NASA MCP Server

Instructions

Implementation Reference

• src/handlers/nasa/gibs.ts:20-120 (handler)

  Main handler function nasaGibsHandler that fetches GIBS satellite imagery, processes the image, registers it as a resource, and returns image data.

  export async function nasaGibsHandler(params: GibsParams) {
    try {
      const { date, layer, resolution, format, bbox } = params;
      
      // Default bbox if not provided
      const bboxParam = bbox || '-180,-90,180,90';
      
      // Construct the GIBS URL
      const baseUrl = 'https://gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov/wms/epsg4326/best/wms.cgi';
      
      // Convert format to proper MIME type format for WMS
      const mimeFormat = format === 'jpg' ? 'jpeg' : format;
      
      const requestParams = {
        SERVICE: 'WMS',
        VERSION: '1.3.0',
        REQUEST: 'GetMap',
        FORMAT: `image/${mimeFormat}`,
        LAYERS: layer,
        CRS: 'EPSG:4326',
        BBOX: bboxParam,
        WIDTH: 720,
        HEIGHT: 360,
        TIME: date
      };
      
      // Make the request to GIBS directly
      const response = await axios({
        url: baseUrl,
        params: requestParams,
        responseType: 'arraybuffer',
        timeout: 30000
      });
      
      // Convert response to base64
      const imageBase64 = Buffer.from(response.data).toString('base64');
      
      // Register the image as a resource
      const formattedDate = date || new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0];
      const resourceUri = `nasa://gibs/imagery?layer=${layer}&date=${formattedDate}`;
      
      addResource(resourceUri, {
        name: `NASA GIBS: ${layer} (${formattedDate})`,
        mimeType: `image/${format}`,
        // Store metadata as text (optional)
        text: JSON.stringify({
          layer: layer,
          date: formattedDate,
          bbox: bboxParam,
          width: 720,
          height: 360
        }),
        // Store the actual image data as a blob
        blob: Buffer.from(response.data)
      });
      
      // Return metadata and image data
      return {
        content: [
          {
            type: "text",
            text: `NASA GIBS satellite imagery for ${layer} on ${date || 'latest'}`
          },
          {
            type: "image",
            mimeType: `image/${format}`,
            data: imageBase64
          },
          {
            type: "text",
            text: `Resource registered at: ${resourceUri}`
          }
        ],
        isError: false
      };
    } catch (error: any) {
      console.error('Error in GIBS handler:', error);
      
      if (error.name === 'ZodError') {
        return {
          content: [
            {
              type: "text",
              text: `Invalid request parameters: ${error.message}`
            }
          ],
          isError: true
        };
      }
      
      return {
        content: [
          {
            type: "text",
            text: `Error retrieving GIBS data: ${error.message}`
          }
        ],
        isError: true
      };
    }
  }

• src/handlers/nasa/gibs.ts:6-11 (schema)

  Zod schema for validating input parameters to the nasa_gibs tool.

  export const gibsParamsSchema = z.object({
    date: z.string().optional(),
    layer: z.string(),
    resolution: z.number().optional(),
    format: z.enum(['png', 'jpg', 'jpeg']).optional().default('png'),
    bbox: z.string().optional()

• src/index.ts:1543-1556 (registration)

  MCP server request handler registration specifically for the 'nasa/gibs' method, which dispatches to handleToolCall.

  server.setRequestHandler(
    z.object({ 
      method: z.literal("nasa/gibs"),
      params: z.object({
        layer: z.string(),
        date: z.string(),
        format: z.enum(['png', 'jpg', 'jpeg']).optional(),
        resolution: z.number().optional()
      }).optional()
    }),
    async (request) => {
      return await handleToolCall("nasa/gibs", request.params || {});
    }
  );

• src/index.ts:458-461 (registration)

  Tool 'nasa_gibs' listed in the tools/manifest response.

    name: "nasa_gibs",
    id: "nasa/gibs",
    description: "Global Imagery Browse Services satellite imagery"
  },

• src/index.ts:767-791 (schema)

  Input schema for 'nasa_gibs' tool advertised in tools/list response.

    name: "nasa_gibs",
    description: "Global Imagery Browse Services - satellite imagery",
    inputSchema: {
      type: "object",
      properties: {
        layer: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Layer name (e.g., MODIS_Terra_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor)"
        },
        date: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Date of imagery (YYYY-MM-DD)"
        },
        format: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Image format (png, jpg, jpeg)"
        },
        resolution: {
          type: "number",
          description: "Resolution in pixels per degree"
        }
      },
      required: ["layer", "date"]
    }
  },