The PLATO Ground Segment, shown in Figure 1 on the right, covers the in-flight operations of the satellite, such
that the mission objectives can be met. The PLATO Operations Ground Segment consists of the Ground Station
Facilities and the Mission Operations Centre (MOC), which operates the spacecraft and creates the telemetry and
flight dynamics products. The PLATO Science Ground Segment (SGS) is responsible for the end-to-end handling of
the PLATO data and production of the PLATO scientific data products (DPs). The major systems within the SGS
are: the ESA provided PLATO Science Operations Centre (SOC), and the PLATO Mission Consortium (PMC)
provided SGS components, which are the PLATO Data Centre (PDC) and PLATO Science Preparation
Management (PSPM).
The definition phase objectives of the SGS are to establish the technical
(PDC) and scientific (PSPM) requirements baseline for the SGS and to
develop the operations concept, architecture and interfaces. The definition
phase activities of the PDC and PSPM are organized according to the
following guidelines:
•
•
•
•
Figure 1
As seen in the figure below, the PDC structure is divided into 8 top-level components/
WPs, under the overall coordination of the PLATO Data Processing Manager (PDPM).
PLATO Instrument
Manager (P. Bodin)
300 000
PDC Overall
Management
MPSSR
PSPM provides the scientific specifications of the software
PDC translates the scientific specifications into technical specifications
PDC implements technical specifications
PSPM checks that the PDC software is consistent with the initial
scientific specifications. This validation by PSPM occurs within the PDC
– a normal part of the development QA process.
L. Gizon (PDPM)
310 000
System Architecture
and Management
320 000
Data Processing
Algorithms
LESIA
MPSSR
310 001
PDC-DB
R. Burston
330 000
Data Processing
Development
R. Samadi
MPSSR
I. Pardowitz
340 000
340 001
Input Catalogue
ASDC-ASI
PDPC-A
P. Giommi
350 000
Ancillary Data
Management
The scientific outputs of the PLATO mission are the key science data
products DP1 through DP6, shown in the table below. These will be
generated as outputs from various 'levels' of the processing chain.
LAM
350 001
PDPC-L
M. Deleuil
360 000
Exoplanet Analysis
System
IoA-Cam
360 001
PDPC-C
N. Walton
370 000
370 001
Stellar Analysis
System
IAS
PDPC-I
T. Appourchaux
380 000
Data Analysis
Support Tools
Figure 2
MPSSR
380 001
PDPC-M
L. Gizon
!
The PDC will be responsible for defining and developing all the software tools to be run
at the SOC for the production of the L1 data products, as well as for the preparation of
the monitoring runs. The PDC will also deliver to the SOC the necessary tools for the
validation and optimization of the onboard processing.
http://www.mps.mpg.de/projects/seismo/PLATO/index.html
The PDC timeline for Definition Phase A is shown in the figure below:
TLM
109 Gb @ 3.5h/day
TC
PLATO DATA CENTER
GS/MOC (ESOC)
TLM &
Auxiliary
TC params &
onboard sw
SOC (ESAC)
PLATO Data Centre
Phase A Timeline
parameters for tuning
onboard software
Payload
Database
Export File
PDC Operations
Manager
(formerly PDPM)
Data Processing
Algorithms
(LESIA WP320)
L0/L1
processing
L0/L1 algorithms
Data Processing
Development
(MPSSR WP330)
L0/L1 software
March 10
April 13
March 17
v1 Drafts
of RMP,
PAP, CMP
ready
July 1
May 11
Updated
Implementation
Phase Proposal,
SIRD, SIP,
SOCD, Red
Book to ESA
Updated
WPDs and
Cost
Tables to
Project
Office
Phase A
Report
to
Project
Office
Input
Catalog
L0 L1
Input Catalog
PLATO
Archive
Ancillary
L0/L1
L2
HK
February 2011
February
23-25
PLATO
Science
Conference
(Berlin)
March 2011
Early
March
Response
to
ESA/SGS
AO panel
Late
March
Drafts
of
SOCD,
SIRD
and SIP
to ESA
April 2011
April
13-14 or
27-28
5th PDC
Meeting
(Lindau)
May 2011
June 2011
Figure 3
Mid May
April 29
Release of
Delta AO
Package
(SOCD,
SIRD,
SMP) by
ESA
Input Catalog
PDPC-A
(ASI WP340)
Input Catalog
ry
Ancilla
Ancillary
Ancillary Data
Management
PDPC-L
(LAM WP350)
Ancillary
L0, L1, Stellar L2, Ancillary
L2
L0/L1
Other
Exoplanet L2 (DP2 DP6)
Stellar
L2 (DP
3 DP4
Exoplanet PDPC-C
(IoA-Cam WP360)
DP5)
L0, L1, Ancillary
Feedback to L2 processing
Stellar PDPC-I
(IAS WP370)
Data Analysis
Support Tools
PDPC-M
(MPSSR WP380)
Updated
SIP for
PIRR
The PDC will also generate the validated PLATO input catalogue and manage the
ancillary data. Computing resources will be distributed among five Data Processing
Centers: PDPC-C at IoA-Cambridge for the exoplanet analysis system, PDPC-I at IAS for
the stellar analysis system, PDPC-A at ASI for the Input Catalog, PDPC-L for the ancillary
data management, PDPC-M at MPSSR for running of the data analysis support tools.
= ESA Deadline
Figure 4
= Internal PDC Deadline
July 2011
PDC Database (MPSSR WP310)
Updated
WBS,
WPDs and
Cost
Tables to
Project
Office
PLATO Payload
(CNES)
PLATO Science Preparation
Management
More information regarding the Definition Phase activities of the PDC can
be found online:
As illustrated in the SGS data flow diagram below, the PDC will be responsible for the
technical specifications and the implementation of the software tools to process the
scientific L2 data products. The PDC will include a main data base (PDC-DB at MPSSR)
that will comprise the PLATO data products, the input catalogue, and all the ancillary data
on the PLATO targets that are required for the processing of the L2 data products, in
particular, specifically acquired ground-based follow-up observations.