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
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
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
4. Sketch of Atmospheric Processes Source: Karlheinz Nogai, FZJ Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
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
6. Atmospheric Research – HOW? Source: Karlheinz Nogai Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
17. Campaigns using MSS Source: Jens-Uwe Grooss, FZJ Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
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
19. MSUI Vertical Flight Profile and Table View Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
20. MSUI Vertical Flight Profile and Top View Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
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
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
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
24. Ecosystem conda-forge community mamba-org community anaconda pypi bitbucket, github pycharm, vscode pytest readthedocs dockerhub Member of the Helmholtz Association - - | @TheMSSystem Slide
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