STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2021-08-10 (Week 32) 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 31 (Aug 2-8) * On day 214 (Aug 2), during the DSS-14 support for Ahead, turbo decoder lock was lost briefly at 0127z. This anomaly resulted in the loss of 191 frames of SSR data. The MOPs team repositioned the SSR pointers on the subsequent DSS-56 support and recovered all the affected data. See DR # G122146 for more information. * On day 217 (Aug 5), the NASA and APL network engineers successfully replaced the RIONET network switching infrastructure. * As of day 220 (Aug 8), 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 32 (Aug 9-15) * Ahead has eleven tracks during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are eight tracks at 720 kbps, and three at 480 kbps. * Yesterday (Aug 9), the MOC was informed that the Canberra station 35 is having mechanical problems. Repair work starts today, Dec 10, but these problems could affect the schedule for the next few weeks. The next schedule station 35 pass is on Friday, Aug 13. The MOC will mitigate the possible loss of this pass by undoing the commands for automatic playback, and operating the SSR via ground commands. They expect no loss of data if this pass does no occur. * Solar Orbiter will fly by Venus on Monday, Aug 9, for a gravity assist maneuver. SECCHI observations for Parker Solar Probe will also cover the Solar Orbiter Venus pass. * The ninth Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass period ends on Sunday, Aug 15. Week 33 (Aug 16-22) * Ahead now has sixteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are nine passes at 720 kbps, and seven passes at 480 kbps. A short ESA Malargue pass was added on Thursday, Aug 19, and a station 35 pass was switched to station 34. The SSR will be operated via ground command during all other station 35 tracks. As there are a number of other tracks during the week, no data loss is expected if the station 35 tracks are lost. Week 34 (Aug 23-29) * Ahead has fourteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are twelve passes at 720 kbps and two at 480 kbps. An ESA Malargue pass was added on Tuesday, Aug 24. The SSR will be operated via ground command during all station 35 tracks. As there are multiple tracks per day, no data loss is expected if the station 35 tracks are lost. * Solar Orbiter will be in quadrature with Earth on Monday, Aug 23. * A software upgrade will be peformed on the IONet routers and switches between 8:30-10:30 AM (12:30-14:30 UTC) on Monday, Aug 23. Week 35 (Aug 30-Sep 5) * Ahead has thirteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are ten passes at 720 kbps, and three at 480 kbps. An ESA Cebreros pass has been added on Aug 31, just in case the station 35 problem still persists. * The Solar Orbiter spacecraft will be performing a calibration roll for the METIS coronagraph instrument on Tuesday, Aug 31. The SOLOHI instrument will also take part in this roll campaign. Week 36 (Sep 6-12) * Ahead has eleven passes during the week, and overall coverage in nominal. There are ten passes at 720 kbps and one at 480 kbps. * Monday, Sep 6 is Labor Day, an APL holiday * Tuesday, Sep 7 is the 140th momentum dump with ignition at 18:45 UT. * Wednesday, Sep 8 there will be an ESA New Norcia track from 08:30-11:15 UT at 720 kbps. * Sunday, Sep 12 will be the start of the 6th SECCHI-Solar Orbiter campaign, to run from Sep 12-19 (DOY 255-262). Week 37 (Sep 13-19) * Ahead has eleven passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are ten tracks at 720 kbps, and one at 480 kbps. * The Solar Orbiter remote sensing window ends on Sunday, Sep 19. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 32: M Aug 09 (221) Solar Orbiter Venus flyby Ahead: SECCHI EUVI 171, COR2 deep fields T Aug 10 (222) Ahead: SECCHI COR2 pB campaign W Aug 11 (223) Ahead: SECCHI COR2 pB campaign T Aug 12 (224) F Aug 13 (225) S Aug 14 (226) S Aug 15 (227) End of Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Aug 5-15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 33: M Aug 16 (228) T Aug 17 (229) W Aug 18 (230) T Aug 19 (231) F Aug 20 (232) S Aug 21 (233) S Aug 22 (234) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 34: M Aug 23 (235) Solar Orbiter in quadrature with Earth T Aug 24 (236) W Aug 25 (237) T Aug 26 (238) F Aug 27 (239) S Aug 28 (240) S Aug 29 (241) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 35: M Aug 30 (242) T Aug 31 (243) Solar Orbiter METIS, SOLOHI roll W Sep 01 (244) T Sep 02 (245) F Sep 03 (246) S Sep 04 (247) S Sep 05 (248) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 36: M Sep 06 (249) Labor Day T Sep 07 (250) 140th momentum dump W Sep 08 (251) T Sep 09 (252) F Sep 10 (253) S Sep 11 (254) S Sep 12 (255) Start of Solar Orbiter remote sensing window ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 37: M Sep 13 (256) T Sep 14 (257) W Sep 15 (258) T Sep 16 (259) F Sep 17 (260) S Sep 18 (261) S Sep 19 (262) End of Solar Orbiter remote sensing window Notes: * Solar Orbiter remote sensing window, Sep 12-19. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: Behind events are contingent on recovering the spacecraft. 2021: * Oct 16 Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby * Nov 5 Solar Orbiter along Sun-Earth line * Nov 17-26 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Nov 27 Solar Orbiter Earth flyby * Dec 4 Solar eclipse in Antartica * Dec 17-21 Solar Orbiter METIS observations of Comet Leonard 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 * Sep 4 Solar Orbiter Venus flyby * 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: * 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