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The Airborne Data Management Group

The Airborne Data Management Group (ADMG) supports NASA’s airborne and field science communities.

NASA’s Airborne Data Management Group (ADMG) exists to support NASA’s airborne and field science communities, NASA Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), and airborne and field data users by providing access to relevant resources, information, and data. ADMG is responsible for building an inventory of past and present NASA airborne and field campaigns called the Catalog of Archived Suborbital Earth Science Investigations (CASEI) to improve the discoverability and access to airborne and field campaign data. 

ADMG is located within the Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT) and operates under the direction of NASA's Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program.

ADMG venn diagram stylized to look like an aircraft and clouds

Note that the NASA DAACs listed are those with which the ADMG works and does not include the Crustal Dynamics Data Information System (CDDIS) or the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC).

ADMG supports data producers and users of NASA airborne and field investigation data by helping to develop processes and recommended practices for airborne data handling, addition of metadata, documentation, and the discovery, distribution, and preservation of data.

NASA Earth science data and metadata standards are managed by NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project. ADMG works with ESDIS and DAACs to provide data producers with information and access to requirements and standards relevant to airborne and field data production and data handling.

Additional data stewardship resources are available below. Links are provided in order of highest priority. If you have questions or feel additional resources would be helpful, please contact ADMG (admg@uah.edu).

 

How to Provide Campaign Data to DAACs

 

Principal Investigators (PIs) and Campaign Data Managers

Use the following resources to help with creating an Open Science and Data Management Plan (OSDMP):

ItemDescription
Adding Data from Orbital Missions and Airborne InvestigationsEOSDIS requirements for data from satellite missions, Earth Venture missions, and airborne and field investigations.
Open Science and Data Management Plan (OSDMP) Template for Data Producers (PDF)ESDIS template for drafting an OSDMP that satisfies NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) requirements.
Airborne Investigation Data System Requirements (PDF)Programmatic data system requirements to be utilized in Earth Venture Suborbital (EVS) investigations.
ADMG Guide to the Data Management Plan Template for Data Producers (available on request by contacting ADMG at admg@uah.edu)Additional ADMG guide on drafting an OSDMP that satisfies NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) requirements for airborne and field investigations.
EOSDIS Preservation Requirements (PDF)Content requirements for data, metadata, and supporting documentation for NASA-funded projects to ensure their proper preservation.

 

Data Producers

Individuals required to create a data product are encouraged to review the following resources:

ItemDescription
Data Producer’s Development Guide (DPDG) V 2.0Guidance for developing data products that align with NASA ESD requirements.
Earthdata PubGuidance for navigating the data product publication process at a NASA DAAC.
Level of Service Model for NASA Earth Science DataInformation about assigning the appropriate Level of Service to data products.
EOSDIS Data Standards and Templates Additional resources for EOSDIS data standards and requirements.
ESDIS Standards Coordination Office (ESCO) Data and Metadata StandardsLists of ESD-approved standards and practices.

 

Data Delivery and Publication Process for Airborne and Field Investigations

NASA airborne and field investigations are an important part of regional and scientifically-focused studies. The methods by which airborne and field data are observed, prepared, delivered, archived, and distributed vary from the methods used for satellite data. Most significantly, in airborne and field campaigns, individual instrument scientists are responsible for:

  • Collecting data
  • Structuring data products
  • Checking data quality
  • Transferring data to the assigned NASA DAACs
  • Answering DAAC questions and reviewing data product user guides

Overall, investigation scientists bear responsibility for data product design, metadata assignment, and data formatting in line with ESDS data policies. The Data Producer’s Development Guide (DPDG) contains helpful information and considerations for data product design.

During campaigns, a field archive is used and maintained by the campaign data manager to collect and organize data and provide open access to all project science team investigators and collaborators. Within the required six-month time period from data collection, all datasets must be transferred from the field archive to the assigned DAAC for publication. DAAC personnel are responsible for the following activities: 

  • Checking incoming data
  • Ensuring data are properly documented with metadata
  • Obtaining data product Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)
  • Distributing and archiving data via the NASA cloud environment
  • Providing simple user support (detailed questions are passed along to data producers)
  • Performing outreach activities to notify data users of data availability

Note that, in some cases, data may be passed directly from the data producer to the DAAC without going to a field archive first. The diagram below outlines the movement of data through these various steps. Please keep in mind that data publication steps may vary by DAAC. However, significant variation in procedures should be reduced or alleviated once the Earthdata Pub tool is implemented at all DAACs (expected in 2025). 

Diagram showing steps from data collection to processing, storage and distribution (left to right)

CASEI

ADMG has constructed and is continuing to update an airborne and field investigation inventory called the Catalog of Archived Suborbital Earth science Investigations (CASEI). The comprehensive inventory provides detailed metadata about NASA airborne campaigns and field investigations, as well as relevant platforms, instruments, deployments, flight details, significant events, and data products. CASEI allows data users to easily access and search information associated with airborne campaigns. 

The Airborne Data Management Group (ADMG) works with NASA Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) to ensure good communication and effective airborne and field data stewardship. Various policies and procedures exist to help bring consistency and user satisfaction to DAAC support of the heterogeneous data collected over the past five decades.

 

Airborne and Field Data Assignment

Each campaign, facility instrument, or major airborne instrument has an assigned DAAC that is responsible for coordinating the archiving of data and information from the campaign or instrument. The assigned DAAC works with the data producers (research scientists that make the data products) and other DAACs to ensure future data users have the access and information they need.  

NASA Headquarters is responsible for DAAC assignment in collaboration with NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project and ADMG. The ADMG is responsible for creating and sharing a summary of each field activity requiring assignment to provide everyone in the decision-making process with access to the same information about the activity. The DAAC assignment process can take several months; therefore, it is best to alert ADMG as soon as a new campaign activity is funded. Early DAAC assignment tends to significantly improve campaign data stewardship.

 

DAAC Standards and Policies 

NASA's data and metadata standards are managed by ESDIS. Since many standards and policies were developed with a NASA satellite perspective, ADMG works to augment existing documents or develop new standards or policies for improving airborne and field data management at NASA DAACs. The latest information can be found on the Airborne and Field Working Group Earthdata wiki (limited access; Earthdata login required)  

Additional data stewardship resources are listed below that DAACs may find useful. If you have questions or feel additional resources would be helpful, please contact ADMG (admg@uah.edu).

 

DAAC Resources

ItemDescription
ADMG Stewardship Best Practices for Documenting and Representing NASA Airborne and Field Campaign Data and Information (PDF)Recommended high-level practices for DAAC airborne and field data stewardship. The document outlines the methodology of development and the recommendations.
Airborne Investigation Data System Requirements (PDF)Programmatic data system requirements to be utilized in large NASA funded investigations.
ADMG Guide to the Open Science and Data Management Plan (OSDMP) Template for Data Producers (available on request by contacting ADMG at admg@uah.edu)Additional ADMG guide on drafting an OSDMP that satisfies NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD) requirements for airborne and field investigations.
EOSDIS Preservation Requirements (updated to include airborne and field) Content requirements for data, metadata, and supporting documentation for NASA-funded projects to ensure their proper preservation.
Level of Service Model for NASA Earth Science DataInformation about assigning the appropriate Level of Service to data products.
ADMG Airborne and Field Data Inventory DefinitionsTerms developed by ADMG to bring consistency to language commonly used across NASA’s ESD. ESCO reviewed.
ADMG Decision Trees (PDF)Decision trees developed by ADMG to use in building CASEI.
Airborne Science Program (ASP)Aircraft, instrument, and campaign information.
Airborne Science Program Mission ListAirborne campaigns flown by ASP, as well as campaign descriptions and logos.
Airborne Science Newsletters and Annual ReportsPast and current aircraft, flight, and campaign information.
Airborne and Field Data WorkshopRecordings and reports from the March 2022 two-day workshop.

Over the past several decades, NASA has collected airborne and field data to carry out research, validate satellite observations, and test new instruments. Analog data from these historical data collection efforts are often discarded and underutilized due to how difficult the data are to locate and use in a more digital age. In some cases, the data or data archive locations are scheduled to be eliminated, leading to complete loss of valuable data. 

To help preserve these datasets, the Airborne Data Management Group (ADMG) facilitates data recovery efforts to ensure easier discovery, access, and use. ADMG works to locate the data, devise a plan for data transfer, secure funding, and facilitate DAAC assignment for archiving data. This effort allows more users to have access to these valuable historical datasets and supports open science initiatives.

If you have any NASA airborne and field data and need assistance with the data recovery process, please contact ADMG at admg@uah.edu.

blue boxes with lines indicating ADMG data recovery workflow steps

Typical workflow for historical analog data recovery process.

Example ADMG data recovery efforts

ER-12 High-Resolution Air Photos

What: High resolution photos taken nadir view during 1970s to 2000.

Value: Photos could be used for land cover change studies.

Effort: More than 6,000 photos that require special equipment for digitization; process to take more than 5 years.

Outcome: Data delivered directly to NASA with DAAC support for tool development, making image discovery and exploration easy.

P-3 Campaign History

What: Paper records at NASA's Wallop's Flight Facility (WFF) providing detailed information about P-3 campaign history from 1991 to 2007.

Value: P-3 flight information prior to 2007 is not digitized and is difficult to locate. Capturing instrument placement by campaign is vital to data use.

Effort: Traveled to WFF and recorded information about each campaign that used the P-3; scanned flight plan documents for digitization.

Outcome: Metadata added to CASEI and detailed history provided to NASA's Airborne Science Program for better access to this information.

GTE DC-8 Videos

What: Nadir, side, and forward-view video cameras captured environment and ground conditions on the NASA DC-8 during the Global Tropospheric Experiment program.

Value: Videos useful for interpreting instrument data.

Effort: Approximately 900 VHS tapes with hours of footage that needed to be digitized.

Outcome: Analog materials delivered to a DAAC for digitization, uploaded to the NASA cloud environment, and made accessible with a video viewer.