SPICE (Spacecraft Planet Instrument Caching Environment)

SPICE (Spacecraft Planet Instrument Caching Environment) is a software toolkit used by scientists and engineers to plan, analyze, and interpret space mission data. It provides detailed information about a spacecraft’s position, orientation, and the locations of celestial objects, allowing precise calculations of where a spacecraft is and what it is observing. This helps ensure accurate data collection and analysis during planetary missions, satellite operations, and astronomical observations. Essentially, SPICE acts as a comprehensive digital library of navigation and observation data, enabling users to synchronize spacecraft activities with celestial events effectively.