Archiving in Advance of Mission Completion

This paper presents a detailed case study of the born-digital archiving efforts associated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) Asteroid Sample Return Mission at the University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections. From the perspective of an archivist, the project exemplifies the integration of digital archiving into an active scientific mission, conducted in collaboration with multiple departments across the university. By preserving mission-critical content, including project management documents, social media interactions, and web content, this initiative serves as a model for resource light digital products utilizing batch descriptive techniques. The paper discusses the benefits of collaborating with project teams during the active phases of a mission, the strategies employed to manage digital assets, and the importance of cross-campus partnerships. The study also highlights the project's innovative approaches, such as minimal metadata practices and batch archiving, designed to enhance reproducibility for similar future projects.