import pandas as pd

def date_parser(string):
    try:
        return pd.Timestamp(string)
    except ValueError:
         return pd.NaT

date_columns = ['DATE-BEG','DATE', 'TIMAQUTC']
cat = pd.read_csv(
    'https://spice.osups.universite-paris-saclay.fr/spice-data/release-2.0/catalog.csv',
    date_parser=date_parser,
    parse_dates=date_columns
)
# TODO interpret the JSON included in columns `proc_steps` and `windows`.