Abstract
The four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft will collect a combined volume of approximately 100 gigabits per day of particle and field data. On average, only 4 gigabits of that volume can be transmitted to the ground. To maximize the scientific value of each transmitted data segment, MMS has developed the Science Operations Center (SOC) to manage science operations, instrument operations, and selection, downlink, distribution, and archiving of MMS science data sets. The SOC is managed by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) in Boulder, Colorado and serves as the primary point of contact for community participation in the mission. MMS instrument teams conduct their operations through the SOC, and utilize the SOC's Science Data Center (SOC) for data management and distribution. The SOC provides a single mission data archive for the housekeeping and science data, calibration data, ephemerides, attitude and other ancillary data needed to support the scientific use and interpretation. All levels of data products will reside at and be publicly disseminated from the SDC. Documentation and metadata describing data products, algorithms, instrument calibrations, validation, and data quality will be provided. Arguably, the most important innovation developed by the SOC is the MMS burst data management and selection system. With nested automation and 'Scientist-in-the-Loop' (SITL) processes, these systems are designed to maximize the value of the burst data by prioritizing the data segments selected for transmission to the ground. This paper describes the MMS science operations approach, processes and data systems, including the burst system and the SITL concept.
Highlights
As described in the companion chapters in this volume, the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission consists of a highly sophisticated set of particle and fields instruments onboard four identical spacecraft flying in formation (Burch et al 2014, this issue), together referred to as the Solving Magnetospheric Acceleration, Reconnection, and Turbulence (SMART) instrument suite.The scientific objective of the MMS mission is to understand the microphysics of magnetic reconnection by determining the kinetic processes occurring in the electron diffusion region that are responsible for collisionless magnetic reconnection, especially how reconnection is initiated.and in priority order, MMS will address three specific objectives: 1. Determine the role played by electron inertial effects and turbulent dissipation in driving magnetic reconnection in the electron diffusion region.2
Spacecraft and instrument suite housekeeping/engineering data have minimal scientific value and may be subject to export restrictions. Many of these data are only available to MMS team members and other designated individuals or organizations; effort is made to ensure that all housekeeping and engineering data that are necessary to support the use and interpretation of MMS science data are made publicly available from the Science Data Center (SDC) web site, along with the MMS science data products
While the data collection that occurs during the Science Region of Interest (ROI) is relatively straightforward, the overall operations plan for MMS becomes more complex owing to the variety of mode transitions and associated coordination that is required at other times
Summary
As described in the companion chapters in this volume, the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission consists of a highly sophisticated set of particle and fields instruments onboard four identical spacecraft flying in formation (Burch et al 2014, this issue), together referred to as the Solving Magnetospheric Acceleration, Reconnection, and Turbulence (SMART) instrument suite. MMS education initiatives are managed by Rice University in Houston TX; MMS strategic communication activities are managed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, MD These teams are responsible for the planning, development, review, and dissemination of educational and communication materials. The present chapter is devoted to describing the science operations planning processes, instrument operations management, and the definition, capture, management, and utilization of MMS data. It describes how the data flow from space to the ultimate analysis and interpretation.
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