No. 160 - Cebreros Resumes Operations
Highlights of the week's activities:
- With the start of the Cebreros passes the telemetry info rate was increased in two steps from 152 kbps to 228kbps by the end of the reporting period.
- Radio Science Investigation (RSI) occultation measurements were taken on DOY 336, 338 and 340 with the New Norcia ground station.
- The Cebreros pass on DOY 336 was used to support a lunar occultation observation. All data dumps were interrupted during the occultation itself that lasted between 15:39Z and 17:13Z (the ground station lies 77 km west of Madrid, Spain).
- VIRTIS continues to be operated in the visual channels only.
- The speed direction of all four reaction wheels (RW) was inversed again on DOY 341 (6 December) to support the investigation of the anomalous friction observed at RW#1. The previous reversal was on DOY 328.
The table below shows a chronology of the main activities:
| MET (Day) | Date | DOY | Main Activity |
| 1118 | 30/11/08 | 335 |
Communications pass over New Norcia with telemetry bitrate at 152 kbps |
| 1119 | 01/12/08 | 336 |
Communications pass over Cebreros. |
| 1120 | 02/12/08 | 337 |
Communications pass over Cebreros |
| 1121 | 03/12/08 | 338 |
Communications pass over Cebreros. |
| 1122 | 04/12/08 | 339 |
Communications pass over Cebreros |
| 1123 | 05/12/08 | 340 |
Communications pass over Cebreros. |
| 1124 | 06/12/08 | 341 |
Communications pass over Cebreros |
At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 341) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 145.52 million km from the Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 484 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
The instrument was not operated during the reporting period.
SPICAV
The instrument was regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
VeRA
RSI occultation measurements were taken during the reporting period on DOY 336, 338 and 340 with the New Norcia ground station.
VIRTIS
The instrument was regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
VIRTIS is operated in the visual channels only.
VMC
The instrument was regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
Future Milestones
- High gain antenna (HGA1) S-band carrier power test is planned for 15 December 2008
- Next quadrature phase will start on 19 December 2008
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This report is based on the ESOC mission operations report, MOR #160. Please see the copyright section of the legal disclaimer (bottom of this page) for terms of use.