Why Run MCS and Run MCS2?

[ChristopherRabotin]

📝 Description of the feature

Hi there,

In the existing STK API, there's a RunMCS and RunMCS2 option for executing astrogator. The first one will never raise an exception when the targeters fail to converge, but the second one will.

As FDO Lead on the Blue Ghost missions, I have never seen any use for RunMSC: if the targeters fail, I want my code to report the error to the flight dynamics operator so I can debug what is wrong with my maneuver planning. I never want STK and my Python code to fail silently.

💡 Steps for implementing the feature

Can you remove the RunMCS call entirely? How about renaming RunMCS2 to RunAndCheckMCS?

🔗 Useful links and references

No response

[jorgepiloto]

Thanks for your feedback, @ChristopherRabotin. This is a fair request.

@duposyl mentioned that the run_mcs was supposed to be replaced by the run_mcs2 at some point. However, time has passed and this has never happened.

We have two options on the table:

1. Eliminate run_mcs and rename run_mcs2 to run_and_check_mcs
2. Eliminate run_mcs and rename run_mcs2 to run_mcs

I prefer the second option.

Furthermore, it would be great if this second method could raise and exception when an error or failure is found. Otherwise, users are forced to check the return code, something it is easy to forget.