• → European Space Agency

    • About Science & Technology

    • For Public

    • For Educators

    • ESA

    • Science & Technology

    • Venus Express

    • Missions
    • Show All Missions
    • Mission Home
    • Summary
    • Fact Sheet
    • Objectives
    • Mission Team
    • Orbit View
    • Background Science
    • Venus vs Earth
    • Venus Transits
    • Spacecraft
    • 3D Model
    • Instruments
    • Engineering

    • Mission Operations…

      • Launch Vehicle
      • Launch Campaign
      • Launch Phase
      • Cruise Phase
      • Orbit Insertion
      • Operational Orbit
      • ESOC info
      • Status Reports
    • Science Operations
    • Venus Express Science Operations
    • Data Archive
    • Resources
    • News Archive
    • Multimedia Gallery
    • Publication Archive
    • Status Report Archive
    • Calendar of Events
    • Services
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Bookmark and Share

    No. 139 - Preparing for Pericentre Lowering Manoeuvres

    15 Jul 2008 12:13

    Report for Period 6 July to 12 July 2008

    All operations have been nominal during the reporting period.

    Between 13 July and 5 August 2008 a series of manoeuvres is performed to lower the pericentre altitude of Venus Express (see also the link on the right hand side for more details).

    The first pair of manoeuvres (one manoeuvre to raise the apocentre altitude and one to lower the pericentre altitude) was planned and uploaded to the spacecraft. The two manoeuvres will be executed during the next reporting period.

    The table below shows a chronology of the main activities in the reporting period:

    MET (Day) Date DOY Main Activity
    971 06/07/08 188 Routine Operations
    972 07/07/08 189 Routine Operations
    973 08/07/08 190 Routine Operations.
    Short Cebreros pass, due to monthly station maintenance
    974 09/07/08 191 Routine Operations
    975 10/07/08 192 Routine Operations
    976 11/07/08 193 Routine Operations
    977 12/07/08 194 Routine operations

    At the end of the last Cebreros pass in the reporting period (DOY 194) Venus Express was orbiting Venus at 254.7 million km from the Earth. The one-way signal travel time was 849 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 observations were made during the reporting period.

    VIRTIS
    The instrument was regularly operated as part of the routine plan.

    VMC
    The instrument was regularly operated as part of the routine plan.

    Future Milestones

    • Beginning of pericentre lowering operation, scheduled for 13 July 2008
    • Organise an S-band carrier power test before next quadrature entry, in December 2008

    ---
    Legal disclaimer
    This report is based on the ESOC mission operations report, MOR #139. Please see the copyright section of the legal disclaimer (bottom of this page) for terms of use.


    Last Update: 27 Aug 2008

    • Shortcut URL
    • http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=43169
    • Status Reports
    • Archives
    • See also
    • Venus Express to fly closer to Venus

    Connect with us

    • RSS
    • Youtube
    • Twitter
    • Flickr
    • Google Buzz
    • Livestream
    • Subscribe
    • App Store
    • ESA Science Twitter

    Follow ESA science

    • Copyright 2000 - 2013 © European Space Agency. All rights reserved.

    • Terms and Conditions