NASA’s PSI repository hosts publicly available datasets related to reduced-gravity physical science experiments performed in spaceflight settings such as the International Space Station. The database also curates data from relevant ground-based studies. These experiments help develop new technology for long-duration spaceflight and lead to greater understanding of physical processes on Earth, benefitting industries such as manufacturing, biomedicine, and electronics. 

In 2024, the PSI database upgraded to a new system — the repository’s first major update in over five years. The changes aligned PSI with the recommendations in NASA’s policy documents about the open sharing of publications, data, and software created in the pursuit of scientific knowledge.

In support of NASA’s goals around the broad sharing of scientific information, PSI assigned Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to all datasets and publications where applicable. This ensures that PSI datasets will always have persistent, unique identifiers. PSI also overhauled its user interface, switched to running on Amazon Web Service Cloud, and added a submission portal to streamline the process of publishing new investigations.

The work continues in 2025 as PSI moves to incorporate Open Science and Data Management Plans (OSDMPs) and Research Data Submission Agreements (RDSAs) into its data listings. This documentation will standardize metadata and formatting across datasets, enabling users to compare data more effectively.

PSI started in 2014 with 17 datasets. Today, PSI houses over 100 unique investigation datasets — around 30 terabytes of physical sciences data, with an additional 10 terabytes to be added in 2025. The new updates to the PSI system make it easier than ever to access and use these datasets, accelerating science discovery for the future.

To explore open physical sciences data at NASA, visit the PSI Data Repository.