QUDT SCHEMA - Coordinate Systems
type: Ontology
imports: dtype
imports: vaem
imports: core
has graph metadata: QUDT Schema for Coordinate Systems - Version 3.4.0

Aerospace Coordinate system
type: Class
description: A sub-type of 'Coordinate system'.
subclass of: Coordinate system

Axial Orientation Type
type: Class
description: The axial orientation of a coordinate system frame axis.
one of: PositiveZ
one of: PositiveY
one of: NegativeY
one of: NegativeZ
one of: PositiveX
one of: NegativeX
subclass of: EnumeratedValue

Cartesian Coordinate Type
type: Class
description: A set of variables which fix a geometric object. If the coordinates are distances measured along perpendicular axes, they are known as Cartesian coordinates.
subclass of: Coordinates

Cartesian Coordinate Type
type: Class
description: A set of variables which fix a geometric object. If the coordinates are distances measured along perpendicular axes, they are known as Cartesian coordinates.
subclass of: CompositeDatatype

Coordinate Center Kind
type: Class
description: An enumeration of coordinate centers for coordinate systems, such as: "Earth centered", "Mars centered", "Moon centered", "Sun centered", and "Vehicle centered".
one of: CCT MarsCentered
one of: CCT EarthCentered
one of: CCT MoonCentered
one of: CCT VehicleCentered
one of: CCT SunCentered
subclass of: EnumeratedValue
subclass of: NominalScale

Coordinate Member
type: Class
description: A Coordinate Member is a data type that defines the properties of a coordinate in a coordinate system.
subclass of: TupleMember

Coordinate system
type: Class
description: A Coordinate System is a mathematical structure for assigning a unique n-tuple of numbers or scalars to each point in an n-dimensional space. A Coordinate System Type is a data type that defines the properties of data structures that represent coordinate systems. In geometry, a coordinate system is a system which uses one or more numbers, or coordinates, to uniquely determine the position of a point or other geometric element on a manifold such as Euclidean space. The order of the coordinates is significant. They are sometimes identified by their position in an ordered tuple and sometimes by a letter, as in 'the x-coordinate'. In elementary mathematics the coordinates are taken to be real numbers, but may be complex numbers or elements of a more abstract system such as a commutative ring. The use of a coordinate system allows problems in geometry to be translated into problems about numbers and vice versa; this is the basis of analytic geometry. In astronomy, a celestial coordinate system is a system for specifying positions of celestial objects: satellites, planets, stars, galaxies, and so on. Coordinate systems can specify a position in 3-dimensional space, or merely the direction of the object on the celestial sphere, if its distance is not known or not important. The coordinate systems are implemented in either spherical coordinates or rectangular coordinates. Spherical coordinates, projected on the celestial sphere, are analogous to the geographic coordinate system used on the surface of the Earth. These differ in their choice of fundamental plane, which divides the celestial sphere into two equal hemispheres along a great circle. Rectangular coordinates, in appropriate units, are simply the cartesian equivalent of the spherical coordinates, with the same fundamental (x,y) plane and primary (x-axis) direction. Each coordinate system is named for its choice of fundamental plane.
dbpedia match: Coordinate system
subclass of: Concept
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: abbreviation
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: reference frame
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: originDefinition
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: coordinate center

Coordinates
type: Class
description: A coordinate system is a mathematical structure for assigning a unique n-tuple of numbers or scalars to each point in an n-dimensional space. A Coordinate System Type is a data type that defines the properties of data structures that represent coordinate systems. The primary attributes of any coordinate system are the coordinate frame or orientation of the axes of the coordinate system and the coordinate center or origin of the coordinate system. The coordinate center is the easier of the two attributes to define and in trajectory-related coordinate systems is often taken to be the center of mass of natural solar system bodies such as the Earth, the Moon, or Mars. Precise definition of the coordinate frame, however, usually takes much more effort. As a result, the primary purpose is to provide a detailed description of a number of different coordinate frames commonly used in mission analysis.
subclass of: Tuple

2D Coordinate Type
type: Class
description: A 2D coordinate system is a system for assigning a two-tuple of numbers or scalars to each point in an 2-dimensional space. A corresponding 2D Coordinate Type is a data type that defines the data type for each coordinate (tuple member) in a 2D coordinate system.
subclass of: Cartesian Coordinate Type
subclass of: TwoTuple

Coordinates-2D-Double precision
type: Class
description: A 2D coordinates in double floating point precision for locating a point in physical space.
element type count: 2
subclass of: 2D Coordinate Type
subclass of: Restriction
  cardinality: 1
  on property: double Y
subclass of: Restriction
  cardinality: 1
  on property: double X

Cartesian Coordinates 2D Single Precision
type: Class
description: A 2D coordinates in single floating point precision for locating a point in physical space.
element type count: 2
subclass of: 2D Coordinate Type
subclass of: Restriction
  cardinality: 1
  on property: double Y
subclass of: Restriction
  cardinality: 1
  on property: double X

3D Coordinate Type
type: Class
description: A 3D coordinate system is a system for assigning a three-tuple of numbers or scalars to each point in an 3-dimensional space. A corresponding 3D Coordinate Type is a data type that defines the data type for each coordinate (tuple member) in a 3D coordinate system.
subclass of: Cartesian Coordinate Type
subclass of: ThreeTuple

3D Coordinates (Double Precision)
type: Class
description: A 3D coordinates in double floating point precision for locating a point in physical space.
subclass of: 3D Coordinate Type
subclass of: Restriction
  cardinality: 1
  on property: double Z
subclass of: Restriction
  cardinality: 1
  on property: double X
subclass of: Restriction
  cardinality: 1
  on property: double Y

3D Coordinates (Single Precision)
type: Class
description: A 3D coordinates in single floating point precision for locating a point in physical space.
subclass of: 3D Coordinate Type
subclass of: Restriction
  cardinality: 1
  on property: float Y
subclass of: Restriction
  cardinality: 1
  on property: float Z
subclass of: Restriction
  cardinality: 1
  on property: float Y

3D Coordinate Type
type: Class
description: A 3D coordinate system is a system for assigning a three-tuple of numbers or scalars to each point in an 3-dimensional space. A corresponding 3D Coordinate Type is a data type that defines the data type for each coordinate (tuple member) in a 3D coordinate system.
subclass of: Cartesian Coordinate Type
subclass of: ThreeTuple

Earth Coordinate System Type
type: Class
description: A "Trajectory Coordinate System" for all earth-centered coordinates, such as: Earth mean equator and prime meridian coordinate system;; Earth true equator and prime meridian of epoch coordinate system; International celestial reference system; International terrestrial reference system; Sun centered international celestial reference system; Vehicle centered international celestial reference system.
subclass of: Trajectory Coordinate System

Frame Type
type: Class
description: A Frame Type specifies the intertial type of a coordinate frame as either inertial, rotating, or non-rotating.
one of: FT ROTATING
one of: FT NON-ROTATING
one of: FT INERTIAL
subclass of: EnumeratedValue

Ground coordinate system
type: Class
description: A sub-type of 'Aerospace coordinate system'.
subclass of: Aerospace Coordinate system

Inertial Coordinate Frame
type: Class
description: A "Coordinate Frame".
subclass of: Inertial reference frame

Inertial reference frame
type: Class
description: A sub-type of 'Reference Frame'.
subclass of: Reference Frame

Local Coordinate System
type: Class
description: A "Trajectory Coordinate System" with the following instance(s): "Local vertical curvilinear coordinate system", "Local vertical local horizontal coordinate system", "Vehicle centered local vertical curvilinear coordinate system".
subclass of: Trajectory Coordinate System

Lunar Coordinate System
type: Class
description: Two slightly different coordinate frames are commonly used to define the orientation of the axes of a lunar body-fixed coordinate system: a mean Earth/rotation frame and a principal axis coordinate frame. The mean Earth/rotation frame (sometimes called the "Mean Earth/polar axis" frame) is a lunar body-fixed coordinate frame. This has the X-axis aligned with the mean direction from the Moon to the Earth and the Z-axis aligned with the mean axis of rotation of the Moon. The principal axis frame is a lunar body-fixed coordinate frame aligned with the principal axes of the Moon. Due to the fact that the Moon is synchronously rotating but is not exactly symmetric, the principal axes and the mean Earth/rotation axes of the Moon do not coincide.
subclass of: Trajectory Coordinate System
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: realization
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: Z-Axis definition
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: Y-Axis definition
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: X-Axis Definition

Mars Coordinate System Type
type: Class
description: A "Trajectory Coordinate System" with the following instance(s): "Mars mean equator and IAU-Node of epoch", "Mars mean equator and prime meridian body-fixed".
subclass of: Trajectory Coordinate System

Non Rotating Coordinate Frame
type: Class
description: The non-rotating (or "inertial") coordinate frames are defined by taking a "snapshot" of the orientation of a particular set of right-handed, orthogonal axes at a specific epoch or time. In other words, the non-rotating coordinate frame, however it is defined, is frozen or fixed at a specific time - for all time. These non-rotating coordinate frames are referred to as "of Epoch" coordinate frames.
subclass of: Inertial reference frame

Polar Coordinate System
type: Class
description: A set of variables which fix a geometric object. If the coordinates of a point P are determined by the distance from P to the origin and the angle subtended by the radial vector at P and a fixed axis, they are known as polar coordinates. Typically, the angle is measured with respect to the x-axis. ;
subclass of: Coordinates

Polar Coordinate System Type
type: Class
description: A set of variables which fix a geometric object. If the coordinates of a point P are determined by the distance from P to the origin and the angle subtended by the radial vector at P and a fixed axis, they are known as polar coordinates. Typically, the angle is measured with respect to the x-axis. ;
subclass of: Coordinate system

Reference Frame
type: Class
description: A Reference Frame (or "frame of reference") in physics, may refer to a coordinate system or set of axes. The frame serves as the datum to measure the position, orientation, and other properties of objects in it. Reference frame may refer to an observational reference frame tied to the state of motion of an observer. Reference frame may also refer to both an observational reference frame and an attached coordinate system as a unit.
subclass of: Concept
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: Y-Coordinate definition
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: Y-Axis definition
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: Z-Axis definition
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: X-Coordinate definition
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: realization
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: Z-Coordinate definition
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: X-Axis Definition

Rotating reference frame
type: Class
description: A sub-type of 'Reference Frame'.
subclass of: Reference Frame

State Space Vector Type
type: Class
description: A state vector in general control systems describes the observed states of an object in state space. For example in variables of the degrees of freedom for motion. As data types, state vector types are used to specify the structure of state vectors, such as how the observed state is encoded.
subclass of: Vector
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: coordinate system

Three Body Rotating Coordinate System Type
type: Class
description: A Three Body Rotating Coordinate System is one that is associated with two different three-body systems. For example, the Sun-Earth-spacecraft system and the Earth-Moon-spacecraft system. The lunar coordinate systems are primarily used when operating in close proximity to the Moon. There are, however, a few additional coordinate systems that are also useful when analyzing (and depicting) trajectories in the vicinity of the Earth-Moon system. The Sun-Earth and Earth-Moon rotating coordinate frames are defined as follows: The pole vector or Z-axis of the coordinate frame is set equal to the instantaneous orbit normal of the secondary (smaller) body about the primary (larger) body. The X-axis is set equal to the vector from the primary body center of mass (CM) to the secondary body CM. The X-axis rotates at a rate equal to the instantaneous rotation rate of the secondary body about the primary body.
subclass of: Aerospace Coordinate system

Trajectory Coordinate System
type: Class
description: A "Coordinate System".
subclass of: Aerospace Coordinate system

Vehicle coordinate system
type: Class
description: A sub-type of 'Aerospace coordinate system'.
subclass of: Aerospace Coordinate system
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: roll rotation definition
subclass of: Restriction
  min cardinality: 0
  on property: Yaw rotation definition
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: Yaw rotation definition
subclass of: Restriction
  min cardinality: 0
  on property: roll rotation definition
subclass of: Restriction
  min cardinality: 0
  on property: pitch rotation definition
subclass of: Restriction
  max cardinality: 1
  on property: pitch rotation definition

coordinate center
type: ObjectProperty
domain: Coordinate system
range: Coordinate Center Kind

coordinate system
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
range: Coordinate system

pitch rotation definition
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
range: Axial Orientation Type
sub property of: rotation definition

reference frame
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
range: Reference Frame
sub property of: coordinate system frame

roll rotation definition
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
range: Axial Orientation Type
sub property of: rotation definition

Yaw rotation definition
type: ObjectProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
range: Axial Orientation Type
sub property of: rotation definition

float X
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
range: float

float Y
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
range: float

float Z
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
range: float

X-Axis Definition
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
description: The definition of the X-Axis could be an intersection, cross-product or other function of a meridian or orbit. It could also mention any aspects of rotation, for example, the rotation equator of the Earth, Sun, Moon or other celestial body. An epoch might also be given.
range: string

X-Coordinate definition
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
range: string

Y-Axis definition
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
description: The definition of the Y-Axis could be an intersection, cross-product or other function of a meridian or orbit. It could also mention any aspects of rotation, for example, the rotation equator of the Earth, Sun, Moon or other celestial body. An epoch might also be given.
range: string

Y-Coordinate definition
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
range: string

Z-Axis definition
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
description: The definition of the Y-Axis could be an intersection, croos-product or other function of a meridian or orbit. It could also mention any aspects of rotation, for example, the rotation equator of the Earth, Sun, Moon or other celestial body. An epoch might also be given.
range: string

Z-Coordinate definition
type: DatatypeProperty
type: FunctionalProperty
range: string

contributor
type: AnnotationProperty

creator
type: AnnotationProperty

description
type: AnnotationProperty

rights
type: AnnotationProperty

subject
type: AnnotationProperty

title
type: AnnotationProperty

coordinate system frame
type: AnnotationProperty

reference frame type
type: AnnotationProperty

rotation definition
type: AnnotationProperty

QUDT Schema for Coordinate Systems - Version 3.4.0
type: GraphMetaData
description: This OWL schema is derived from the SHACL schema found at http://qudt.org/3.4.0/schema/shacl/coordinateSystems.
modified: 2025-04-02T10:54:24-05:00
rights: The QUDT Ontologies are issued under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), available here. Attribution should be made to QUDT.org.
subject: Coordinate Systems
derived from: coordinateSystems
graph title: QUDT Schema for Coordinate Systems - Version 3.4.0
has graph role: SchemaGraph
is metadata for: QUDT SCHEMA - Coordinate Systems
latest published version: https://qudt.org/doc/2026/06/DOC_SCHEMA-COORDINATES.html
name: QUDT
namespace: http://qudt.org/schema/qudt/
namespace prefix: qudt
owner: QUDT.ORG
previous published version: https://qudt.org/doc/2026/05/DOC_SCHEMA-COORDINATES.html
published date: 2017-05-10
release date: 2016-05-09
title: QUDT Schema for Coordinate Systems - Version 3.4.0
turtle file URL: http://qudt.org/3.4.0/schema/coordinateSystems.ttl
uses non imported resource: abstract
uses non imported resource: created
uses non imported resource: creator
uses non imported resource: modified
uses non imported resource: rights
uses non imported resource: title
uses non imported resource: QUDT-Attribution
with attribution to: QUDT-Attribution