STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2021-11-23 (Week 47) 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 46 (Nov 15-21) * On day 319 (Nov 15), during the DSS-43 support for Ahead, the antenna was unable to lock telemetry and ranging, due to a RF/IF downconverter problem. This anomaly resulted in the loss of 2.7 hours of real-time telemetry, command, tracking, and SSR data. The MOPs team repositioned the SSR pointers during the subsequent DSS-63 track and recovered all the affected data. See DR #C116068 for more information. * On day 321 (Nov 17), during the DSS-34 support for Ahead, turbo decoder lock was lost intermittently between 0712z and 1121z. This anomaly resulted in the loss of 63 frames of SSR data. The MOPs team repositioned the SSR pointers during the track and recovered all the affected data, except for the loss of one minute of SECCHI data at 321-1109z. See DR # C116074 for more information. * On day 323 (Nov 19), during the DSS-43 support for Ahead, the transmitter tripped offline at 1035z, due to an open microwave interlock alarm. This anomaly resulted in the loss of 32 minutes of commanding, 2-way ranging, and 12438 frames of SSR data during the downlink receiver transition from 2-way to 1-way mode. The MOPs team repositioned the SSR pointers during the subsequent DSS-25 track and recovered all the affected data. See DR #C116080 for more information. * As of day 325 (Nov 21), 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 47 (Nov 22-28) * The ground station schedule was adjusted because of the upcoming DART launch. Ahead has twelve passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are nine passes at 720 kbps, and three at 480 kbps. An ESA Cebreros pass was added on Thursday, Nov 25. * The 142nd momentum dump on Ahead is scheduled for today, Nov 23, with ignition at 18:30. * Thursday, Nov 25, is Thanksgiving. Both Thursday and Friday, Nov 25-26, are APL holidays. * Solar Orbiter will do an Earth fly-by gravitational assist maneuver on Saturday, Nov 27. Week 48 (Nov 29-Dec 5) * Ahead has thirteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are six passes at 720 kbps, and seven at 480 kbps. This week's schedule was also adjusted to accommodate DART launch contingencies. An ESA Malargue pass was added on Tuesday, Nov 30. * A solar eclipse will be visible from Antartica on Saturday, Dec 4. Week 49 (Dec 6-12) * Ahead has thirteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are ten passes at 720 kbps, and three at 480 kbps. * The 60th SECCHI calibration roll maneuver is scheduled for Friday, Dec 10, starting at 13:45 UT. This is the midpoint roll. Week 50 (Dec 13-19) * Ahead has thirteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are 12 passes at 720 kbps, and one at 480 kbps. Week 51 (Dec 20-26) * Ahead has twelve passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are nine passes at 720 kbps, two at 480 kbps, and one at 360 kbsp. An ESA Malargue pass is scheduled for Monday, Dec 20. * APL will be closed for the Christmas holiday on Friday, Dec 24. Week 52 (Dec 27-Jan 2) * Ahead has eleven passes during the week, and overall coverage in nominal. There are ten passes at 720 kbps, and one at 480 kbps. * APL will be closed for the New Years holiday on Friday, Dec 31. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 47: M Nov 22 (326) T Nov 23 (327) Ahead: Momentum dump, 18:30 UT W Nov 24 (328) T Nov 25 (329) Thanksgiving F Nov 26 (330) End of Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass S Nov 27 (331) Solar Orbiter Earth flyby S Nov 28 (332) Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Nov 17-26. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 48: M Nov 29 (333) T Nov 30 (334) W Dec 01 (335) T Dec 02 (336) F Dec 03 (337) S Dec 04 (338) Solar eclipse in Antartica S Dec 05 (339) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 49: M Dec 06 (340) T Dec 07 (341) W Dec 08 (342) T Dec 09 (343) F Dec 10 (344) Ahead: SECCHI stepped calibration roll, 13:45 S Dec 11 (345) S Dec 12 (346) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 50: M Dec 13 (347) T Dec 14 (348) W Dec 15 (349) T Dec 16 (350) F Dec 17 (351) S Dec 18 (352) S Dec 19 (353) Notes: * Solar Orbiter METIS observations of Comet Leonard, Dec 17-21 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 51: M Dec 20 (354) T Dec 21 (355) W Dec 22 (356) T Dec 23 (357) F Dec 24 (358) Christmas holiday S Dec 25 (359) Christmas S Dec 26 (360) Notes: * Solar Orbiter METIS observations of Comet Leonard, Dec 17-21 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 52: M Dec 27 (361) T Dec 28 (362) W Dec 29 (363) T Dec 30 (364) F Dec 31 (365) New Year holiday S Jan 01 (001) New Year S Jan 02 (002) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: Behind events are contingent on recovering the spacecraft. 2022: * Feb 21-Mar 2 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Feb 22, 26 PSP/Solar Orbiter quadrature observations * Apr 27-30 Comet PANSTARRS in COR2-A field-of-view * 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