NASA is moving away from the traditional, online, “live-in” model of space exploration, the agency said in a report.NASA said the agency will open its space science online catalog to “the widest possible audience.”
“The online catalog, which is being developed as a result of our 2017-2020 Space Science Initiative, will include a broad range of topics including Earth science, astronomy, and space science as well as information about the international community and the U.S. and international space programs,” NASA said.
“The goal is to make it easier for anyone to access the information that we collect on Earth and in space.”
The agency said it will not use the term “space” to describe its catalog, but rather to describe the “worldwide, interconnected and interlinked science and technology environment.”
“As the space age continues to advance, and new and improved technologies are developed, we must remain vigilant to keep the space frontier open and accessible to anyone, anywhere,” NASA Chief Technology Officer Scott Bolton said in the report.
The report is an update of a 2016 report by the NASA Science Advisory Board, which included recommendations for NASA to move to a more online catalog and focus on the science and engineering research of the agency.NASA plans to open up the catalog to anyone who wants to access it.
The catalog includes information about a broad array of science topics and services, including NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, the Space Sciences and Exploration Directorate, and other federal and private research and development programs.