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About JPL Solar System Dynamics
JPL's Solar System Dynamics group is a member of the Mission Design and Navigation section.
The group's primary products, services, and charter are
described below.
Major Products and Services
Charter
This group generates accurate position and velocity histories
(ephemerides)
for the bodies of the solar system including the
planets, planetary satellites,
comets and asteroids.
It also performs scientific research and provides science support and leaders
to mission studies involving celestial mechanics, relativity,
and other areas of dynamical science.
Specific responsibilities of the group are to:
- Continually update and improve the accuracy of the
ephemerides using new data and new data types.
- Export ephemerides to flight projects
of all space faring nations and to an international community of scientists.
- Maintain up-to-date orbit and physical data files
for planets, satellites
and thousands of comets and asteroids
for mission design work.
- Maintain data files of astrometric data for solar system bodies.
- Assume lead role in defining fundamental coordinate systems and
physical constants for solar system bodies.
- Coordinate ground-based observing programs for solar system bodies
that may become future mission targets.
- Help plan future missions to
- study the comets and asteroids
of the solar system and
- investigate fundamental gravitational theory.
- Conduct research and plan missions to test certain areas of fundamental
physics including the equivalence principle and gravitational waves.
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