NEAR Documentation Set
This page provides direct links to the best available copies of the NEAR documentation set, in all available formats.
Mission Documents
- Mission Overview: A top-level description of the NEAR mission and its original, planned phases
- NEAR Spacecraft Decription: An overview of the spacecraft and its major subsytems
- Text (PDS catalog file)
- Archive Plan: The original plan for collecting and archiving the NEAR data with the Planetary Data System
- Command and Data Handling System Description: A reprint of the JHU APL Tech Digest article
- MSI/NIS/OPNAV Sequencer Guide:
- Mission Reference List: A master list of all citations mentioned in the documentation and data labels of all NEAR instruments
- Text (PDS Reference File)
Description of the Eros Coordinate Systems
Description of Data Levels
Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) Documents
-
MSI Instrument Description
- Text (PDS catalog file)
- Text (PDS Reference File)
- Description of calibration processes, equations, and levels
- Files useful for the calibration of MSI images
- Filter bandpass, flat field, and point spread function files (Text)
- Filter bandpass files only (Text, PDS catalog file)
- Overview
- Detailed Descriptions
- Sequencer Guide (MSI/NIS/OPNAV)
- Observation Guides
- Level 1b Data.
- Level 2 Data.
- Level 3 Data.
- Digital Image Maps of Eros Surface
- Eros Basemaps (simple cylindrical map projections)
- MSI-based Eros Shape Models
MSI Reference List: A list of all citations mentioned in the MSI documentation and data labels
MSI Calibrations
Lossy Look-up Table: The MSI lossy compression look-up table, in several forms
MSI Observation Overviews, Detailed Descriptions, and Guides
Parameter Descriptions: A text file providing definitions for the MSI parameters as they are referenced in FITS headers and PDS labels
MSI Dataset Descriptions by mission phase. Only data available (in whole or in part) at this site are included. Descriptions are in the form of PDS catalog files:
NEAR Laser Rangefinder (NLR) Documents
-
NLR Instrument Description:
- Text (PDS catalog file)
- A reprint of the JHU APL Tech Digest article
- Text (PDS Reference File)
- Level 1b Data.
- Level 2 Data.
- Level 3 Data.
- Eros Orbit (includes spherical harmonic shape and gravity models)
- Eros Map Projection (simple cylindrical for NLR shape/gravity models)
- Eros Shape/Gravity Models (from JPL NAV team using NLR data)
NLR Reference List: A list of all citations mentioned in the NLR documentation and data labels
Calibration Information: A text file describing the NLR instrument calibration
Parameter Descriptions: A text file providing definitions for the NLR parameters as they are referenced in FITS headers and PDS labels
NLR Dataset Descriptions by mission phase. Only data available (in whole or in part) at this site are included. Descriptions are in the form of PDS catalog files:
Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NIS) Documents
-
NIS Instrument Description
- Text(PDS catalog file)
- A reprint of the JHU APL Tech Digest article
- Text (PDS Reference File)
- Text (Overview)
- Calibration procedures
- Description of files used for calibrating the NIS data from
raw counts to radiance factor.
- Text (PDS label)
- Description of the IDL software used for calibrating the NIS data from
raw counts to radiance factor.
- Text (PDS label)
- Level 1b Data.
- Cruise Phase 1
- Cruise Phase 2
- Earth Swing-by
- Cruise Phase 3
- Eros Fly-by
- Cruise Phase 4
- Eros Orbit
- Extras, description of raw NIS data in the format used by the MSI/NIS team during Eros orbit
- Level 2 Data.
NIS Reference List: A list of all citations mentioned in the NIS documentation and data labels
Calibration Information: Files describing the NLR instrument calibration, procedures, and software
MSI/NIS/OPNAV Sequencer Guide:
NIS-Specific Phases and Subphases: A text file providing a table of working divisions of the NIS observations with the NEAR mission. Refer to Table 2 in the following document.
NIS Acronyms: A text file containing a list of acronyms specific to the NEAR mission and the MSI/NIS team
Parameter Descriptions: A text file providing definitions for the NIS parameters as they are referenced in FITS headers and PDS labels
NIS Dataset Descriptions by mission phase. Only data available (in whole or in part) at this site are included. Descriptions are in the form of PDS catalog files:
Magnetometer (MAG) Documents
-
MAG Instrument Description
- Text (PDS catalog file)
- Text (PDS Reference File)
- Calibration procedures and results
- Description of software used for the production of science data
files for the NEAR MAG experiment.
- Text (PDS label)
- Description of software used for reading the Science Data Center (SDC).
- Text (PDS label)
Mag Reference List: A list of all citations mentioned in the MAG documentation and data labels
Calibration Information: Files describing the MAG instrument calibration, results, and software
Parameter Descriptions: A text file providing definitions for the MAG parameters as they are referenced in FITS headers and PDS labels
MAG Dataset Descriptions by mission phase. Only data available (in whole or in part) at this site are included. Descriptions are in the form of PDS catalog files:
X-ray Spectrometer (XRS) Documents
-
XRS Instrument Description
- Text (PDS catalog file)
- Text (PDS Reference File)
- Overview
- Observation Log
- Instrument User Guide
- Command Log Description
- Level 1b Data.
- Level 2 and 3 Data.
XRS Reference List: A list of all citations mentioned in the XRS documentation and data labels
XRS Level 2 Requirements Specifications: Document describing the formats and derivations of all the parameters required for XRS Level 2 analysis.
XRS Observation Overview, Observation Log, User Guide, and Command Log Description
Parameter Descriptions: Text files providing definitions for the XRS parameters as they are referenced in FITS headers and PDS labels. The listings are divided by instrument and operating mode.
XRS Dataset Descriptions by mission phase. Only data available (in whole or in part) at this site are included. Descriptions are in the form of PDS catalog files:
Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) Documents
-
GRS Instrument Description
- Text (PDS catalog file)
- Text (PDS Reference File)
- Overview
- Observation Log
- Instrument User Guide
- Command Log Description
- Level 1b Data.
- Level 2 Data.
- Level 3 Data.
GRS Reference List: A list of all citations mentioned in the GRS documentation and data labels
GRS Level 2 Requirements Specifications: Document describing the formats and derivations of all the parameters required for GRS Level 2 analysis.
GRS Observation Overview, Observation Log, User Guide, and Command Log Description
Parameter Descriptions: Text files providing definitions for the GRS parameters as they are referenced in FITS headers and PDS labels. The listings are divided by instrument and operating mode.
GRS Dataset Descriptions by mission phase. Only data available (in whole or in part) at this site are included. Descriptions are in the form of PDS catalog files:
Radio Science Documents
-
Radio Science Subsystem Description
- Text (PDS catalog file)
- Text (PDS Reference File)
- Deep Space Network UTMP and TEMPO EOP Files (Text)
- Deep Space Network Media Calibration Data File (Text)
- Level 1 to 5 Data.
- Mathilde Fly-by
- Eros Fly-by
- Eros Orbit
- Eros Gravity Model (from RSS data)
- Eros Map Projection (simple cylindrical for RSS gravity model)
- Eros Shape/Gravity Models (from JPL NAV team using NLR data)
Radio Science Reference List: A list of all citations mentioned in the Radio Science documentation and data labels
System Interface Specification (SIS) Documents
Radio Science Dataset Descriptions by mission phase. Only data available (in whole or in part) at this site are included. Descriptions are in the form of PDS catalog files:
SPICE Documents
- Outline of documentation in the NEAR SPICE archive
- Documentation in the NEAR SPICE archive
- NEAR SPICE data set catalog file
NOTE: The NEAR SPICE archive was originally structured inconveniently as nine data sets divided by mission phase. For ease of use, these nine data sets were combined into a single data set by Boris Semenov of NAIF, and the combined NEAR SPICE data set was reviewed internally by SBN. The combined data set was released by NAIF in February 2013 and linked on the SBN NEAR archive site.
The original nine data sets, which are now superseded by the combined data set, are accessible here.