The NAIF Node

PDSMC Report

Addresses both NAIF Node and Core SPICE Development

March 25, 2010

Charles Acton

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The Five Faces of NAIF

Core SPICESystem

Development

SPICE Deploymentand Operations onplanetary missions

NAIF Nodeof the PDS

Development Flight Operations Archive Operations

30%

15%

23% 22%

NASA funded supportfor ESA’s MEX and

Rosetta Missions, and Russia’s Grunt mission

10%

AMMOS Funding of some SPICE extensions,

bug fixes and porting

Percentages are relative to total NAIF Funding

Use of SPICE in Mission Operations

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4

Space Agencies Using SPICE

Ames

JPL

JSCMarshall

Langley

GSFC

GRC

ESTEC

ESOCESAC

RSA

ISRO

JAXACNES

DLR

ASI

CSA

SWRI

LASP APL

MIT

NASA Field Centers

U.S. Institutions

Canadian Space Agency

European Space Agency

French Space Agency

German Space Agency

Indian Space Research Organization

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Russian Federal Space Agency

CNSA?

The original focus of SPICE

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Flight Project Uses of SPICE

MissionDesign

MissionDesign

Mission Evaluationfrom SciencePerspective

Mission Evaluationfrom SciencePerspective

Mission Evaluationfrom Engineering

Perspective

Mission Evaluationfrom Engineering

Perspective

DSN Scheduling,Metric Predicts

and Media Calibration

DSN Scheduling,Metric Predicts

and Media Calibration

Science Observation

Planning

Science Observation

Planning

SpacecraftPerformance

Analysis

SpacecraftPerformance

Analysis

Produce Science Data

Products

Produce Science Data

Products

Science DataArchive

Preparation

Science DataArchive

Preparation

Science Research

Science Research

Animationsfor Education

and PublicOutreach

Animationsfor Education

and PublicOutreach

NavigationOperations

Support

NavigationOperations

Support

ImplementationImplementation

OperationsOperations

Post missionPost mission SPICE Data Files

MissionConcept

Development

MissionConcept

Development

ConceptionConception

Mission Phases

SPICE Toolkit Software

Archive Status

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Mars OdysseyCassiniMER RoversMROMESSENGERNew HorizonsMars ExpressVenus ExpressRosettaHayabusa

Awaiting SBN review

NExTEPOXIMSLJunoPhobos-Grunt

LRO

Restorations

MagellanVoyager

PhoenixLCROSSGalileo

PDS 2010 Support

• Participating as requested in various activities– Level is rather small, but apparently adequate

– Design seems ok so far regarding SPICE

» One small change being worked by EN/NAIF

• Status of new core SPICE capabilities that might help with future PDS 2010 services

– Java Native Interface to SPICE (JNISpice)

» Could make building modern PDS tools (“geometry engine”, etc.) easier to build

» Alpha-test version is out in the community now

– Geometry finder subsystem

» Substantial capability available in current Toolkit (N63)

» A bit more to be added in next Toolkit release

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Other Items• IPDA Ancillary Data Project

– Not sure if this could/should move forward

» Not too much interest; folks are busy with other items

» Perhaps just maintaining the status quo with regard to ancillary data (i.e. no “project”) is best?

• SPICE Training– Recent classes held in Tokyo*, Pasadena, Madrid*

– Moscow training coming up in May (using PhSRM funds)

– The NAIF team now believes major changes are needed

» Separate tutorials for individual use versus those presented at classes

» More extensive/meaty “hands-on” programming lessons

» If doable, provide three different classes:• Beginners (for consumers) – a simplified version of the current class

• Kernel producers

• Advanced (for consumers and producers)

8* Travel costs reimbursed by JAXA and ESA, respectively

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Toolkit Download Metrics

• N63 to date: 2868 (up 5% over N62)

3/16/09 – 3/18/10

– Fortran: 735

– C: 1177

– IDL: 441

– MATLAB: 515

– PC: 2175

– Mac Intel 453

– Sun 136

– Mac PPC 104

• N62: 2734 (up 21% over N61)

3/5/08 - 3/15/09

– Fortran: 673

– C: 1200

– IDL: 383

– MATLAB: 478

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Some Recent Accomplishments

• “Geometry finder” subsystem released

• Alpha-test Java interface to SPICE released

• Minimal further development of new shape models:

– tessellated plate model– digital elevation model

• Several new computing environments supported

– Total is now 34

• Participated in NASA Software of the Year competition

– Runner-up

• All mission SPICE data are promptly archived

– Includes data from APL and ESA

– “FURNSH” kernels provide convenient aggregations of related SPICE data files

• SPICE Archiving Guide and allied tools improved and distributed

• Modest improvements to training materials

– Programming lessons and tutorials

• SPICE training classes held in Japan, U.S. and Europe

• New SPICE data set sub setting service implemented

• Identified several problems with LRO data processing

Core SPICE Development NAIF Node

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Examples of Planned Work

• Complete the Java interface to SPICE

• Python interface to SPICE

• Additions to the “geometry finder” subsystem

• Complete the shape model subsystem

• Ephemeris selection aide

• “GEOCALC” web-based geometry calculator tool*

• Frame construction and visualization tool*

• All mission SPICE data archived on time

• Participate in PDS2010• Participate in IPDA?• Complete the NAIF node

backup arrangement• Revamped SPICE training

curriculum• More SPICE training classes• Complete restorations for

Magellan and Galileo

Core SPICE Development NAIF Node

*Involves AMMOS co-funding

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Questions for NAIF’s Advisory Board(That’s you!)

• What problems have you discerned, or heard of…– regarding Core SPICE Development?

– regarding NAIF Node Operations?

• Are SPICE Development and NAIF Node Operations appropriately integrated into the PDS enterprise

– Where might improvements be made?

• What are your recommendations for modification to NAIF’s plans for future work*…

– regarding Core SPICE Development?

– regarding NAIF Node Operations?

* NAIF can provide more details on planned work to anyone interested in this.

Backup

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NAIF Functions Funded by “PDS”

• Design,

• Implement,

• Test,

• Document …

… all SPICE Toolkit software and data file designs

• Develop archive standards and tools

• Receive and peer review SPICE archives

• Distribute archived SPICE data

• Provide expert advice on use of archived SPICE data and allied Toolkit software

• Produce training materials

• Provide SPICE classes

• Operate the NAIF Node of PDS

• Participate in all PDS activities

Core SPICE Development NAIF Node

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NAIF’s Perception of Customer’s Opinions

• SPICE works quite well– Used by all NASA planetary

missions– Adopted by many non-

planetary missions– Adopted by all major foreign

space agencies– Hundreds of users– Very few bugs/errors– Very few complaints

• Principal complaints– Substantial learning curve– NAIF is slow to provide:

» new language interfaces » new supported platforms» new capabilities

• NAIF does pretty well– SPICE data archives are on time,

correct, complete, and well documented

– Customer support is excellent

– Lots of use of the web pages and NAIF server

– Very few complaints

• Principal complaints– Need to offer more kinds of

focused classes

– Classes should have less lecturing, more student programming

– Can be hard to select needed data file(s)

» (This applies more to mission operations data than to archived data)

Core SPICE Development NAIF Node

Based in part on customer emails and face-to-face discussions

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NAIF’s View of Its Challenges

• Our work lists are long and getting longer

• Maintaining all we offer is very time consuming

– lots of code– lots of languages– lots of platforms– lots of documents

and will become more so as we continue to add new capabilities, new languages and new platforms.

• Some non-JPL NASA projects are unprepared to produce good and complete SPICE data sets

• The current central catalog interface to archived SPICE data does not work well

• Preparing for and conducting training classes takes a great deal of effort–principally because SPICE continues to evolve

• Helping users takes a good deal of time, especially for those who are neophytes or are in a hurry

• If/when/how to deal with foreign planetary missions remains largely a mystery

• Need to finish ancillary data restorations

Core SPICE Development NAIF Node

In addition to the issues noted on the previous chart…

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More Uses of SPICE

TeachingStudents

NationalDefense

Applications

RadioAstronomy

Selecting Science Data

From an Archive

Space TechnologyDemonstrations

Orbital MechanicsResearch

Ephemerides for

Observatories

SpacecraftCollision

Avoidance