Status Report

Cassini Weekly Significant Events 1-7 Feb 2001

By SpaceRef Editor
February 10, 2001
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The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired from the Goldstone tracking station on Tuesday, February 6.  The Cassini spacecraft is in an excellent state of health and is operating normally.  The speed of the spacecraft can be viewed on the "Present Position" web page ( "http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/english/where/" )
 
The Probe Relay Test mini-sequence completed this week after executing the remaining four tests.  During the first 2 1/2 days of the test, the overall Es/No, Delta F, and Pt (Bit transition probability) parameter space for the two channels A and B was globally mapped.  This included two configurations for channel A (TCXO and RUSO).  By analyzing the test data from one day to the next, Huygens personnel were able to update their test plan for the last 2 1/2 days enabling them to focus on further detailed regions of interest identified from the global maps.  Special test data for selected cases were also identified and acquired.  The overall data set is complete and will take some time to analyze.  The Huygens team expressed them selves as "very delighted with the results" and offered thanks to the C24 team.  More information may be found on the Huygens web site at:
 
http://sci.esa.int/huygens/
 
After the completion of the Probe Relay Test, all instruments were returned to active mode and the Radio Science Subsystem (RSS) Ka-band was powered on.  Commands were uplinked to continue the Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) High Frequency Receiver (HFR) calibrations with the first calibration occurring on Tuesday.  Phase F Post Jupiter Activities resumed beginning with two RPWS calibration activities, and Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) atmosphere observations.  Additional activities included CDS-A and CDS-B automatic SSR repairs, and clearing of the CDS error logs.  RPWS has taken a preliminary look at the data from the two calibrations and everything looks fine so far.
 
The Cassini Instrument Operations (IO) Team and the Multi Mission Image Processing Laboratory have produced and delivered 22,149 ISS images – 15,164 from the NAC and 6,985 from the Wide Angle Camera – and 4,823 Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) cubes since Jupiter encounter began.
 
The Spacecraft Operations Office held a Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM)-17 strategy meeting this week. A main engine maneuver of approximately 0.5 meters per second will be performed on February 28. The primary purpose of the maneuver is to flush the oxidizer lines in the bi-propellant system. Additionally, the maneuver will clean up the small dispersions from the Jupiter flyby.
 
The Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) team held a kick-off meeting regarding the next round of flight software upgrades in preparation for an in-flight test in C27.
 
The first of two C26 Science Planning Virtual Team (SPVT) product delivery ports occurred on Monday.  Science Planning has merged the instrument team files and delivered them to AACS for running Kinematic Prediction Tool /Inertial Vector Propagator (KPT/IVP) to perform an end-to-end pointing check on the planned sequence.
 
The Project Science Group (PSG) Atmospheres Working Group (AWG) held a telecon on Friday to work on science and orbit priorities for Tour.  The AWG is planning to hold weekly telecons over the next month to work Tour plans.
 
A Delivery Coordination Meeting (DCM) was held for Mission Sequence Subsystem (MSS) 4.7 delivery.  Included was a patch for revision of a Main Engine TCM block (METCM) for use in TCM-17.
 
Due to an increased number of requests over the last several weeks, System Engineering has established a secure process to provide selected data files from the Ops Project Software Library (PSL). A special area controlled by the Configuration Management Engineer was established in AFS space, allowing access for both Operations and Development networks.
 
Outreach has arranged with NASA CORE (Central Operation of Resources for Educators) for a cost-recovery approach to distributing the Saturn Educator Guide and Ways of Seeing CD-ROM.  Cassini has supplied an initial inventory of paper+CD-ROM copies.  CORE will charge about $15 for these materials, which will cover the cost of reproducing additional copies when stock is depleted.  The Saturn Educator Guide should stay in print indefinitely with this approach.  This represents a significant change from the way published materials were handled in the past.
 
Outreach supported an AAUW career day, encouraging young women to pursue careers in math and science.  Cassini Jupiter flyby results were displayed as part of the presentation.
 
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.
 
Cassini Outreach
Cassini Mission to Saturn and Titan
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

SpaceRef staff editor.