Data System (ADS), which operated for over 25 years and was shown to increase the research efficiency of astrophysicists and astronomers by at least 6%. The success of ADS spurred an expansion of this capability to all relevant science areas, encompassing astrophysics, Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, and biological and physical sciences.
The system currently holds over 20 million records, including both refereed publications and all arXiv, ESS Open Archive, and EarthArXiv preprints. Thanks to the library’s roots in astrophysics, this includes over 99% of the refereed literature in astrophysics, but the other disciplines are catching up fast — 95% of Earth science publications are expected to be included by the end of 2024.
SciX represents an important tool in NASA’s suite of open science initiatives. It is designed with collaboration and interdisciplinary research in mind, and the team continues to innovate in pursuit of the best possible scientific digital library.
Read more and access SciX here.
February 26, 2024: Save the Date to Shape the NASA Science Mission Directorate’s Software Efforts
February 26, 2024: View the Astronomy and Geodesy Data Archives
The latest addition to NASA’s Science Data website is access to the astronomy and geodesy database (AstroGeo). Geodesy refers to the use of astronomical techniques to measure the position of Earth in 3D space, as well as its gravitational field and shape. The discipline helps scientists to better understand processes such as plate tectonics, ocean tides, the atmosphere, and the motion of Earth’s poles.
NASA’s AstroGeo data products include tools to measure mass loading on Earth’s crust, Earth’s atmospheric conditions, and the Earth orientation parameters (EOP) that describe irregularities in the planet’s rotation. To explore these and other AstroGeo data products, visit the new AstroGeo page.
February 12, 2024: NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Creates AI Language Model for Better Data Stewardship
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML) Working Group recently launched a Large Language Model (LLM) specially created to help the SMD manage data more efficiently. The model, developed in collaboration with IBM Research, will improve tasks such as assigning metadata, managing documentation, and intelligent search.
To train the model, the researchers used material from a variety of scientific sources related to the SMD’s subject matter areas. The largest percentage of the training data came from the NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS), with the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the American Meteorological Society (AMS), and PubMed.
The new LLM was tested using multiple benchmarks that assess a model’s ability to reason and identify relevant information. In particular, the researchers used BLURB (Biomedical Language Understanding and Reasoning Benchmark) to measure the model’s ability to answer questions and classify text related to the biomedical field. The model also underwent testing on a variety of NASA-relevant scientific questions with SQUAD2 (Stanford Question Answering Dataset), which grades a model’s ability to answer reading comprehension questions or abstain when a question is impossible to answer.
The team also tested the model with a NASA SMD-specific benchmark. On every test, the new model showed a marked improvement in a variety of information-related tasks over the pre-trained model it was based on. The SMD encoder-only transformer model and the subsequently-refined SMD bi-encoder sentence transformer model are available on GitHub.
SMD is currently leveraging the new model to create a more robust search feature for NASA’s Science Discovery Engine. In the future, the SMD hopes to use LLMs to assist with a variety of data management tasks.
August 1, 2023: Join us on our mission to make NASA data FAIR-er
July 26, 2023: Help Shape the Future of Open Science
The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to build a collaborative open science environment called the Open Science Persistent Demonstrator (OSPD). Responses to the RFI are due by September 17, 2023.NASA has a firm commitment to open science, and the OSPD is a long-term multi-agency initiative to enable and communicate reproducible Earth science across global communities and amplify inter-agency Earth observation mission data, tools, and infrastructures. A major objective is to test and demonstrate the current level of interoperability among Earth observation and Earth science cloud technologies and infrastructures developed by NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and other space agencies and international organizations. The OSPD goal is to show how platforms operated by different organizations can be used for collaborative research and data representation. Ultimately, the OSPD will be a constantly available web application that demonstrates and tests scientific workflows across several existing platforms.OGC is a consortium of experts committed to improving access to geospatial information that aims to connect people, communities, and technology to solve global challenges and address everyday needs. For more information about OGC or the OSPD RFI please contact innovation@ogc.org.
April 19, 2023: Learn 5 ways Open Science is Transforming NASA Research and Protecting Our Planet
Read the article on the NASA Science website.
February 14, 2023: The annual Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences 2023 (ROSES-2023) is out today!
More details are available on NASA Earthdata: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/news/roses-2023-dmp
February 6, 2023: NASA funds eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities to advance in data science research
NASA is awarding $11.7 million to eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that will enable their students and faculty to conduct innovative data science research that will benefit agency missions.
The award is part of NASA’s new Data Science Equity, Access, and Priority in Research and Education (DEAP) opportunity, which is a collaboration between the agency’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) and the Science Mission Directorate (SMD).
“NASA is tackling how to use the latest techniques in data science combined with the volumes of data produced by our missions to answer questions about our changing planet,” said Dr. Steven Crawford, NASA SMD Senior Program Executive for Scientific Data and Computing. “Working with students from HBCUs will not only engage the generation that will be most affected by these subjects but will help NASA scientists and engineers address these challenges.”
The HBCUs selected for DEAP funding are:
• Bethune-Cookman University
• Fayetteville State University
• Florida A&M University
• Lincoln University
• Morgan State University
• North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
• North Carolina Central University
• Prairie View A&M University
MUREP supports and invests in the research, academic, and technology capabilities of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).
January 17, 2023: Townhall on SPD-41a: Scientific Information Policy for the Science Mission Directorate
The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) will hold a virtual community townhall on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET to discuss the recently updated Scientific Information Policy for the Science Mission Directorate (SPD-41a).
The townhall will include a presentation on policy updates in SPD-41a, additional guidance from each SMD division, and resources to support policy implementation. Following the presentation, panelists from SMD’s Chief Science Data Office and each SMD division will address questions from the community.
Please submit your questions before or during the event using the tool at this link: https://nasa.cnf.io/sessions/tgn4/#!/dashboard.
Questions from the townhall will be added to the list of Scientific Information Policy FAQ following the event. The townhall will be recorded and posted on the SMD Scientific Information Policy web page.
Please contact HQ-SMD-SPD41@mail.nasa.gov with any questions about this townhall.
Connection details:
Join link:
https://nasaenterprise.webex.com/nasaenterprise/j.php?MTID=m8a48eee76df72fff9825556cb11b21f
Webinar number: 2761 573 5459
Webinar password: Z9u7JhXGK?2 (99875494 from phones)
Join by phone:
+1-929-251-9612 USA Toll 2
+1-415-527-5035 US Toll
Access code: 207.182.190.20
January 9, 2023: Scientific Data and Computing Architecture to Support Open Science
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is conducting a study of its scientific data and computing resources to identify capabilities, architectures, and opportunities that can support a sustainable, open, and secure scientific process. As part of this study, a Request for Information (RFI) has been released on NSPIRES (https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId=%7B78AA81B6-A7B9-D934-20F8-7B3151DA59A2%7D&path=&method=init). Responses to the RFI must be submitted by February 21, 2023.
December 8, 2022: Updated SPD-41a Science Information Policy
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has released SPD-41a: Scientific Information Policy for the Science Mission Directorate. SPD-41a updates the previously released SPD-41, which consolidated existing Federal and NASA policy on sharing scientific information. Visit the Science Information Policy page to learn more about the policy, read guidance for SMD-funded researchers, and find answers to frequently asked questions.
SPD-41a was developed with input from the SMD research community via National Academy studies, community workshops, and requests for information in 2018 and 2022. SMD has released a summary response to the most recent Request for Information (RFI) on the Scientific Information Policy. SPD-41a is compliant with the recent Office of Space and Technology Policy Memorandum on Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access to Federally Funded Research.
Open Source Science Initiative
NASA is making a long-term commitment to building an inclusive open science community over the next decade. Open-source science is a commitment to the open sharing of software, data, and knowledge as early as possible in the scientific process. Learn more about the Open Source Science Initiative.
NASA’s PubSpace has launched within the STI Repository!
NASA’s PubSpace has launched within the STI Repository! If you don’t know, PubSpace is a collection of NASA-funded scholarly publications. Over 27,000 metadata records (with links to full-text articles) and 9,800 full-text journal articles are currently available in the collection! Check it out for yourself here: https://go.nasa.gov/3ATbltR.
For more information on PubSpace and NASA’s Public Access initiative, visit our About Public Access page.