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Science Forum Index » Astro Forum » Cassini Update - January 26, 2007
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 Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:11 pm |
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Cassini Significant Events
for 01/18/07 - 01/24/07
The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired Wednesday, January
25,
from the Goldstone tracking complexes. The Cassini spacecraft is in an
excellent state of health and is operating normally. Information on
the
present position and speed of the Cassini spacecraft may be found on
the
"Present Position" web page located at
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/operations/present-position.cfm .
Thursday, January 18 (DOY 018):
A tabletop walk though of the AACS Flight Computer Reset Recovery
procedure
was held today. This is another in a series of reviews to familiarize
the
spacecraft team with Fault Protection responses.
Today eight members of the Cassini Science Planning and Outreach Teams
toured the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex. They observed
operations, met with members of the Goldstone technical staff, and
spent the
day learning how the facility operates.
Most of today's science activity focused on Saturn's rings. The
Visible and
Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) made a mosaic on each ansa for
latitude
and phase coverage with the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) and
Composite
Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) riding along. CIRS made a radial scan of
the
main rings at afternoon to obtain thermal measurements of the rings.
At the
same time the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) made an
ultraviolet
spectral mapping of the rings. Additional activities included RADAR
obtaining radiometer data of northern latitudes on Titan.
The spectacular view of Saturn, In Saturn's Shadow, proved to be the
most
popular in the Cassini Photo Contest II. To view the results of the
contest
link to:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/poll/index.cfm
Friday, January 19 (DOY 019):
On Friday, Outreach participated in a space science day at Palos
Verdes
Intermediate School in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Three hundred
fifty
eighth grade students attended the presentations, which included
demonstrations on spacecraft communications, Mars rovers, and Cassini
science highlights. The event was written up in the local Palos Verdes
newspaper.
Images of satellites Atlas and Pan were taken by ISS today. Additional
images of Mimas and Tethys were obtained for optical navigation.
Rings
studies included a CIRS radial scan of the main rings to measure
temperature, a UVIS ultraviolet spectral map, and a wide-angle camera
mosaic
of the entire ring system in multiple colors providing ring system
photometry.
An article on the jet stream of Titan by the European Space Agency has
been
reproduced on the Cassini web site. For details on how a pair of rare
celestial alignments occurring in November 2003 provided on going
science
results in 2007, link to:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features/feature20070124.cfm
Saturday, January 20 (DOY 020):
The Magnetospheric and Plasma Science (MAPS) instruments are
continuing
their magnetospheric survey this week.
On Saturday, an occultation of the close binary bright star Epsilon
Lup by
the outer B ring was observed in the far ultraviolet by UVIS. The
grazing
path of this occultation made a "u-turn" in the middle of the B ring.
Sunday, January 21 (DOY 021):
Orbit Trim Maneuver (OTM) #90 was performed today. This is the
apoapsis
maneuver setting up for the Titan 24 encounter on Jan. 29. The main
engine
burn began at 2:45 AM PST. Telemetry immediately after the maneuver
showed
the burn duration was 14.7 seconds, giving a delta-V of 2.37 m/s. All
subsystems reported nominal performance after the maneuver.
Monday, January 22 (DOY 022):
Observations today included UVIS observing the occultation of the star
Gamma
Ara by the rings. The high resolution radial profile of ring optical
depth
derived from the fluctuation of starlight passing through the rings at
multiple azimuths and from multiple distances provides detailed
information
on ring structure and dynamics, ring-moon interactions, and ring
particle
sizes. The egress path cut through all rings on the north face in the
planet
shadow.
ISS took a mini-movie of the unlit face of the rings to observe
azimuthally
variable structure. At an elevation angle of 59 degrees, this is the
highest
such observation. Optical navigation images were taken of Tethys,
Enceladus, and Rhea.
Tuesday, January 23 (DOY 023):
Activities on board the spacecraft today included Ion and Neutral Mass
Spectrometer (INMS) instrument flight software normalization, and an
annual
Stellar Reference Unit calibration.
At the Mission Planning (MP) Forum this week, MP gave a presentation
on
activities leading up to the Project Science Group (PSG) meeting to be
held
at JPL next week. The presentation included the ten tours currently
under
review by the science teams, team/Orbiter Science Team/Target Working
Team
activities, and the system to use to rate each of the tours. It is
expected
that the extended mission tour will be selected by the end of the week-
long
PSG meeting.
Cassini Outreach provided telescopic views of Saturn to about 200
people
today at the Glendale, CA, public library. The viewers also were able
to
see Titan, and compare it to Earth's smaller but nearer moon, which
was
visible through other nearby telescopes.
UVIS continued its Satellite/System Volatile Map, imaging the local
environment around Enceladus to characterize the origin of volatiles.
At
Enceladus, any connection of volatile changes to plume eruptions is of
particular interest.
Wednesday, January 24 (DOY 024):
This week the Navigation team presented an overview of Optical
Navigation as
part of ongoing OTM related training within the Spacecraft Operations
Office.
The MAPS outer magnetosphere survey was interrupted today to allow two
instruments to perform calibrations. At a quiescent spot in Saturn's
magnetic field, the spacecraft rolled to allow the Magnetometer to
determine
sensor offsets, and the Radio and Plasma Wave Science instrument
performed
periodic instrument maintenance for the Langmuir Probe.
Upcoming:
Cassini Outreach, Saturn Observation Campaign (SOC) members and the
Sidewalk
Astronomers will be showing views of Saturn and the moon at these
public
events:
Jan. 26, 6-9 p.m. Colorado Blvd in Old Town Pasadena, CA
Jan. 27, 5-9 p.m. Library Park, Myrtle and Lime Streets in Monrovia,
CA.
Contact Cassini Outreach (jane.h.jones@jpl.nasa.gov) for more
information.
You can also contact any SOC member in over 50 countries for local
events:
http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/members.cfm
During Cassini's next pass of Saturn's moon Titan on Jan. 29, its
infrared
eyes will study the moon's murky atmosphere and peer through its
thick,
smoggy veil, mapping surface features.
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/events/titan20070129/index.cfm
The Saturn Tour Highlights have been updated with events to come
throughout
2007. To see what is on the Cassini horizon, link to:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/operations/index.cfm
Wrap up:
Check out the Cassini web site at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov for the
latest
press releases and images.
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the
European
Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, a
division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena,
manages the
Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate,
Washington,
D.C. JPL designed, developed and assembled the Cassini orbiter. |
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