Transforming Access to Planetary Sample Data: Astromat as a Community Resource for Future Science

Session: Transforming Earth and Planetary Science Through Data and Data Management: In Honor of MSA Distinguished Public Service Medal Awardee, Kerstin Lehnert

Presenting Author:

Jennifer Mays

Authors:

Mays, Jennifer¹, Ji, Peng², Profeta, Lucia³, Danninger, Griffin⁴, Celnick, Mollie⁵, Haenecour, Pierre⁶, Johansson, Annika K.⁷, Lehnert, Kerstin Annette⁸

(1) Astromat, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY, USA, (2) Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA, (3) UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA, (4) Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA, (5) Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA, (6) University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA, (7) Columbia Univ/Lamont Doherty Observ., Geoscience Bldg, Rm 104, Palisades, NY, USA, (8) Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA,

Abstract:

Astromat (astromat.org) is a data archive designed to support the long-term preservation and accessibility of laboratory analytical data derived from astromaterials samples returned from the Moon, asteroids, and meteorites. Originating as MoonDB, a synthesis database for Apollo lunar sample geochemistry, Astromat has evolved into a formal database for datasets from multiple NASA-supported sample return missions, including Apollo, Genesis, Stardust, Hayabusa/Hayabusa2, and OSIRIS-REx, as well as curated meteorites and cosmic dust.

Developed under the leadership of Principal Investigator Dr. Kerstin Lehnert, Astromat reflects a broader community commitment to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data practices. Building on the foundation of PetDB and MoonDB, the project emphasizes transparent data structures, persistent identifiers, including IGSNs, and standardized metadata to support discovery, reuse, and reproducibility across missions and disciplines. Astromat currently supports data types ranging from major and trace elements to isotope ratios and imaging, alongside their full analytical context and provenance.

By reducing barriers to contribution and streamlining data submission workflows, Astromat helps ensure the long-term scientific value of rare, billion-dollar samples. It serves both as an archival system and a research-enabling platform for planetary scientists, geochemists, and others seeking cross-comparative analysis of extraterrestrial materials.

This presentation will highlight the archive’s growth from MoonDB to a cross-mission synthesis system, demonstrate current tools for accessing and contributing data, and explore how Astromat continues to scale with emerging sample return programs. As a community resource shaped by Dr. Lehnert’s vision for sustainable, open data systems, Astromat exemplifies how advancing open data systems and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration can transform access to, and the impact of, planetary sample data and research.