ESA Venus Express Status Report No. 51 – Conjuntion Operations
31 Oct 2006 10:20
Report for Period 22 October to 28 October 2006
During the reporting period the mission operations have been conducted according to the plan. A commanding test consisting of sending a total of 1600 ping commands was conducted during the pass on DoY 297 at an angular separation of 1.3° from the Sun.
The table below shows a chronology of the main activities in the reporting period:
| MET (Day) | Date | DOY | VPER# | Main Activity |
| 348 | 22/10/06 | 295 | 184 | Conjunction operations |
| 349 | 23/10/06 | 296 | 185 | Conjunction operations |
| 350 | 24/10/06 | 297 | 186 | Conjunction operations, Commanding test |
| 351 | 25/10/06 | 298 | 187 | Conjunction operations |
| 352 | 26/10/06 | 299 | 188 | Conjunction operations |
| 353 | 27/10/06 | 300 | 189 | Conjunction operations |
| 354 | 28/10/06 | 301 | 190 | Conjunction operations |
At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 301, 16:00z) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 256 million km from the Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 856 seconds.
Payload Activities
ASPERA
The instrument is OFF throughout the conjunction period.
MAG
The instrument is OFF throughout the conjunction period.
PFS
The instrument is OFF and remains inactive.
SPICAV
The instrument is OFF throughout the conjunction period.
VeRa
The USO is nominally powered but muted. Solar corona observations using the DSN 70m station in Canberra were performed on DoY 295, 297, 298.
VIRTIS
The instrument is OFF throughout the conjunction period.
VMC
The instrument is OFF throughout the conjunction period.
Mission Planning
Short Term Planning
The DSN key file for solar corona observations in STP26 has been produced and sent to DSN.
Medium Term
Planning MTP09 was processed again to take into account the passes in January 2007 which have been shortened to allow station maintenance.
Long Term Planning
The FECS file was generated covering the period up until the end of MTP012. VSOC is to provide to VMOC Radio Science New Norcia requirements for October to December 2007.
Future Milestones
The spacecraft is planned to exit conjunction on 9 November (DoY 313).
