NASA Cassini Significant Events 08/25/10 – 08/31/10
The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired on Aug. 31 from the Deep Space Network tracking complex at Madrid, Spain. 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/.
Wednesday, Aug. 25 (DOY 237)
This week the Cosmic Dust Analyzer completed its interstellar dust campaign. The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) concluded a 1 day, 8 hour observation of Saturn to measure upper troposphere and tropopause temperatures. Radio Science (RSS) performed an operational readiness test in preparation for the occultation observation on Sept. 2. Imaging Science (ISS) performed 15 hour observations of each of the moons Hyrrokkin and Greip, a 23 hour observation of the moon Kiviuq, and another observation in support of its Satellite Orbit Campaign. Additional observations were performed by ISS and CIRS for the Titan monitoring campaign and of faint rings at low elevation angles and high phase angles.
Thursday, Aug. 26 (DOY 238)
Seven Instrument Expanded Block (IEB) files were uplinked to the spacecraft and loaded to the Solid State Recorder today in support of the S63 sequence. The Dione Live Inertial Vector Propagator update is on board and will execute on Sept. 3.
Friday, Aug. 27 (DOY 239)
RSS has decided to withdraw its request to change the long-term down-times for the Canberra and Madrid 70m stations, and instead has suggested a couple of Pre-Integrated Event (PIE) trades for the discipline representatives in the PIE/segmentation group to evaluate. This decision was in response to the topic that came up at the Mission Planning Forum in early August concerning reconsideration of the Cassini position regarding the 70m downtimes in 2013 and 2014 because of impacts to RSS activities.
Monday, Aug. 30 (DOY 242)
Port 1 products were due today as part of the S66 Sequence Implementation Process. The products will be merged and sent out to the flight team for review.
The final sequence approval meeting for S63, the last sequence in the Equinox Mission and the last sequence to use the Science and Sequence Update Process, was held today. The S63 background sequence goes active on Sept. 6.
Tuesday, Aug. 31 (DOY 243)
The Cassini-Huygens Analysis and Results of the Mission (CHARM) teleconference for August was held today. The topic: “The Forces That Sculpt Saturns Rings”. A PDF of the presentation package may be obtained at: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/video/products/MultimediaProductsCharm/.
