Resolution #1/2008

A resolution made by COSPAR that affirms the need for IPDA.

Resolution No. 1/2008 (proposed by SC B) concerning International Access to Planetary and Lunar Data

Taking into account that:

  1. It is in the general interest of the planetary science community that data archives be made as widely accessible as possible,
  2. Existing technology via the world-wide web supports efficient and cost effective access.
  3. Sustained sequential missions by specific agencies are rare and limitations imposed by gaps in temporal coverage, spatial resolution and frequency coverage can be partially overcome by sharing of international databases.
  4. The scientific yield that can be achieved through open international access and collaboration will be greatly enhanced.

COSPAR notes that there is a need for common data standards and tools to enhance international access to data acquired by planetary and lunar missions and recognizes that the International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA)* is taking active steps to achieve these goals.

COSPAR therefore encourages the appropriate agencies to cooperate with the IPDA efforts.

*The International Planetary Data Alliance (IPDA) is an international effort focused on the development and collaboration of standards for data archiving and promotion of interoperability among planetary science data archive systems in order to share scientific results returned from exploration of the solar system.