Asteroid Data Archiving in the Planetary Data System

Abstract

The archiving of observational data in asteroid science is an essential component contributing to the productivity of the field. The usefulness of present-day research efforts requires the context provided by data from past missions and groundbased observational programs, and new knowledge allows new interpretations of old data. The rapidly expanding volume of new data and results requires the full use of modern information technologies for the ongoing preservation and documentation of asteroid data for the future. The Planetary Data System, created by NASA for the archiving of planetary mission data, serves many of these functions for the benefit of the asteroid science community. This chapter outlines the role of archiving in asteroid science and how individual researchers can contribute by archiving their basic and derived observational data.