STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2022-09-06 (Week 36) 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 35 (Aug 29-Sep 4) * On day 244 (Sept 1), during the DSS-55 support for Ahead, the beginning of track telemetry was received three minutes late at 1923z. This anomaly resulted in the loss of one minute of SSR data. The MOPs team repositioned the SSR pointers and recovered all the affected data. * On day 243 (Aug 31), the IMPACT team performed real-time commanding to adjust the HET low gain thresholds on Ahead. The SEP-Central Processor reset after receipt of the first command at 243-13:50:52z. The team completed the SEP recovery by DOY 245-1513z (Sept 2). During that period, data from SEP are not valid. * As of day 247 (Sept 4), 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 6.6 Gbits during this week. 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. Week 37 (Sep 12-18) * Ahead has ten tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. Since Artemis 1 did not launch on Saturday, Sep 3, there is an opportunity to increase the telemetry coverage by adding tracks on days 256-257 (Sep 13-14), where the current schedule is a bit light. 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. These tracks may be switched back to DSN. Week 39 (Sep 26-Oct 2) * Ahead has twelve tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * The 150th momentum dump on Ahead is scheduled for Tuesday, Sep 27, with ignition at 18:30 UT. Week 40 (Oct 3-9) * Ahead has eleven tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * Ahead has ten tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: Momentum dump, 18:30 UT Ahead: SECCHI HI-2 Betelgeuse observations, 20-22 UT (TBC) 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 40: M Oct 03 (276) T Oct 04 (277) W Oct 05 (278) T Oct 06 (279) F Oct 07 (280) S Oct 08 (281) S Oct 09 (282) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 41: M Oct 10 (283) T Oct 11 (284) W Oct 12 (285) T Oct 13 (286) F Oct 14 (287) S Oct 15 (288) S Oct 16 (289) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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