Added proposal to modify ds9 to work with ASDF files.

[perrygreenfield]

No description provided.

[pllim]

But what of the maintenance status of DS9 itself?

[perrygreenfield]

I presume they have minimal maintenance at this point. Perhaps I'm wrong.

[pllim]

So do we run the risk to submitting code to the void?

[hamogu]

Speaking as a CXC/SDS member here (the group at CXC that also maintains DS9, though that's not my task): As of now, DS9 is fully maintained with the same full-time developer who has worked on DS9 for literally decades; releases happen at regular cadence and long-term development plans are being executed (don't ask for the details, something about underlying GUI toolkit migrations and future MacOS incompatibilities). As long as the CXC is funded, DS9 will be maintained in this form (though the developer might retire at some point and be replaced by a new hire). DS9 is probably among top, of not the top priority for SDS - so as long as there is SDS finding, there will be ds9 support.
Now, notice that I said "as long as the CXC is funded". At this stage of the US government, it's hard to make a long-term or even short-term prediction. The CXC is in both the House and the Senate's budget for FY 2026, thus the probability that the CXC will continued to be funded in the near term is high (assuming there will be a FY26 budget in the US eventually). What's beyond FY26? Hard to say. On a technical level, Chandra can continue to operate for at least a decade (barring any unforeseen hits by meteoroids etc.), so the limit is purely set by NASA funding.
I admit that Chandra is an aging observatory, but there is no replacement under construction in the US (AXIS is in Phase A, but even if granted won't fly till 2031 at the earliest) and NewAthena in Europe won't launch before 2038 or so. Thus, in the grant scheme it makes sense to continue to run an X-ray observatory, which implies that the CXC would continue to fund the development of DS9.
Can I give a long-term guarantee? No. My personal guess is that that the CXC will continue to run in some form for at least 3-5 years - but your guess is as good as mine.
The CXC shut-down plan involves passing all data and software for continued minimum maintenance to HEASARC@Goddard. According to that plan, ds9 should therefore we available for the next few decades, but maybe not with active development.
Alternative funding models for ds9 are pursued (e.g. private foundations, other NASA programs) for the future. I don't know if any of that comes through, but I can promise that continued active development of ds9 is a high priority for CXC/SDS even when looking at a post-Chandra future.

[hamogu]

Comment: Has the project team reached out to the current DS9 lead developer to discuss the feasibility of the idea and how code contributions would be handled in practice?