STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2023-10-03 (Week 40) 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 39 (Sep 25- Oct 1) * On day 274 (Oct 1), the second week of the SECCHI high downlink campaign (HDC) was completed. During the HDC, SECCHI will collecting hi cadence COR2 images in conjunction with the Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass. Extra DSN track coverage has been planned for the HDC (Sep 23 - Oct 3, 2023) to increase the daily science data return to 10-11 Gbits per day (normally 5-6 Gbits). * As of day 274 (Oct 1), 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 9.5 Gbits during this week. Week 40 (Oct 2-8) * Ahead has twelve passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * SECCHI high telemetry campaign ends today, Oct 3. * Solar Orbiter's Remote Sensing Window #10 runs from Oct 1-10, days 274-283. Week 41 (Oct 9-15) * Ahead has ten passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. The two additional passes that were previously added on Monday and Tuesday were deleted to avoid conflict with Psyche launch contingency. An ESA Malague pass is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct 11. * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 11 runs from Oct 12-21, days 285-294. Week 42 (Oct 16-22) * Ahead has ten passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. An ESA Malague pass is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct 18. * The 161st momentum dump is scheduled for Friday, Oct 20, with ignition at 21:00 UT. Week 43 (Oct 23-29) * Ahead has ten passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 12 runs from Oct 23 to Nov 1, days 296-305. * Late Wednesday, Oct 25 (or early Thursday UTC) is the 17th STEREO launch anniversay. Week 44 (Oct 30-Nov 5) * Ahead has eleven passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * The 68th SECCHI stepped calibration roll is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov 1, starting at 12:55 UT. * Sunday, Nov 5, is the end of daylight savings time in the US. Week 45 (Nov 6-12) * Ahead has 9 passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal * Friday, Nov 10, is Veterans Day, which is an APL holiday. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 40: M Oct 02 (275) T Oct 03 (276) End of Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, and SECCHI high telemetry campaign W Oct 04 (277) T Oct 05 (278) F Oct 06 (279) S Oct 07 (280) S Oct 08 (281) Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Sep 23-Oct 3, with SECCHI high telemetry campaign. * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 10, Oct 1-10. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 41: M Oct 09 (282) Columbus / Native American day T Oct 10 (283) End of Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 10 W Oct 11 (284) T Oct 12 (285) Start of Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 11 F Oct 13 (286) S Oct 14 (287) S Oct 15 (288) Notes: * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 10, Oct 1-10. * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 11, Oct 12-21. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 42: M Oct 16 (289) T Oct 17 (290) W Oct 18 (291) T Oct 19 (292) F Oct 20 (293) Ahead: Momentum dump, 21:00 UT S Oct 21 (294) End of Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 11 S Oct 22 (295) Notes: * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 11, Oct 12-21. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 43: M Oct 23 (296) Start of Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 12 T Oct 24 (297) W Oct 25 (298) T Oct 26 (299) 17th STEREO launch anniversary F Oct 27 (300) S Oct 28 (301) S Oct 29 (302) Notes: * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 12, Oct 23-Nov 1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 44: M Oct 30 (303) T Oct 31 (304) W Nov 01 (305) SECCHI stepped calibration roll, 12:55 UT End of Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 12 T Nov 02 (306) F Nov 03 (307) S Nov 04 (308) S Nov 05 (309) End of daylight savings time in US Notes: * Solar Orbiter Remote Sensing Window 12, Oct 23-Nov 1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 45: M Nov 06 (310) T Nov 07 (311) W Nov 08 (312) T Nov 09 (313) F Nov 10 (314) S Nov 11 (315) S Nov 12 (316) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: 2023: * 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