ESA Venus Express Status No. 36 – Science Operations – Report for Period 9 July to 15 July 2006
16 Jul 2006 13:03
Report for Period 9 July to 15 July 2006
During the reporting period the mission operations have been conducted according to plan. The spacecraft performance was nominal throughout the reporting period and several outstanding system level operations have been performed.
The table below shows a chronology of the main activities in the reporting period:
| MET (Day) | Date | DOY | VPER# | Main Activity |
| 243 | 09/07/06 | 190 | 79 | Routine science operations |
| 244 | 10/07/06 | 191 | 80 | Routine science operations Occultation1 Radio Science Operations |
| 245 | 11/07/06 | 192 | 81 | Routine science operations |
| 246 | 12/07/06 | 193 | 82 | Routine science operations |
| 247 | 13/07/06 | 194 | 83 | Routine science operations |
| 248 | 14/07/06 | 195 | 84 | Routine science operations Upload & activation of thermal onboard monitoring Occultation1 Radio Science Operations |
| 249 | 15/07/06 | 196 | 85 | Routine science operations Occultation1 Radio Science Operations |
At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 196, 14:00) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 218 million km from the Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 726 seconds.
Payload Activities
ASPERA
The instrument is regularly operated.
MAG
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
PFS
The instrument is currently OFF and is not included in the routine planning. Current planning does not forsee any PFS testing until early end September/early October 2006.
SPICAV
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
VeRA
The USO is nominally powered but muted. Occultation observations with USO un-muted took place on DOY 192, 195 and 196. Unfortunately it was found only after the first observation that radio science data recording is very difficult witin the current scheduled pointing and payload operations and accordingly a revision has been made to the schedule.
VIRTIS
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
VMC
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
Future Milestones
Throughout the next week the major focus will be on planning for the MTP4 and development of an operational strategy for the upcoming solar conjunction phase in October/November 2006.
