STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2020-03-17 (Week 12) ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------- * None. INSTRUMENT and SPACECRAFT STATUS -------------------------------- * Ahead is operating nominally. PLASTIC is in the process of returning to nominal operations after suffering a voltage anomaly on Dec 5. See more information below. * 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 9-15) * On day 070 (Mar 10), during the DSS-14 support for Ahead, turbo decoder lock was lost intermittently from 0413z through 0414z. This anomaly resulted in the loss of 3807 frames of SSR data. For more information, see DR #G120951. * On day 072 (Mar 12), during the DSS-63 support for Ahead, turbo decoder lock was lost intermittently from 2016z through 2018z. This anomaly resulted in the loss of 34 frames of SSR data. * On day 073 (Mar 13), during the DSS-14 support for Ahead, turbo decoder lock was lost intermittently from 0155z through 0206z. This anomaly resulted in the loss of 5212 frames of SSR data. For more information, see DR #G120968. * As of day 075 (Mar 15), All PLASTIC systems are behaving well, except there is a high background count rate, which the team is continuing to monitor. * The average daily science data return for Ahead was 7.1 Gbits during this week. Week 12 (Mar 16-22) * Ahead has fifteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are eleven passes at 720 kbps, and four at 360 kbps. * A three links per operator project interface test will be carried out with station 63 on Wednesday, Mar 18, 18:35-21:35 UT. There will be no instrument commanding or SSR downlink during this test. Week 13 (Mar 23-29) * Because the schedule was heavy with Madrid passes, two Goldstone passes were added to the week. * Ahead has fifteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are ten passes at 720 kbps, one at 480 kbps, and four at 360 kbps. Week 14 (Mar 30-Apr 5) * Ahead has thirteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are nine passes at 720 kbps, one at 480 kbps, and three at 360 kbps. Week 15 (Apr 6-12) * Ahead has eleven passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are nine passes at 720 kbps, and two at 360 kbps. * The 127th momentum dump on Ahead is scheduled for Wednesday, Apr 8, at 21:45 UT. Week 16 (Apr 13-19) * Ahead has fifteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are ten passes at 720 kbps, and five at 360 kbps. * There will be the 9th annual battery discharge cycle at 1730, to recondition the batteries on Monday, Apr 13 Week 17 (Apr 20-26) * Ahead has fourteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are eleven passes at 720 kbps, and three at 360 kbps. * The 53rd SECCHI stepped calibration roll is scheduled for Wednesday, Apr 22, starting at 13:50 UT. This is the aphelion roll. Other: * A question arose concerning procedures to respond to a potential escalation of the coronavirus. For information on procedures related to coronavirus, APL provides updates on their website and will be following CDC guidelines and respond to state and federal guidance, with potential to telecommute. Last night (Mar 16), APL asked staff to telework by Thursday. Most STEREO operations can be done by telework, though a few things have to be done on site. * JPL is in a similar situation, and doesn't expect any telescope downtime. * Goddard is on mandatory telework starting tomorrow (Mar 18). Only essential personnel will be allowed on campus. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 12: M Mar 16 (076) T Mar 17 (077) W Mar 18 (078) Ahead: Three links per operator test with station 63 T Mar 19 (079) F Mar 20 (080) S Mar 21 (081) S Mar 22 (082) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 13: M Mar 23 (083) T Mar 24 (084) W Mar 25 (085) T Mar 26 (086) F Mar 27 (087) S Mar 28 (088) S Mar 29 (089) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 14: M Mar 30 (090) T Mar 31 (091) W Apr 01 (092) T Apr 02 (093) F Apr 03 (094) S Apr 04 (095) S Apr 05 (096) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 15: M Apr 06 (097) T Apr 07 (098) W Apr 08 (099) Ahead: Momentum dump, 21:45 UT T Apr 09 (100) F Apr 10 (101) S Apr 11 (102) S Apr 12 (103) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 16: M Apr 13 (104) Battery discharge cycle at 17:30 UT T Apr 14 (105) W Apr 15 (106) T Apr 16 (107) F Apr 17 (108) S Apr 18 (109) S Apr 19 (110) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 17: M Apr 20 (111) T Apr 21 (112) W Apr 22 (113) Ahead: SECCHI stepped calibration roll, 13:50 UT T Apr 23 (114) F Apr 24 (115) S Apr 25 (116) S Apr 26 (117) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: Behind events are contingent on recovering the spacecraft. 2020: * Apr 27-May 3 Solar Orbiter along Sun-Earth line * 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