No. 28 - Early Routine Science Operations
The planning cycle is now in its full operational configuration and all the tools foreseen for the routine mission are in place. On 13 May 2006, at 13:33 UTC Venus Express had its 23rd apocenter passage and the first science operations planned as part of the routine processes and with the routine tools have started. The process foresees a monthly planning cycle (Medium Term Planning) when resources are checked and then frozen, and a weekly planning cycle (Short Term Planning) when resources are finally checked and commands for the spacecraft produced for uplink. This mechanism will be used throughout the mission.
The performance of the space and the ground segment during the reporting period has been nominal with some small problems recorded in the area of the Mission Control System. None of the observed problems, however, has affected the mission operations.
The table below shows a chronology of the main activities in the reporting period:
| MET (Day) | Date | DOY | Main Activity |
| 187 | 14/05/06 | 134 | Routine Science operations |
| 188 | 15/05/06 | 135 | Routine Science operations |
| 189 | 16/05/06 | 136 | Routine Science operations, Uplink of STP002/2 commands |
| 190 | 17/05/06 | 137 | Routine Science operations |
| 191 | 18/05/06 | 138 | Routine Science operations |
| 192 | 19/05/06 | 139 | Routine Science operations, Uplink of STP003/1 commands, STR B OBSM |
| 193 | 20/05/06 | 140 | Routine Science operations |
At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 140, 14:00) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 165 million km from the Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 553 seconds.
Payload Activities
ASPERA
The instrument is regularly operated. Some out of limits and warning events have been recorded and confirmed to be expected by the PI team. The database and the procedures will be updated accordingly. Upon request from the PI team some observations have been modified in order to avoid saturation of the sensor. A test of a specific acquisition sequence is scheduled for the next reporting period.
MAG
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
PFS
The instrument is currently OFF and is not included in the routine planning.
SPICAV
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
VeRA
No operations have been executed in the reporting period..
VIRTIS
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
VMC
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan. Sun avoidance is routinely checked manually.
Ground Facilities
During the reporting period Venus Express has been successfully supported by daily passes with Cebreros.
Future Milestones
The phasing-in of the routine planning process is proceeding according to the plan and no anomalies have been recorded. All the systems are already in the configuration that will be used for the routine mission which will officially start on 4 June with Medium Term Plan 002.
The first routine radio science operations will take place in the next reporting period with activities scheduled with New Norcia and DSN stations.
The next milestone for the mission is the preparation of the Mission Commissioning Results Review to be held end of June.