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The Solar System Science Operations Laboratory A Science Opportunity Analysis Tool For Marco Polo-R?
The Solar System Science Operations Laboratory A Science Opportunity Analysis Tool For Marco Polo-R?
1,2
Cardesn ,
Marc
1
Costa ,
Miguel
2,3
Almeida ,
Nicolas
2
Altobelli ,
Pablo
2,4
Arriazu
1INSA,
Pintor Rosales, 3, 28008 Madrid, Spain, 2ESAC/ESA, PO Box 78 E-28691 Villanueva de la Caada, Madrid, Spain, 3VEGA Space, PO Box 78 E-28691 Villanueva de
la Caada, Madrid, Spain, 4Technical University of Madrid, Ramiro de Maeztu, 7, 28040, Madrid, Spain. Contact: marc.costa@sciops.esa.int
2 COMPUTATIONAL BASIS
1 INTRODUCING SOLAB
The Solar System Science Operations Laboratory (SOLab) is a research and
development project funded by the European Space Agency and carried out at the
European Space and Astronomy Centre in Madrid, inside the Science Operations
Department of the Science and Robotic Exploration Directorate.
The aim of the project is to investigate new software techniques for computation,
visualization and analysis of scientific observation opportunities for interplanetary
missions, focusing on the geometrical requirements to cover the scientific mission
objectives. The existing framework has been designed with a multi-mission
approach, with the capability to geometrically simulate different types of remote
sensing and in-situ instruments with any type of central body an sets of targets.
The project adresses the scientific requirements with a multi-mission and multitarget frame that is currently being used in support of operational missions like
Venus Express and Mars Express, and has already started to support the
development phases of future missions like Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo and JUICE.
Existing prototype:
Developed in IDL language with Object Oriented approach.
Based on SPICE a planetary data information system developed by NAIF
(NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory).
Interface with MSQL database.
Available Ephemeris of natural bodies and trajectory of the spacecraft.
Provides 3D/2D environment of the spacecraft trajectory, attitude, pointing
for a given instrument and various contextual geometrical parameters.
Computational core allows for definition and analysis of observation
opportunities and scientific events for the whole duration of the mission.
Figure 5 and 6: Event handler protoype impression (left) and all JUICE stellar occultations on Ganymede
(right). The user requests an event (star occultation) to a database (Tour Atlas) and afterwards events are
displayed in a multi-dimensional plot where they can be handled and then analyzed in detail by SOLabs other
modules.
Figure 4: Working with a Time Window. In the figure we can see Venus Express orbiting Venus with VMC
nadir observations close to pericenter. A quantity defined for the Time Window are VMCs footprints.
6 CONCLUSIONS & FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
SOLab simulation
VMC observation
Superimpression
SOLab is a reseach project in Science Operations Developmet Division at the European Space and Astronomy Center.
VMC and background images courtesy of ESA/MPS/DLR/IDA.