Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
Science Operations Center (SOC)-TESS Science Office (TSO)
Interface Control Document
37-12007 Rev 01
23 January 2014
PREPARED BY:
Roland Vanderspek, SOC Lead
APPROVED BY:
Todd Klaus, SPOC Systems Engineer
APPROVED BY:
David Latham, TSO Director
APPROVED BY:
Joel Villasenor, POC Manager
APPROVED BY:
Elmer Jones, Ground Systems & Operations Manager
APPROVED BY:
Jeff Volosin, Project Manager
APPROVED BY:
APPROVED BY:
RELEASED BY:
SOC-TSO ICD, 37-12007
January 23, 2014
Rev 01
REVISION HISTORY
REV
DATE
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SOC-TSO ICD, 37-12007
REASON FOR CHANGE/CHANGE
SECTION(s)
AFFECTED
Initial release
January 23, 2014
Rev 01
Table of Contents
1
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................4
1.1 PURPOSE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4
1.2 SCOPE .......................................................................................................................................................................... 4
1.3 COMPLIANCE DOCUMENTS .............................................................................................................................................. 4
1.4 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................................................................. 4
2
SCIENCE DATA FLOW AND ARCHIVE .....................................................................................................................5
2.1 SCIENCE GROUND SEGMENT OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................ 5
2.1.1 POC ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1.2 SPOC .................................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1.3 TSO....................................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 SPOC-TSO INTERFACE ................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.3 POC-TSO INTERFACE ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.3.1 TESS Input Catalog ............................................................................................................................................... 6
2.3.2 Auxiliary Target List ............................................................................................................................................. 6
SOC-TSO ICD, 37-12007
January 23, 2014
Rev 01
1
Introduction
1.1
Purpose
This document defines the TESS mission’s data interfaces between the Science Operations Center
(SOC) and the TESS Science Office (TSO).
1.2
Scope
This Interface Control Document (ICD) is applicable to Phases B-F of the TESS mission, as described
in the TESS Mission Operations Concept Document (TBR: check this).
1.3
Compliance Documents
This ICD will be compliant with the requirements found in the following specification documents.
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TESS SOC Requirements Document
TESS Science Processing Operations Center (SPOC) Requirements Document
TESS Payload Operations Center (POC) Requirements Document
TESS Science Office Requirements Document
This ICD will refer to the following lower-level ICDs.
 SPOC-TSO ICD
 POC-TSO ICD
1.4
Reference Documents
This ICD refers to the following documents.
 TESS-PM-PLAN-TBD: TESS Mission Operations Concept Document
SOC-TSO ICD, 37-12007
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2
Science Data Flow and Archive
2.1
Science Ground Segment Overview
The primary elements in the TESS ground segment, as shown in Figure X, are the Mission
Operations Center (MOC), the Science Operations Center (SOC), and the TESS Science Office
(TSO). The TESS SOC is broken up into the Payload Operations Center (POC) and the Science
Processing Operations Center (SPOC).
2.1.1 POC
The POC is responsible for instrument command and control, the retrieval of science data from the
DSN, the generation of Level 0 data from the instrument data, and the transmission of the Level 0
data to the SPOC.
2.1.2 SPOC
The SPOC is responsible for pipeline processing of the Level 0 data into Level 1-5 data products,
which include raw and calibrated pixel data, raw and calibrated light curve data, and Threshold
Crossing Events (TCEs) and associated validation products. The SPOC sends TCEs and validation
documentation to the TSO for further analysis.
2.1.3 TSO
The TSO is responsible for more detailed analysis of TCEs, which results in the identification of TESS
Objects of Interest (TOIs). The TSO is responsible for coordinating follow-up ground-based
observations of TOIs to identify candidates for the high-precision imaging and spectroscopic
observations required for measurement of the planet mass.
The TSO is also responsible for the generation of the TESS Input Catalog (TIC) and Auxiliary Target
List (ATL) and tehir delivery to the POC.
2.2
SPOC-TSO Interface
The processing of Level 0 data in the SPOC results in the generation of TCEs and associated data
validation reports every 27 days. The data products delivered by the SPOC to the TSO are
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TCE summary report
Data validation results
Combined data validation report
XML schema definitions
The details of the SPOC-TSO interface and the delivered data products are covered in the SPOCTSO ICD.
2.3
POC-TSO Interface
The TSO is responsible for generating and delivering the two target catalogs to the POC: the TESS
Input Catalog (TIC) and the Auxiliary Target List (ATL).
SOC-TSO ICD, 37-12007
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Rev 01
2.3.1 TESS Input Catalog
The TESS Input Catalog (TIC) is a catalog of three billion stars generated to assist in planning
observations and data reduction. The TIC includes ~200,000 potential targets for TESS
observations. The TIC also includes background stars that may influence photometric measurements
of these stars. The first version of the TIC shall be delivered during Phase D. As new information
about target or background stars becomes available (e.g. from Gaia), revised versions of the TIC can
be delivered to the POC.
The details of TIC delivery and format are described in the POC-TSO ICD.
2.3.2 Auxiliary Target List
The Auxiliary Target List (ATL) contains non-exoplanet targets of TESS observations. The ATL
consists of only a few thousand stars over the celestial sphere. Possible ATL targets include stars
with asteroseismic interest or targets of a GO program.
The details of ATL delivery and format are described in the POC-TSO ICD.
SOC-TSO ICD, 37-12007
January 23, 2014
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