PDS_VERSION_ID = PDS3 RECORD_TYPE = STREAM OBJECT = TEXT INTERCHANGE_FORMAT = ASCII PUBLICATION_DATE = 2013-01-08 NOTE = "PC-Kernel Information" END_OBJECT = TEXT END General information about SPICE PC-kernels ========================================== In the SPICE system, the PC-kernels contain planetary attitude and body shape information. The PCK kernel includes orientation and shape information pertaining to extended solar system bodies such as the Sun, the planets, the natural satellites of the planets, comets, and asteroids. The purpose of the PCK kernels and associated software is to provide SPICE users with a convenient mechanism for supplying planetary physical constants to application programs. SPICE's PCK software is able to read files conforming to the PCK format and return to a calling application program both the data contained in such files and a small number of commonly used numeric quantities derived from the kernel data. The information regarding how to obtain the SPICE system toolkit for a number of languages and computer platforms is located in the ``/software'' subdirectory of the main directory of this data set. Refer to the ``pck.req'' document provided with the toolkit to get more information on how to access PC-kernel data. NEAR PC-kernels Provided in This Data Set ========================================= This following PC-Kernel files are provided in this data set: -- generic PCK files: pck00007.tpc is the latest generic text PCK file distributed by NAIF at the time when the original NEAR SPICE data sets were created. This file was used by NEAR project NAV, operations and science teams during the mission. This PCK file does not include rotation data or radii for either Eros or Mathilde. pck00010.tpc is the latest generic text PCK file distributed by NAIF at the time when this data set was created. Unlike pck00007.tpc this PCK includes rotation data and radii for Eros and radii for Mathilde. -- Eros orientation PCK files: erosatt_1999304_2001151.bpc is the latest Eros body-fixed frame orientation binary PCK file provided by the NEAR NAV, JPL to the NEAR project and used to support Eros orbit phase operations and science data processing. erosatt_1998329_2001157_v01.bpc is the Eros body-fixed frame orientation binary PCK file provided by the NEAR NAV team at JPL to the NEAR project prior to the Eros flyby in December 1998. The 'EROSATT_1999304_2001151.BPC' PCK file supersedes all other PCK files that have been used in the NEAR science data processing, including erosatt_1998273_1999152_v01.bpc (not provided in this data set) erosatt_1998329_2001157_v01.bpc (provided in this data set) erosatt_2000045_2000151.bpc (not provided in this data set) erosatt_2000076_2001151.bpc (not provided in this data set) The 'erosatt_1998329_2001157_v01.bpc' PCK file was included into this data set only because it provides coverage for the December 1998 Eros flyby. Kernel File Details =================== The most detailed description of the data in a text PCK file is provided in metadata included inside the description area of the file. This information can be viewed using any text editor program. The most detailed description of the data in a binary PCK file is provided in metadata included inside the comment area of the file. This information can be viewed using utility programs COMMNT and SPACIT included into the NAIF Toolkit. Contact Information =================== For NEAR specific information, contact: NEAR Science Data Center Howard W. Taylor The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory 11100 Johns Hopkins Road Laurel MD 20723 Email: Howard.Taylor@jhuapl.edu For general information about the SPICE system: Charles H. Acton, Jr, (818)-354-3869, Chuck.Acton@jpl.nasa.gov, or Boris 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