PDS_VERSION_ID = PDS3
RECORD_TYPE = STREAM
OBJECT = TEXT
PUBLICATION_DATE = 2001-08-31
NOTE = "Instructions for obtaining NAIF
Toolkit software via Internet.
Points to documentation on
Toolkit organization and use.
Compiled from notes
provided by Hester Neilan.
Instructions updated by E. A.
Jensen"
END_OBJECT = TEXT
END
Instructions for Obtaining the NAIF Toolkit
The NAIF Toolkit provides access to SPICE files. Files include
spacecraft and planetary ephemerides (SPK files), instrument mounting
information (IK files), attitude data for spacecraft (CK files),
and histories of events (EK files).
Documentation which accompanies the Toolkit describes formats of the
files. In the DOCUMENT directory of this archive volume see also
TK_DESCR.TXT and TK_INSTL.TXT, short descriptions of the Toolkit
organization and installation.
To obtain the toolkit by anonymous FTP, contact NAIF personnel for
instructions.
http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/naifcont.html
CONTACTING NAIF
Charles Acton, NAIF Node Manager
Charles.Acton@jpl.nasa.gov or
cacton@spice.jpl.nasa.gov
Phone (818) 354-3869
Fax (818) 393-6388
Nat Bachman: nbachman@spice.jpl.nasa.gov
Bill Taber: btaber@spice.jpl.nasa.gov
Boris Semenov: bsemenov@spice.jpl.nasa.gov
Jeff Bytof: jbytof@spice.jpl.nasa.gov
Ed Wright: ewright@spice.jpl.nasa.gov
Mail Stop 301-125L
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, California 91109-8099
USA
http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/naif.html
Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF)
The Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF) Node
of the Planetary Data System is responsible for the design,
implementation and operation of the SPICE information system
--a means for providing ancillary observation geometry data
and related tools used in the planning and interpretation of
science instrument observations returned from planetary spacecraft.
The SPICE acronym comes from:
S - Spacecraft
P - Planet
I - Instrument
C - "C-matrix"
E - Events
SPICE data files, called kernels, exist for spacecraft trajectory
(S), planet, satellite, comet and asteroid ephemerides and
associated physical and cartographic constants (P), instrument
information, including mounting alignment and other relevant
geometric information (I), orientation of spacecraft structures
upon which science instruments are mounted (C); and spacecraft
and ground data system events, both planned and unplanned (E).
The PDS NAIF node provides SPICE users a portable ANSI FORTRAN 77
or ANSI C toolkit that contains readers subroutines
for retrieving data from each of the SPICE kernels, plus a wide
assortment of geometry, math, and utility modules useful in
computing instrument observation geometry parameters: examples
are range, optic axis intercept latitude and longitude, and
phase, incidence, and emission angles. The SPICE toolkit also
includes utility and demonstration programs, and is accompanied by
extensive user-focused documentation.
The NAIF node is responsible for archiving and distributing SPICE
kernel files produced by NASA's planetary flight projects.
NAIF also assembles and distributes generic planet, satellite, comet,
and asteroid ephemeris files in SPICE format used for a wide
assortment of mission evaluation, observation planning and data
analysis tasks. These generic ephemeris files are based on
products provided by JPL's Solar System Dynamics Group.
While NASA's planetary missions were the original focus of SPICE
development, today the system is being used, or considered for
use, on flight projects in other disciplines (astrophysics, space
physics and Earth science) and in other countries.
The ephemeris component of SPICE (called SPK files) is becoming the
official mechanism for providing NASA's Deep Space
Network with predictive orbit data needed to schedule tracking
time and to operate the DSN antennas during tracking sessions.
NAIF's products are freely available to U.S. scientists and
engineers participating in the flight projects and other activities of
NASA. Non-U.S. scientists and engineers (except those in countries
subject to U.S. State Department restrictions) are similarly
invited to utilize SPICE components that have been published
for general consumption.
Potential users are advised that programming and science/math
skills at a college level are generally needed to utilize SPICE
products. Users must have a computer with 25-50 Mbytes of disk
space, 16 Mbytes of available RAM and a compiler or 4th
generation language that can link to either FORTRAN or C routines.
(Resource requirements may vary from platform to
platform, and depending on the user's application.) Internet ftp
capability is usually needed to obtain the necessary SPICE
components.
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