Wormhole: A Powerful Data Mashup

Abstract

The mobile platform is quickly becoming the standard way that users interact with online resources. The iOS operating system allows iPhone and iPad users to seamlessly access highly interactive web applications that until recently were only available via a desktop or laptop. Wormhole is an AJAX application implemented as a smart web widget that allows users to easily supplement web pages with data directly from the Instrument Operations Subsystems division (IOS) at JPL. It creates an interactive mashup using a website's core content enhanced by dynamically retrieved image and metadata supplied by IOS using the webification API. Currently, this technology is limited in scope to NASA data; however, it can easily be augmented to serve many other needs. This web widget can be delivered in various ways, including as a bookmarklet. The underlying technology that powers Wormhole also has applications to other divisions while they are running current missions.