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HDRL is the force multiplier powering heliophysics for
science, security, and innovation today and into the future.
🚀
A Unified Hub for the Sun–Earth System
The Heliophysics Digital Resource Library (HDRL)
brings together NASA's solar and space physics
data into a cohesive, interoperable system. Built on decades of research and designed for tomorrow’s missions, HDRL
enables efficient access, analysis, and reuse of critical datasets. It supports space weather forecasting, long-term
science, and public transparency. Whether you're protecting astronauts, powering AI models, or forecasting threats
to space-based and ground-based assets, HDRL makes it possible. HDRL is a key part of the engine behind the HelioSystems Laboratory.
HDRL supports the infrastructure behind space weather resilience-helping secure U.S. satellites, crewed
exploration, GPS, and communication systems. It plays a vital role in keeping critical technology running during
solar storms and contributes to operational space-based defense systems through real-time solar intelligence.
🔍
Explore Our Core Components
Three key components and a suite of integrated tools comprise HDRL, supporting discovery, forecasting, modeling, and innovation. It provides seamless access to NASA’s entire heliophysics archive. HDRL delivers scalable, efficient digital infrastructure that supports America’s leadership in deep exploration, defense readiness, and the technology-driven economy.
Solar Data Analysis Center (SDAC)
▶
The
SDAC
supports the analysis of solar physics data. The SDAC stores and provides data from NASA’s solar physics missions. SDAC supports visualization tools (including
Helioviewer
), the
SolarSoft
software library used for data analysis, and the
Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO)
discovery service to search and download solar physics.
Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF)
▶
The
SPDF
is NASA’s archive for non-solar heliophysics data from heliophysics missions. These data are retrieved from in situ measurements of plasma, energetic particles, magnetic and electric fields, radio and plasma waves. SPDF maintains the
CDAWeb
data explorer and plotting system, the
SSCWeb
database of spacecraft trajectories with
4D orbit viewer
capabilities, the
OMNIWeb
database, and the
Common Data Format (CDF)
data format and associated software.
Heliophysics Data & Model Consortium (HDMC)
HDMC supports the development of software and services to help promote greater synergy between SDAC, SPDF and the larger heliophysics community. It serves as a catalyst for carrying out HDRL’s mission to yield the greatest value of research from NASA’s heliophysics missions. HDMC supports initiatives in open science and community outreach including support for collaborators such as
PyHC
,
SPEDAS
,
Autoplot
, and
HelioCloud
.
HelioData
▶
HelioData is a modernized data discovery service designed to make solar and space physics data easier to find, access and analyze. This new beta site offers streamlined pathways to thousands of datasets from current and historic NASA Heliophysics missions and a selection of data from other U.S. and international agencies. Users can search by keyword or browse by mission, instrument, or heliospheric region to uncover datasets from more than 100 missions and observatories. HelioData supports heliophysics research and critical space weather investigations.
⚙️
Heliophysics Data Portal (HDP)
▶
The Heliophysics Data Portal provides open access to NASA’s collection of heliophysics science data, empowering
researchers and decision makers to better understand the Sun-Earth system and protect our technological society.
✨
Featured Tools
These tools are powered by or contribute to HDRL's mission, enabling advanced research and applications.
Helioviewer
▶
Helioviewer
is a web-based data visualization tool supported by NASA's Solar Data Analysis Center. It's like using a map app on the Sun!
🛰
4D Orbit Viewer
▶
This
interactive 4D Orbit Viewer
supported by SPDF showcases the locations and orbits of over 100 spacecraft and planets as 3-D animations, with time added as a 4th dimension.
HelioCloud
▶
HelioCloud
is a time-saving, cloud-based tool for heliophysics researchers to rapidly access and analyze high-volume datasets from a web browser.
CDAWeb
▶
Coordinated Data Analysis Web (CDAWeb) provides data browsing and downloads in many formats, with access via web services, for most heliophysics science-level datasets in CDF and netCDF files. Pre-generated plots for some missions can be easily viewed with
Plot Walk
SSCweb
▶
The Satellite Situation Center (SSC) provides orbits from multiple spacecraft in listings and plots, and interactively with the
4D orbit display
. It also enables complex queries based on geophysical regions, magnetic field tracing, and ground stations.
Autoplot
▶
Autoplot
is an interactive browser for data on the web, compatible with many file and streaming standards, and includes 2D graphics and high-level scripting. While initially developed for fields and particles space physics data analysis, Autoplot has wider domain applications.
SolarSoft
▶
SolarSoft
is an analysis and processing environment for solar physics data primarily in the IDL programming language.
SunPy
is a community-developed, free and open-source solar data analysis environment for Python.
SPEDAS
▶
Space Physics Environment Data Analysis Software (SPEDAS)
is a publicly shared analysis library for space physics data written in the IDL programming language.
pySPEDAS
is a Python version.
PyHC
▶
Python in Heliophysics Community
promotes the use and development of sustainable Python software across solar and space physics, provides tutorials and resources, improves communication and collaboration between developers and users.
🌐
Who Relies on HDRL?
From national security to academic research, commercial space to public education-HDRL supports the systems, people, and missions that keep society connected and protected.
NOAA space weather forecasters
National security risk analysts
Mission scientists and engineers
Commercial satellite operators and launch providers
NASA, NSF, DOD, USGS, & DOE researchers
International collaborators
Universities and student researchers
AI model developers and data scientists
Citizen scientists and educators
📡
HDRL in Action
HDRL is where space weather data becomes actionable knowledge for science community and public.
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Supporting space weather forecasting and alerts
Enhancing space mission planning
Driving next-gen scientific modeling for solar and space physics
Empowering AI/ML models for forecasting, mission safety, and anomaly detection
Advancing global scientific collaboration
Integrating datasets across missions and decades
Enabling the use, analysis, and cross-mission synthesis of data
Delivering FAIR-aligned access for reproducible science
🇺🇸
Digital Infrastructure to Power Exploration
The HDRL transforms NASA mission data into national resilience-powering
forecasts, AI, and alerts that protect satellites, astronauts, and critical infrastructure.
🚀
Keeping Astronauts Safe in Deep Space
Space weather is a top natural risk for Moon to Mars missions. HDRL supports safety from launch to
landing.
Powers real-time forecasting for Artemis and ISS operations
Connects solar activity to deep space radiation models
Informs go/no-go decisions and in-flight alerts
Supports crew safety systems with trusted solar data
⚙️
Driving Smarter Science Across Space
HDRL turns mission data into action-fueling AI models, forecasts, and discovery across NASA and beyond.
Enables cross-mission research and modeling
Makes decades of data FAIR and AI-ready
Supports NOAA, DoD, and FAA decision systems
Powers global collaboration through open tools and standards