Hubble Space Telescope Daily Report #3090 – 9 Apr 2002
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
DAILY REPORT #3090
PERIOD COVERED: 0000Z (UTC) 04/08/02 – 0000Z (UTC) 04/09/02
Daily Status Report as of 099/0000Z
1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:
1.1 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8902 (Dark Monitor-Part 2)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor
the darks. No problems were reported.
1.2 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8937 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt2/3)
The WF/PC-2 was used obtain three dark frames every day to provide
data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot pixels. No
problems were encountered.
1.3 Completed Five Sets of ACS/HFC 9560CCD Linearity Check
The Advanced Camera for Surveys (HFC) was used to obtain several
exposures with both the to delineate linearity at both low and high signal
levels. This is an exploratory set of observations aimed at basic
instrument characterization. It is expected that positive results in some
areas may serve to enable particularly demanding science observations:
negative indications could lead to the need for corrections to be developed
for some signal regimes. Each gain setting can have unique linearity
issues, therefore exploratory observations with gains =1, 2, 4 e-/DN will
be performed. Another specific goal is to obtain data that will allow
accurate photometry to be extracted for point sources that saturate the
detector. The proposal completed with no reported problems.
1.4 Completed STIS/CCD 9131 (Imaging the Host Galaxies of High Redshift
Type Ia Supernovae)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to complete
the snapshot survey of distant galaxies of known redshift which hosted
supernovae {SNe} of Type Ia found via the Supernova Cosmology Project
{SCP}. No problems were seen.
1.5 Completed WF/PC-2 8939 (Cycle 10 Internal Monitor)
The WF/PC-2 was used to calibrate the internal monitor, to be run
weekly to monitor the health of the cameras. No problems were encountered.
1.6 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 9074 (The Origin and Physics of
Gamma-Ray Bursts)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make
observations that will provide the most stringent tests yet performed of
the hypothesis that GRBs are powered by the collapse of massive
stars. STIS CCD spectroscopy will be used to detect broad atomic features
of supernovae underlying GRB optical transients, at flux levels more than a
factor of three fainter than SN 1998bw. All observations completed nominally.
1.7 Completed Four Sets of ACS/WFC/HRC 8947 (Weekly Test)
The Advanced Camera for Surveys (WFC and HRC) was used to perform
basic tests to monitor, the read noise, the development of hot pixels and
test for any source of noise in ACS CCD detectors. This program will be
executed at least once a day for the entire lifetime of ACS. There were no
problems reported.
1.8 Completed Six Sets of ACS/WFC/HRC 8948 (CTE Test)
The Advanced Camera for Surveys (WFC and HRC) was used to measure
the baseline charge transfer efficiency {CTE} performance of the HRC and
WFC detectors, emulating the CTE ground calibration testing. Also
,a similar program will perform periodic measurements in order to track
the change in the CTE as damage due to radiation exposure
accumulates. All observations were successful.
1.9 Completed ACS/HRC/WFC 9292 (The Nature of Galaxies at z > 4)
The Advanced Camera for Surveys (HRC and WFC) was used to further
look into recent discoveries of a number of galaxies and quasars at
redshifts greater than 5 that has identified the z>5-6 epoch as key to
understanding the earliest formation phases for galaxies. However,
establishing the characteristics and properties of these earliest galaxies
is proving to be a particularly difficult. They are faint, with I{AB}
magnitudes around 26-27. Thus, substantial investments of time are needed
to obtain high S/N images, while ground-based spectroscopy, even with 8-10
m class telescopes, has provided little more than redshifts. Establishing
the physical properties of these galaxies will be a challenge for the
foreseeable future. However, there is a subset of this high redshift
population that is amenable to more detailed study. These are sources that
have been strongly lensed by low redshift clusters. No problems were reported.
1.10 Completed STIS/CCD 8904 (Bias Monitor-Part 2)
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor
the bias in the 1×1, 1×2, 2×1, and 2×2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1×1 at
gain = 4 in order to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution
of hot columns. The proposal completed with no anomalous activity.
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The following scheduled proposal did not execute completely since the high
voltage turn-on for MAMA-1 had been inhibited:
STIS/CCD/MA1 8962 (Contamination Monitor)
Subsequent to this proposal’s partial execution, via an operations request,
the flag was set to allow future MAMA-1 turn-ons at 098/1342Z.
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2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
Scheduled Acquisitions: 5
Successful: 5
Scheduled Re-acquisitions: 11
Successful: 11
2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 6
Successful: 6
2.3 Operations Notes:
The NICMOS Cryo Cooler (NCS) cool down continues nominally. As of
yesterday morning, the NICMOS Outlet Temperature (MNPNCOLT) was 88.6K
(expected end point 76K), the NCC TA Inlet Temperature (MNPTAILT) was
73.12K (expected end point 68K), the CLI Temperature (MNPLINTT) was 76.76K
(expected end point 71K), and the NICMOS Inlet Temperature (MNRNCILT) was
68.10K (expected endpoint 63K).
Using ROP NS-3, the NSSC-1 status buffer was dumped and reset at
098/1115Z.
The ephemeris table was uplinked at 099/0106Z per ROP DF-07A.
The SSR pointers were set at 099/0425Z as directed by ROP SR-3.
3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Continuation of Servicing Mission Orbital Verification and the
gradual resumption of normal science observations and calibrations.
