Cassini MAPS sampled data Quick Plots production
Evelyne Orsal(1), Marcel Camps(1), Pierre Bourrousse(1)
(1) CNES
18 av E. Belin, 31401 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
EMail: evelyne.orsal@cnes.fr
ABSTRACT

The Cassini project is a joint project of NASA, ESA and ASI (Agenzia Spatiale Italiana) whose objective is 
the study of the planet Saturn and its system. It has been achieved through a broad international cooperation.

This mission is essentially based on the use of an orbiter developed by NASA and including 12 scientific 
experiments. The satellite was launched on October 15, 1997 and was put into orbit around Saturn on July 1, 
2004. The nominal mission of the orbiter was set to 4 years, but after two extensions, the mission is now 
extended to September 2017.

The experiments are divided into three thematic groups:
- MAPS (Magnetosphere and Plasma) group ;
- ORS (Optical Remote Sensing) group ;
- MRS (Microwave Remote Sensing) group.

France, through its laboratories, has a strong contribution to the Cassini project. Ten French laboratories are 
involved in 9 of the 12 experiments of the orbiter and one of the two MAPS group IDS (Interdisciplinary 
Scientist) is French. So, it's in the context of the french MAPS IDS activities that a Data Processing Center 
was developed at CNES.
In fact, an agreement was signed between the two IDS for the distribution of processing tasks after which the 
french IDS delegated its tasks to CNES.

The division of tasks between the two IDS is as follows:
- The US IDS gathers the sampled data (KP) produced by PIs laboratories of the 6 MAPS group experiences 
and archives them at the PDS (Planetary Data System).
- The french IDS retrieves KP of all the MAPS group experiences, produces sophisticated navigation data 
(from SPICE raw navigation data base and NAIF library) and generates daily plots of KP data. These data 
and plots are archived and finally sent to Michigan University.

The various functions of the Data Processing Center have been developed around a common supervisor used 
on several projects in operation at CNES (for example Mars-Express or Goce). It can operate in two modes: 
automatic mode (used in routine) and manual mode. The Cassini project exclusively uses shared and 
specialized means.

These different elements:
- development around a common supervisor on several projects ;
- use of CNES multi mission  facilities (archiving, data production and delivery, network data exchange, help 
desk and web services,…) ;
- automating tasks ;
- pooled operational team  ;
have allowed:
- a cost reduction of operation ;
- a lack of extra costs or delays for missions extensions (exploitation and maintenance stability) ;
- a high reliability and service disponibility to the scientific community.