The MDOR/PDOR on-line module for MISO, the planning software of Solar Orbiter instruments

Solar Orbiter is a solar mission that will approach the Sun down to a minimum perihelion of 0.28 AU and will increase its orbit inclination with respect to the ecliptic up to a maximum angle of 34 deg. For imagers aboard Solar Orbiter there will be three 10-days remote sensing windows per orbit. Observations shall be carefully planned at least 6 months in advance. The Multi Instrument Sequence Organizer (MISO) is a web based platform developed by the SPICE group and made available to support Solar Orbiter instruments teams in planning observations by assembling Mission Database sequences. Metis is the UV and visible light coronagraph aboard Solar Orbiter. Metis is a complex instrument characterized by a rich variety of observing modes, which required a careful commissioning activity and will need support for potential maintenance operations throughout the mission. In order to support commissioning and maintenance activities, the Metis team developed a PDOR (Payload Direct Operation Request) and MDOR (Memory Direct Operation Request) module integrated in MISO and made available to all Solar Orbiter instruments. An effort was made in order to interpret the coding philosophy of the main project and to make the additional module as homogeneous as possible both to the web interface and to the algorithm logic, while integrating characteristics which are peculiar to PDORs and MDORs. An user friendly web based interface allows the operator to build the operation request and to successively modify or integrate it with further or alternative information. In the present work we describe the PDOR/MDOR module for MISO by addressing its logic and main characteristics

The MDOR/PDOR on-line module for MISO, the planning software of Solar Orbiter instruments

Solar Orbiter is a solar mission that will approach the Sun down to a minimum perihelion of 0.28 AU and will increase its orbit inclination with respect to the ecliptic up to a maximum angle of 34 deg. For imagers aboard Solar Orbiter there will be three 10-days remote sensing windows per orbit. Observations shall be carefully planned at least 6 months in advance. The Multi Instrument Sequence Organizer (MISO) is a web based platform developed by the SPICE group and made available to support Solar Orbiter instruments teams in planning observations by assembling Mission Database sequences. Metis is the UV and visible light coronagraph aboard Solar Orbiter. Metis is a complex instrument characterized by a rich variety of observing modes, which required a careful commissioning activity and will need support for potential maintenance operations throughout the mission. In order to support commissioning and maintenance activities, the Metis team developed a PDOR (Payload Direct Operation Request) and MDOR (Memory Direct Operation Request) module integrated in MISO and made available to all Solar Orbiter instruments. An effort was made in order to interpret the coding philosophy of the main project and to make the additional module as homogeneous as possible both to the web interface and to the algorithm logic, while integrating characteristics which are peculiar to PDORs and MDORs. An user friendly web based interface allows the operator to build the operation request and to successively modify or integrate it with further or alternative information. In the present work we describe the PDOR/MDOR module for MISO by addressing its logic and main characteristics

The Solar Orbiter SPICE instrument -- An extreme UV imaging spectrometer

A&A, accepted 19 August 2019; 26 pages, 25 figuresThe Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument is a high-resolution imaging spectrometer operating at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths. In this paper, we present the concept, design, and pre-launch performance of this facility instrument on the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission. The goal of this paper is to give prospective users a better understanding of the possible types of observations, the data acquisition, and the sources that contribute to the instrument's signal. The paper discusses the science objectives, with a focus on the SPICE-specific aspects, before presenting the instrument's design, including optical, mechanical, thermal, and electronics aspects. This is followed by a characterisation and calibration of the instrument's performance. The paper concludes with descriptions of the operations concept and data processing. The performance measurements of the various instrument parameters meet the requirements derived from the mission's science objectives. The SPICE instrument is ready to perform measurements that will provide vital contributions to the scientific success of the Solar Orbiter mission

The Solar Orbiter SPICE instrument: An extreme UV imaging spectrometer

Aims. The Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument is a high-resolution imaging spectrometer operating at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths. In this paper, we present the concept, design, and pre-launch performance of this facility instrument on the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission. Methods. The goal of this paper is to give prospective users a better understanding of the possible types of observations, the data acquisition, and the sources that contribute to the instrument’s signal. Results. The paper discusses the science objectives, with a focus on the SPICE-specific aspects, before presenting the instrument’s design, including optical, mechanical, thermal, and electronics aspects. This is followed by a characterisation and calibration of the instrument’s performance. The paper concludes with descriptions of the operations concept and data processing. Conclusions. The performance measurements of the various instrument parameters meet the requirements derived from the mission’s science objectives. The SPICE instrument is ready to perform measurements that will provide vital contributions to the scientific success of the Solar Orbiter mission