Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team

The mission of the Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team (MAPSIT) is to ensure that planetary data are usable for any purpose, now and in the future.

Background

The Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team was established by NASA and the planetary science community in the fall of 2014, following recommendations from the Planetary Science Subcommittee of the Science Committee of the NASA Advisory council. Originally named the Cartography Research Assessment Group (CRAG), the MAPSIT name was adopted in the fall of 2015 to be more inclusive of all aspects of spatial data analysis and associated infrastructure. The team consists of all interested members of our community and has a Steering Committee which actively solicits input from the scientific community and reports its findings to NASA as requested.

If you have interest in becoming a member of MAPSIT, please fill out the MAPSIT Indication of Interest form.

Recent Activities

Call for Membership to the Geologic Mapping Subcommittee (GEMS) of the Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team (MAPSIT)

The Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team (MAPSIT) invites individuals from the planetary science community to apply for membership in the Geologic Mapping Subcommittee (GEMS). To respond to this solicitation, a 2-page curriculum vitae and 250-word statement of interest is needed by July 1, 2022. Applicants need not be a member of MAPSIT to apply. Please submit application materials via email to Jeannette Luna at [email protected].

GEMS Call for Membership 2022 (.docx)
GEMS Call for Membership 2022 (.pdf)

*May 2022 GEMS charter (draft) open for comment

The Geologic Mapping Subcommittee (GEMS) of the Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team (MAPSIT) is being reconstituted, and a draft Operational Charter has been provisionally approved by MAPSIT. This charter is open for comments until June 23, 2022; please send any questions, comments, or concerns to Brad Thomson, MAPSIT chair ([email protected]) before that date.

GEMS Charter 2022 (.docx)
GEMS Charter 2022 (.pdf)

September 2021 Final Report

Angela Stickle, Julie Stopar, Brent Archinal, Maria Banks, Ross Beyer, Lisa Gaddis, Trent Hare, José Hurtado, Samuel Lawrence, Myriam Lemelin, Pete Mouginis-Mark, Noah Petro, Emerson Speyerer, Jean-Pierre Williams, Kelsey Young, Sarah Noble, Jacob Bleacher, Rebecca McCauley-Rench, Amy Fagan, Brad Thomson (2021) Final Report of the Lunar Critical Data Products Specific Action Team (LCD-SAT).

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7236426

June 2021 Findings

Progress report on creation of Lunar Critical Data Products Specific Action Team (LCDP-SAT)

Builds off recommendations from Artemis III Science Definition Team report
Draft Terms of Reference have been circulated to MAPSIT and LEAG. Team is not fully constituted, but several volunteers have stepped forward.
Among other charges, the team will assess and prioritize what new mission-derived cartographic products, including mosaics and topographic models, for the south pole could be developed using the highest quality data available and using the standard (possibly updated) lunar geodetic coordinate reference frame. As part of the assessment, the SAT will advance a notional production and sequencing strategy.
The team is also requested to issue nonbinding findings detailing preliminary steps to enable a “Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure” for the Moon, such as goals for deploying a lunar PSDI catalog/registry for the discovery of existing data products and the development of standards and best practices on how to characterize, capture, and represent uncertainty and distortion within the metadata for each product.
Report is tentatively due: 1 Aug 2021

March 2021 Findings

MAPSIT endorses a recent knowledge inventory of foundational data products in planetary science (Laura and Beyer, 2021), and will interface with AGs to review the paper, consider next steps, and potentially incorporate into their own findings, especially with respect to funding prioritization.
Full citation: Laura J. R. and R. A. Beyer (2021) Knowledge Inventory of Foundational Data Products in Planetary Science, The Planetary Science Journal, 2(18), doi:10.3847/PSJ/abcb94.
Progress on PSDI creation (Planetary Data Spatial Infrastructure)
- In line with MAPSIT’s Roadmap, MAPSIT applauds the creation of a part of preliminary PSDI for Io (Williams et al., 2021 LPSC).
- MAPSIT encourages the continued development of a Europa PSDI, which is currently underway.
  A reminder from Laura et al. (2018) ESS:
  Spatial data infrastructure (SDI) is the enabling collection of spatial data users, data interoperability agreements, policies and standards, data access mechanisms, and the spatial data themselves (Rajabifard et al., 2002). In the context of planetary science, spatial data are any data with a spatial component including visible and infrared sensor data, radar data, spectrometer data, and even data such as the Apollo samples that include collection location information.
MAPSIT encourages the creation of a PSDI for the Moon, in collaboration with LEAG, LSIC, and other appropriate parties.
- With numerous lunar efforts from NASA, the commercial sector, and other space agencies underway, now is the ideal time to establish a lunar PSDI that benefits all.
- Similar to MAPSIT finding presented Nov. 2020.
- Note the workload required to create a lunar PSDI will be non-trivial; will likely have to proceed as a funded effort rather than staffed via volunteers on a best-effort basis.
MAPSIT appreciates the establishment of an Independent Review Board (IRB) for the Planetary Data Ecosystem (PDE).
- he IRB's stated goals are to define the full environment, identify missing or overly redundant elements, and provide findings and prioritized, actionable recommendations for PSD's long-term planning in support of the PDE, all of which are aligned well with MAPSIT's objectives.

November 2020 Findings

Analysis-ready planetary data accelerates scientific progress. Missions should strive to provide analysis-ready data, but if they do not, then their data delivery plans should include all of the needed descriptions and algorithms in order for a 3rd party to take their archived data and produce analysis-ready data.
The MAPSIT steering committee has commissioned a group of data users, mission stakeholders and data experts to examine the possibility of a Europa Spatial Data Infrastructure. We request that NASA support the idea of this study and similar future ones as agreed upon by the MAPSIT steering committee.
Given the importance of spatial data in the upcoming exploration of the Moon by robotic missions and the Artemis program, we request that NASA, through MAPSIT and possibly LEAG, establish a Lunar Spatial Data Infrastructure. A coordinated effort would ensure this process is done correctly and not involve unnecessary duplication. MAPSIT and LEAG would help determine the members of a committee to establish this infrastructure and would oversee and ratify the results of the study.
MAPSIT supports the existence of the Planetary Data Ecosystem review and is glad to see community input is being encouraged and prioritized. MAPSIT would be happy to make a presentation to the PDE IRB on MAPSIT topics of expertise, if requested.
We request that NASA continue robust support for the PDART program, as it is necessary to fully realize the potential of planetary spatial data. Many products that are prioritized by MAPSIT (e.g., creation of registered data products) only have PDART as their means of production.
We request that NASA work with MAPSIT and the spatial data community to continue to create opportunities to train new data users and data product creators. Examples include the Planetary Data Users Workshop and short courses associated with conferences, the scope and occurrence of which could be expanded.

PSDI WHITE PAPER FOR PLANETARY SCIENCE AND ASTROBIOLOGY DECADAL SURVEY 2023-2032

The following White Paper, titled "Maximizing the Value of Solar System Data through Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructures", was submitted for consideration for the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey.

Radebaugh, J., Thomson, B.J., Archinal, B., Beyer, R., DellaGiustina, D., Fassett, C., Gaddis, L., Goossens, S., Hare, T., Laura, J. and Mouginis-Mark, P. (2020). Maximizing the Value of Solar System Data through Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructures, white paper submitted to the 2023–2032 Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, https://arxiv.org/pdf/2008.06171.

THE MAPPING AND PLANETARY SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE (MAPSIT) ROADMAP

PDF version
Word version

Executive Summary

Spatial data contribute to the success of endeavors at NASA if they are correctly acquired and accessible to all interested groups. We encourage the creation of initiatives to ensure that planetary spatial data are correctly obtained and processed and are discoverable and usable for a wide range of research and exploration purposes. We describe steps needed to work toward these goals. We also evaluate the needed expertise, tools and capabilities for development and delivery of planetary spatial data products. We suggest these efforts should be initiated by the planetary science community and coordinated by NASA and should focus on how to most effectively enable NASA science and exploration goals.

PLANETARY GEOSCIENCE MAPPING SURVEY PUBLISHED

The United States Geological Surveys (USGS) Planetary Geologic Map Coordination Group (Flagstaff, Ariz.) surveyed planetary geoscience map makers and users to determine the importance, relevance, and usability of such products to their planetary science research and to current and future needs of the planetary science community. This survey was prepared because the planetary science community lacks a modern assessment of the value invested in geoscience map products and processes (including the diverse scientific and technical personnel who add to and maintain this infrastructure) and a strategy that ensures these efforts appropriately prioritize mapping efforts across all solid surface bodies in the Solar System.

This publication is available at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20191012

Suggested Citation
Skinner, J.A. Jr., Huff, A.E., Fortezzo, C.M., Gaither, T., Hare, T.M., Hunter, M.A., Buban, H., 2019, Planetary geologic mapping program status and future needs: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 20191012, 40 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20191012

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