The Astro-D Guest Observer Facility

The data sent from Japan will comprise the raw telemetry (ordered coherently with duplicated telemetry removed) together with files containing the attitude and position of the satellite. In the US, the Astro-D GOF will receive and distribute the data as well as support US GOs in the analysis of these data. The Astro-D GOF is a part of the Office of Guest Investigator Programs (OGIP) at the Laboratory of High Energy Astrophysics (LHEA), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Astro-D GOF is responsible for:

• supporting the preparation of proposals,
• receiving, validating and distributing data and calibrations,
• providing data analysis software,
• providing expert help and documentation, and
• creating the Astro-D archive.

In addition to the Astro-D Guest Observer Facility, the OGIP also contains:

• the GRO Science Support Center,
• the GSFC ROSAT Guest Observer Facility, and
• the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center, HEASARC.

The overall objective of the OGIP is to provide, for Astro-D, ROSAT, GRO and the HEASARC:

• uniform LHEA guest observer support,
• a multi-mission approach to the data analysis, and
• common infrastructure, e.g. a shared user interface.