NASA Cassini Significant Events 01/19/11 – 01/25/11
The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired on Jan. 25 from the Deep Space Network tracking complex at Canberra, Australia. The Cassini spacecraft is in an excellent state of health and all subsystems are operating normally. Information on the present position and speed of the Cassini spacecraft may be found on the “Present Position” page at: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/presentposition/.
Thursday, Jan. 20 (DOY 020)
A feature story called “Cassini Top Images of 2010” is available on the Cassini web site. It showcases the Cassini scientists’ picks of the top images from 2010 with many close-up views of Saturn and its environs. With its spectacular rings and dozens of odd moons, the Saturn system reveals inspiring vistas from the vantage point of Cassini’s cameras. For images and more information on this subject, link to: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/cassinifeatures/feature20110120/.
Friday, Jan. 21 (DOY 021)
A Y-thruster calibration was performed today in order to assess the performance of the B-branch Y-thrusters. The Navigation team is evaluating the results and analysis of the data is underway.
Saturday, Jan. 22 (DOY 022)
In this week’s science observations, the Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) completed a 45-hour interstellar dust observation. The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) completed a 23 hour mid-infrared map to determine Saturn’s upper troposphere and tropopause temperature. Imaging Science (ISS) observed the transit of Rhea across Dione for orbit determination purposes, performed another observation in its Satellite Orbit Campaign, and completed a 17-hour observation of the outer irregular moon Ijiraq, just 12 kilometers in diameter. ISS, CIRS and the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) performed another observation in the Titan campaign to monitor surface and atmosphere changes, after which ISS performed astrometric observations of Saturn’s small, inner moons Polydeuces, Telesto, Janus, Pallene, Atlas, Calypso, and Methone. VIMS and CIRS completed a 16-hour observation of the E and G rings. CDA completed another 44-hour interstellar dust observation, and after the downlink of all recorded data to a Canberra 34m antenna, CDA began yet another 37-hour interstellar dust observation.
Sunday, Jan. 23 (DOY 023)
The ISS Wide Angle Camera (WAC) experienced a machine error today. The camera recovered nominally and no data was lost. This error was added to Incident Surprise Anomaly (ISA) #43413.
Monday, Jan. 24 (DOY 024)
An article called “Cassini Top 10 Science Highlights – 2010” was posted on the Cassini web site today. Even after over six years of close study by the Cassini spacecraft, new scientific discoveries continue to be made. For images and more information on this subject, link to: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/cassinifeatures/feature20110124/.
A week-long series of presentations and discussions at the 53rd meeting of the Cassini Project Science Group (PSG) begins today. The meeting objective is to report and discuss science results in the fields of Saturn magnetosphere, icy satellites, Titan, rings and Saturn, and to assess how the transition to the Solstice Mission is working.
Tuesday, Jan. 25 (DOY 025)
Files were uplinked to the spacecraft today in support of S66 for the Live Inertial Vector Propagator (IVP) Update, and the CDA threshold settings planned for execution on DOY 030 – 031. The Downlink Ground System (DGS) team’s Perimeter Access Request (PAR) for the Java Distributed Object Manager (DOM) transition was approved and is now in the Implementation Cycle phase in the process. The DGS team provided Java DOM training and demonstrations during the Project Science Group (PSG) meeting this week.
