STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2019-03-19 (Week 12) ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------- * APL is currently moving equipment in the MOC, and is interested to know what instrument workstations can be returned or excessed. * The SSC reports that all ftp servers at NASA will have to be shut down by July 31. Instrument teams that get their data via ftp from the stereoftp server will have to change their scripts to get the data from https://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov. A new procedure for updating SolarSoft is still under development. The possibility of modifying the commonly used Perl mirror script to use ftps instead of ftp was found to be not feasible. The sftp protocol is still allowed by NASA, but this requires each user to have an account. It should also be possible to set up an ftps server, and the SSC would like to know whether anyone has a desire to use this protocol. INSTRUMENT and SPACECRAFT STATUS -------------------------------- * Ahead is operating nominally. * Four years after the initial loss of communications anomaly with the Behind observatory, NASA has directed to cease periodic recovery operations with the last support on October 17, 2018. DISCUSSION AND OPERATIONS CONSTRAINTS ------------------------------------- Week 11 (Mar 11-17) * On day 071 (Mar 12), during the DSS-14 support for Ahead, turbo decoder lock was lost intermittently from 072-0320z through 0356z due to rain at the Goldstone complex. At 0357z command and telemetry lock was lost for the remaining 13 minutes of the support due to the antenna auto stowing from high winds. The SSR pointers were repositioned on the next support to minimize data loss. This anomaly resulted in the loss of 13 minutes of commanding, telemetry and tracking data. All SSR data were received. See DR# G119890 for more information. * On day 074 (Mar 15), during the DSS-14 support, instrument real-time command and telemetry test with the Ahead observatory using the new MOC command and control workstation, software, and CCSDS SLE bluebook version 4 software update was conducted. IMPACT IDPU, SECCHI and SWAVES successfully received telemetry. They each sent commands which were received by the new command workstation. However, due to a time synchronization issue in the MOC, a command bind was not established and the commands were not transmitted to the observatory. The IMPACT and SWAVES commands will be sent on the next test opportunity on day 080, March 21st. IMPACT SEP suite, PLASTIC, and SECCHI will test at that time as well. * On day 074 (Mar 15), the 46th SECCHI stepped calibration was executed successfully at 1135z for the midpoint in the Ahead orbit. This calibration was repeated due to a contamination event on the COR1 optics after the last calibration on day 042, February 11th. This was the 16th SECCHI stepped calibration roll to be conducted without gyro use. * The average daily science data return for Ahead was 5.2 Gbits during this week. Week 12 (Mar 18-24) * Telemetry lock was lost around 03:22 yesterday (Mar 18) during the station 43 support for Ahead. The SSR pointers were moved, and all SSR data were recovered. * Telemetry lock on Ahead was lost again this morning (Mar 19) during the station 63 pass. The SSR pointers will be moved to avoid data loss. * Late tomorrow (Mar 20, or early Mar 21 UTC) a Project Interface Test (PIT) will be carried out with the DSN during the station 14 pass. The regular operation equipment will be used to carry out the pass, and the MOC backup workstation will be connected to the DSN test servers to carry out the test in parallel. * SLE version 4 testing with PLASTIC, IMPACT/SEP, and SECCHI will be carried during the station 63 pass starting at 17:55 UT on Thursday, Mar 21. The IMPACT/IDPU and SWAVES commands sent during the Mar 15 testing will be sent up to the spacecraft; the teams are asked to check if the commands were received okay. * Ahead has twelve passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. Week 13 (Mar 25-31) * Sunday, Mar 31, marks the beginning of the second SECCHI observing campaign for Parker Solar Probe. This campaign goes through day 100 (Apr 10). * Ahead has eleven passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are ten passes at 720 kbps, and one pass at 240 kbps. Week 14 (Apr 1-7) * The SECCHI observing campaign for Parker Solar Probe perihelion continues throughout the week. This will include a COR2 deep exposure campaign, Apr 1-4. * Ahead has nine passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are eight passes at 720 kbps, and one at 240 kbps. Week 15 (Apr 8-14) * The SECCHI observing campaign for Parker Solar Probe perihelion ends on Wednesday, Apr 10. * The 118th momentum dump on Ahead is scheduled for Thursday, April 11, with ignition starting at 14:00 UT. This will be the 37th momentum dump without using the gyros. * Ahead has ten passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are eight passes at 720 kbps, one at 360 kbps, and one at 240 kbps. Week 16 (Apr 15-21) * Ahead has ten passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are nine passes at 720 kbps, and one at 240 kbps. Week 17 (Apr 22-28) * Ahead has ten passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are nine passes at 720 kbps, and one at 240 kbps. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 11: M Mar 11 (070) T Mar 12 (071) W Mar 13 (072) T Mar 14 (073) F Mar 15 (074) Ahead: SECCHI stepped calibration roll, 11:35 UT Ahead: SLE testing with instrument teams, DSS-14, 16:50 UT S Mar 16 (075) S Mar 17 (076) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 12: M Mar 18 (077) T Mar 19 (078) W Mar 20 (079) T Mar 21 (080) Ahead: SLE testing with instrument teams, DSS-63, 17:55 UT F Mar 22 (081) S Mar 23 (082) S Mar 24 (083) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 13: M Mar 25 (084) T Mar 26 (085) W Mar 27 (086) T Mar 28 (087) F Mar 29 (088) S Mar 30 (089) S Mar 31 (090) Ahead: Begin SECCHI observations for Parker Solar Probe Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Mar 31-Apr 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 14: M Apr 01 (091) Ahead: SECCHI/COR2 deep exposure campaign T Apr 02 (092) Ahead: SECCHI/COR2 deep exposure campaign W Apr 03 (093) Ahead: SECCHI/COR2 deep exposure campaign T Apr 04 (094) Ahead: SECCHI/COR2 deep exposure campaign F Apr 05 (095) S Apr 06 (096) S Apr 07 (097) Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Mar 31-Apr 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 15: M Apr 08 (098) T Apr 09 (099) W Apr 10 (100) Ahead: End SECCHI observations for Parker Solar Probe T Apr 11 (101) Ahead: Momentum dump, 14:00 UT F Apr 12 (102) S Apr 13 (103) S Apr 14 (104) Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Mar 31-Apr 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 16: M Apr 15 (105) T Apr 16 (106) W Apr 17 (107) T Apr 18 (108) F Apr 19 (109) S Apr 20 (110) S Apr 21 (111) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 17: M Apr 22 (112) T Apr 23 (113) W Apr 24 (114) T Apr 25 (115) F Apr 26 (116) S Apr 27 (117) S Apr 28 (118) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: Behind events are contingent on recovering the spacecraft. 2019: * Aug 28-Sep 7 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Nov 4 Ahead: Close approach of Parker Solar Probe * Dec 26 Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby 2020: * Jan 24-Feb 4 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * May Behind: Switch downlink rate to 360 kbps for 34 meter * Jun Ahead: Switch downlink rate to 360 kbps for 34 meter * Jun Behind: Switch downlink rate to 480 kbps for 34 meter * Jun 2-13 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Jul 11 Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby, in HI2-A field-of-view * Sep Ahead: Switch downlink rate to 480 kbps for 34 meter * Sep 22-Oct 2 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass 2021: * Jan 13-23 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Feb 20 Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby * Apr 25-May 4 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Jul Behind: Switch downlink rate to 720 kbps for 34 meter * Aug Ahead: Switch downlink rate to 720 kbps for 34 meter * Aug 5-15 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Oct 16 Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby * Nov 17-26 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass 2022: * Feb 21-Mar 2 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * May 28-Jun 7 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Sep 2-11 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Dec 7-16 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass 2023: * Mar 13-23 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * May 5 Behind: Mercury transit * Jun 17-27 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Jul 17 Behind: Closest approach to Earth * Aug 13 Ahead: Closest approach to Earth * Aug 21 Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby * Sep 23-Oct 3 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Dec 25-Jan 3 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass 2024: * Mar 26-Apr 4 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Jun 26-Jul 5 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Sep 26-Oct 5 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Nov 6 Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby, in HI2-A field-of-view * Dec 20-29 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass 2025: * Mar 19-27 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Apr 7 Ahead: Mercury transit * Jun 15-24 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass 2026: 2027: * Feb 1 Behind: Mercury transit 2028: 2029: * Jun 30 Ahead: Mercury transit