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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