**Memorandum of Understanding**

**between**

**The Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis**

**and**

**The National Space Science Data Center**

**November 29, 2004**

**Approved by:**

**\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

**Ed Grayzeck,**

**Head, National Space Science Data Center**

**\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

**Gary Hinshaw**

**Head, Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis**

**\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

**Joseph Bredekamp**

**Program Manager, NSSDC**

**\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

**Alan Smale**

**Program Manager, LAMBDA**

Memorandum of Understanding

between

The Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis

and

The National Space Science Data Center

1\. Introduction

This is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the National Space
Science Data Center (NSSDC) and the Legacy Archive for Microwave
Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight
Center (GSFC). It documents the roles of those organizations in the
acquisition, management, dissemination and preservation of data from
NASA and NASA-collaborative astrophysical space missions (and selected
ground-based programs). This MOU supersedes any prior agreements between
the NSSDC and LAMBDA regarding the archiving and dissemination of
relevant data.

Active archives interface with NASA and NASA-collaborative missions in
acquiring data for general access, and they provide such access to data
and supporting material to the general research community. The permanent
archive receives data from the active archives, or sometimes from
projects as arranged by the active archives, preserves the data, and
provides them back to active archives when requested.

The NSSDC was created in 1966 as NASA\'s only archive for space and
Earth science data. The NSSDC\'s data management role has evolved with
the emergence of a series of active archives in both space and Earth
science. Presently it has permanent archiving responsibility for NASA
space science mission data. It has active archiving responsibilities in
certain space science discipline areas. It has additional roles not
germane to this MOU. The NSSDC home page is at
<http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/>.

LAMBDA was created in 2002 as NASA\'s \"thematic active archive\" for
cosmic microwave background (CMB) data. The LAMBDA home page is at
http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov

This MOU will be reviewed by the NSSDC and LAMBDA annually, and by their
advisory groups as desired by them. Inconsistencies between current
practices and MOU statements, or future modifications to this MOU, will
be addressed and agreed to by the Directors of the NSSDC and LAMBDA ,
with involvement of relevant NASA program managers when needed.

2\. LAMBDA and NSSDC as active archives

LAMBDA is a NASA Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center. As such
it is the primary active archive for CMB data. With the concurrence of
NASA Headquarters, it may delegate some active archiving responsibility
to the NSSDC.

LAMBDA will interface with NASA Headquarters and with NASA-funded CMB
space-flight missions (and with other relevant programs designated by
NASA) in the creation of Project Data Management Plans (PDMP). These
documents specify what data and supporting material will be delivered to
LAMBDA on what schedule. The signature of the active archive on a PDMP
certifies that it will be ready to manage the data cost effectively and
user effectively on the specified schedule. For any missions involving
an NSSDC active archiving role, there will be a LAMBDA-NSSDC addendum to
this MOU specifying the respective roles of LAMBDA and the NSSDC for
serving that mission.

LAMBDA will interface with operating missions to ensure the flow of data
and supporting material from the missions to the active archive and, for
relevant missions, directly to the NSSDC-as-permanent-archive as per the
conditions set in the PDMP.

LAMBDA will ensure that the data and supporting material are effectively
accessible by potential users from NASA and other research communities,
and by the public. It is expected that most if not all user access will
be electronic, but the active archive will also satisfy occasional
requests for data to be sent offline. The active archive will assist
users of the data and of supporting material (e.g., software tools) in
their usage as needed.

LAMBDA will provide backup copies of the data to the NSSDC for permanent
archiving in formats acceptable to LAMBDA and the NSSDC (and/or it will
ensure a parallel flow of data and supporting material directly from
projects to the NSSDC). As LAMBDA releases new products to the public,
these products will be transmitted to the NSSDC in a mutually agreed
upon manner. For data releases on CD, DVD, or similar media, LAMBDA
shall provide the NSSDC with a set of these volumes. For data to be sent
electronically, the details of such transfer shall be devised and agreed
upon by LAMBDA and the NSSDC. Data transferred electronically will be
subject to quality assurance by the NSSDC and remote storage of backup
copies will be provided by the NSSDC.

LAMBDA will provide the NSSDC with annual estimates of the data volumes
it (or the projects it serves) expects to deliver to the NSSDC for each
of the coming three years, by mission.

It is assumed that the NSSDC and LAMBDA both have indefinite lifetimes.
In the event that LAMBDA outlives the NSSDC, LAMBDA will arrange for
alternative permanent archiving services in a timely fashion. In the
event that the NSSDC outlives LAMBDA, LAMBDA will provide the NSSDC with
sufficient material to ensure that LAMBDA-held data can continue to be
served to the public. This latter provision protects LAMBDA-held data in
the event of a catastrophe at LAMBDA.

3\. NSSDC as Permanent Archive

The NSSDC will receive NASA-sanctioned CMB data and supporting material
from LAMBDA, from the NSSDC-as-active-archive and/or from individual
missions and it will ensure their long-term preservation against both
media deterioration and technology obsolescence. The NSSDC permanent
archive is not electronically accessible outside the NSSDC. The NSSDC
assumes that the data and supporting material provided by LAMBDA is
correct. It is the responsibility of LAMBDA to ensure this correctness
when the data are delivered to the NSSDC.

Upon request from LAMBDA, the NSSDC will provide copies of data and/or
supporting material in the same format it was at provided by LAMBDA (or
its projects) at the time of the initial delivery.

Upon request from LAMBDA, the NSSDC will replicate and mail data volumes
to requesters. It will charge end users a fee just sufficient to cover
the incremental cost of satisfying the request. The NSSDC will report
usage statistics to LAMBDA every six months.

The NSSDC will point users to LAMBDA from its high level,
astrophysics-relevant web pages as the source of CMB data for
researchers and the general public.