Collaborative and Reproducible Planetary Science Through the Europlanet GMAP JupyterHub Processing Environment

Abstract

JupyterHub is an open-source system enabling multiple users to access individual computational environments. This facilitates collaborative development and execution of Jupyter notebooks, Python scripts, and other tools among researchers and educators through a unified interface. Through the integration of container technologies, including Docker, JupyterHub achieves seamless scalability for numerous users while maintaining efficient computational resource management. This flexible approach is especially useful in specialized areas like planetary data science, which requires robust and reproducible workflows to manage large volumes of mission data. The Europlanet Geologic MApping of Planetary surfaces (GMAP) project employs a Docker-based JupyterHub deployment to centralize essential data processing tools, such as the Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers (ISIS) and the NASA Ames Stereo Pipeline (ASP). These open-source tools facilitate tasks ranging from image calibration and map projection to stereogrammetry and 3D modeling. The deployment of these elements within Docker containers facilitates simplified installation and consistent performance across disparate hardware configurations. The use of pre-configured image formats within ISIS, ASP, and other GIS and Python libraries allows planetary scientists to efficiently process raw data into analytical products, including Digital Terrain Models. Additionally, JupyterHub's architecture enables secure collaboration via authentication methods (e.g., OAuth, GitHub), with concurrent provision for private and shared data directories. This integrated framework promotes reproducible research by streamlining the sharing of scripts, notebooks, and workflows. The GMAP JupyterHub platform significantly accelerates scientific discovery through the reduction of technical barriers, the promotion of standardization, and the provision of global access to planetary data science resources.