ISIS

"The Integrated System for Imagers and Spectrometers (ISIS) is a free, specialized, digital image processing software package developed by the USGS for NASA. ISIS key feature is the ability to place many types of data in the correct cartographic location, enabling disparate data to be co-analyzed. ISIS also includes standard image processing applications such as contrast, stretch, image algebra, filters, and statistical analysis. ISIS can process two-dimensional images as well as three-dimensional cubes derived from imaging spectrometers. The production of USGS topographic maps of extraterrestrial landing sites relies on ISIS software. ISIS is able to process data from NASA and International spacecraft missions including Lunar Orbiter, Apollo, Voyager, Mariner 10, Viking, Galileo, Magellan, Clementine, Mars Global Surveyor, Cassini, Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MESSENGER, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Chandrayaan, Dawn, Kaguya, and New Horizons.

The ISIS software is a valuable resource for planetary missions that require systematic data processing, products for planning, and research and analysis of derived data products. By using ISIS, missions can leverage millions of dollars of software development that NASA has paid for. However, before the power of ISIS can be applied to an instrument, a camera model and custom programs to ingest mission-specific ancillary data are necessary. Once an instrument is added to ISIS, it can support data processing pipelines, radiometric calibration, photometric calibration, band-to-band registration of multispectral data, ortho-rectification, construction of scientifically accurate and cosmetically pleasing mosaics, generation of control networks solutions and creation of topographic models.


The following are just a few examples of how the USGS Astrogeology Research Program has used Isis in our work (links open in a new window):

• Global mosaics: mosaicking hundreds or thousands of images collected by space exploration missions to create seamless, cartographically accurate, global image maps for use by the planetary science community for research and mapping. See our Map-a-Planet site to view these products.

This famous mosaic of the Valles Marineris hemisphere of Mars was created using Isis. The mosaic is composed of 102 Viking Orbiter images of Mars, and is projected into point perspective, a view similar to that which one would see from a spacecraft at a distance of 2500 kilometers from the surface of the planet.

• Geologic Mapping: we create accurate base image maps for geologists to use in creating geologic maps. See our Planetary Geologic Mapping Program for more information about this work.
• Scientific Research: Using Isis to mosaic images of a region of interest to create a scientifically accurate image product, and analyzing the imagery based on spectral, textural, or other attributes. See the following Science Magazine abstract for examples of images from the Mars Exploration Rover Mission Microscopic Image that were processed and analyzed using Isis as part of the scientific research resulting from the mission: Textures of the Soils and Rocks at Gusev Crater from Spirit's Microscopic Imager.

https://isis.astrogeology.usgs.gov/

https://isis.astrogeology.usgs.gov/fixit/

https://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/index.shtml