From: LARRY KLAES (ljk4_at_msn.com)
Date: Fri May 28 2004 - 15:52:03 PDT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Cassini Project" <info_at_jpl.nasa.gov>
To: <ljk4_at_msn.com>
Sent: Friday, May 28, 2004 3:26 PM
Subject: Cassini Update - May 28, 2004
> Cassini Significant Events
> for 05/20/04 - 05/26/04
>
> The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired from the Madrid tracking
> station on Wednesday, May 26. 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 .
>
> On-board activities this week included the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS)
> Titan movie which searches for evidence of cloud motion to measure winds.
> ISS also continued to study the orbits of the ring-region satellites to
> improve our understanding of short- and long-term dynamical evolution. The
> Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) continues to map the Saturn
> magnetosphere in neutral and ion photon emissions to derive the
> distribution
> and density of atomic and molecular species. Deep space calibrations were
> performed for the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS), and a high
> frequency calibration for the Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS)
> instrument. The ISS NAC was commanded to perform a power-on reset to clear
> any possible residual problems prior to some critical Optical Navigation
> activities. These activities then occurred without incident.
>
> Remaining on-board activities centered on preparations for Trajectory
> Correction Maneuver 20. This maneuver is significant in that it adjusts
> the
> spacecraft's orbit for its approach to Saturn, and is the same type of
> maneuver that will be used for Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI). This week a
> checkout was performed for Rocket Engine Assembly-B, the main engine cover
> was opened, and the oxidizer side of the propulsion system un-isolated.
> The
> spacecraft is now ready to support TCM-20 on May 27, 2004.
>
> Starting on Monday, May 24, the Cassini Imaging Team increased the
> frequency
> of its postings of images to one per day (five days per week) for the
> enjoyment of scientists and members of the public alike.
>
> The Multi Mission Image Processing Laboratory (MIPL) supported the
> generation and delivery of three sets of 'critical' Optical Navigation
> images in the last week. Two of the events occurred on non-prime-shift
> and
> were staffed for potential manual intervention. All these deliveries were
> made successfully and on-time by the automated processes - no intervention
> required.
>
> In the last week, 625 ISS images arrived and were distributed along with
> 369
> Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) cubes. The total number
> of
> ISS images acquired since the start of Approach Science is now 7413, and
> the
> number of VIMS cubes is 1311.
>
> In support of the Phoebe encounter, the flight team is holding an
> Operations
> Readiness Test (ORT) for the Phoebe Live Update Process. This week the
> files generated during last week's live update process were run through
> the
> Integrated Test Laboratory for validation. In addition, it was decided to
> forgo the remaining portions of the ORT to allow for an earlier Navigation
> convergence and a more relaxed schedule for actual Phoebe operations.
>
> The port #1 end-to-end pointing analysis for tour sequences S29 and S30
> has
> been completed. The Teams will now review the analysis reports and
> correct
> any problems in time for preliminary port #2 on June 7.
>
> The science operations plan implementation process for tour sequences S31
> and S32 began this week. A Tour Process meeting was held Wednesday, May
> 26,
> to discuss the impacts the new reference trajectory has on the integrated
> science plan and the possible options available to deal with those
> changes.
>
> A sequence change request approval meeting was held as part of the process
> to develop tour sequence S03. Four requests were approved.
>
> A delivery coordination meeting was held for Navigation software version
> T1.4. During last week's internal SOI review, Navigation identified two
> "must-do" fixes for this software. One was for ARDVARC, the automated
> radiometric data visualization and real-time correction software, and the
> other for PVTOEXP which converts spacecraft trajectory "P" files from
> NAV-IO
> format to "Export" DSN format. The 4.1 version was approved and has been
> installed for operations use.
>
> The Saturn Observation Campaign (SOC) is a Cassini informal education
> program, comprised of about 300 mostly amateur astronomers in 43 states
> around the US and in 42 countries around the world. A Saturn Observation
> Campaign observing event will be held at Monrovia's Library Park at the
> corners of Myrtle and Lime Streets, in Monrovia, California from 7:30 p.m.
> to 10:00 p.m. Saturday May 29. There will be at least two and maybe more
> telescopes aimed at Saturn and Jupiter or the moon. A local middle school
> science class has been invited and a nice crowd is expected. Saturn will
> look best earlier rather than later in the evening.
>
> Saturday night is also the date of the Griffith Observatory Star Party,
> hosted by the Los Angeles Amateur Astronomers and the LA Sidewalk
> Astronomers. The Griffith Observatory event runs from 2:00 p.m. for solar
> to
> 10:00 p.m. once a month. The Griffith Observatory satellite is located
> immediately south of the LA Zoo and the Autry Museum in the northeast
> corner
> of Griffith Park. Glendale, California.
> http://www.griffithobs.org/satellite.html
>
> Saturn is getting low in the western sky, and by next month, it won't be
> visible again - at least at a decent hour for viewing - until late 2004.
> This weekend will be a great time to see Saturn, with Mars nearby, Venus
> and
> Jupiter and even the 3-day waxing moon.
>
> As Saturn grows closer through the eyes of the Cassini spacecraft, both
> Cassini and the Earth-orbiting Hubble Space Telescope snapped spectacular
> pictures of the planet and its magnificent rings.
>
> Cassini is approaching Saturn at an oblique angle to the Sun and from
> below
> the ecliptic plane. Cassini has a very different view of Saturn than
> Hubble's Earth-centered view. For the first time, astronomers can compare
> views of equal sharpness of Saturn from two very different perspectives.
> For more information go to: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and
> http://hubblesite.org/news/2004/18
>
> Five Cassini images were released in the past week. These images are
> available on the gallery section of the Cassini website
> http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/latest/index.cfm
>
> Cassini 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, Calif., manages the
> Cassini
> mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C.
>
> Cassini Outreach
> Cassini Mission to Saturn and Titan
> Jet Propulsion Laboratory
> California Institute of Technology
> National Aeronautics and Space Administration
>
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