Cassini Significant Events 10/18/01 – 10/24/01
The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired from the Madrid tracking
station on Wednesday, October 24. The Cassini spacecraft is in an
excellent state of health and is operating normally. Information on the
spacecraft’s position and speed can be viewed on the
“Present Position” web page.
Recent instrument activities include a Cosmic Dust Analyzer measurement of
Jovian dust stream particles, the continuation of an eight-day
decontamination sequence for the Imaging Science Subsystem, and two Radio
and Plasma Wave Science High Frequency Receiver calibrations. Engineering
activities taking place onboard the spacecraft this week include the
conclusion of the final in a series of Attitude Control Subsystem deadband
tests. A minisequence was uplinked to overlay the Attitude Control
Subsystem (ACS) Momentum Bias commands from the background sequence with
new updated values produced by the ACS team.
C29 Preliminary Sequence Integration and Validation (PSIV) phase has
continued with the release of version “C” sequence products to be reviewed
during the upcoming PSIV approval meeting. All required waivers for the
sequence have been reviewed and signed off, and three minisequences have
been generated to support the fourth Probe Relay Test, which is planned
for C29. These minisequences are currently being validated using the High
Speed Simulator, and will require a final SIV phase with the release of
version “D” products to accommodate several minor changes to the sequence.
The Solid State Recorder (SSR) Management Operations Concept was reviewed,
with particular attention paid to the plan for multiple play-backs of
certain science data from the SSR to the DSN, and data carry-over on the
SSR from one play-back to the next. These items are being carefully
reviewed due to their impact on the design of the SSR Management Tool and
the planning of tour science observations.
The Cassini Functional Design Description document has been updated to
include the comments made at the Ground Data System (GDS) and Downlink
Critical Design Reviews earlier this year. Changes included revised
diagrams of the GDS and updated requirements to the GDS and Downlink
Operations Concepts.
The Uplink Operations and System Engineering teams held a Delivery
Coordination Meeting for the Cassini Information Management System (CIMS)
version 1.4.1 This latest release includes added functionality to the
time-ordered-listing algorithm, which outputs science planning data from
the CIMS database.
The Cassini Education and Public Outreach planning committee held a
teleconference with its outside planning partners to present the draft
Education and Outreach plan for review. In addition, Outreach held
workshops to present classroom activities at the western regional National
Science Teachers Association meeting in Salt Lake City and at the
California Science Teachers Association meeting.
Cassini is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and
the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the
California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Cassini
mission for NASA’s Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C.
