This page showcases available planetary data software and tools. This list is not exhaustive and will be updated as new resources are developed or decommissioned.
If a resource meets the criteria for listing (see below), please contact hq-pde@mail.nasa.gov. Being listed on this site does not imply an endorsement by NASA or the U.S. Government.
Software and Tools
| Title | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Celestial Mapping System | The Celestial Mapping System (CMS) is a software platform to generate virtual 3D globes for celestial bodies within our solar system. |
https://celestial.arc.nasa.gov/ |
| Cesium Moon Terrain | Cesium Moon Terrain is a comprehensive 3D Tileset of the Moon composed of precise terrain and imagery from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) program and other sources. |
https://cesium.com/blog/2024/08/06/introducing-cesium-moon-terrain/ |
| Code.NASA.gov | Code.NASA.gov is a catalog of open-source NASA code that has received NASA Software Release Authority (SRA) approval. |
https://code.nasa.gov/ |
| Community Coordinated Modeling Center | The Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) is a partnership between several U.S. government agencies that enables, supports, and performs research for next-generation space science and space weather models. |
https://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/ |
| core Flight System | Developed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the core Flight System (cFS) provides a layered architecture that creates a development environment where system integrators can assemble a significant portion of a software system for new missions, test platforms, and technology prototypes. |
https://cfs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ |
| Cosmographia | NASA Planetary Data System’s Navigation and Ancillary Information System (NAIF) offers a SPICE-enhanced version of Cosmographia, an open-source interactive tool used to produce 3D visualizations of planet ephemerides, sizes and shapes; spacecraft trajectories and orientations; and instrument fields-of-view and footprints. |
https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/naif/cosmographia.html |
| CraterStats | CraterStats is a reimplementation in Python 3.8 of the CraterstatsII software, a tool to analyze and plot crater count data for planetary surface dating. |
https://github.com/ggmichael/craterstats |
| Ephemeris Reader for Go | The Ephemeris Reader for Go, developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, allows users to read and interpret JPL planetary ephemerides binary data files, supporting calculations of positions and velocities of celestial bodies within the solar system. |
https://github.com/mshafiee/jpl |
| Exoplanet Modeling and Analysis Center | Hosted by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the Exoplanet Modeling and Analysis Center (EMAC) is a catalog, repository, and integration platform for modeling and analysis resources focused on studying exoplanet characteristics and environments. |
https://emac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ |
| Eyes on the Solar System | NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System is an immersive real-time web-based application for exploring a 3D visualization of the solar system. |
https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-system/#/home |
Criteria for Listing
Software and tools are considered for listing on this website based on the following criteria:
- Funded by the NASA Planetary Science Division, or funded by another division within the NASA Science Mission Directorate and significantly useful to planetary scientists.
- Software and tools that are not NASA-funded may be included if deemed significantly scientifically useful and available at no cost.
- Resource is publicly available.
- Software is mature in development, as demonstrated by a large user base or a release version number of 1.0 or greater.
- Desired criteria include:
- Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is provided so this resource can be cited and the author given proper credit.
- Software (and data, if relevant) license is clearly indicated.
- Documentation regarding the functionality of the software, installation requirements, how to site the software, and user guide is available.
- Code of Conduct and guidelines for how to make contributions are included. This may include a note that the project is not currently accepting contributions. This may also include what users can expect when asking questions and requesting support for the software project.
- Contact information is provided for questions or support.
Search for NASA Science Data
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) provides web tools to search across all of NASA’s science data, publications, software, and resources.
Science Discovery Engine
An integrated search platform to help you find what you need across NASA’s vast stores of open science data, documentation, code, and tools.
Science Explorer (SciX)
A digital library portal for scientific publications and software related to astronomy, Earth science, heliophysics, physics, and planetary science.