Attitude Data Messages - CCSDS

CCSDS RECOMMENDED STANDARD FOR ATTITUDE DATA MESSAGES
4 ATTITUDE EPHEMERIS MESSAGE (AEM)
4.1 OVERVIEW
4.1.1 Attitude state information may be exchanged between participants by sending an
ephemeris in the form of a series of attitude states using an Attitude Ephemeris Message
(AEM). The message recipient must have a means of interpolating across these attitude
states to obtain the attitude state at an arbitrary time contained within the span of the attitude
ephemeris.
4.1.2 The AEM shall be a text file consisting of attitude data for a single object. It shall be
easily readable by both humans and computers.
4.1.3 The file naming scheme shall be agreed to on a case-by-case basis between the
participating agencies, typically using an Interface Control Document (ICD). The method of
exchanging AEMs shall be decided on a case-by-case basis by the participating agencies and
documented in an ICD.
4.2 AEM CONTENT
4.2.1 GENERAL
4.2.1.1 The AEM shall be represented as a combination of the following:
a) a header;
b) metadata (data about data);
c) optional comments (explanatory information); and
d) attitude data.
4.2.1.2 AEM files must have a set of minimum required sections; some may be repeated.
4.2.1.3 Table 4-1 outlines the contents of an AEM.
CCSDS 504.0-B-1 Page 4-1 May 2008