Status Report

ESA Venus Express Status Report No. 59 Routine Science Operations

By SpaceRef Editor
January 3, 2007
Filed under , , ,
ESA Venus Express Status Report No. 59 Routine Science Operations
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03 Jan 2007 14:28

Report for Period 17 December to 30 December 2006

During the reporting period the mission operations have been conducted according to the plan.

The table below shows a chronology of the main activities in the reporting period:



























































































MET (Day) Date DOY VPER# Main Activity
404 17/12/06 351 240 Routine Missions Operations
405 18/12/06 352 241 Routine Missions Operations
406 19/12/06 353 242 Routine Missions Operations
407 20/12/06 354 243 Routine Missions Operations
408 21/12/06 355 244 Routine Missions Operations
409 22/12/06 356 245 Routine Missions Operations
410 23/12/06 357 246 Routine Missions Operations. Temperatures of VIRTIS M-RAD measured above expectations
411 24/12/06 358 247 Routine Missions Operations
412 25/12/06 359 248 Routine Missions Operations
413 26/12/06 360 249 Routine Missions Operations
414 27/12/06 361 250 Routine Missions Operations
415 28/12/06 362 251 Routine Missions Operations
416 29/12/06 363 252 Routine Missions Operations
417 30/12/06 364 253 Routine Missions Operations


At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 364, 18:00z) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 243 million kilometres from the Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 811 seconds.


Payload Activities


ASPERA
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.


MAG
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.


PFS
This instrument is OFF and is not operated.


SPICAV
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.


VeRA
USO was enabled to observe occultations on DoY 351, 352, 359 and 361.


VIRTIS
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
On 23 December, at 07:40 UT, a marginal violation of the high hard limit of the M-RAD temperature was detected. The temperature was back within soft limits 10 minutes later.


VMC
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.


Mission Planning


Short Term Planning
Planning of STP034 and STP035 were completed on 20 December 2006.


Pre-checks of POR for STP036 and STP037 were successfully completed on the previous planning period.


Long Term Planning
EVTU was updated to include all OCMs planned up to 22 November 2007 (DOY 326; orbit 580).


MPEF was extended up to orbit 500 (3 September 2007).


FECSv22 and BRFv11 were generated, they cover the quadrature in May/June 2007.


Future Milestones


The definition of operations during quadrature is on-going; the next quadrature phase will start in May 2007.

SpaceRef staff editor.