NASA PDS Registry MCP Server
OfficialServer Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
No arguments | |||
Instructions
Guidance the server publishes about itself, which clients place ahead of the tool catalog so the model reads it before choosing anything.
This server publishes no instructions, or was last inspected before Glama recorded them.
Capabilities
Features and capabilities supported by this server
Protocol revision2025-11-25
| Capability | Details |
|---|---|
| tools | {
"listChanged": true
} |
| logging | {} |
| prompts | {
"listChanged": true
} |
| resources | {
"subscribe": false,
"listChanged": true
} |
Tools
Functions exposed to the LLM to take actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| search_investigationsA | Search PDS Context products that are Investigations (missions/projects). Investigations are organized missions or projects that collect scientific data. Example: Cassini-Huygens - urn:nasa:pds:context:investigation:mission.cassini-huygens Use for queries about space missions, mission timelines, or finding missions that studied specific targets. |
| search_targetsA | Search PDS Context products that are Targets (celestial bodies, phenomena). Targets are objects of scientific study: planets, moons, asteroids, comets, etc. Example: Mars - urn:nasa:pds:context:target:planet.mars Use for queries about specific celestial bodies, finding targets by type, or targets studied by missions. |
| search_instrument_hostsA | Search PDS Context products that are Instrument Hosts (spacecraft, rovers, telescopes). Instrument Hosts are platforms that carry scientific instruments: spacecraft, rovers, landers, telescopes. Example: Cassini Orbiter - urn:nasa:pds:context:instrument_host:spacecraft.cassini Use for queries about specific spacecraft, rovers, or platforms that carry instruments. |
| search_instrumentsA | Search the latest-versioned instances of PDS Context products that are Instruments. Instruments are scientific devices (cameras, spectrometers, etc.) used on spacecraft to collect data. Example: Cassini RADAR - urn:nasa:pds:context:instrument:radar.cassini Use for queries about specific instruments, instrument types, or instruments on missions/spacecraft. |
| crawl_context_productA | Crawl a single PDS Context product and return other PDS Context products it is associated with. Ex. Mars 2020: Perseverance Rover (Investigation) is associated with Mars (Target) and Mastcam (Instrument), so it returns Mars and Mastcam. WARNING: Takes a long time to run and performs several sequential API calls. Use wisely. |
| search_collectionsB | Search PDS data collections filtered by instrument, target, instrument host, or investigation. Example: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE data collections targeting Mars. |
| get_productB | Get a single PDS product by its URN identifier. |
Prompts
Interactive templates invoked by user choice
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No prompts | |
Resources
Contextual data attached and managed by the client
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| list_target_types | List of types of Targets |
| list_instrument_hosts | List of types of Instrument Hosts |
| list_instruments | List of types of Instruments |
| list_investigation_type | List of types of Investigations |
TDQS
Scored across 7 tools
The four search_* tools map cleanly onto distinct PDS Context product types (Investigations, Targets, Instrument Hosts, Instruments), and descriptions reinforce the boundaries. crawl_context_product, search_collections, and get_product each target clearly different operations, leaving little room for misselection.
All tool names follow a predictable verb_noun snake_case pattern (search_investigations, crawl_context_product, get_product). The search_ prefix is used consistently for the five query tools, and the verb choices accurately reflect each operation.
Seven tools is well-scoped for a specialized registry query server, with each tool earning its place by covering a distinct resource or operation. Nothing feels redundant or missing count-wise.
Core workflows are covered: search across the four context types, search collections, traverse associations, and fetch by URN. Minor gaps exist—no dedicated search_products or bundle search, and the only product retrieval is by exact URN, but agents can largely work around these.