  We present the Keck Infrared Transient Survey (KITS), a NASA Key Strategic
Mission Support program to obtain near-infrared (NIR) spectra of astrophysical
transients of all types, and its first data release, consisting of 105 NIR
spectra of 50 transients. Such a data set is essential as we enter a new era of
IR astronomy with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the upcoming Nancy
Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman). NIR spectral templates will be essential
to search JWST images for stellar explosions of the first stars and to plan an
effective Roma} SN Ia cosmology survey, both key science objectives for mission
success. Between 2022 February and 2023 July, we systematically obtained 274
NIR spectra of 146 astronomical transients, representing a significant increase
in the number of available NIR spectra in the literature. The first data
release includes data from the 2022A semester. We systematically observed three
samples: a flux-limited sample that includes all transients $<$17 mag in a red
optical band (usually ZTF r or ATLAS o bands); a volume-limited sample
including all transients within redshift $z < 0.01$ ($D \approx 50$ Mpc); and
an SN Ia sample targeting objects at phases and light-curve parameters that had
scant existing NIR data in the literature. The flux-limited sample is 39%
complete (60% excluding SNe Ia), while the volume-limited sample is 54%
complete and is 79% complete to $z = 0.005$. All completeness numbers will rise
with the inclusion of data from other telescopes in future data releases.
Transient classes observed include common Type Ia and core-collapse supernovae,
tidal disruption events (TDEs), luminous red novae, and the newly categorized
hydrogen-free/helium-poor interacting Type Icn supernovae. We describe our
observing procedures and data reduction using Pypeit, which requires minimal
human interaction to ensure reproducibility.
