PDS_VERSION_ID = PDS3 RECORD_TYPE = STREAM OBJECT = TEXT INTERCHANGE_FORMAT = ASCII PUBLICATION_DATE = 2020-07-10 NOTE = "This file describes the files in the EXTRAS/MK directory of this archive." END_OBJECT = TEXT END Meta-kernels for the Mars Express mission ========================================= This directory contains the meta-kernel files (a.k.a "furnsh" files) that provide lists of the archived kernels included in this data set suitable for loading into a SPICE-based application via the high level SPICE data loader routine FURNSH. Using these meta-kernels makes it easy to load with one call a comprehensive SPICE data collection for a given period. Like the text kernels archived in this data set, these meta-kernels are UNIX text files that have lines terminated with a line feed character, LF (ASCII 10). The names of the meta-kernels provided in this directory follow this pattern: MEX_Vvv.TM where ``vv'' is the file version. Multiple versions of a meta-kernel for the data set may exist if new kernels were added to the archive in a later release and the meta-kernel had to be updated to incorporate them. The reasons for adding new kernels include (but are not limited to) adding new kinds of kernels, adding new versions of existing kernels containing more complete or more accurate data, and adding new versions of existing kernels superseding the existing kernels that had errors. If more than one meta-kernel file is present, then the file with the latest version number supersedes all earlier versions. Although the meta-kernels were created such that on a UNIX workstation they can be loaded into a SPICE-based application directly from the root directory of the data set -- because the PATH_VALUES keyword is set to './DATA' and '/' is used as the path delimiter -- it is recommended that users make local copies of these files and update the PATH_VALUES keyword in each of them to point to the actual location of the data set's 'data' directory on their system. Additional changes including replacing '/' and '\' in all path specifications and converting UNIX line terminator to terminators native to the user's system may be required to use these meta-kernels on non-UNIX workstation. The following guidelines were followed to pick and set priority -- determined by the order in which the kernel files are listed, with the latest one taking precedence -- for the kernel files included in these MKs (in the file name patterns below "?" represents one character): LSKs: - the latest archived generic LSK (NAIF????.TLS) SCLKs: - the latest archived MEX SCLK (MEX_??????_STEP.TSC) PCKs: - the latest archived generic PCK (PCK?????.TPC) - the DE 403 masses PCK (DE403_MASSES.TPC) - the latest archived high-precision Earth orientation binary PCK (EARTH_??????_??????_??????.BPC) FKs: - frame kernel containing surface name-ID mappings for the Mars Express structures DSKs surfaces (MEX_DSK_SURFACES_Vvv.TF) - the EARTH_FIXED-to-IAU_EARTH mapping FK (EARTHFIXEDIAU.TF) - the latest archived DSN station topocentric frames FK (EARTH_TOPO_??????.TF) - the latest archived ESA station topocentric frames FK (ESTRACK_V??.TF) - the latest archived Russian station topocentric frames FK (EARTHSTNS_RU_YYYYMMDD.TF) - the latest archived ESA dynamic frames FK (RSSD????.TF) - the latest archived project FK (MEX_Vvv.TF) - the definitions of a number of generic frames used by the MEX mission for Science (MEX_SCI_Vvv.TF) - frame kernel containing a set of Mars Express regions of interest locations frame definitions for PFS (MEX_PFS_ROIS_Vvv.TF) - frame kernel containing a set of Mars Express relay locations frame definitions for selected Rovers and Landers. (MEX_RELAY_LOCATIONS_Vvv.TF) IKs: - the latest archived IK for each of the instruments (MEX_*_V??.TI) SPKs: - the DE405 planetary ephemeris SPK (DE405.BSP) - the latest archived ITRF93 DSN station locations SPK (EARTHSTNS_ITRF93_??????.BSP) - the latest JPL ephemeris data for Phobos and Deimos. Spans the entire MEX mission (MAR097_030101_300101_V0001.BSP) - the latest archived ESA station locations SPK (ESTRACK_V??.BSP) - the latest archived Russian station locations SPK (EARTHSTNS_RU_YYYYMMDD.BSP) - the fixed locations of several MEX ASPERA reference points (MEX_ASPERA_STRUCT_Vvv.BSP) - the position information for selected landers and rovers for which Mars Express is a relay for (MEX_RELAY_LOCATIONS_VVV.BSP) - the position information for Mars Express Regions of Interest for the PFS instrument (MEX_PFS_ROIS_Vvv.BSP) - the latest archived MEX spacecraft structures SPK (MEX_STRUCT_V??.BSP) - the ephemeris data for Mars Express, centered in the Sun, for the Cruise Phase (ORHM_______________vvvvv.BSP) - the lastest ephemeris data for Mars Express (ORMM_T19_YYMM01000000_vvvvv.BSP) CKs: - the latest archived MEX ASPERA orientation CK (MEX_ASPERA_SAF_YYMMDD_VV.BC)) - the latest archived MEX Solar Arrays orientation yearly CKs, multiple files to provide complete coverage (MEX_SA_????_V????.BC) - the latest archived MEX predicted orientation CK (ATNM_T6_PYYMMDDhhmmss_vvvvv.BC), lower priority - the latest archived MEX measured orientation CK (ATNM_MEASURED_YYYY_Vvv.BC), higher priority - the latest archived MEX reconstructed attitude for all periods of time where the predicted attitude is deemed not good enough (ATNM_RECONSTITUTED_vvvvv.BC) The following kernels were intentionally not included in the meta-kernels: DSKs: - No DSK files were listed in MKs because SPICE Toolkits N0065 or earlier cannot load MKs with DSKs.