STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2022-02-22 (Week 08) 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 07 (Feb 14-20) * As of day 051 (Feb 20), 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 6.9 Gbits during this week. Week 08 (Feb 21-27) * Ahead has eleven passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are six passes at 720 kbps, and five at 480 kbps. * The Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass period runs from Feb 21-Mar 2 (days 52-61). * Coordinated observations between Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter will be made on Feb 22 and Feb 26, to take advantage of quadrature between the two spacecraft. Week 09 (Feb 28-Mar 6) * Ahead has fourteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are nine passes at 720 kbps, and five at 480 kbps. * The first Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window (RSW1) of the nominal mission runs from Mar 2-11. This marks the start of the first close perihelion pass for Solar Orbiter. * The 61st stepped calibration roll is scheduled for Thursday, Mar 3, starting at 3:35 UT. Week 10 (Mar 7-13) * 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 11th battery discharge maintenance event on Ahead is scheduled for Tuesday, Mar 8, starting at 17:15 UT. The frequency of discharge events will be changed from annually to semiannually. * A return-to-service track with station 25 is scheduled for Tuesday, Mar 8. There will be no instrument commanding or SSR playback during this track * Daylight Savings Time in the US starts on Sunday, Mar 13. * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 1 ends on Friday, Mar 11. Week 11 (Mar 14-20) * Ahead has thirteen passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are twelve passes at 720 kbps, and one at 480 kbps. * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 2 runs from Mar 17-26, days 76-85. Week 12 (Mar 21-27) * Ahead has eleven passes during the week, and overall coverage is nominal. There are eight passes at 720 kbps, and three at 480 kbps. * The 145th momentum dump is scheduled for Tuesday, Mar 22, with ignition at 19:45 UT. * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 3 runs from Mar 27 to Apr 5, days 86-95. Week 13 (Mar 28-Apr 3) * Ahead has fourteen tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps. * The signal strength has improved to the point where all DSN 34 meter station tracks can be held at 720 kbps for the next 2-3 years. The ESA stations are already operating at 720 kbps. For New Norcia, this requires that the elevation be above 15 degrees. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 08: M Feb 21 (052) Start of Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass T Feb 22 (053) PSP/Solar Orbiter quadrature observations W Feb 23 (054) Ahead: COR2 pB campaign (PSP-Earth quadrature) T Feb 24 (055) Ahead: COR2 pB campaign (PSP-Earth quadrature) F Feb 25 (056) Ahead: COR2 & EUVI 171A Deep Field S Feb 26 (057) PSP/Solar Orbiter quadrature observations Ahead: COR2 & EUVI 171A Deep Field S Feb 27 (058) Ahead: COR2 & EUVI 171A Deep Field Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Feb 21-Mar 2 * PSP WHPI campaign, Feb 18-28 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 09: M Feb 28 (059) End of PSP WHPI campaign Start of Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 1 T Mar 01 (060) W Mar 02 (061) End of Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass T Mar 03 (062) Ahead: SECCHI stepped calibration roll, 3:35 UT F Mar 04 (063) S Mar 05 (064) S Mar 06 (065) Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Feb 21-Mar 2 * PSP WHPI campaign, Feb 18-28 * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 1, 2-11 March 2022 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 10: M Mar 07 (066) T Mar 08 (067) Ahead: Battery discharge maintenance event W Mar 09 (068) T Mar 10 (069) F Mar 11 (070) End of Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 1 S Mar 12 (071) S Mar 13 (072) Start of Daylight Savings Time in US Notes: * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 1, 2-11 March 2022 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 11: M Mar 14 (073) T Mar 15 (074) W Mar 16 (075) T Mar 17 (076) Start of Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 2 F Mar 18 (077) S Mar 19 (078) S Mar 20 (079) Notes: * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 2, Mar 17-26 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 12: M Mar 21 (080) T Mar 22 (081) Ahead: Momentum dump, 19:45 UT W Mar 23 (082) T Mar 24 (083) F Mar 25 (084) S Mar 26 (085) End of Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 2 S Mar 27 (086) Start of Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 3 Notes: * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 2, Mar 17-26 * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 3, Mar 27-Apr 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 13: M Mar 28 (087) T Mar 29 (088) W Mar 30 (089) T Mar 31 (090) F Apr 01 (091) S Apr 02 (092) S Apr 03 (093) Notes: * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 3, Mar 27-Apr 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: Behind events are contingent on recovering the spacecraft. 2022: * Mar 27-Apr 5 Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 3 * 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