Abstract
The University of California, Berkeley, is the primary science analysis center for the Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST). It is responsible for processing and routing the science data to the various investigators and serves as an on-line data archive and science command center for the project. Raw data, received from NASA within a few hours of its transmission to the ground, is processed into CD-ROMs for archive and distribution to the Co-Investigators, and summary data is generated for viewing at the FAST Web site or for retrieval as key parameter data from NASA or the FAST Web site. Daily science command loads and real-time commands are generated to optimize science data collection. This paper presents a description of the FAST ground operations performed at Berkeley. Also included is a discussion of the data analysis software and tools that allow the large data volume (>1 terabyte) to be accessed quickly and efficiently by the scientists. These tasks are more extensive than those performed in the past by science institutions and can be considered as a model for future small programs to reduce cost and maximize science return.
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McFadden, J.P., Ergun, R., Carlson, C. et al. Science Operations and Data Handling for the FAST Satellite. Space Science Reviews 98, 169–196 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013179624253
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013179624253