jpl.bodies.lookup
Look up asteroid or comet data by name/designation — orbital elements, physical parameters, discovery info, hazard classification (NASA JPL SBDB)
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase/jpl.bodies.lookup.md
What jpl.bodies.lookup does on Apibase
AI agents call jpl.bodies.lookup to retrieve information from Apibase without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
des | string | — | SPK-ID or designation for exact lookup (e.g. "99942" for Apophis) |
sstr | string | — | Search string — asteroid/comet name or designation (e.g. "Apophis", "2024 YR4", "Halley") |
phys_par | boolean | — | Include physical parameters like diameter, albedo, rotation period (default true) |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why jpl.bodies.lookup is rated Low
Tool queries NASA JPL database for astronomical object metadata with no side effects.
From the tool's definition Look up asteroid or comet data by name/designation — orbital elements, physical parameters
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs jpl.bodies.lookup safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Apibase, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For jpl.bodies.lookup, this is the rule to start with:
jpl.bodies.lookup is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Apibase, apply this rule, and every jpl.bodies.lookup call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about jpl.bodies.lookup
Look up asteroid or comet data by name/designation — orbital elements, physical parameters, discovery info, hazard classification (NASA JPL SBDB). It is categorised as a Read tool in the Apibase MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
jpl.bodies.lookup accepts 3 parameters: des, sstr, phys_par. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Apibase MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for jpl.bodies.lookup: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Apibase. Nothing to install.
jpl.bodies.lookup is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the jpl.bodies.lookup rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for jpl.bodies.lookup. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
jpl.bodies.lookup is provided by the Apibase MCP server (apibase-mcp-client). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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