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VESPA, a Planetary Science Virtual Observatory cornerstone
  • +16
  • Stéphane Erard,
  • Baptiste Cecconi,
  • Pierre Le Sidaner,
  • Angelo Pio Rossi,
  • Maria Teresa Capria,
  • Bernard Schmitt,
  • Vincent Genot,
  • Nicolas André,
  • Ann Carine Vandaele,
  • Manuel Scherf,
  • Ricardo Hueso,
  • Anni Maattanen,
  • Benoit Carry,
  • Nicholas Achilleos,
  • Chiara Marmo,
  • Ondrej Santolik,
  • Jan Soucek,
  • Kevin Benson,
  • Pierre Fernique
Stéphane Erard
Paris Observatory

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Baptiste Cecconi
Paris Observatory Meudon
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Pierre Le Sidaner
Observatoire de Paris
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Angelo Pio Rossi
Jacobs University Bremen
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Maria Teresa Capria
IAPS-INAF
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Bernard Schmitt
Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble (LPG)
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Vincent Genot
IRAP / CNRS / UPS
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Nicolas André
Universite Paul Sabatier
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Ann Carine Vandaele
Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
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Manuel Scherf
IWF Institute for Space Research
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Ricardo Hueso
University of the Basque Country
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Anni Maattanen
LATMOS Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales
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Benoit Carry
Paris Observatory
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Nicholas Achilleos
University College London
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Chiara Marmo
GEOPS / University of Paris-Sud 11
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Ondrej Santolik
IAP Prague
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Jan Soucek
Inst. of Atmospheric Physics
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Kevin Benson
Mullard Space Science Laboratory
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Pierre Fernique
Observatoire de Strasbourg
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Abstract

The Europlanet H2020 program started on 1/9/2015 for 4 years. It includes an activity to adapt Virtual Observatory (VO) techniques to Planetary Science data called VESPA. The objective is to facilitate searches in big archives as well as sparse databases, to provide simple data access and on-line visualization, and to allow small data providers to make their data available in an interoperable environment with minimum effort. The VESPA system has been hugely improved during the first three years of Europlanet H2020: the infrastructure has been upgraded to describe data in many fields more accurately; the main user search interface (http://vespa.obspm.fr) has been redesigned to provide more flexibility; alternative ways to access Planetary Science data services from VO tools have been implemented; VO tools are being improved to handle specificities of Solar System data, e.g. measurements in reflected light, coordinate systems, etc. Current steps include the development of a connection between the VO world and GIS tools, and integration of Heliophysics, planetary plasmas, and mineral spectroscopy data to support of the analysis of observations. Existing data services have been updated, and new ones have been designed. The global objective is already overstepped, with 42 services open (including ESA’s PSA) and ~15 more being finalized. A procedure to install data services has been documented, and hands-on sessions are organized twice a year at EGU and EPSC; this is intended to favour the installation of services by individual research teams, e.g. to distribute derived data related to a published study. In complement, regular discussions are held with big data providers, starting with space agencies (IPDA). Common projects with PDS have been engaged, with the goal to connect PDS4 and EPN-TAP based on a local data dictionary. In parallel, a Solar System Interest Group has been established in IVOA; the goal is here to adapt existing astronomy standards to Planetary Science. The Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654208. [1] Erard et al 2014, Astronomy & Computing 7-8, 71-80. http://arxiv.org/abs/1407.4886