Introduction

Cosmographia is a visualization program rendering the solar system and its bodies in 3D to create a freely navigable map of the solar system. The program allows manipulation of time and camera (observer) position. It can use SPICE data to visualize trajectory, orientation, and sensors flown on and observations taken by interplanetary spacecraft, to support scientific or engineering analysis, and perhaps even public outreach.

The Cosmographia ESS (ESA SPICE service) plugin is a software that adds extra features to the Cosmographia tool allowing an easy 3D visualisation of the ESA mission's spacecraft manoeuvres and instrument pointing.

The package deals with the tedious build-up of Cosmographia catalog files, hiding the low level details and providing a turn-key solution for quick and easy visualization of JUICE pointing

Plugin Features

  • Creation of complete Cosmographia scenes.
  • JUICE Spacecraft 3D Models integrated.
  • Sensor and observation configuration.
  • Automatic SPICE Kernel setup based on metakernels.
  • Load of external custom CKs not included in a metakernel.
  • Pointing request simulation and timeline visualization.
  • Jupiter specific science structures (Main Aurora, Rings, Magnetosphere belts, Minor Moons, ...).

Important Notice: The plugin works with Cosmographia version 4.2 over Linux and macOS platforms

Plugin Installation

  1. If needed, download Cosmographia 4.x corresponding to your OS from ESAC SPICE service ftp: 

    ftp://spiftp.esac.esa.int/cosmographia/

  2. Clone the ESS-PLUGIN repository locally.

    git clone https://s2e2.cosmos.esa.int/bitbucket/scm/spice/ess-plugin.git

  3. Spice Kernel Datasets of the missions that are available at ESA Spice Service site

JUICE PTR Usage

  • Open a terminal
  • Navigate to ess-plugin directory
  • Execute the generic launcher script with the juice_ptr argument. The first time, it will ask for the full path of the Cosmographia installation. It saves that path in ~/.cosmo_path. On subsequent runs, it uses the saved path automatically. You can reset the saved path anytime, deleting the file. 
    ./plugin_launcher.sh juice_ptr
  • A PTR editor dialog will appear allowing to introduce a pointing request that can be visualized, using the OSVE software in the background.

Other options

The ESS plugin includes support for other ESA missions and extra functionalities that are available in the launcher. (use -h argument to list them):

Options:
  juice_ptr     JUICE pointing request plugin
  juice_mk      JUICE metakernel loader plugin
  cosmo_main    Multi-mission plugin (default)
  stardb        Run the stardb database utility
  • Open a terminal
  • Navigate to ess-plugin directory
  • Execute the generic launcher script with the desired argument.
  • A configuration dialog will guide you with the required entries to create a scene.

Plugin help and documentation

For further information about the plugin, please visit the JUICE Cosmographia help site