MEX Orbit Number Files                                                      
  ======================                                                      
                                                                              
  This "aareadme.txt" file describes the contents of the kernels/orbnum       
  directory of the MEX SPICE data server.  It also provides the file naming   
  conventions used for the MEX Orbit Number files, and it provides            
  identification of the most current version of each kind of ORBNUM file.     
  These are created from the SPK files converted from the ESOC's DDID Orbit   
  Files.                                                                      
                                                                              
  Orbit Number files (*.ORB) contained in this directory are unix text files. 
  These may be used in a non-compatible text environment by using the ASCII   
  mode of FTP to port the files.                                              
                                                                              
  Contact                                                                     
                                                                              
        ESA SPICE Team       esa_spice@sciops.esa.int                                
                                                                              
  , or                                                                        
                                                                              
    Jose Luis Vazquez    jlvazquez@sciops.esa.int                             
                                                                              
  if you have any questions.                                                  
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                                                              
  References                                                                  
  ==========                                                                  
                                                                              
    1. Data Delivery Interface Document (DDID)       Appendix H - FD          
       products Issue 3.0 (MEX-ESC-IF-5003)                                   
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                                                              
  Important Note Regarding Orbit Number Files                                 
  ===========================================                                 
                                                                              
  In the Mars Express orbit number files produced by NAIF's ORBNUM utility    
  program each of the records contains the time of THAT orbit's pericenter and
  the time of the NEXT orbit's apocenter. For example, the line for orbit '3' 
  provide UTC and SCLK of orbit '3' pericenter and UTC of orbit '4' apocenter.
                                                                              
  Since the project accepted orbit numbering scheme dictates the orbit number 
  change to occur at apocenter, the time boundaries for a given orbit can be  
  determined by taking the apocenter time from the PREVIOUS orbit record and  
  the apocenter time from THIS orbit record.                                  
                                                                              
  Orbit number 1 corresponds to the first mapping orbit, 2004 JAN 4.          
                                                                              
  All derived quantities provided on each record -- sub-solar lon/lat,        
  sub-spacecraft lon/lat/alt, and orbital elements -- are computed for the    
  time of pericenter.                                                         
                                                                              
                                                                              
  Example                                                                     
  -------                                                                     
                                                                              
  This is an example of MEX orbit number file (spacing was altered to fit the 
  page):                                                                      
                                                                              
        No Event UTC PERI       Event SCLK PERI  OP-Event UTC APO     ...     
        == ==================== ================ ==================== ...     
         1 2003 DEC 30 14:31:08 1/031415532.6386 2003 DEC 30 18:18:32 ...     
         2 2003 DEC 30 22:05:53 1/031442817.0170 2003 DEC 31 01:53:20 ...     
         3 2003 DEC 31 05:40:46 1/031470110.0775 2003 DEC 31 09:28:11 ...     
         4 2003 DEC 31 13:15:33 1/031497397.5425 2003 DEC 31 17:03:01 ...     
        ...                                                                   
                                                                              
  Given this example one can determine that:                                  
                                                                              
         --   orbit 3 pericenter time is ''2003 DEC 31 05:40:46''             
                                                                              
         --   orbit 3 time boundaries are from ''2003 DEC 31 01:53:20'' to    
              ''2003 DEC 31 09:28:11''                                        
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                                                              
  Mars Express Orbit Number Directory Structure                               
  =============================================                               
                                                                              
                                                                              
   aareadme.txt                    This file.                                 
                                                                              
   former_versions                 Subdirectory that contains obsolete        
                                   versions of the ORBNUM files that have been
                                   updated in the Current ORBNUM File Set.    
                                                                              
   ORMF_______________xxxxx.ORB    Contains Mars Express orbit pericenter and 
                                   apocenter times, orbital elements, and     
                                   additional geometry parameters computed    
                                   from the SPK long term file named:         
                                                                              
                                      ORMF_______________xxxxx.BSP            
                                                                              
                                   where xxxxx designates the version number. 
                                   This is the predicted file that should be  
                                   used for planning.                         
                                                                              
   ORMM_MERGED_xxxxx.ORB           Contains Mars Express orbit pericenter and 
                                   apocenter times, orbital elements, and     
                                   additional geometry parameters computed    
                                   from the latest set of ORMM SPK files      
                                   available in the FTP server. xxxxx         
                                   designates the version number. This file   
                                   corresponds to the reconstructed orbit of  
                                   the spacecraft, and therefore should be    
                                   used for data analysis, but not for        
                                   planning.                                  
                                                                              
   ORMC_FD_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.BSP    Contains MEX spacecraft long term orbit    
                                   pericenter and apocenter times, orbital    
                                   elements, and additional geometry          
                                   parameters computed from the corresponding 
                                   ORMC spk kernel. This files are used in    
                                   order to analyse different options before  
                                   implementing the long term operational     
                                   orbit (ORMF).                              
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                                                              
-------------------                                                           
                                                                              
        This file was last modified on March 4th, 2009. (J. Vazquez)