STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2023-08-15 (Week 33) 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 32 (Aug 7 - Aug 13) * On day 221 (Aug 9), DSN conducted a Mission Network maintenance from 0630z through 1030z. After the maintenance, the MOPs team verified the SLE telemetry and command connectivity with DSN. The MOC successfully conducted the subsequent DSS-55 track. * On day 219 (Aug 7), the spacecraft began a slow roll, which will continue until day 233 (Aug 21), for closest approach to Earth (occurs on Aug 17, 2023). * The STEREO Science Center reported that the roll motion was making it difficult to subtract a proper background for the SECCHI images on the website, though running difference images were mostly okay. Another effect of the roll has been a number of false detections of CMEs. * As of day 225 (Aug 13), all PLASTIC systems 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 6.1 Gbits during this week. Week 33 (Aug 14 - Aug 20) * Ahead has twelve passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * Aug 17 STEREO-A closest approach to Earth Week 34 (Aug 21-27) * Ahead has ten passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * STEREO Ahead's slow roll ends on Aug 21. * Parker Solar Probe will fly by Venus to adjust its orbit on Aug 21. Week 35 (Aug 28-Sep 3) * Ahead has nine passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * The 159th momentum dump on Ahead is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug 29, with ignition at 14:30 UT. Week 36 (Sep 4-10) * Ahead has eight passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * Monday, Sep 4, is Labor Day, which is an APL holiday. Week 37 (Sep 11-17) * Ahead has eleven passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. Week 38 (Sep 18-24) * Ahead has thirteen passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * The 160th momentum dump on Ahead is scheduled for Tuesday, Sep 19, with ignition at 14:00 UT. * The second SECCHI high telemetry campaign starts on Saturday, Sep 23, to coincide with the Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass. Both end on Oct 3. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 33: M Aug 14 (226) T Aug 15 (227) W Aug 16 (228) T Aug 17 (229) Ahead: Closest approach to Earth F Aug 18 (230) S Aug 19 (231) S Aug 20 (232) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 34: M Aug 21 (233) Parker Solar Probe Venus flyby T Aug 22 (234) W Aug 23 (235) T Aug 24 (236) F Aug 25 (237) S Aug 26 (238) S Aug 27 (239) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 35: M Aug 28 (240) T Aug 29 (241) Ahead: Momentum dump W Aug 30 (242) T Aug 31 (243) F Sep 01 (244) S Sep 02 (245) S Sep 03 (246) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 36: M Sep 04 (247) Labor Day T Sep 05 (248) W Sep 06 (249) T Sep 07 (250) F Sep 08 (251) S Sep 09 (252) S Sep 10 (253) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 37: M Sep 11 (254) T Sep 12 (255) W Sep 13 (256) T Sep 14 (257) F Sep 15 (258) S Sep 16 (259) S Sep 17 (260) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 38: M Sep 18 (261) T Sep 19 (262) Ahead: Momentum dump, 14:00 UT W Sep 20 (263) T Sep 21 (264) F Sep 22 (265) S Sep 23 (266) S Sep 24 (267) Start of Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, and SECCHI high telemetry campaign Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Sep 23-Oct 3, with SECCHI high telemetry campaign. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: 2023: * 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 * Nov 13 Solar Orbiter Full Disk Mosaic * Dec 25-Jan 3 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Dec 28 Solar Orbiter off-point for Parker Solar Probe 2024: * Mar 13-24 Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 13 * Mar 26-Apr 4 Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass * Mar 27-Apr 9 Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 14 * Apr 12-15 Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 15 * 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