This aim of this document is to describe the interfaces among the various mission elements of the VLBI Space Observatory Programme (VSOP). For each item exchanged by mission elements, this handbook details the what (a brief description of the item), the how (the format and naming convention), the when (the timescale for the exchange), and the where (the exchange mechanism or location of the file).
Items are divided into sections depending on the element producing the item. These are somewhat arbitrarily separated into pre- and post-observation sections for the VSOG (VSOP Science Operations Group) and Navigation groups to give a more chronological feel to the document.
References in the text to documentation relating to formats, naming conventions etc. are given in full in §10.6, together with the locations of the documents, most of which can be obtained electronically. Internal procedures within each mission element are not described here, though references to these are given where possible.
Please e-mail any comments, corrections or suggestions regarding this handbook to vsog@vsop.isas.ac.jp.
Thanks to those who have helped bring the document to its present form: Philip Edwards, Brent Carlson, Jim Lovell, George Moellenbrock, Yasuhiro Murata, David Murphy, Glen Langston, Deborah Traub, Jim Ulvestad, Alex Wiercigroch, Rick Wietfeldt and those who have commented on, or corrected, previous editions.