ESA Venus Express Status Report No. 73 – Mission Operations Report
25 Apr 2007 15:22 Report for Period 1 April to 7 April 2007. During the reporting period the mission operations have been conducted according to the plan. Science operations have been nominal.
The table below shows a chronology of the main activities in the reporting period:
| MET (Day) | Date | DOY | VPER# | Main Activity |
| 509 | 01/04/07 | 091 | 345 | Routine Mission operations |
| 510 | 02/04/07 | 092 | 346 | Routine Mission operations |
| 511 | 03/04/07 | 093 | 347 | Routine Mission operations |
| 512 | 04/04/07 | 094 | 348 | Routine Mission operations. TM bitrate changed to an information rate of 152 kbps after the pass |
| 513 | 05/04/07 | 095 | 349 | Routine Mission operations |
| 514 | 06/04/07 | 096 | 350 | Routine Mission operations |
| 515 | 07/04/07 | 097 | 351 | Routine Mission operations. TM bitrate changed to an information rate of 228 kbps after the pass to support the fast download of upcoming VIRTIS movie data in subsequent DSN passes |
At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 097, 18:00z) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 177 million km from the Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 589 seconds.
Payloads
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
No radio science performed this week.
VIRTIS
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
VMC
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
Future Milestones
VIRTIS movie passes are scheduled for execution immediately after this reporting period.
The testing of operations during quadrature is on-going; the next quadrature phase will start in May 2007.
