STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2019-03-05 (Week 10) ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------- * None 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 9 (Feb 25-Mar 3) * On day 059 (Feb 28), during the DSS-43 support for Ahead, turbo decoder lock was lost intermittently at 0847z through 0918z. This anomaly resulted in the loss of 20,123 frames of real-time telemetry and SSR data. On the subsequent DSS-14 support, SSR pointers were repositioned and all SSR data were recovered. * On day 058 (Feb 27), the POC command test with DSN test facility, DTF-21, using the new MOC command and control hardware and software, was successful. One SCM (Supplemental Command Message, one or more commands) for each instrument POC was sent and recorded successfully. * The second part of the testing involves the instrument teams sending realtime commands, and receiving realtime telemetry. The scheduling for this is still being determined. * The projected date for completion of testing is the end of March. * The average daily science data return for Ahead was 6.2 Gbits during this week. Week 10 (Mar 4-10) * Turbo decoder lock was lost early yesterday (Mar 4), resulting in the loss of 5 telemetry frames. * The 117th momentum dump on Ahead was carried out successfully yesterday (Mar 4). * Sunday, March 10, Daylight Saving Time begins in the U.S. * Ahead has eleven passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are nine passes at 720 kbps, one at 360 kbps, and one at 240 kbps. Week 11 (Mar 11-17) * A redo of the SECCHI stepped calibration roll has been added on March 15, starting at 11:35 UTC. The COR1 telescope has seen two new particles land on the objective lens recently, one on Feb 5 and another on Feb 17, caused by micrometeor hits on the spacecraft creating sprays of debris. Since the recent calibration roll was in between these two events, it cannot be used to characterize the instrumental background before Feb 5 or after Feb 17. * Ahead has ten passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. Week 12 (Mar 18-24) * 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 ten passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are nine 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. * 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. * 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. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 10: M Mar 04 (063) Ahead: Momentum dump, 19:30 UT T Mar 05 (064) W Mar 06 (065) T Mar 07 (066) F Mar 08 (067) S Mar 09 (068) S Mar 10 (069) Daylight Savings Time begins ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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) 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) T Apr 02 (092) W Apr 03 (093) T Apr 04 (094) 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) F Apr 12 (102) S Apr 13 (103) S Apr 14 (104) Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Mar 31-Apr 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: Behind events are contingent on recovering the spacecraft. 2019: * Mar 31-Apr 10 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * 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