VieSched++: A New VLBI Scheduling Software for Geodesy and Astrometry

Abstract

We present a new Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) scheduling software called VieSched++, which is a stand-alone tool of the Vienna VLBI and Satellite Software (VieVS). The scheduler is written in C++ and aims to be flexible and easy to use, with a modern graphical user interface while creating high-quality schedules. In this work, the general design concepts of the scheduling software are discussed and the major scheduling algorithms are explained. Additionally, deep insight into the optimization criteria is given. First tests demonstrate that VieSched++ is able to generate schedules of highest quality. The software can be downloaded from https://github.com/TUW-VieVS .