STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2023-12-05 (Week 49) 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 48 (Nov 27-Dec 3) * On day 334 (Nov 30), the 162nd momentum dump was executed successfully at 1900z, which imparted an estimated delta V of 0.069 m/sec. This was the 81st momentum dump conducted without gyro use. After thruster operations completed, there was a 0.3 degree of roll angle error. Fine pointing stabilized 2.7 minutes after completion of the momentum dump. * As of day 337 (Dec 3), 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 6.3 Gbits during this week. * PLASTIC reports that the increase in their MCP voltage performed a few weeks ago has improved their data. Week 49 (Dec 4-10) * Ahead has ten passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. Week 50 (Dec 11-17) * Ahead has nine passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * The DSN will be performing maintenance on their mission network on Dec 14. Week 51 (Dec 18-24) * Ahead has ten passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. Week 52 (Dec 25-31) * Ahead has nine passes during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * APL will be closed for Christmas on Monday, Dec 25 (days 359-3). * Parker Solar Probe's perihelion pass runs from Dec 25-Jan 3. * There will be no telecon during the week, due to the holidays. * Solar Orbiter will offpoint for Parker Solar Probe on Dec 28. Week 1 (Jan 1-7) * Ahead has twelve tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * APL will be closed for New Year's Day on Monday, Jan 1. Week 2 (Jan 8-14) * Ahead has twelve tracks during the week, all at 720 kbps, and overall coverage is nominal. * The 163rd momentum dump is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan 9, with ignition at 16:45 UT. COORDINATED OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 49: M Dec 04 (338) T Dec 05 (339) W Dec 06 (340) T Dec 07 (341) F Dec 08 (342) S Dec 09 (343) S Dec 10 (344) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 50: M Dec 11 (345) T Dec 12 (346) W Dec 13 (347) T Dec 14 (348) F Dec 15 (349) S Dec 16 (350) S Dec 17 (351) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 51: M Dec 18 (352) T Dec 19 (353) W Dec 20 (354) T Dec 21 (355) F Dec 22 (356) S Dec 23 (357) S Dec 24 (358) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 52: M Dec 25 (359) Start of Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass T Dec 26 (360) HI-1 High Cadence (20-min cad) W Dec 27 (361) HI-1 High Cadence (20-min cad) T Dec 28 (362) Solar Orbiter off-point for Parker Solar Probe COR2 deep field (36 sec exp/5 min cadence) F Dec 29 (363) COR2 deep field (36 sec exp/5 min cadence) S Dec 30 (364) COR2 deep field (36 sec exp/5 min cadence) S Dec 31 (365) Notes: * Parker Solar Probe perihelion pass, Dec 25-Jan 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 01: M Jan 01 (001) New Year's Day T Jan 02 (002) W Jan 03 (003) T Jan 04 (004) F Jan 05 (005) S Jan 06 (006) S Jan 07 (007) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduled activities for Week 02: M Jan 08 (008) T Jan 09 (009) Momentum dump, 16:45 UT W Jan 10 (010) T Jan 11 (011) F Jan 12 (012) S Jan 13 (013) S Jan 14 (014) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming events: 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