ESA Venus Express Status Report No. 60 Routine Mission Update
08 Jan 2007 10:33
Report for the period 31 December 2006 – 6 January 2007
During the reporting period the mission operations have been conducted according to the plan. Science operations have been nominal and not affected by some problems observed with the Cebreros ground station. Radio science activities with the New Norcia ground station have been conducted as planned.
The table below shows a chronology of the main activities in the reporting period:
| MET (Day) | Date | DOY | VPER# | Main Activity |
| 418 | 31/12/06 | 365 | 254 | Routine Missions Operations |
| 419 | 01/01/07 | 001 | 255 | Routine Missions Operations |
| 420 | 02/01/07 | 002 | 256 | Routine Missions Operations |
| 421 | 03/01/07 | 003 | 257 | Routine Missions Operations |
| 422 | 04/01/07 | 004 | 258 | Routine Missions Operations |
| 423 | 05/01/07 | 005 | 259 | Routine Missions Operations |
| 424 | 06/01/07 | 006 | 260 | Routine Missions Operations |
At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 006, 18:00z) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 240 million kilometres from the Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 801 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
The USO has been unmuted on DoY 003 and 006 to conduct the planned Earth occultation observations.
VIRTIS
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
VMC
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
Mission Planning
Short Term Planning
Operations of STP035 were executed successfully and the planning of STP036 was completed in time. On DoY 009 the spacecraft will be commanded as if a RSI operation was to be conducted however the station, as planned, will not be available therefore no measurement will take place.
The science data dump has been slightly affected by the problems observed with the ground station but no data has been lost.
Medium Term Planning
Nothing to report.
Long Term Planning
Nothing to report.
Future Milestones
The definition of operations during quadrature is on-going; the next quadrature phase will start in May 2007.
