THE SUN-EARTH SPACE INFORMATION SYSTEM
Peng Wang
Zhengzhou Institute of Surveying & Mapping, 450052, P.R.China -WangPeng(gchxy.com, wplin@sina.com
KEY WORDS: Spatial Information Sciences, Extra-terrestrial. Application, Visualization, Model, Virtual Reality -
ABSTRACT:
Nowadays the object of Space Information System (SIS) is limited to the earth surface, and the large-scale sun-earth space does not
been considered. In this paper, the research object of SIS is been extended, namely the object is been studied from the carth surface
to the sun-earth space, and the concept of “Sun-earth Space Information System" is been proposed. It is the very important content
of SIS. Considering the current theory and the research way of SIS, the possibility and the feasibility of applying SIS to study the
Sun-earth space are been analyzed. In the last, the detailed research. scheme is been given. Eventually SIS and Scientific
Visualization are applied to visually. model the three-dimensional Sun-earth space and the real three-dimensional environment is
been set up.
I. INTRODUCTION
From. the first satellite had been launched in 1957. the space
times is coming to us. The development of space science for 40
years make us recognize the space environment is related with
people's living and development, and it is very important as the
same with earth, ocean and atmosphere. With the improvement
of aeronautics and astronautics science and the development of
military war, situation, the sun-earth: space environment
becomes the most related environment. with. the human space
activity. In this space environment, the activities of the sun,
such as the solar flare and CME (Coronal Mass Ejection),
influence ‘and endanger frequently ' geomagnetic field,
ionosphere and upper atmosphere, the satellite safety: and
human health. The space environment situation and its variety
regulation become the concernmeént questions of space activity.
As compared with GIS (geographic information system)
research in ‘geography, the 'süri-éárth space environment
research is limited to the scientific calculation and mathematics
processing to observational data. To describe better the ‘solar
terrestrial space and show its entire situation and variety
regulation, we can extend the research objects and fields of GIS
to the entire solar-terrestrial space from ground, and apply the
existing research ways and technology of GIS to the research of
space object and space environment. And the solar-terrestrial
space can be expressed by the prototype of “Digital Space”, so
that it can be better showing space, using space and controlling
space for people.
Currently there is not good system framework about the entire
solar-terrestrial space environment. And the research emphases
are limited to the specialty of space aeronautics and space
physics, and cannot meet the demanding of other fields to space
application. To show the space by the way of visualization
better, we must import new methods and technology to its
research. At present, there is not much research about the entire
solar-terrestrial space information system. So the system mainly
includes SPENVIS-Space Environment Information System of
Europe Space Bureau, U.S.A EWB-The Environment
WorkBench and Space Radiation and so on. The software about
the space environment includes NASA Living with a Star,
Space Environment Effect System and National Space Weather
Program. In this paper, it applies the conception, technology of
718
GIS to the solar-terrestrial space research, and these new
methods to the space environment research should improve the
space studying level:
For convenience, it uses some Acronyms.
SIS: the Sun-earth Space Information System
GIS: Geographic Information System
VR: Virtual Reality
SciV: Scientific Visualization
2. THE CONCEPT OF SIS
The concept of SIS advanced on the base of GIS and the space
environment technology, so it relies on the development of GIS
methods and space environment research.
2.1 The Correlative GIS Technology
GIS, having geographic reference system information. is the
tool to acquire, manage, process and display space, information
based on computer technology.(Li,2002) And its, information
usually. was been. divided; into ‘two kinds, namely, space
information and attribute information. On. compare with other
information system, the basic concept of GIS is object's space
situation, space distributing and space relation. The points, lines.
arcas and the implicit peculiarity, that are abstracted from space
object, compose the basic cell of GIS. And the core of GIS is
the management and analysis of space database. At present, the
development of GIS more emphasizes the integration of many
format data, the integration of GIS, RS and GPS. The space
information analysis and simulation of GIS gives more methods
to the other information.
2:2 The Sun-earth Space Environment
Developing the space environment research is the foundation of
the development of space technology, and is the main ways. of
understanding space and utilizing space. And its rescarch
includes. the static distributing of ‘all space environment
elements and the influence of sun and earth activity to the space
environment. In our rescarch, the space‘ of space environment
usually is the wide fields upper the a few kilometres from the
ground.
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