STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2020-09-22 (Week 39) ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------- * None. INSTRUMENT and SPACECRAFT STATUS -------------------------------- * Ahead is operating nominally. PLASTIC is in operational mode, but with a high 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 38 (Sep 14-20) * On day 258 (Sep 14), the MOC conducted L3VPN SLE Portal Bind testing with JPL from 1430z to 1800z. The L3VPN SLE telemetry binds did not work correctly with the nominal MOC configuration file, which includes all four DSN operational SLE TLM servers. After configuration changes on the MOC and DSN networks, successful telemetry Binds were completed with SLE telemetry Server 2 (slegp2) only. The SLE telemetry bind problems are under investigation and the MOC will scheduled more testing. * On day 259 (Sep 15), during the DSS-14 support for Ahead, turbo decoder lock was lost briefly at 2059z. This anomaly resulted in the loss of 8000 frames of SSR data. MOPs repositioned the SSR pointers and recovered all the affected data. See DR #G121364 for more information. * On day 261 (Sep 17), the 131th momentum dump on Ahead was executed successfully at 2145z, which imparted an estimated delta V of 0.069 m/sec. This was the 50th momentum dump conducted without gyro use. After thruster operations completed, there was a 0.4 degree of roll angle error. Fine pointing stabilized 2.8 minutes after completion of the momentum dump. * As of day 264 (Sep 20), all PLASTIC systems on Ahead 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 6.9 Gbits during this week. Week 39 (Sep 21-27) * Ahead has twelve passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are four passes at 720 kbps, two at 480 kbps, and six at 360 kbps. * The sixth SECCHI campaign for the Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass runs from Sep 22 to Oct 2. * SECCHI will be running a COR2 polarized brightness, and EUVI 171A deep exposure compaign, Sep 19-21, when Parker Solar Probe is at quadrature. * The track with station 24 yesterday (Sep 21) was successful, which indicates that the issue with the SLE configuration has been resolved. The station 65 pass on Saturday will use the same package. Week 40 (Sep 28-Oct 4) * Ahead has thirteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are four passes at 720 kbsp, four at 480 kbps, four at 360 kbps, and one at 160 kbps. * The sixth SECCHI campaign for the Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass runs from Sep 22 to Oct 2. SECCHI will be running a COR2/EUVI deep field campaign from Sep 27-30. Week 41 (Oct 5-11) * Ahead has fourteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are six passes at 720 kbps, three at 480 kbps, four at 360 kbps, and one at 160 kbps. * The 55th SECCHI stepped calibration roll is scheduled for Monday, Oct 5, starting at 07:45 UT. Week 42 (Oct 12-18) * Ahead has eleven passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are five passes at 720 kbps, two at 480 kbps, three at 360 kbps, and one at 160 kbps. * An ESA Cebreros pass is scheduled for Monday, Oct 12, 16:25-19:25. * A project interfact test with the new Madrid 34 meter station 56 is scheduled for Friday, Oct 16. There will be no instrument commanding or SSR playback during this pass. Week 43 (Oct 19-25) * Ahead has ten passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are five passes at 720 kbps, two at 480 kbps, and three at 360 kbps. * SECCHI will make observations of the star Betelgeuse during the last two weeks of October. The same observing program as in the summer shall be used, but without rolling the spacecraft. The main purpose of observing Betelgeuse during this time would be for cross-calibration with other telescopes. The next period when Betelgeuse can be observed with 180 degree roll is May 13-Jul 15, 2021. Week 44 (Oct 26-Nov 1) * Ahead has twelve passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are five passes at 720 kbps, four at 480 kbps, two at 360 kbps, and one at 160 kbps. * The 132nd momentum dump is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct 27, with ignition at 15:00 UT. * An ESA Malague pass is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct 28, and an ESA Cebreros pass is scheduled for Thursday, Oct 29. * Daylight savings time in the US ends on Sunday, Nov 1. Other: * The STEREO Science Center has started tracking Solar Orbiter observing plans on the planning page at https://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/plans/plans.shtml. Of particular interest is the period Nov 16-21, 2020, when STEREO-A and Solar Orbiter will be viewing the Sun from approximately opposite sides. The Solar Orbiter team is interested in comparing off-limb observations from the two spacecraft. Other planned observing windows are Feb 20-25 and Mar 21-24, 2021. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 39: M Sep 21 (265) Ahead: COR2 pB, EUVI 171A deep exposures (PSP quadrature) T Sep 22 (266) Start of Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass W Sep 23 (267) T Sep 24 (268) F Sep 25 (269) S Sep 26 (270) S Sep 27 (271) Ahead: COR2/EUVI deep field campaign Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Sep 22-Oct 2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 40: M Sep 28 (272) Ahead: COR2/EUVI deep field campaign T Sep 29 (273) Ahead: COR2/EUVI deep field campaign W Sep 30 (274) Ahead: COR2/EUVI deep field campaign T Oct 01 (275) F Oct 02 (276) End of Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass S Oct 03 (277) S Oct 04 (278) Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Sep 22-Oct 2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 41: M Oct 05 (279) Ahead: Stepped calibration roll, 07:45 UT T Oct 06 (280) W Oct 07 (281) T Oct 08 (282) F Oct 09 (283) S Oct 10 (284) S Oct 11 (285) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 42: M Oct 12 (286) T Oct 13 (287) W Oct 14 (288) T Oct 15 (289) F Oct 16 (290) Ahead: Project Interface Test with station 56 S Oct 17 (291) S Oct 18 (292) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 43: M Oct 19 (293) T Oct 20 (294) W Oct 21 (295) T Oct 22 (296) F Oct 23 (297) S Oct 24 (298) S Oct 25 (299) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 44: M Oct 26 (300) T Oct 27 (301) Ahead: Momentum dump, 15:00 UT W Oct 28 (302) T Oct 29 (303) F Oct 30 (304) S Oct 31 (305) S Nov 01 (306) Daylight savings time ends in US. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: Behind events are contingent on recovering the spacecraft. 2020: * Sep 16-Nov 18 Betelgeuse visible in SECCHI HI2 without roll * Nov 16-21 Solar Orbiter conjunction (remote sensors on) 2021: * Jan 13-23 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Feb 1-19 Solar Orbiter Remote Sensor Synoptics * Feb 20 Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby * Feb 20-25 Solar Orbiter Remote Sensor Checkout Window 2 * Mar 21-24 Solar Orbiter Remote Sensor Checkout Window 3 * Apr 21-28 Solar Orbiter Remote Sensor Synoptics * Apr 25-May 4 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * May 13-Jul 15 Betelgeuse visible in SECCHI HI2 with 180 degree roll * 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