Venus Express
No. 62 - Earth Occultation Observations
European Space Agency
January 25, 2007
Report for Period 14 January to 20 January 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)
432 14/01/07 014 268 Routine Mission Operations
433 15/01/07 015 269 Routine Mission Operations
434 16/01/07 016 270 Routine Mission Operations
435 17/01/07 017 271 Routine Mission Operations
436 18/01/07 018 272 Routine Mission Operations
437 19/01/07 019 273 Routine Mission Operations
438 20/01/07 020 274 Routine Mission Operations
At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 020,
17:00z) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 233 million km from the
Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 779 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
The USO has been unmuted on DoY 014, 016, 018 and 020 to conduct the
planned Earth occultation observations.
VIRTIS
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
VMC
The instrument is regularly operated as part of the routine plan.
Mission Planning
Short Term Planning
Operations of STP037 were executed successfully and the planning of
STP038 was completed in time.
Future Milestones
The definition and testing of operations during quadrature is on-
going;
the next quadrature phase will start in May 2007.