Solar System Operations Lab for Constructing Optimized Science Observations

Planetary Sciences planning activities are often driven by spacecraft technical constraints, such as thermal limitations, link budgets or pointing limitations. Therefore Science Operations Centres when deriving requirements usually put emphasis in giving the user the tools to deal with such constraints. As necessary as this is science parameter requirements are sometimes left in the bottom of the development chain. In order to improve the science planning for planetary missions a prototype of a Science Observation Planning Tool was developed were the focus is put more on the optimization of science goals. This tool allows for parametric analysis of science quantities, together with the most important technical constraints, in order to optimize the observation plan. It is aimed to provide multimission analysis capability and to have an extended functionality to larger periods to be used in different parts of the science planning cycle: from the early study phases to the last week before an observation takes place. It is aimed to support both operating missions such as Venus Express and future interplanetary missions like Solar Orbiter or the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer. This paper will outline the capabilities of this tool as well as its use cases and demonstrate the added value such a tool provides to planetary science missions.