The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a long history of pioneering space exploration and scientific discovery. Less well known is NASA’s more recent push into open source software development. Since the early 2010s, NASA has embraced open source as a way to accelerate innovation, collaboration, and cost-efficiency in its software projects.
In 2010, NASA formally announced its Open Government Initiative, with open source software being a key component. The agency recognized that by sharing its code publicly and allowing others to contribute, it could benefit from a diverse community of programmers fixing bugs, adding features, and improving overall code quality.
Some of NASA’s open source projects focus on core functions like data processing, visualization, and robotics. These include:
- F Prime – a framework for building reusable software for spacecraft flight software and embedded systems
- Worldview – an interactive interface for browsing global satellite imagery
- Robonaut 2 – humanoid robot software for working alongside astronauts
Other projects meet specific mission needs:
- KADI (Kepler Analysis Data Interface) – tools for analyzing data from the Kepler space telescope to identify distant planets
- OpenMCT – a web-based mission control framework for visualization and telemetry
- MATISSE (Monitoring and Analysis of Transactional Data In Space Engineering) – a system for monitoring ground system health and status
NASA now has an Open Source Program to guide and regulate its open source efforts. The program provides guidance on open source licensing, coordinates collaborations with other organizations, and hosts some of NASA’s projects on GitHub (https://github.com/nasa) and the agency’s own code repository (https://code.nasa.gov).
Open source enables NASA to maximize limited resources. Shared software reduces redundant work, allows the agency to benefit from contributions of other talented programmers, and promotes transparency. As NASA plans bold new missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, open source will be an important tool in its software arsenal.
