Building Next Generation Ground Data Software

Ground software for processing space instrument data can be highly specialized and tailored to the specifics of the instrument and its data. When comparing ground software systems from multiple instruments we start to see commonalities that can be abstracted out for reusability. We can transform specialized data pipelines into more generic systems capable of being reused between instruments and missions by applying software development best practices. In this talk I will share lessons learned from developing ground software for instruments on missions like Rosetta, Juno, and BepiColombo. We’ll look at how those experiences have improved our next generation of ground data software being written for Europa Clipper, JUICE, and Lunar Vertex instruments. Compared to their predecessors these systems can more easily support a variety of input and output formats, allow for rapid adaptations to changing requirements, and more efficiently produce archive ready data.