22 Jan 2009 12:05

VIRTIS continues to be operated in the visual channels only. A test with the redundant VIRTIS unit was executed on 10 January and the data was downloaded on 11 January.

On DOY 013 the weather at the Cebreros site was windy and snowy, which resulted in a significant instability and attenuation of the received signal. To avoid telemetry (TM) drops the bit rate for the pass was reduced from 38 kbps (nominal) to 28 kbps. The pass continued nominally, and the TM bit rate was restored to 38 kbps at the next Cebreros pass.

The table below shows a chronology of the main activities:

At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 017) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 99.6 million km from the Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 332 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
No measurements were taken during the reporting period.

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

• The quadrature phase will end on 25 January 2009.
• Commissioning of the Reaction Control Subsystem B on 12 February 2009.
• Battery Deep Discharge Test is planned for 22 April 2009.
• Start of next (outbound) quadrature phase on 29 May 2009.

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This report is based on the ESOC mission operations report, MOR #166. Please see the copyright section of the legal disclaimer (bottom of this page) for terms of use.