Data Mining, Ingestion and Distribution of Planetary Data on Natural Satellites
Abstract
In the framework of the European Union project entitled ESPaCE (European Satellite Partnership for Computing Ephemerides) we have carried out research by collecting unexploited space data and ground-based data for providing new dynamical orbit models and ephemeris of natural satellites and spacecraft orbits. Besides new digitization of old astrometric plate data, Radio Science, VLBI tracking, Laser Ranging methods are applied to these goals. Furthermore shape and gravity field data, reference systems are provided for several natural satellites. This project intends to put all this material online for free access by the scientific community. We describe here the data mining performed, the various data and metadata involved, and the set-up of an astrometric database.