Open Source Mission Support System for research aircraft missions

The Mission Support System Software (MSS) is a client/server application developed in the community to collaboratively create flight plans based on model data. Through conda-forge, the components of MSS can be used on different platforms.

Examining the atmosphere by research aircraft is a costly and highly collaborative effort involving a large community of scientists, their one-of-a-kind measurement instruments and a very limited amount of available flight-hours.
The MSS Software (mss.rtfd.io) is used for planning research aircraft missions. Such missions involve the measurement of interesting atmospheric situation by research aircraft. These missions typically involve a wide range of one-of-a-kind instruments designed and operated by different scientific institution, with different requirements and operational conditions.
The software project contains several components. Scripts for automated download and process of weather forecast data for the server components. This model forecast data is needed to guide the aircraft to the location of interest. The data is visualized by an extended OGC webmap server capable of visualising the big data generated by complex 3-D atmospheric simulations in a highly configurable manner and delivering the resulting small PNG images over the internet. Another server based on socketIO enables collaborative working from different locations on the same flightpath simultaniously. The flightpath editor is a QT UI that allows to overlay the pictures produced by our server. The flightpath can be changed accordingly vertically and horizontally. We provide also a view based on the simulated data to visualize data similar to an insitu measurement along the flightpath.

Transcript

1. OPEN SOURCE MISSION SUPPORT SYSTEM
   for research aircraft missions
   - - | @TheMSSystem Reimar Bauer
   Member of the Helmholtz Association
   

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2. Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Reimar Bauer
   Forschungszentrum Jülich, IEK-
   IEK- conducts research on the chemistry, dynamics and
   microphysics of the stratosphere and the tropopause
   region, and on the role these atmospheric layers play in
   the climate system.
   For this purpose, research aircrafts and balloons are used
   for complex measurements of atmospheric parameters
   intended to clarify processes, primarily on a local and
   regional scale.
   http://www.fz-juelich.de/
   Reimar Bauer
   @ReimarBauer
   IEK-
   PythonCamp
   Python Software Foundation
   Python Software Verband e.V.
   Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
   

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3. Atmospheric Research – What?
   Understand various individual processes
   and their interplay in the atmosphere
   Source: Artificial Clouds - Reimar Bauer
   Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
   

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4. Sketch of Atmospheric Processes
   Source: Karlheinz Nogai, FZJ
   Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
   

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5. Atmospheric Research – AIM
   Improved understanding of the individual processes
   parametrize these processes in atmospheric models, e.g. Chemistry climate models (CCMs)
   and Earth system models (ESMs)
   Quality improvement of models and predictions for ozone hole, climate,...
   Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
   

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6. Atmospheric Research – HOW?
   Source: Karlheinz Nogai
   Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
   

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7. Atmospheric Research – Aircraft Measurements
   Flexibility to measure at locations of scientific interest
   Cheap compared to satellite measurements
   Research flight hours are rare and still very expensive
   Collaboration with various groups and institutions that are specialized for individual
   measurements
   Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
   

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8. Aircraft Measurements: The DLR HALO
   Source: Isabell Krisch, DLR
   Top altitude: km, range: km, up to metric tons payload
   Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
   

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9. Planning Research Flights - Get all groups satisfied
   Scientific campaigns with flights from a base airport address many scientific questions
   Find the best flight plan for all envolved
   Ground Team for instrument preparation and mounting
   Model simulations for the near future using meteorological forecast data
   Optimization of the scientific outcome by finding the best flight path (in dimensions time,
   latitude, longitude, altitude) in the “model world”
   Consideration of various aircraft constraints (range, flight altitude, overflight permits...)
   Discussion and iteration of the proposed flight plans with pilots and aircraft representatives
   Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
   

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10. M
    ¯
    ission S
    ¯
    upport S
    ¯
    ystem (MSS)
    Software to aid scientific flight planning:
    Marc Rautenhaus, formerly DLR, introduced MSS in .
    Github Organization Open-MSS https://github.com/Open-MSS
    License: Apache .
    stable branch for releases
    develop branch for new features
    Dockerhub https://hub.docker.com/r/openmss/mss
    stable release
    images for automated tests
    Python
    anaconda distribution for all platforms
    conda-forge application https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/mss
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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11. Documented in GMD
    Bauer, R., Grooß, J.-U., Ungermann, J., Bär, M., Geldenhuys, M., and Hoffmann, L.: The
    Mission Support System (MSS v . . ) and its use in planning for the SouthTRAC aircraft
    campaign, Geosci. Model Dev., https://doi.org/ . /gmd- - , in review, .
    Rautenhaus, M., Bauer, G., and Doernbrack, A.: A web service based tool to plan atmospheric
    research flights, Geosci. Model Dev., , - , doi: . /gmd- - - , .
    http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/ / / /gmd- - - .pdf
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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12. Installing with mamba from conda-forge
    conda config --add channels conda-forge
    conda create -n mssenv mamba
    conda activate mssenv
    mamba install mss
    msui
    MSUI graphical user interface
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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13. MSUI Configuration
    layout sizes of views, immutable sizes
    available map projections
    predefined waypoints
    import/export plugins
    WMS service URLs
    login cedentials
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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14. Architecture of MSS
    Installation includes: MSWMS server, MSColab server, MSUI graphical interface
    Bauer et al., https://doi.org/ . /gmd- - in review
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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15. MSWMS uses the OGC Web Map Service standard
    A client (left) sends a GetMap request, encoded as an HTTP URL to the server (right). The server
    creates an image file and sends it to the client.
    Rautenhaus et al., GMD, , - ,
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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16. MSS helps Solving Complexity of flight planning
    data center provide by the MSWMS server forecast data, e.g. ECMWF
    data center provides a MSColab collaboration server compenent
    The scientists uses a QT GUI client application which can access MSWMS and MSColab
    Servers.
    The scientists accesses the MSWMS server and requests vertical, horizontal, linear views and
    receives generated images.
    Scientists interactively design a flight route in direct relation to atmospheric prediction data.
    The flight route is exchanged to all users using the MSColab collaboration Server
    Way points of a proposed flight route are overlayed on any view of requested data.
    Flightplan based on flight route handed over to pilots and aircraft representatives.
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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17. Campaigns using MSS
    Source: Jens-Uwe Grooss, FZJ
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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18. MSUI Top View
    A) map projection
    B) zoom/pan
    C) way points
    D) appearance
    E) open controls
    F) layer / styles
    G) time setup
    H) new request
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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19. MSUI Vertical Flight Profile and Table View
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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20. MSUI Vertical Flight Profile and Top View
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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21. MSWMS Configurations
    All plots can be defined by python scripts.
    example can be created by mswms_demodata –seed
    use the default plot styles
    create own styles in extra files
    derivate from generics styles
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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22. MSColab
    Features using a MSColab server.
    exchanges data in realtime
    changes of the flightpath are versionized
    used database can be configured
    role concept for permissions
    access to MSColab by rd party software, e.g. windy
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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23. Development .x.x
    improve setup of own plotting styles and documentation
    refactor and create a script which can automated fetch plots
    improve the MSUI and servers
    Fourth time participating in Google Summer of Code.
    Source: BLACKDUCK Open Hub
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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24. Ecosystem
    conda-forge community
    mamba-org community
    anaconda
    pypi
    bitbucket, github
    pycharm, vscode
    pytest
    readthedocs
    dockerhub
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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25. Documentation
    http://mss.rtfd.io
    https://github.com/Open-MSS/MSS/
    https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/mss
    http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/ / / /gmd- - - .pdf
    http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/ / / /gmd- - - -supplement.pdf
    The Mission Support System (MSS v . . ) and its use in planning for the SouthTRAC aircraft
    campaign, Geosci. Model Dev. in review,
    Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
    

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