How to Access LAADS DAAC Data Files Using S3 Direct Access

Currently, AWS S3 Direct Access to LAADS DAAC data is accessible in the cloud (Lambda, EC2, etc) and in the US-WEST-2 region only. Make sure you have an AWS account setup before you start accessing LAADS DAAC data files in the cloud.

  1. Download this S3 Direct Access Lambda zipfile to your computer. The file contains necessary libraries and modifiable sample code that you can upload to your Amazon Web Services Account.
  2. Zipfile

  3. Log in to your Amazon Web Services Account.
  4. Under Services, click “All Services,” scroll down and choose “Lambda.”
  5. Select "Oregon (US-West-2)" from the dropdown menu on the top right.
  6. Click “Create function.”
  7. Enter a “Function Name” in the associated field and change “Runtime” to Python 3.9. Leave all other settings unchanged. Then click “Create Function” in the lower right.
  8. Click “Upload From” and select the zipfile you downloaded in step 1 and click “Save.”
  9. Enter “Event Name” (This field is required).
  10. Click “Test,” select “Create new event,” enter in the “Event JSON” box the endpoint code below, replacing “YourUsername” and “YourPassword” with your Earthdata Login username and password. Then, click “Save.”
  11. {
        "s3_endpoint": "https://data.laadsdaac.earthdatacloud.nasa.gov/s3credentials",
        "edl_username": "YourUsername",
        "edl_password": "YourPassword",
        "bucket_name": "prod-lads"
    }
  12. Click “Code.” Then click the green “+” in the circle, then select “New File.” This will open a tab where you can enter code. Copy the python code from the ReadME file under “Python Example” and paste it in this section.
  13. Scroll down to “Runtime Settings,” Click “Edit” and change the Handler to “s3_direct_access.lambda_handler.” (Note: this is case sensitive). Then click “Save”
  14. Click on “Configuration,” then click “Edit.” Under “Timeout” change to 1 minute. Click “Save.”
  15. Click “Code” then click the orange “Test” button.

Additional instructions and sample code for direct access to LAADS DAAC AWS S3 datasets bucket can be found at:
https://data.laadsdaac.earthdatacloud.nasa.gov/s3credentialsREADME

AWS credentials (in JSON format) are given by authenticating with Earthdata Login via the LAADS DAAC s3credentials endpoint:
https://data.laadsdaac.earthdatacloud.nasa.gov/s3credentials

See the code examples in the S3 Credentials README.

Last updated: May 25, 2023