PDS

File Format
Name	PDS
Ontology	Electronic File Formats Graphics PDS
Extension(s)	.img, .lbl, .pds, others

Overview

PDS (Planetary Data System) is a file format used by NASA to store images and associated scientific data.

A PDS document consists of a "label" section, and a binary data section. The sections may be combined into one file (which begins with the label), or stored in two separate files.

Identification

PDS labels can be encoded in either a "FIXED_LENGTH" format or a "VARIABLE_LENGTH" format. FIXED_LENGTH format is text-only, and items usually end with a carriage-return + newline. VARIABLE_LENGTH format is mostly text, but contains binary data before each item, to indicate its length.

A PDS version 2 label begins with an item that looks like "... = SFDU_LABEL".

A PDS version 3 label begins with a "PDS_VERSION_ID = PDS3" item.

Note that PDS label files can be used with file formats other than PDS, such as VICAR.

See also

• VICAR
• FITS

Specifications

• PDS Standards Reference

Sample files

• http://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/data/messenger/MSGRMDS_1001/DATA/
• http://atmos.nmsu.edu/PDS/review/Jupiter/AMTN/JUPITER/RAW/

Resources

• PDS File Format Summary
• Planetary Data System web site