Tutto bene durante le prime operazioni scientifiche condotte con gli strumenti di bordo di Venus Express. Ora la sonda europea può prepararsi ad entrare nella fase pienamente operativa della sua missione 
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=39290Early Routine Science Operations
Venus Express
European Space Agency
23 May 2006Report for period 14 May to 20 May 2006
The reporting period is the first period during which all operations
have been executed according to the planning inputs received from the
Science Operations Center. All observations have been executed as
scheduled without any problem.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 operationsAt 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.