HelpDesk

The HelpDesk can be reached in the following ways:

• Email: archive@stsci.edu
• STScI Service Portal: https://stsci.service-now.com/mast (requires login)

You should receive an acknowledgement of your question or report within one business day. Resolution may take from minutes to days, depending upon the complexity of the question.

MAST Questions

Direct problem reports and questions to the Archive HelpDesk about any of the following:

• Understanding data products from any MAST-hosted mission
• The use or performance of any MAST interface, including:
  
  • The Data Discovery Portal
  • The Mission:Search interfaces
  • Use of the python astroquery.mast library
  • Mast catalogs
  • CasJobs
  and user accounts
  • (requires a separate user account)
• Protected data:
  • MAST User Accounts and Data use policy 
  • Authorization to retrieve protected data
  • Creation and use of Auth tokens for scripted retrieval of protected data
• Data Downloads and Methods
  Data use policy and
  • Access to data from the JWST Engineering Database
  • API retrieval
  • Publication resources:
    • Required mission acknowledgements
    • Creation of a DOI for MAST mission data you use in a publication
  • Submission of High Level Science Products Product (HLSPs) to MASTHLSP) collections to MAST
    • If you have questions about submitting HLSP collections, or updating one, send email to: mast_contrib@stsci.edu
  • Any MAST documentation where corrections are needed.

  Non-MAST Questions

  Technical or scientific questions on topics not directly related to MAST, such as those listed below, should instead be directed to help@stsci.edu. 

  • Operation or performance of science instruments on active missions
  • Planning, scheduling, or execution of observations on active missions
  • Calibration of science or engineering data products
  • Use of STScI-provided software, Jupyter notebooks, APT, or other tools
  • Calls for Proposals
  • Observation duplication policy

  Your question will be routed to the appropriate domain expert.

For Further Reading...

• MAST Mission Acronym List
• The Archive Knowledge Base
• The Archive Home Page