OSSIInfrastructure
NASA is developing infrastructure that enables scientists to access and analyze data through the Open-Source Science Initiative (OSSI). OSSI is a comprehensive program of activities to enable and support moving towards open science across NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD).
In December of 2019, SMD released the Strategy for Data and Computing for Groundbreaking Science. This strategy aims to enable transformational open science through continuous evolution of NASA’s science data and computing systems. As the data volumes and complexity of the next generation of SMD missions grows, infrastructure improvements will allow science to scale with these missions and to make the resources more accessible.
NASA is investing in capabilities to use commercial cloud environments for open science to make data and code accessible by a diversity of users. To do this, NASA is making analysis-ready cloud-optimized data readily available; supporting open source community-led interactive development environments; and developing learning resources and activities that will enable communities to move toward open science practices.
SMD Data Catalog
SMD’s data catalog supports discovery and access to complex scientific data across divisions. The catalog will provide consistent discovery methods for distributed systems, supporting fast discovery of data archived by all SMD Divisions.
Support for Cloud Computing
Cloud computing technologies are accelerating open science by making Big Data analysis more approachable to a wider community. Cloud-native platforms provide users affordable access to compute and an ecosystem of tools for parallel processing. In turn, cloud computing streamlines scientific workflows and makes collaboration easier. NASA is committing resources to generate analysis-ready, cloud-optimized (ARCO) data to support an analysis-in-place user experience that will enable users to do their work in the cloud. In addition to generating ARCO data, OSSI is investing in open source tools and engaging with strategic partners and the open-source community to help users leverage the cloud effectively.
Support for Open Source Tools, Frameworks, and Libraries
As part of the OSSI, open source software is being supported through Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) solicitations. The Support for Open Source Tools, Frameworks, and Libraries solicitation seeks to support the improvement and sustainment of high-value, open source tools, frameworks, and libraries that have made significant impacts to the SMD science community. The Support for Open Source Software solicitation encourages the conversion of legacy software into modern code to be released under an open-source license.
Expansion of the Astrophysical Data Services
Journal articles are key for sharing scientific results. Providing consolidated access to journal articles makes the scientific process more efficient. NASA’s Astrophysics Data System (ADS) is the primary digital library portal for researchers in Astronomy and Astrophysics. In response to NASA’s efforts supporting interdisciplinary research across SMD, the ADS will expand its coverage of Planetary Science and Heliophysics content. This expansion will provide us with opportunities to improve our coverage of the literature as well as linked research objects such as datasets and software, improving their discoverability, and citability.
Increasing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Capabilities
NASA’s Strategy for Data Management and Computing for Groundbreaking Science recommends that SMD encourage its science divisions to explore novel computational techniques, including those encompassed by artificial intelligence, and machine learning (AI/ML).