You flew it, you measured it, you trained on the standards. This is the workflow that gets your dataset into NASA OSDR — described well enough that someone you'll never meet can reuse it.
Clean files & folders
Metadata & methods
Check against standards
Upload to OSDR
A clean, predictable folder layout makes everything downstream easier. A suggested structure for one flight (one "study"):
madwest-flight-2026-XX/
├── README.md # what this flight was, in plain language
├── metadata/
│ ├── study.csv # study-level: title, organism, factors
│ ├── assays.csv # which measurements were run
│ └── samples.csv # one row per seed/sample, flown vs. control
├── flight/
│ ├── altimeter-log.csv # altitude, time
│ ├── accel-log.csv # G-load, time
│ └── conditions.csv # temp, pressure, launch metadata
├── biology/
│ ├── germination.csv # counts, flown vs. control
│ ├── growth-timeseries.csv # measurements over days
│ └── photos/ # dated, labeled images
└── methods/
└── protocol.md # detailed enough to repeat the flightMetadata is what turns files into a findable dataset. At minimum, capture:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Study title | Effect of high-G launch on Arabidopsis germination |
| Organism | Arabidopsis thaliana, Col-0 |
| Factor(s) studied | Spaceflight/launch loads vs. ground control |
| Assay type(s) | Phenotype — germination & growth |
| Flight parameters | Peak G, max altitude, duration, motor class |
| Sample counts | n flown / n control |
| Date & location | ISO date; launch site your site |
| Contributors | Names / club / institution |
Before you upload, self-check against the readiness list:
Head to NASA's repository and follow its submission path:
We plan to ship downloadable CSV/metadata templates matching this structure so your next flight is plug-and-play. Want to help build them?