ADF Science Steering Committee Report

The ADF Science Steering Committee (SSC) met on April 22, 1997, to review the archival activities in the Astrophysics Data Facility (ADF). This was the first time the SSC has met since their charter was expanded to provide advice and guidance to the ADF functions that relate to the archiving of NASA's astrophysics mission data products into the NSSDC in addition to the Astronomical Data Center (ADC) that archives astronomical catalogs and journal tables. The committee examined multiple issues arising from the current space science data archive environment: tight fiscal constraints coupled with impending "astronomical" increase in data volume.

ADF Science Steering Committee Findings

The committee recommended that the ADC de-emphasize historical data restoration and put a high priority on providing a data search and browsing capability for the community. The browsable data products should include mission logs, astronomical catalogs, and journal tables regardless of the location of the physical archive. The committee further suggested that the ADF pursue partnerships with other groups working on data archive issues to avoid duplication of efforts and to ensure that the user will have easy connection between the different archive sites. Such partnerships include the possibility of ADF's becoming a subnode for the Science Archive Research Centers (SARCs) of the three wavelength regimes in astrophysics (high-energy, ultraviolet-optical, and infrared-submillimeter-radio). The committee endorsed the publication of the CD-ROM Selected Astronomical Catalogs, Vol. 4, which will include updated catalogs originally published in Vol. 1 in 1992 as well as new titles suggested by the community. The planned publication date is January 1998.

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