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No. 83 - End of Quadrature Phase

No. 83 - End of Quadrature Phase

Report for Period 10 June to 16 June 2007On the last day of the reporting period, the spacecraft's 10° +Y tilt was removed as part of the ending of the quadrature operations. The tilt in the spacecraft attitude is required during the quadrature phases to prevent unacceptable illumination of the VMC.

Routine observations took place during this reporting period, and occurred as planned. A full VIRTIS software upload was carried out including the related testing on DOY 165 and 166.

The table below shows a chronology of the main activities in the reporting period:

MET (Day) Date DOY VPER# Main Activity
579 10/06/07 161 415 Routine Mission Operations
580 11/06/07 162 416

Routine Mission Operations.

581 12/06/07 163 417

Routine Mission Operations.

582 13/06/07 164 418

Routine Mission Operations.

583 14/06/07 165 419 Special activities: VIRTIS S/W upload and test
584 15/06/07 166 420 Special activities: VIRTIS S/W test
585 16/06/07 167 421 Routine Mission Operations.
Telemetry bitrate changed to 45 kbps.
Removal of 10° +Y tilt prior to start of pass


At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 167, 18:00z) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 97 million km from the Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 323 seconds.

Payload Activities

ASPERA
The instrument was regularly operated as part of the routine plan.

MAG
The instrument was regularly operated as part of the routine plan.

PFS
This instrument was OFF and was not operated.

SPICAV
The instrument was regularly operated as part of the routine plan.

VeRA
Two occultation observations were performed over New Norcia on DOY 164 and 166. A Bistatic Radar observation was performed with the 70m Canberra DSN station on DOY 163.

VIRTIS
The instrument was regularly operated as part of the routine plan. A full S/W upload and related test were carried out on DOY 165 and 166.

VMC
The instrument is operated as part of the routine plan.

Future Milestones

Uploading of the SPICAV shutter on-board control procedure (OBCP).

PFS test are being prepared to try to move the instrument's scanner during a wheel off-loading (WOL).

Last Update: 1 September 2019
20-Apr-2024 06:05 UT

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