Venus Express
No. 66 - Mission Update
European Space Agency
February 19, 2007
Report for Period 11 February to 18 February 2007
During the reporting period the mission operations have been conducted
according to the plan. Science operations have been nominal. Radio
science activities with the New Norcia ground station have been
conducted as planned.
The table below shows a chronology of the main activities in the
reporting period:
MET Date DOY VPER# Main Activity
(Day)
460 11/02/07 042 296 Routine Mission Operations
461 12/02/07 043 297 Routine Mission Operations
462 13/02/07 044 298 Routine Mission Operations
463 14/02/07 045 299 Routine Mission Operations
464 15/02/07 046 300 Routine Mission Operations
465 16/02/07 047 301 Routine Mission Operations
466 17/02/07 048 302 Routine Mission Operations
At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 048,
17:00z) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 217 million km from the
Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 723 seconds.
Payloads
ASPERA
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
MAG
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
PFS
This instrument is OFF and is not operated.
SPICAV
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
VeRa
Nothing to report.
VIRTIS
Nominal operation of VIRTIS continue.
VMC
Other than a small data anomaly the instrument continued being
regularly
operated as part of the routine plan.
Future Milestones
VIRTIS movie passes are scheduled for the second week of April (DOY
98-101). Planning of science operations during this event is currently
ongoing. The definition and testing of operations during quadrature is
on-going; the next quadrature phase will start in May 2007.