STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2022-08-23 (Week 34) ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------- * None INSTRUMENT and SPACECRAFT STATUS -------------------------------- * Ahead is operating nominally. PLASTIC is in operational mode, but with a moderately higher than normal background rate. * 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 33 (Aug 15-21) * On day 227 (Aug 15), the SECCHI instrument reset at 00:29:27z. The SECCHI team reconfigured the instrument to operational mode by 0631z. This was the 71st reset of the SECCHI instrument on the Ahead observatory. * As of day 233 (Aug 21), all PLASTIC systems on Ahead are behaving well, except there is a moderate background count rate, which the team is continuing to monitor. * The average daily science data return for Ahead was 6.5 Gbits during this week. Week 34 (Aug 22-28) * Ahead has twelve tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * The twelfth battery discharge cycle was successfully carried out on Monday, Aug 22, starting at 18:00 UT. * The 63rd SECCHI stepped calibration roll maneuver was successfully carried out this morning (Aug 23), starting at 02:20 UT. * The 149th momentum dump on Ahead will be carried out on Wednesday, Aug 24, with ignition at 20:00 UT. * On Thursday, Aug 18, The IMPACT/HET team will be doing real-time commanding for their HET low-gain instrument. Week 35 (Aug 29-Sep 4) * Ahead has twelve tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. ESA Malague tracks have been added on Tuesday, Aug 30, Thursday, Sep 1, and Friday, Sep 2. The total number of tracks has been increased from 9 to 12 to clear up a shortage toward the end of the week. * Artemis I is scheduled to launch on Aug 29. Launch contingency plans have affected several weeks of STEREO planning. * Parker Solar Probe will have a perihelion pass between Sep 2-11. * Solar Orbiter will fly by Venus on Sunday, Sep 4. Week 36 (Sep 5-11) * Ahead has eleven tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. ESA Malague tracks have been added on Tuesday, Sep 6, and Wednesday, Sep 7, and ESA Cebreros tracks have been added on Wednesday, Sep 7, and Saturday, Sep 10. * Monday, Sep 5, is Labor Day, which is an APL holiday. Week 37 (Sep 12-18) * Ahead has ten tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. One track was removed due to Artemis contingency planning. Week 38 (Sep 19-25) * Ahead has ten tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. ESA Cebreros and Malague tracks were added on Thursday, Sep 22, for Artemis launch contingency, replacing two DSN tracks. Week 39 (Sep 26-Oct 2) * Ahead has eleven track during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 34: M Aug 22 (234) Ahead: Battery discharge cycle, 18:00 UT T Aug 23 (235) Ahead: SECCHI stepped calibration roll, 02:20 UT Ahead: SECCHI HI-2 Betelgeuse observations, 20-22 UT W Aug 24 (236) Ahead: Momentum dump, 20:00 UT T Aug 25 (237) F Aug 26 (238) S Aug 27 (239) S Aug 28 (240) Notes: * Betelgeuse in HI-2 field-of-view, Aug 9-Sep 29. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 35: M Aug 29 (241) T Aug 30 (242) Ahead: SECCHI HI-2 Betelgeuse observations, 20-22 UT W Aug 31 (243) T Sep 01 (244) F Sep 02 (245) S Sep 03 (246) Ahead: SECCHI EUVI 171A Deep Field + COR2 Deep Field S Sep 04 (247) Ahead: SECCHI EUVI 171A Deep Field + COR2 Deep Field Solar Orbiter Venus flyby Notes: * Betelgeuse in HI-2 field-of-view, Aug 9-Sep 29. * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Sep 2-11. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 36: M Sep 05 (248) Ahead: SECCHI EUVI 171A Deep Field + COR2 Deep Field Labor Day T Sep 06 (249) Ahead: SECCHI COR2 pB campaign + COR2 Deep Field W Sep 07 (250) Ahead: SECCHI COR2 pB campaign + COR2 Deep Field T Sep 08 (251) Ahead: SECCHI COR2 pB campaign + COR2 Deep Field F Sep 09 (252) Ahead: SECCHI HI-2 Betelgeuse observations, 20-22 UT S Sep 10 (253) S Sep 11 (254) Notes: * Betelgeuse in HI-2 field-of-view, Aug 9-Sep 29. * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Sep 2-11. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 37: M Sep 12 (255) T Sep 13 (256) Ahead: SECCHI HI-2 Betelgeuse observations, 20-22 UT W Sep 14 (257) T Sep 15 (258) F Sep 16 (259) S Sep 17 (260) S Sep 18 (261) Notes: * Betelgeuse in HI-2 field-of-view, Aug 9-Sep 29. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 38: M Sep 19 (262) T Sep 20 (263) Ahead: SECCHI HI-2 Betelgeuse observations, 20-22 UT W Sep 21 (264) T Sep 22 (265) F Sep 23 (266) S Sep 24 (267) S Sep 25 (268) Notes: * Betelgeuse in HI-2 field-of-view, Aug 9-Sep 29. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 39: M Sep 26 (269) T Sep 27 (270) Ahead: SECCHI HI-2 Betelgeuse observations, 20-22 UT W Sep 28 (271) T Sep 29 (272) F Sep 30 (273) S Oct 01 (274) S Oct 02 (275) Notes: * Betelgeuse in HI-2 field-of-view, Aug 9-Sep 29. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: Behind events are contingent on recovering the spacecraft. 2022: * Dec 7-16 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass 2023: * Jan 3 Solar Orbiter Mercury transit * Mar 13-23 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Apr 16 Solar Orbiter Venus occultation * May 5 Behind: Mercury transit * Jun 17-27 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Jun 27 Solar Orbiter Mercury transit * 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: * Feb 18 Solar Orbiter Venus flyby * Mar 19-27 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Apr 7 Ahead: Mercury transit * Jun 15-24 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass 2026: * Dec 24 Solar Orbiter Venus flyby 2027: * Feb 1 Behind: Mercury transit 2028: * Mar 18 Solar Orbiter Venus flyby 2029: * Jun 10 Solar Orbiter Venus flyby * Jun 30 Ahead: Mercury transit 2030: * Sep 3 Solar Orbiter Venus flyby