--- title: "Stewardship | Nexus Observatory" description: "The Observatory Protocol is open, and the Nexus Consortium stewards it. The specification stays public, every change goes through a public process…" url: https://observatory.global/consortium/ publisher: Nexus Observatory Inc. updated: 2026-10-28 --- Stewardship Open protocol # Stewarded, not owned. The Observatory Protocol is open, and the Nexus Consortium stewards it. The specification stays public, every change goes through a public process, and the name means the conformance tests were passed. Anyone can implement it. No single company sets its course. Why a steward What it covers Roles Change process Separation Documents **01** Why a steward ## Instruments outlive companies. Rules must too. The observing systems that endure keep their rules with everyone who uses them. A protocol for the world's instruments has to outlast any company, product cycle or government term. Continuity ### Built to outlast us Instruments run for decades. The rules they speak must be kept by a body whose purpose is the protocol, not the products built on it. Neutrality ### Fair to every implementer Manufacturers, agencies, universities and communities implement the same text, pass the same tests and carry the same name on the same terms. Trust ### Changes made in the open Every change is proposed, reviewed and decided in public, with its reasons and its compatibility impact recorded. **02** What stewardship covers ## Five things the steward keeps, and nothing more. Stewardship is deliberately narrow. It covers the protocol, not anyone's instruments, data, products or prices. 01 **Specification** The normative text: functions, states, objects, actors and flows. Public, versioned 02 **Conformance** The tests an implementation must pass to say it speaks the protocol. Open test suite 03 **Change process** How a proposal becomes part of the protocol, and who decides. Proposal to implemented 04 **Versioning** Release numbers, compatibility rules and the support window for old versions. Compatibility first 05 **Naming** When a product may say it implements the protocol, and how that is shown. Conformance before claims **03** Roles ## Four roles, kept apart. A company can contribute to the protocol and build on it. It cannot steward it. OBSERVATORY PROTOCOL Open specification · conformance NEXUS CONSORTIUM Stewards the protocol NEXUS OBSERVATORY INC. Supports, contributes, builds on it IMPLEMENTERS Anyone may implement it CONTRIBUTORS Propose changes, keep their rights contributes implements stewards proposes STEWARD ### Nexus Consortium Keeps the specification, the conformance suite, the change process, versioning and naming. SUPPORTER ### Nexus Observatory Inc. Supports the protocol, contributes to it, gives builders access and support, and designs, builds and runs systems on it. IMPLEMENTERS ### Anyone Manufacturers, agencies, researchers and communities may implement the protocol and test against it. CONTRIBUTORS ### You Propose changes in public. Your contribution comes in under an inbound licence; your rights stay yours. **04** Change process ## From proposal to protocol, in public. A change lands only when review accepts it and its conformance tests pass against an implementation. Rejected and withdrawn proposals stay on record, with reasons. Returned for changes Tests pass Proposal Review Accepted Implemented Withdrawn or rejected | State | Meaning | Leaves when | | --- | --- | --- | | Proposal | Written in the open with motivation, text, compatibility notes and a test plan. | The author asks for review. | | Review | Public review by implementers and the steward. Comments and answers are kept. | Accepted, returned for changes, or rejected. | | Accepted | Agreed in principle; scheduled for a release. | Conformance tests pass against an implementation. | | Implemented | Part of a released version of the protocol. | Superseded by a later proposal. | | Withdrawn or rejected | Closed, kept on record with its reasons. | — | Decision rules, quorum and appeal are set by the charter. **05** Separation ## Stewardship and commerce, kept apart. The steward exists for the protocol; companies exist to build on it. These principles hold the line between them. ### Separation principles 1. **No funds from the steward to companies** Money does not flow from the steward to commercial companies, including Nexus Observatory Inc. 2. **Companies support the open work** Commercial companies support open source and the protocol, and provide access and support to anyone building on it. 3. **Commercial lines are separate** Products, services and contracts are offered by the companies under their own terms, never by the steward. 4. **The same rules for every implementer** The specification, tests and naming rules apply equally to our products and to everyone else's. **06** Documents ## Six documents govern the protocol. What each one sets. ### Charter Purpose, scope of stewardship, decision rules and appeal. ### Membership Who may take part and on what terms. ### Change process The full proposal process, templates and review rules. ### Specification licence The terms under which the specification text is published. ### Inbound contribution licence A developer certificate of origin or a licence-grant agreement, never a copyright assignment. ### Naming and conformance policy When and how an implementation may use the protocol's name. **—** Begin ## Keep the observing grid open. Read the specification, propose a change, or implement it in your instruments. 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