A&A 507, 1675–1686 (2009) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/200911755 & c ESO 2009 Astrophysics INPOP08, a 4-D planetary ephemeris: from asteroid and time-scale computations to ESA Mars Express and Venus Express contributions A. Fienga1,2, J. Laskar1,T.Morley3,H.Manche1, P. Kuchynka1, C. Le Poncin-Lafitte4, F. Budnik3, M. Gastineau1, and L. Somenzi1,2 1 Astronomie et Systèmes Dynamiques, IMCCE-CNRS UMR8028, 77 Av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France 2 Observatoire de Besançon, CNRS UMR6213, 41bis Av. de l’Observatoire, 25000 Besançon, France e-mail:
[email protected] 3 ESOC, Robert-Bosch-Str. 5, Darmstadt 64293, Germany 4 SYRTE, CNRS UMR8630, Observatoire de Paris, 77 Av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France Received 31 January 2009 / Accepted 24 August 2009 ABSTRACT The latest version of the planetary ephemerides developed at the Paris Observatory and at the Besançon Observatory is presented. INPOP08 is a 4-dimension ephemeris since it provides positions and velocities of planets and the relation between Terrestrial Time and Barycentric Dynamical Time. Investigations to improve the modeling of asteroids are described as well as the new sets of observations used for the fit of INPOP08. New observations provided by the European Space Agency deduced from the tracking of the Mars Express and Venus Express missions are presented as well as the normal point deduced from the Cassini mission. We show importance of these observations in the fit of INPOP08, especially in terms of Venus, Saturn and Earth-Moon barycenter orbits. Key words. ephemerides – astrometry – time – minor planets, asteroids – solar system: general – space vehicules 1.