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About SLIM

Modernizing software through the automated infusion of best practices.

What is SLIM?​

Software Lifecycle Improvement & Modernization (SLIM) is a NASA initiative that transforms how teams adopt software best practices. Instead of lengthy documentation, SLIM delivers best practices as automated solutions that install and configure themselves in seconds.

What makes SLIM unique:

  • 🤖 AI-powered automation - Best practices that apply themselves
  • 🎯 One-command installation - Works with multiple AI tools
  • 🔄 Always up-to-date - Marketplace evolves with industry standards
  • 🌐 Open source - Free to use and contribute (License)

What We Provide​

Best Practices Hub​

Browse and install automated solutions from our marketplace:

🎯 Skills AI-powered workflows for specialized tasks (README generation, license setup, security scanning, etc.)

🔌 MCP Servers Integrations with external services (GitHub, Slack, APIs)

🤖 Agents Autonomous multi-step operations (security audits, documentation maintenance, compliance checks)

📝 Manual Guides Step-by-step instructions for practices requiring human judgment

Coverage Areas​

Our marketplace includes best practices across numerous categories related to the software development life cycle, including how projects are run, how teams communicate, how information is documented, how operations are conducted, and more.

How It Works​

For Users​

  1. Browse the marketplace
  2. Install via AI tool (e.g., for Claude Code: /plugin install skill-name@slim-marketplace)
  3. Use by asking your AI assistant

Compatible AI Tools:

  • Claude Code
  • Cursor
  • Windsurf
  • Aider
  • Other AI assistants with skill/MCP support

For Contributors​

SLIM is community-driven. Contribute by:

  • Creating new skills or agents
  • Improving existing best practices
  • Sharing your expertise
  • Providing feedback on priorities

Our Process​

1. Community Input​

We gather improvement needs from NASA multi-mission projects and prioritize based on impact.

→ View planning board

2. Develop Automation​

Contributors package best practices as skills, MCP servers, or agents with a focus on automation-first.

→ See contributing guide

3. Distribute & Track​

Solutions are available via the marketplace. Track adoption through our leaderboards:

Community Members​

SLIM community members actively use and contribute to the marketplace:

ProjectPoint of Contact
Advanced Multi-Mission Operations System (AMMOS)@PaulMRamirez
Hybrid Science Data System (HySDS)@hookhua
F' (FPrime)@LeStarch, @thomas-bc
OPERA@riverma
Planetary Data System (PDS)@jordanpadams, @nutjob4life
Unity Science Data System (SDS)@GodwinShen, @mike-gangl, @nutjob4life

Want to join? Projects with a POC who actively uses the marketplace and contributes improvements are welcome to become community members.

Resources​

For Developers:

Get Started: