Data Set Information
DATA_SET_NAME MARS PATHFINDER RADIO TRACKING
DATA_SET_ID MPF-M-RSS-1/5-RADIOTRACK-V1.0
NSSDC_DATA_SET_ID
DATA_SET_TERSE_DESCRIPTION
DATA_SET_DESCRIPTION Data Set Overview : The Mars Pathfinder (MPF) Radio Science (RS) data archive contains both raw radio tracking data collected during the surface lifetime of the MPF Lander and results derived from those data. Results include rotation rate, rotation axis, and (jointly with Viking Lander data) the change in rotation rate for Mars. For more information on the investigations see [FOLKNERETAL1997A]. The raw data include two primary data types. Archival Tracking Data Files (ATDFs or TDFs) are the most primitive (and most voluminous) product. Orbit Data Files (ODFs) are edited versions of ATDF files generated for spacecraft navigators. In addition to the ATDF and ODF binary data files, an ASCII version of the edited Pathfinder data is included, along with an ASCII version of the edited data from the Viking landers. Investigation results are presented in the form of ASCII tables. Parameters : The ATDF is the primary output from the Deep Space Network tracking system. ATDFs have up to 150 fields, though not all are used for Pathfinder. Each ATDF file in the data set is accompanied by a full PDS label which defines both the content and the format (at the bit level) of the file. ATDF fields include: High- or low-rate Doppler Uplink phase Differential Range vs Integrated Doppler (DRVID) Range Allan deviation Smoothed noise High or low-rate downlink phase Other information included in ATDF data records is date and time; spacecraft ID; ground station and its configuration; status flags and values reported by various ground systems; calibration values, noise estimates, and tolerances (station delay, transmitter power, etc.); and signal strength. The ODF is an edited version of the ATDF; it is a smaller file, issued more frequently than the ATDF. It contains the most important information (range and Doppler) needed by spacecraft navigators and investigators interested in determining gravitational fields of bodies such as Mars. Each ODF is accompanied by a full PDS label which describes both the content and format of the associated file. ODF fields include: Narrowband spacecraft VLBI, Doppler mode (cycles) Narrowband spacecraft VLBI, phase mode (cycles) Narrowband quasar VLBI, Doppler mode (cycles) Narrowband quasar VLBI, phase mode (cycles) Wideband spacecraft VLBI (nanoseconds) Wideband quasar VLBI (nanoseconds) One-way Doppler (Hertz) Two-way Doppler (Hertz) Three-way Doppler (Hertz) One-way total count phase (cycles) Two-way total count phase (cycles) Three-way total count phase (cycles) PRA planetary operational discrete spectrum range (range units) SRA planetary operational discrete spectrum range (range units) RE[GSTDN] range (nanoseconds) Azimuth angle (degrees) Elevation angle (degrees) Hour angle (degrees) Declination angle (degrees) X angle (where +X is east) (degrees) Y angle (where +X is east) (degrees) X angle (where +X is south) (degrees) Y angle (where +X is south) (degrees) Partially reduced data include tables of Doppler and range measurements for MPF and the Viking Landers. Tables of results give position of each lander in cylindrical coordinates (longitude, radius, and z), pole right ascension and declination, precession, Mars rotation at J2000, rotation rate, obliquity, various drift rates, and uncertainties. Processing : ATDFs are screened for 'bad' data points, which are removed before the file is released by the JPL Radio Metric Data Conditioning Team (RMDCT). ODFs are abstracted from subsets of ATDF data. Range and Doppler measurements are used to define the relative position and velocity of each lander with respect to the DSN tracking station on Earth. A aeries of such measurements allows inference of Mars' rotation and determination of lander locations. Details are given in [FOLKNERETAL1997A]. Data : Data are stored on CD-WO volumes chronologically -- early ATDFs appear on the first volume, later ATDFs appear on the second volume. All other files are repeated on both volumes. ATDFs are stored in the TDF directory. File names are of the form ydddeeec.TDF, where y is the one-digit year of the first data, ddd is the three-digit day-of-year of the first data, eee is the three-digit day-of-year of the last data, and c is a letter denoting the sequence in which files with the same ydddeee were handled (beginning with 'A'). Generally ydddeeeB.TDF is a revised version of ydddeeeA.TDF. The PDS label has file name ydddeeeC.LBL. Typical ATDF file sizes are 39 Mbytes. ODFs were issued approximately weekly; in some cases special ODFs were also created. Most of the ODFs which were released are included in the archival data set. ODFs are stored in the ODF directory. File names are of the form ydddeeec.ODF where y is the one-digit year of the first data, ddd is the three-digit day-of-year of the first data, eee is the three-digit day-of-year of the last data, and c is a single letter denoting the sequence in which files with the same ydddeee were handled (beginning with 'A'). Partially processed data appear in the REDUCED directory. MPF_DOPP.TAB and MPF_RANG.TAB are tables giving Doppler and ranging results for Mars Pathfinder Lander. VIK_DOPP.TAB and VIK_RANG.TAB are the corresponding files for the Viking landers. The RESULTS directory contains lander positions and pole and rotation results. LANDER.TAB gives longitude, radius, and z coordinate for MPF, Viking Lander 1, and Viking Lander 2. MAR_RA_D.TAB gives pole right ascension at J2000 and rate in degrees/century, declination at J2000 and rate, rotation at J2000 and rotation rate in degrees/day. MARS_ROT.TAB gives obliquity and obliquity rate, longitude of node, precession rate, rotation about the pole, rotation rate, annual sine and cosine variations, and semi-annual sine and cosine variations. Ancillary Data : An extensive set of ancillary files is needed for proper analysis and interpretation of the radio data (file types TDF and ODF). These are organized in parallel directories. All Pathfinder ancillary files appear on each CD-WO volume. Files in the CALIB Directory ---------------------------- The CALIB directory includes files with station calibrations for ranging passes, and calibrations for Earth troposphere and ionosphere. Each file is accompanied by a PDS label. Earth Orientation Parameter Files (EOP Directory) ------------------------------------------------- Earth Orientation Parameter files are produced by the Time and Earth Motion Precision Observation (TEMPO) Group at JPL. These are ASCII files of variable length records. The file EOP12_97.TXT covers past motion since about 1962 through December 1997. The EOP file is accompanied by a PDS label with file name EOP12_97.LBL. Software : Software for parsing, reducing, and analyzing data such as these has been developed at several institutions. Because such software must usually operate at the bit-level and is written for a narrow range of platforms, it is not suitable for general distribution. No software is included with this archival data set. Media/Format : The archival data set is written on CD-WO media using the QuickTOPIX software for Macintosh. The CD-WO volumes conform to ISO 9660 standards.
DATA_SET_RELEASE_DATE 1998-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
START_TIME 1997-07-04T12:00:00.000Z
STOP_TIME 1997-10-07T12:00:00.000Z
MISSION_NAME MARS PATHFINDER
MISSION_START_DATE 1993-11-01T12:00:00.000Z
MISSION_STOP_DATE 1998-03-10T12:00:00.000Z
TARGET_NAME MARS
TARGET_TYPE PLANET
INSTRUMENT_HOST_ID MPFL
INSTRUMENT_NAME RADIO SCIENCE SUBSYSTEM
INSTRUMENT_ID RSS
INSTRUMENT_TYPE RADIO SCIENCE
NODE_NAME Geosciences
ARCHIVE_STATUS ARCHIVED
CONFIDENCE_LEVEL_NOTE Confidence Level Overview : Review ------ This archival data set was reviewed by the MPF Rotational and Orbital Dynamics team prior to submission to the Planetary Data System (PDS). Data Coverage and Quality ------------------------- This archive includes all radio tracking data collected from MPF beginning with landing on 1997-07-04 and ending with loss of contact on 1999-09-27.
CITATION_DESCRIPTION Folkner, W., MARS PATHFINDER RADIO TRACKING, MPF-M-RSS-1/5-RADIOTRACK-V1.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 1998
ABSTRACT_TEXT The Mars Pathfinder (MPF) Radio Science (RS) data archive contains both raw radio tracking data collected during the surface lifetime of the MPF Lander and results derived from those data. Results include rotation rate, rotation axis, and (jointly with Viking Lander data) the change in rotation rate for Mars. For more information on the investigations see [FOLKNERETAL1997A].
PRODUCER_FULL_NAME WILLIAM FOLKNER
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