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Planetary Data System Roadmap Study for 2017 – 2026

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Planetary Data System Roadmap Study for 2017 – 2026 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Planetary Data System Roadmap Study for 2017 – 2026 www.nasa.gov Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Michael F. A’Hearn Photo credit: Image Courtesy of Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Mike A'Hearn (c. 2004) with the copper "cratering mass" that capped the Deep Impact mission impactor spacecraft. The impact excavated a crater approximately 100-meters wide and 30-meters deep in the nucleus of comet 9P/Tempel 1. 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary and Potential PDS Actions for the Next Decade ......................................................... 5 Findings ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 9 1.1 Establishment of the PDS ............................................................................................................... 10 1.2 PDS Functionality ............................................................................................................................ 10 1.3 Current Organizational Structure .................................................................................................... 12 1.4 Data Holdings .................................................................................................................................. 12 1.5 PDS Information Model ................................................................................................................... 13 1.6 Establishment of this Roadmap Activity .......................................................................................... 13 2 Planetary Data System Background ...................................................................................... 14 2.1 What is PDS and What Does It Do? ............................................................................................... 14 2.1.1 Comparison to EOSDIS ............................................................................................................................................... 15 2.1.2 Comparison to Other NASA SMD Archives ................................................................................................................. 17 2.1.3 Context of PDS and NASA Within the Digital Universe ............................................................................................... 18 2.2 PDS Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 18 2.3 What Is PDS Not Intended to Do? .................................................................................................. 19 2.4 Assessment of Progress Relative to the 2006 PDS Roadmap ....................................................... 19 3 The Challenges Facing PDS Today ........................................................................................ 20 3.1 User Needs and Expectations ......................................................................................................... 20 3.2 Data Discoverability ........................................................................................................................ 21 3.3 Data Usability .................................................................................................................................. 22 3.4 Tools and File Formats ................................................................................................................... 22 3.5 Online Processing and Analysis...................................................................................................... 23 3.6 Increases in Data Volume, Variety, Complexity, and Number of Data Providers .......................... 23 3.7 Laboratory Data and Physical Samples .......................................................................................... 24 3.8 PDS Structure and Governance ...................................................................................................... 25 4 Issues, Observations, Findings, and Suggested Remediations or Actions ...................... 25 4.1 User Needs and Expectations ......................................................................................................... 25 4.2 Data Discoverability ........................................................................................................................ 27 4.3 Data Usability .................................................................................................................................. 29 4.4 Tools and file Formats ..................................................................................................................... 31 4.5 Online Processing and Analysis...................................................................................................... 33 4.6 Increases in Data Volume, Variety, Complexity, and Number of Data Providers ........................... 34 4.7 Laboratory Data and Physical Samples .......................................................................................... 35 4.8 PDS Structure and Governance ...................................................................................................... 37 5 Conclusion / Summary ............................................................................................................ 41 6 Acknowledgement ................................................................................................................... 43 7 Acronyms ................................................................................................................................. 43 8 References ............................................................................................................................... 47 3 Appendix A. Roadmap Study Team Terms of Reference ........................................................... 49 Appendix B. Roadmap Study Team Members ............................................................................. 50 Appendix C. 2006 PDS Strategic Roadmap ................................................................................. 51 Appendix D. PDS Assessment of Progress 2006–2016 (Roadmap Self-Assessments) ........... 56 Appendix E. 2009 PDS User Survey Summary ............................................................................ 59 Appendix F. Membership and Organization of PDS .................................................................... 70 Appendix G. 2014 PDS Requirements .......................................................................................... 74 Appendix H. 2015 Node Executive Summaries ........................................................................... 78 Appendix I. 2015 Planetary Data System Charter ........................................................................ 99 Appendix J. 2015 Request for Information Responses ............................................................ 100 Appendix K. Decadal White Paper ............................................................................................. 102 Photo credit: NASA/Wendy Dolci Members of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) Executive Council view an image of Mars on the NASA hyperwall at Ames Research Center. 4 Executive Summary and Findings Executive Summary and Potential PDS Actions for the Next Decade The Planetary Data System (PDS) has made great strides in its almost three decades of existence, with the tide now turned against what was perceived as a threat of loss of planetary data in 1982 [1]. The evolving background of international archiving standards led first to the implementation of the PDS archive based upon the PDS3 standards, and, during the last decade to change from PDS3 to PDS4. This evolution has been driven primarily by the same motivations that set PDS into motion from the beginning: user needs and expectations (two findings), data discoverability (three findings), and data usability (three findings). These functions are supported by tools and file formats (two findings), and online processing and analysis (one finding). Changes in trends, as well as the potential for disruptive technologies, must be accounted for. These changes are reflected by increases in data volume, variety, complexity, and number of data providers (two findings), possible additions of laboratory data and physical samples (two findings), and potential enhancements of PDS structure and governance (three findings). After introducing the PDS (Chapter 1) and laying out its characteristics (Chapter 2), we provide details on challenges facing the PDS (Chapter 3), detailed findings and suggested remediations to which these lead (Chapter 4), and conclusions and a summary of what the future may portend (Chapter 5). Exact responses to the various challenges depend upon external changes in technology (opportunities driven by new commercial hardware as well as computer security challenges), data production by robotic planetary missions (both domestic and international), and data needs and requirements from an evolving stakeholder base. As a complex evolving system, the PDS must constantly respond to new pressures and opportunities. In turn, these generate user needs and expectations, especially with respect to PDS stakeholders (Finding I) and can lead to mismatches between those tasks PDS is equipped to take on and expectations of the stakeholders (Finding II).
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