STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2022-07-19 (Week 29) 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 28 (Jul 11-17) * As of day 198 (Jul 17), 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 6.3 Gbits during this week. Week 29 (Jul 18-24) * Ahead has nine tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * The 148th momentum dump on Ahead was successfully carried out this morning (Jul 19). Week 30 (Jul 25-31) * Ahead has ten tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. Week 31 (Aug 1-7) * Ahead has nine tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. Week 32 (Aug 8-14) * Ahead has thirteen tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall covarege is nominal. * SECCHI will be making special observations of the star Betelgeuse between Aug 9-Sep 29, when it's in the HI-2 field-of-view. Week 33 (Aug 15-21) * Ahead has eleven tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps and overall coverage is nominal. Week 34 (Aug 22-28) * Ahead has twelve tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * The twelfth battery discharge cycle will be carried out on Monday, Aug 22, starting at 18:00 UT. * The 63rd SECCHI stepped calibration roll maneuver will be carried out on Tuesday, Aug 23, starting at 02:20 UT. Other: * The STEREO Science Center requested help from the Flight Dynamics Facility in bringing a new beacon station at Wallops online. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 29: M Jul 18 (199) T Jul 19 (200) Ahead: Momentum dump, 16:15 UT W Jul 20 (201) T Jul 21 (202) F Jul 22 (203) S Jul 23 (204) S Jul 24 (205) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 30: M Jul 25 (206) T Jul 26 (207) W Jul 27 (208) T Jul 28 (209) F Jul 29 (210) S Jul 30 (211) S Jul 31 (212) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 31: M Aug 01 (213) T Aug 02 (214) W Aug 03 (215) T Aug 04 (216) F Aug 05 (217) S Aug 06 (218) S Aug 07 (219) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 32: M Aug 08 (220) T Aug 09 (221) W Aug 10 (222) T Aug 11 (223) F Aug 12 (224) S Aug 13 (225) S Aug 14 (226) Notes: * Betelgeuse in HI-2 field-of-view, Aug 9-Sep 29. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 33: M Aug 15 (227) T Aug 16 (228) W Aug 17 (229) T Aug 18 (230) F Aug 19 (231) S Aug 20 (232) S Aug 21 (233) Notes: * Betelgeuse in HI-2 field-of-view, Aug 9-Sep 29. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 34: M Aug 22 (234) Ahead: Battery discharge cycle, 18:00 UT T Aug 23 (235) Ahead: SECCHI stepped calibration roll, 02:20 UT W Aug 24 (236) T Aug 25 (237) F Aug 26 (238) S Aug 27 (239) S Aug 28 (240) Notes: * Betelgeuse in HI-2 field-of-view, Aug 9-Sep 29. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: Behind events are contingent on recovering the spacecraft. 2022: * Aug 9-Sep 29 Betelgeuse in HI-2 field-of-view * Sep 2-11 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Sep 4 Solar Orbiter Venus flyby * Dec 7-16 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass 2023: * Jan 3 Solar Orbiter Mercury transit * Mar 13-23 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Apr 16 Solar Orbiter Venus occultation * May 5 Behind: Mercury transit * Jun 17-27 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Jun 27 Solar Orbiter Mercury transit * 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