NASA Earthdata MCP: find Earth science datasets from your AI app

Bring NASA Earthdata into Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor

1. 1Click Connect NASA Earthdata free. There's no sign-in, so its tools are ready at once.
2. 2All seven tools search NASA's metadata, from `get_collections` to `get_citations`, and none of them changes anything. Keep them on, or switch off `get_services` and `get_tools` if you only need datasets and variables.
3. 3Add ContextGate to your AI app as a connector or MCP server. The steps for each app are on the Works with page.
4. 4Ask your AI app for NASA datasets that measure atmospheric water vapor, then open Activity to see the `get_keywords` and `get_collections` calls.

Earth science data discovery from Claude or Cursor

• Search CMR collections for a dataset with `get_collections`, then list its granules with `get_granules`.
• Find the exact Earthdata term, such as ATMOSPHERIC WATER VAPOR, from NASA's Keyword Management System with `get_keywords`.
• See which variables and measurements a collection holds with `get_variables`.
• Look up citations for a dataset, or a citation by DOI, with `get_citations`.

A record of your data searches

• Activity records each CMR search, so you can show where a dataset in your analysis came from.
• Switch off tools you don't need, such as `get_services` and `get_tools`; your AI app won't see them.

What you get with NASA Earthdata and ContextGate

• Your AI apps can use NASA EarthdataClaude, Cursor, ChatGPT and other AI apps reach NASA Earthdata through the one ContextGate connection you add to them.
• You choose which tools they can useSwitch off any NASA Earthdata tool you don't want used. It's hidden from your AI apps and refused if called.
• Every call is checked and recordedYour policies check each call (for example, personal data is hidden and secrets are blocked), and Activity keeps a record of it.

ContextGate sees only the tool calls that go through it, not your AI app's built-in tools or your chats.

NASA Earthdata tools

Examples of what your AI apps can do in NASA Earthdata. You'll see the exact list of tools after you connect it.

• get_citationsDiscover citation records directly associated with a collection, or look up a citation by identifier (e.g. DOI). Use this tool to evaluate citation relevance fo
• get_collectionsSearch NASA CMR collections and return up to 10 lightweight normalized results. Key return fields in each item: - concept_id: CMR collection concept ID - nativ
• get_granulesSearch NASA CMR granules for a specific parent collection and return up to 10 lightweight normalized results. Key return fields in each item: - concept_id: CMR
• get_keywordsDiscover official Earthdata vocabulary (like 'ATMOSPHERIC WATER VAPOR') directly from NASA's Keyword Management System (KMS). Use this to find the exact preferr
• get_servicesSearch NASA CMR services for a specific parent collection and return all associated normalized UMM-S records. Key fields in each returned item: - concept_id: C
• get_toolsSearch NASA CMR tools for a specific parent collection and return all associated normalized UMM-T records. Key fields in each returned item: - concept_id: CMR
• get_variablesDiscover scientific variables and measurements associated with a collection, or look up variables by keyword. Use this tool to understand dataset variables, dim