Mission Analysis and Payload Planning System (MAPPS)

The Mission Analysis and Payload Planning System (MAPPS) software is a software tool that supports the science operations planning of the planetary missions at ESAC. It consists of four parts:

• The Experiment Planning System (EPS) simulates the instrument operations and pointing timelines, checks for constraint violations and creates the operational files that are being sent to ESOC. 
• The timeline visualisation provides a visual overview of instrument operations, data downlink and memory fillstate, power consumption, spacecraft attitude, and other relevant parameters.
• Surface maps of mission targets with overlays (e.g. spacecraft trajectories or field of views).
• A 3d-visualisation was added for Rosetta. If the need arises, it can be adapted to other missions.

MAPPS was used for the Short-term and medium-term planning of SMART-1, Venus Express and Rosetta, and is currently being employed by Mars Express and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. It is being prepared for future use by Solar Orbiter, Bepi Colombo and JUICE.

The MAPPS software consists of  a core, common to all missions, and mission specific extensions. In 2018, MAPPS was divided into two version. The maintanance version us for missions without major new developments, while new functionality is included in MAPPS-New Generation (MAPPS-NG). 

Example of MAPPS Timeline visualisation from the Rosetta mission

  Example of MAPPS map projection with field of view overlay (from Mars Express)

Example of MAPPS 3d Visualization (Rosetta)