Instead of being collected at data centers where the staff may be unfamiliar with the technical features of the instrumentation and data processing, the data archives are maintained at institutions where they remain under the supervision of scientists familiar with the type of instrumentation and the type of data. The concept of a data node was thus developed. Under his guidance, PDS has become an effective tool for planetary plasma research. This node is responsible for plasma and field data from planetary missions. Ray never loses sight of the objective of providing the highest quality space physics data to the scientific community.
Pedigrees are important and are taken as seriously as they are for cats and dogs.
Ray's vision of a scientific data system met opposition from some who thought that the efforts that it entailed were not necessary, but Ray remains unyielding on the issue of quality. His vision and his dedication have inspired his staff and his collaborators to show that his goals could be achieved. Ray Walker, through PDS, has created a model that will shape the development of archival data systems for all of the environmental sciences and provide an exceptional service to the scientific community. The directory has brief descriptions of the data holdings of NASA, NOAA, and other U.S. agencies in addition to European and Japanese agencies. Ray's knowledge and experience using computers in new ways to achieve important scientific objectives attracted the attention of the American Geophysical Union.