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--></style><title>Announcement of SPICE Training
Class</title></head><body>
<div><font
color="#000000"
>
Domestic SPICE Training Class for 2006<br>
<br>
The Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF) at<br>
JPL announces a "SPICE" Training class will be held at
the<br>
Holiday Inn in Arcadia, California (next to Pasadena) on<br>
April 4 - 7, 2006. SPICE is an ancillary information system<br>
that provides scientists and engineers access to spacecraft<br>
orbit, attitude and similar information needed to determine<br>
observation geometry used in planning and analyzing space<br>
science observations, and to conduct mission engineering<br>
planning and analysis. Check http://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/
for<br>
further information about SPICE.<br>
<br>
The class will consist of two parts: tutorials presentation,<br>
and, hands-on programming. "Students" may attend either
or<br>
both sessions as they see fit.<br>
<br>
Tutorials: first two days<br>
-------------------------------<br>
The tutorials session will consist of presentation of SPICE<br>
tutorials by NAIF staff, covering all aspects of using SPICE<br>
data files ("kernels") and allied SPICE Toolkit
software. <br>
Mechanisms for producing some kinds of SPICE files will be<br>
very lightly covered. Questions and discussion will be<br>
entertained during these presentations.<br>
<br>
The class will begin with introductory material, assuming no<br>
prior knowledge about SPICE on the part of the students. <br>
However, the presentations will quickly move into<br>
considerable detail, including some viewgraph-based program<br>
development examples showing how to construct an application<br>
program that uses SPICE Toolkit software to compute<br>
parameters typically used by the space science community. <br>
Having some familiarity with basic concepts of solar system<br>
geometry and with computer programming will be of benefit to<br>
the student.<br>
<br>
The tutorials to be presented are quite similar to those<br>
presented in previous years, but a few new ones and some<br>
enhancements and corrections have been included.<br>
<br>
Students will be given a bound copy of the tutorials, useful<br>
for making some notes. The tutorials can also be downloaded<br>
in M.S. Office or PDF format for viewing on one's laptop.<br>
(Internet connections will not be available.)<br>
<br>
Managers needing a modest overview of SPICE might attend just<br>
the morning session of the first day.<br>
<br>
Directions for downloading the tutorials will be provided<br>
later to registrants.<br>
<br>
Hands-on Programming: second two days<br>
---------------------------------------------------------<br>
The hands-on programming session will be conducted using<br>
problems selected by the student from a set of lessons<br>
prepared by the NAIF Team. Each lesson will include the<br>
problem statement, some tips to get going, and the (or a)<br>
solution. The problems and corresponding solutions will be<br>
offered in C, FORTRAN and Interactive Data Language (IDL). <br>
Problems involving remote sensing, in-situ measurements and<br>
geometric event-finding will be offered in addition to<br>
exercises involving various basic SPICE operations. NAIF<br>
staff will circulate among the students to provide tips as<br>
requested.<br>
<br>
Each student or student group must bring a laptop computer<br>
having an OS and compiler supported by NAIF. Check<br>
ftp://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/naif/toolkit for the NAIF-<br>
supported environments and to download the NAIF Toolkit for<br>
any of them. Students should use the current version of the<br>
Toolkit: Version N0060. Before coming to the class students<br>
will be responsible for having installed the SPICE Toolkit,<br>
an appropriate compiler or IDL package, and a suitable<br>
program development environment or editor. Students must<br>
also have downloaded the programming lessons and the SPICE<br>
kernel files to be used in the lessons. (Internet connections<br>
will not be available.)<br>
<br>
The class will assume the student is familiar with one of C,<br>
FORTRAN or IDL programming, and with basic math and geometry<br>
concepts. It is sometimes helpful if two or three colleagues<br>
share a computer and work each problem together.<br>
<br>
Directions for obtaining and installing the packages<br>
containing the lessons and associated data will be
provided</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">later to registrants.<br>
<br>
<br>
Registration<br>
----------------<br>
The class is open to all JPL and contractor personnel, and is<br>
also offered to JPL/NASA colleagues-domestic and foreign-who<br>
are now participating, or may participate in the future, in<br>
any space exploration endeavor where SPICE capabilities could<br>
be useful. There are no ITAR restrictions on the material to<br>
be presented.<br>
<br>
Pre-registration by March 3 is required in order to ensure<br>
availability of sufficient class space and handouts. <br>
Attendance may be limited to fit available space. There is no<br>
charge for attending this class. NAIF is not able to cover<br>
any travel, lodging or per diem expenses.<br>
<br>
Draft schedule:<br>
Tue April 4 9:00 - 5:00
Start tutorials<br>
Wed April 5 8:30 - 5:00
Finish tutorials<br>
Thu April 6 8:30 - 5:00
Start hands-on programming<br>
Fri April 7 8:30 - 3:00
Finish hands-on programming<br>
<br>
Please indicate your interest in this class by filling out<br>
and returning the form below no later than March 3. Further<br>
announcements will be sent only to those who have responded<br>
by this time. Please use a separate form for each potential<br>
applicant.<br>
<br>
Firm commitments about attending will be required by March<br>
15. Confirmations will be provided by March 17. JPL/NAIF<br>
reserves the right to cancel the class by March 17 for any<br>
reason, and reserves the right to cut off registrations if<br>
needed to keep the class to a manageable size.<br>
<br>
<br>
Hotel Information<br>
----------------------<br>
Out of town students must make their own hotel reservations.<br>
Many hotels, including the class hotel, offer a "JPL rate"
if<br>
you ask for this when making your reservation.<br>
<br>
Information about the class hotel may be found at:</font></div>
<div><font
color="#000000"
>http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/hd/LAXMR?_franchisee=LAXMR&c<span
></span>urrentBr<br>
andId=HI;jsessionid=OL5CF1QWO3SAFJICRY0SHPVFAKHFOIY4<br>
<br>
<br>
Please forward this announcement to any of your colleagues<br>
who might be interested in this class.<br>
<br>
For further information contact Charles Acton: <br>
charles.acton@jpl.nasa.gov.<br>
<br>
==== snip ====== snip ====== snip ====== snip
======<br>
<br>
<br>
<span
></span> SPICE Training
Class<br>
<span
></span> Registration
Form<br>
Return no later than March 3, 2006</font></div>
<div><font
color="#000000"> </font
><font color="#FF0000"> Return to:
charles.acton@jpl.nasa.gov</font><font color="#000000"><br>
(Please use a separate form for each
registrant)<br>
<br>
Name:<br>
<br>
E-mail:<br>
<br>
Institution:<br>
<br>
Project affiliation(s) (if any):<br>
<br>
<br>
[ ] I will definitely attend the SPICE
Tutorial Class on<br>
April 4 - 5, 2006.<br>
[ ] I will definitely attend the SPICE
Programming Class<br>
on April 6 - 7, 2006, and will have my own laptop or will<br>
share one with a colleague.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
[ ] I may attend the SPICE Tutorial Class on
April 4 -<br>
5, 2006Š<br>
[ ] I may attend the SPICE Programming Class
on April 6<br>
- 7, 2006Š<br>
<br>
Š and I will decide and let you know by March 15. Please<br>
keep me informed. I understand acceptance is limited to space<br>
available.<br>
</font></div>
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