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OPUS: The FUSE Science Data Pipeline - The primary objective of the FUSE mission is to obtain high-resolution spectra of faint objects throughout our galaxy and beyond in the wavelength region of 910 to 1190 Angstroms. The far ultraviolet region contains a wealth of information on the density, pressure, temperature, and composition of astrophysical plasmas and neutral gases in a broad array of environments, yet is one of the least explored parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

FUSE is a pathfinder for NASA's Mid-Class Explorer (MIDEX) missions. NASA, in an effort to reduce mission cost and the development cycle without compromising the science, has developed new guidelines and techniques that will be proven by the MIDEX programs. This is accomplished primarily by issuing strict cost caps, defining clear high level science objectives, and empowering the Principal Investigator (PI) to be responsible for all program decisions.

It is these guidelines which, in part, led the FUSE team to select OPUS as the science pipeline platform for the mission. As a proven system already operational at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the OPUS platform is based on many years of processing experience. The goal of the OPUS platform is to reduce the amount of operational `hands-on' effort required to process the large volume of data arriving from the spacecraft. Such a `lights-out' operational scenario is consistent with the long term cost concerns of the FUSE project.

In addition to selecting the OPUS platform, the FUSE project selected the OPUS team at STScI to implement the FUSE pipeline applications. With a great deal of experience in developing the pipeline applications for each of the various instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the OPUS team brought both an understanding of the pipeline requirements, and a body of reusable software which can be applied to the task of processing the FUSE telemetry.

Some of the key members of the FUSE team have prior experience with space missions and are familiar with the problems involved with managing the mechanics of data processing. Rather than devoting scarce scientific resources to the development of routine data processing tasks, the FUSE team chose to focus on the requirements for calibration and the scientific interpretation of the data. By selecting an existing system, the OPUS platform, to help manage the data during operations, and an experienced team to develop the FUSE pipeline applications, costs have been carefully controlled and the FUSE science staff freed to focus on the science.