The mission of preserving spatial data
NASA has launched numerous space missions since its founding in 1958. These projects have provided crucial information about planets, asteroids, comets, and even conditions in interplanetary space. However, not all of this data is necessarily easy to access and interpret. Over the decades, technologies and storage formats have evolved, making certain data more difficult to use. For example, some data is recorded on magnetic tapes or films, which are no longer readable with current technologies. The role of archivists and researchers specializing in the management of this data is therefore crucial to prevent valuable information from being lost.
The NSSDCA, part of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, is one of the premier centers dedicated to the curation of space data. This center's mission is to collect, organize and make accessible data from space missions. This includes not only managing current data but also preserving historical data. The team led by David Williams, for example, is working on restoring old data from NASA's early space missions so that it can be reused with modern technologies. This involves in-depth analysis of storage formats and careful digitization work to ensure that these archives are not obsolete.
The challenge of digitization and preservation
One of the biggest challenges faced in preserving spatial data is the degradation of storage media. The first space missions used magnetic tapes and films to record the collected data, but these media age poorly. Additionally, the equipment needed to play these media is often obsolete. For example, some of the media used for the Apollo mission or the first space probes became difficult to read, or even inaccessible. This is where the intervention of specialist archivists becomes essential.
Digitizing old data is one of the solutions to preserve the integrity of this information. Thanks to technological advancements, old formats can be converted into modern digital formats that can be easily stored, shared and analyzed. However, this task is not simple: it involves not only digitizing the media, but also ensuring that the data remains faithful to its original content. Additionally, it is crucial that data is stored securely, to avoid loss or corruption.
The work of NASA teams is not limited to simple digitization. They must also ensure that digitized data remains accessible in the long term, regardless of future technological developments. This means adopting universal storage formats, like ASCII, that are simple to read and use, even decades from now. Additionally, archives must be regularly checked and updated to ensure that data remains accessible over the long term, even as software and storage systems evolve.
Microfilm containing data from the 1964 Mariner 4 mission to Mars. Credits: NASA/Lonnie Shekhtman
The importance of historical data in space exploration
Although we often think of space data as relating to recent missions, historical data plays an equally essential role in continuing space exploration. Take the example of NASA's Magellan mission, launched in the 1980s. This mission mapped the surface of Venus using radar, providing crucial information about the planet's topography. This data, collected at a time when modern image processing technologies did not exist, has been re-examined several times over the years, enabling new discoveries through improved image processing tools.
The DAVINCI project, planned to explore Venus in the 2030s, also used Magellan data to better understand the planet before launching a new mission. By analyzing old radar images and scientific data, researchers were able to create a more accurate map of the planet and even detect possible signs of volcanic activity. NASA's archives thus make it possible to reexamine past data from new angles, with modern tools, thus contributing to major scientific advances.
A treasure hunt: the search for lost data
Another fascinating aspect of spatial data preservation work is the search and recovery of lost or forgotten data. At the time of the first space missions, data management was not as centralized and systematic as it is today. Some data was poorly archived or even completely lost. This did not prevent NASA archivists from carrying out a veritable treasure hunt to find this crucial information.
A particularly famous anecdote is that of the magnetic tapes from scientific stations left on the Moon during the Apollo missions. These tapes contained valuable data on conditions in the lunar environment. However, due to the ban on whale oil – previously used to prevent magnetic tapes from wearing out – this data was rewritten, erasing important information. This story clearly illustrates the importance of data management, but also the unforeseen obstacles that can arise in the curation process.
Stacks of boxes of microfilm from the Apollo missions, including what remains of the ALSEP data. Credits: NASA/Lonnie Shekhtman
Preserving data for the future
Preserving spatial data is an investment for the future. If NASA continues to discover new information about our solar system and beyond, this data must be preserved not only for today's scientific community, but also for future generations. NASA's archives make it possible to keep track of these discoveries, so that tomorrow's scientists can analyze them with tomorrow's technologies, but also with a new perspective. Indeed, rereading old data with modern tools can lead to unexpected discoveries.
NASA's efforts to preserve its space archives are therefore essential not only to understanding our past, but also to shaping our future. By ensuring that data collected during past missions is accessible and reusable, NASA enables scientists to better understand the universe and open new avenues for space exploration. This conservation work is a foundation for the future of space exploration, and it is through it that new discoveries can emerge from yesterday's data to inform tomorrow's missions.
Source : Space.com
