<title>Cassini science operations and planning computer design</title>

Abstract

The Cassini Science Operations and Planning Computers (SOPC) are meant to give Cassini investigators and the Huygens Probe Operations Center (HPOC) more direct control of and responsibility for their instruments and their data and to reduce mission operations cost. SOPCs give the investigators the ability to command their instrument directly, but also the responsibility to do so correctly. The SOPCs help reduce mission operations cost by allowing the instrument designers also to be the operators. The SOPCs allow the operators to participate directly even though they are at a distance from JPL. The SOPCs are direct extensions of the Cassini Ground System to the investigator's home institution. They provide links to the rest of the Cassini Ground System for both uplink and downlink functions. The SOPCs use the same software as the rest of the ground data system. They also provide a platform for project and investigator provided planning and analysis tools. The current SOPC design is targeted toward Cassini Assembly Test and Launch Operations and cruise. Improvements planned during cruise include hardware upgrades, changes in software architecture, changes to the data communication systems and enhanced security features. The SOPCs, without proper precautions, could pose a security liability. The philosophy of the security requirements and some particular measures will be discussed.