STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2023-05-02 (Week 18) 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 17 (Apr 24-30) * On day 116 (Apr 26), DSN conducted a Mission Network maintenance from 2245z through 117-0245z. After the maintenance, the MOPs team verified the SLE telemetry and command connectivity with DSN. The MOC conducted the subsequent DSS-55 track successfully. * As of day 120 (Apr 30), 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 5.9 Gbits during this week. Week 18 (May 1-7) * Ahead has nine tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. An ESA New Norcia track is scheduled for Saturday, May 6. Week 19 (May 8-14) * Ahead has ten tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. An ESA Cebreros pass is scheduled for Tuesday, May 9. * The 66th SECCHI stepped calibration roll is scheduled for Wednesday, May 10, starting at 13:15 UT. Week 20 (May 15-21) * Ahead has twelve tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * The 156th momentum dump has been rescheduled for Monday, May 15, starting at 21:00 UT. * There is a DSN Madrid complex outage for a PCA maintenance upgrade planned for Wednesday May 17 10:30-14:30 UT, with repeats on Thursday May 18, 10:30-14:30 and Friday May 19 10:30 -14:30. Week 21 (May 22-28) * Ahead has eleven tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * A return to service demo track with Station 43 is scheduled for Thursday, May 25 03:10 - 05:10 UT. There will be no instrument commanding or SSR playback for that track. Week 22 (May 29-Jun 4) * Ahead has nine tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * APL will be closed on Monday, May 29, for the Memorial Day holiday. Week 23 (Jun 5-11) * Ahead has eight tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 18: M May 01 (121) T May 02 (122) W May 03 (123) T May 04 (124) F May 05 (125) S May 06 (126) S May 07 (127) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 19: M May 08 (128) T May 09 (129) W May 10 (130) Ahead: SECCHI stepped calibration roll, 13:15 UT T May 11 (131) F May 12 (132) S May 13 (133) S May 14 (134) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 20: M May 15 (135) Ahead: Momentum dump, 21:00 UT T May 16 (136) W May 17 (137) T May 18 (138) F May 19 (139) S May 20 (140) S May 21 (141) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 21: M May 22 (142) T May 23 (143) W May 24 (144) T May 25 (145) F May 26 (146) S May 27 (147) S May 28 (148) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 22: M May 29 (149) Memorial Day T May 30 (150) W May 31 (151) T Jun 01 (152) F Jun 02 (153) S Jun 03 (154) S Jun 04 (155) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 23: M Jun 05 (156) T Jun 06 (157) W Jun 07 (158) T Jun 08 (159) F Jun 09 (160) S Jun 10 (161) S Jun 11 (162) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: 2023: * Jun 17-27 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Jun 27 Solar Orbiter Mercury transit * Jul 2 Behind: Closest approach to Earth * Jul 3-Aug 2 Ahead: SECCHI high telemetry campaign * Aug 17 Ahead: Closest approach to Earth * Aug 21 Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby * Sep 23-Oct 3 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Oct 1-10 Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 10 * Oct 12-21 Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 11 * Oct 23-Nov 1 Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 12 * 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 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