Developed and delivered the namespace_exists function for the REST Catalog in the apache/iceberg-python repository, enabling preflight checks for namespace existence within the client. Focused on robust backend and API development using Python, the work included comprehensive unit and integration tests to ensure reliability and correctness of the new feature. By introducing this functionality, the developer improved the safety and predictability of namespace lifecycle operations, reducing the risk of runtime errors during catalog interactions. The approach emphasized test-driven development and thorough validation, resulting in enhanced test coverage and more dependable REST interactions for users managing namespaces in Iceberg environments.