PDS_VERSION_ID = PDS3 RECORD_TYPE = STREAM OBJECT = TEXT INTERCHANGE_FORMAT = ASCII PUBLICATION_DATE = 1998-07-14 NOTE = "E-Kernel Information" END_OBJECT = TEXT END General information about SPICE E-kernels ========================================= The purpose of the Events (E) -kernel is to store different kinds of the spacecraft and science instrument events related information such as spacecraft and instrument commands, status parameters, records of spacecraft activities, ground events, and so on, and to systemize and provide access to this data in relational data base -like fashion. The means of an access to the EK data are provided via collection of subroutines that are part of the SPICELIB library, the major component of the NAIF Toolkit, or using SPICE system utility program INSPEKT to browse E-kernel contents. The subroutines can be integrated into user application programs while the INSPEKT program can be used to view E-kernel information interactively. The SPICE system toolkit containing SPICELIB and INSPEKT for a number of computer platforms is located in the SOFTWARE subdirectory of the main directory of this dataset. To use E-kernels with INSPEKT program, a Leapseconds (LSK) is required. This file is located under /LSK subdirectory of the main directory of this dataset. Refer to the EK.REQ and INSPEKT.UG documents provided with the toolkit to get more information on how to access E-kernel data. Mars Pathfinder E-kernels provided in this dataset ================================================== The following MPF E-kernels are provided in this dataset: 1) MPF Lander Command, Spacecraft Activity and Ground Events dictionary EK files. 2) MPF Rover Command Dictionary EK file. 3) MPF Rover Predicted Command Sequence EK files. 4) MPF Project Experimenter's Notebook file. This file is an ASCII text file containing notes preceded by keyword-value headers. 5) Imager for Mars Pathfinder Experimenter's Notebook EK file. The following MPF E-kernels may be added to this data set when MPF engineering data processing is completed: 1) MPF Lander Semi-Reconstructed Command Sequence EK files. 2) MPF Rover Reconstructed Command Sequence EK files. There are two additional ancillary files provided with the data. These files are SPICE Inspekt program startup files, MPF_LAND.INS and MPF_ROVR.INS, which ease the viewing of the contents of MPF Lander and Rover Sequence SPICE Event Kernel (EK) files by defining multiple macro commands for the most reasonable queries. The User's Guide document for the first of these startup file is located under DOCUMENT directory of this CD-ROM. E-kernel file naming schema ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All E-kernel files in this dataset were created on a workstation running UNIX and, therefore, correspond to IEEE binary file format. The file names follow the schema FILENAME.Bxx or FILENAME.Bxx, where "name" portion (FILENAME) of each file name is as follows: * first four of eight characters of the FILENAME designate whether a file contains lander, "mpfl", or rover, "mpfr", data. * last four of eight characters of the FILENAME for the dictionary E-kernels are: "cmdd" command dictionary "gevd" ground event dictionary "actd" activity dictionary * last four of eight characters of the FILENAME for the Experimenter's Notebook E-kernels are: "_ops" MPF Project Notebook "_imp" Image for Mars Pathfinder Notebook * last four of eight characters of the FILENAME for the Rover Predicted Command Sequence E-kernels are: "XXYZ", where "XX" is SOL (Martian day since landing) number, "Y" is a digit defining a sequence type. "Z" is a character defining version of this sequence. * for the last four of eight characters of the FILENAME for the Lander Semi-Reconstructed Command Sequence E-kernels and Rover Reconstructed Command Sequence E-kernels the schema is not defined yet. The first character of the extension portion (Bxx or Txx) of the name of each file designates whether file is in the binary or text format. The last two characters of the extension portion (Bxx) of the name of each file is as follows: "db" for the dictionary E-Kernels, "es" for the sequence E-Kernels. "nb" for the Notebook files. The label for each E-kernel file is stored separately in file named FILENAME.LBL. Contact Information ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding MPF project specific information provided in this data set and for general information about SPICE system: Charles H. Acton, Jr, (818)-354-3869, Chuck.Acton@jpl.nasa.gov, or Boris V. Semenov, (818)-354-8136, Boris.Semenov@jpl.nasa.gov address: Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF) Jet Propulsion Laboratory MS 301-125L 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena CA 91109 USA