> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://astral-6ef288be-docs-policy-evaluation-framing.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

> Spatial data in Astral — from raw coordinates to verifiable records

<Note>**Research Preview** — APIs may change. [GitHub](https://github.com/AstralProtocol)</Note>

# Location Data

Location data is what Astral operates on. Every API call starts with spatial data — points, polygons, lines, or references to previously recorded locations. But not all location data is created equal. The provenance of a piece of location data determines how much trust you can place in it.

## The Verifiability Spectrum

Astral works with location data at three levels of verifiability:

| Level                      | What it is                                                       | What you know                                                                                        |
| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Raw GeoJSON**            | Unsigned geospatial data                                         | The vector geometry itself — nothing about who created it or whether it's been tampered with         |
| **Signed location record** | EAS attestation with cryptographic signature                     | Who attested to this location, plus assurances that data hasn't been changed                         |
| **Location proof**         | Signed location record + evidence from proof-of-location systems | All of the above, plus independently evaluable evidence about a claim about the location of an event |

Each level adds verifiability. Raw GeoJSON is fine for some use cases; signed location records add attribution and integrity. Location proofs add evidence of physical correspondence — the hardest part.

Astral doesn't take a stance on what's trustworthy — that's not our role. Instead, we provide a system to organize, harmonize, and evaluate location data and evidence — to make spatial decision parameters legible – so that applications can make informed, risk-appropriate choices about what to trust and how much.

<Info>
  **v0 supports vector geospatial data only.** Raster support (GeoTIFFs, imagery analysis) is planned.
</Info>

## Geospatial data sources

Location data comes from many sources, each with different properties:

* **Device sensors** — GPS, Wi-Fi, cellular positioning. Ubiquitous but often spoofable.
* **Network infrastructure** — Cell tower triangulation, IP geolocation, internet latency measurements. Coarse but hard to manipulate without network access.
* **Hardware attestation** — Secure enclave readings, hardware keystores. Harder to forge but still device-dependent.
* **Institutional records** — Land registries, shipping manifests, IoT telemetry. Trusted because of the institution, not cryptography.
* **Reference data** — Official boundaries, standard geometries, public datasets. Trusted because they're publicly auditable.

No single source is sufficient for high-stakes applications. [Location proofs](/concepts/location-proofs) address this through defense-in-depth: combining evidence from multiple independent sources to raise the cost of forgery.

## Coordinate system

All location data in v0 of the Astral Protocol uses [GeoJSON](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7946) as the geometry format. Coordinates follow the GeoJSON standard:

* **Default Coordinate Reference System (CRS):** WGS84 (`http://www.opengis.net/def/crs/OGC/1.3/CRS84`)
* **Coordinate order:** `[longitude, latitude]` — note that this is the opposite of what many mapping APIs use (a common challenge in GIS systems — [here's why](https://macwright.com/lonlat/).)

<Card title="Next: GeoJSON" icon="brackets-curly" href="/concepts/geojson">
  Raw unsigned geospatial data
</Card>

***

**See also:**

* [SDK: Location module](/sdk/location) — creating and fetching location records
* [API: Types](/api-reference/types) — input format reference