diff --git a/.devcontainer/dev-conda-environment.yaml b/.devcontainer/dev-conda-environment.yaml
index 5bca6a6482defedd7ad745c756901fb8a462dae0..4c95063e580a03a66a54c09f649eefb16f7ce302 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/dev-conda-environment.yaml
+++ b/.devcontainer/dev-conda-environment.yaml
@@ -24,8 +24,5 @@ dependencies:
 - flake8-builtins
 - flake8-use-pathlib
 - flake8-noqa
-
-# # In case you want to install packages from PyPI which aren't on Conda-Forge,
-# # uncomment this block and add them as follows:
-# - pip:
-#   - flake8-noqa  # Example
+- pip:
+    - "git+https://gitlab.orekit.org/yzokras/orekit-data.git"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..0e3c6e84f131f20e527d60959363a2f2f67f1525
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Description
+
+Orekit (ORbit Extrapolation KIT) is a free java library providing basic space dynamics objects and services.
+
+This repository contains examples and some additional scripts.
+
+# Licensing
+
+Orekit is licensed under the Apache License Version 2.0.
+A copy of this license is provided in the LICENSE.txt file.
+
+# Content
+
+The python-wrapper project allows using orekit in a python environment. This repository contains some key files if building the wrapper from scratch. For many applications it is recommended to use pre-built conda packages through the conda-forge python system. See the [wiki](https://gitlab.orekit.org/orekit-labs/python-wrapper/-/wikis/home) for more details.
+
+# Building from source
+
+The sources for the java classes that allows Python subclassing are no longer in a separate package but integrated in a modified orekit source fork.
+
+This fork is available at https://github.com/petrushy/Orekit
+
+A compiled jar and some other artifacts are available at https://github.com/petrushy/orekit_python_artifacts
+
+Build scripts for the automated conda package builds are at https://github.com/conda-forge/orekit-feedstock/tree/main/recipe
+
+# Support
+
+For additional support please see the [orekit forum](https://forum.orekit.org/latest)
diff --git a/README.txt b/README.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 9119b18d75a772dca4212efd8f61702d57b50d67..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/README.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-Orekit (ORbit Extrapolation KIT) is a free java library
-providing basic space dynamics objects and services.
-
-This repository contains examples and some additional scripts.
-
-Orekit is licensed under the Apache License Version 2.0. 
-A copy of this license is provided in the LICENSE.txt file.
-
-The python-wrapper project allows using orekit in a 
-python environment. This repository contains some key files
-if building the wrapper from scratch. For many applications
-it is recommended to use pre-built conda packages through 
-the conda-forge python system. See the wiki for more details,
-
-https://gitlab.orekit.org/orekit-labs/python-wrapper/-/wikis/home
-
-
-The sources for the java classes that allows Python subclassing are no longer in a separate package
-but integrated in a modified orekit source fork.
-
-This fork is available at:
-https://github.com/petrushy/Orekit
-
-A compiled jar and some other artifacts are available at:
-https://github.com/petrushy/orekit_python_artifacts
-
-build scripts for the automated conda package builds are at:
-https://github.com/conda-forge/orekit-feedstock/tree/main/recipe
-
-For additional support please see the orekit forum:
-https://forum.orekit.org/latest
-
diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
index 1c684ac4c2f7a087a3e06c866d705d4e826f0166..6041f63b080b3533535c46ddd382cb5400afcfe4 100644
--- a/environment.yml
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -13,5 +13,6 @@ dependencies:
   - scipy
   - jupyterlab
   - ipython
-  
-  
+  - pip
+  - pip:
+      - "git+https://gitlab.orekit.org/yzokras/orekit-data.git"
diff --git a/python_files/pyhelpers.py b/python_files/pyhelpers.py
index ba4bc1850ea3846d81a71a5452a77450cc307a24..90921575c03acc7a447ef252fa1b1b11386228b5 100644
--- a/python_files/pyhelpers.py
+++ b/python_files/pyhelpers.py
@@ -50,18 +50,21 @@ def download_orekit_data_curdir(filename='orekit-data.zip'):
     url = "https://gitlab.orekit.org/orekit/orekit-data/-/archive/master/orekit-data-master.zip"
     # Download the orekit-data file and store it locally
 
-    with urlrequest.urlopen(url) as response, open("orekit-data.zip", 'wb') as out_file:
+    with urlrequest.urlopen(url) as response, open(filename, 'wb') as out_file:
         print('Downloading file from:', url)
         shutil.copyfileobj(response, out_file)
 
 
-def setup_orekit_curdir(filename='orekit-data.zip'):
+def setup_orekit_curdir(filename='orekit-data.zip', from_pip_library=False):
     """Setup the java engine with orekit.
 
     This function loads the Orekit data from either:
         - A zip in the current directory (by default orekit-data.zip),
         - A folder,
-    depending on whether `filename` is the path to a file or to a folder.
+        - From the `orekitdata` Python library, installable via pip (see below)
+    depending on whether `filename` is the path to a file or to a folder, and whether from_pip_library is True or False
+
+    The `orekitdata` library is installable with `pip install git+https://gitlab.orekit.org/orekit/orekit-data.git`
 
     Then the function sets up the Orekit DataProviders to access it.
 
@@ -71,30 +74,48 @@ def setup_orekit_curdir(filename='orekit-data.zip'):
 
     Args:
         filename (str): Name of zip or folder with orekit data. Default filename is 'orekit-data.zip'
-
+        from_pip_library (bool), default False: if True, will first try to load the data from the `orekitdata` python library
 
     """
 
     DM = DataContext.getDefault().getDataProvidersManager()
-    datafile = File(filename)
-    if not datafile.exists():
-        print('File or folder:', datafile.getAbsolutePath(), ' not found')
-        print("""
-
-        The Orekit library relies on some external data for physical models. 
-        Typical data are the Earth Orientation Parameters and the leap seconds history, 
-        both being provided by the IERS or the planetary ephemerides provided by JPL. 
-        Such data is stored in text or binary files with specific formats that Orekit knows 
-        how to read, and needs to be provided for the library to work.
-
-        You can download a starting file with this data from the orekit gitlab at:
-        https://gitlab.orekit.org/orekit/orekit-data
-
-        or by the function:
-        orekit.pyhelpers.download_orekit_data_curdir()
 
-        """)
-        return
+    data_load_from_library_sucessful = False
+    if from_pip_library:
+        try:
+            import orekitdata
+            datafile = File(orekitdata.__path__[0])
+            if not datafile.exists():
+                print(f"""Unable to find orekitdata library folder,
+                      will try to load Orekit data using the folder or filename {filename}""")
+            else:
+                filename = orekitdata.__path__[0]
+                data_load_from_library_sucessful = True
+        except ImportError:
+            print(f"""Failed to load orekitdata library.
+                  Install with `pip install git+https://gitlab.orekit.org/orekit/orekit-data.git`
+                  Will try to load Orekit data using the folder or filename {filename}""")
+
+    if not data_load_from_library_sucessful:
+        datafile = File(filename)
+        if not datafile.exists():
+            print('File or folder:', datafile.getAbsolutePath(), ' not found')
+            print("""
+
+            The Orekit library relies on some external data for physical models.
+            Typical data are the Earth Orientation Parameters and the leap seconds history,
+            both being provided by the IERS or the planetary ephemerides provided by JPL.
+            Such data is stored in text or binary files with specific formats that Orekit knows
+            how to read, and needs to be provided for the library to work.
+
+            You can download a starting file with this data from the orekit gitlab at:
+            https://gitlab.orekit.org/orekit/orekit-data
+
+            or by the function:
+            orekit.pyhelpers.download_orekit_data_curdir()
+
+            """)
+            return
 
     if os.path.isdir(filename):
         crawler = DirectoryCrawler(datafile)
diff --git a/python_files/test/OrekitDataLoadTest.py b/python_files/test/OrekitDataLoadTest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..9f01e49bfe8c48119c8fd45a3ab3fd0414737b48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python_files/test/OrekitDataLoadTest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import os
+import orekit
+from orekit.pyhelpers import setup_orekit_curdir, download_orekit_data_curdir
+from org.orekit.utils import Constants
+
+def test_load_data_from_library():
+    orekit.initVM()
+    setup_orekit_curdir(from_pip_library=True)
+    assert(Constants.WGS84_EARTH_EQUATORIAL_RADIUS == 6378137.0)
+
+def test_download_and_load_data():
+    orekit.initVM()
+
+    orekit_data_zip = 'orekit-data.zip'
+    if os.path.isfile(orekit_data_zip):
+        os.remove(orekit_data_zip)
+
+    download_orekit_data_curdir(filename=orekit_data_zip)
+    setup_orekit_curdir(filename=orekit_data_zip)
+    assert(Constants.WGS84_EARTH_EQUATORIAL_RADIUS == 6378137.0)
+
+    if os.path.isfile(orekit_data_zip):
+        os.remove(orekit_data_zip)
diff --git a/python_files/test/pytest.ini b/python_files/test/pytest.ini
index e0bdf3d18bc3b8d18f63bcce21b2a05e770b389e..384f471b1997ff3020857c6ff194f3818f5ef651 100644
--- a/python_files/test/pytest.ini
+++ b/python_files/test/pytest.ini
@@ -4,3 +4,5 @@
 
 [pytest]
 python_files=*.py
+filterwarnings =
+    ignore::DeprecationWarning