A framework-based approach to science software development

The Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) is a Fourier transform spectrometer slated for launch in December 2002. Its six-year mission to provide a 3-dimensional map of ozone and its precursors is part of NASA's Earth Observation System (EOS). TES is expected to produce approximately 8.4 TB of raw data and an additional 25 TB of processed data each year. The data are to be archived and distributed by NASA's EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Processing this data requires the development of a large, robust software system capable of automated operations, sufficiently maintainable to support ongoing revision of the processing algorithms. The target platform for the TES science software provides a rich set of job control functions. However, the changeable nature of the underlying science algorithms mandates a high degree of maintainability in the science software. The long time period over which the software is developed and maintained suggests a framework-based approach to system development. We describe plans for the development of an application framework to support TES, including requirements, architecture, technical and management issues.