baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) (11/13/90)
MAGELLAN STATUS REPORT
November 12, 1990
The Magellan spacecraft performance is nominal. The spacecraft
successfully accepted commands on Friday, November 9, resuming mapping on
orbit 787 at 4:07 am PST on Saturday, November 10. One STARCAL (star
calibration) occurs every orbit and 1 DESAT (desaturation of the reaction
wheels) every 4th orbit. 16 STARCALS and 4 DESATS have been done since
mapping resumed.
A sequence patch to disable solar array control during mapping has
prevented the spacecraft vibration from recurring. Track 1 of tape recorder B
was successfully played back on November 9. It contains the results of
STARCALS performed during Superior Conjunction.
___ _____ ___
/_ /| /____/ \ /_ /|
| | | | __ \ /| | | | Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov
___| | | | |__) |/ | | |___ Jet Propulsion Lab | baalke@jems.jpl.nasa.gov
/___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| M/S 301-355 |
|_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ Pasadena, CA 91109 |yetmank@merrimack.edu (11/13/90)
In article <1990Nov12.220502.28617@jato.jpl.nasa.gov>, baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) writes: > MAGELLAN STATUS REPORT > November 12, 1990 > > The Magellan spacecraft performance is nominal. The spacecraft > successfully accepted commands on Friday, November 9, resuming mapping on > orbit 787 at 4:07 am PST on Saturday, November 10. One STARCAL (star > calibration) occurs every orbit and 1 DESAT (desaturation of the reaction > wheels) every 4th orbit. 16 STARCALS and 4 DESATS have been done since > mapping resumed. > > A sequence patch to disable solar array control during mapping has > prevented the spacecraft vibration from recurring. Track 1 of tape recorder B > was successfully played back on November 9. It contains the results of > STARCALS performed during Superior Conjunction. > ___ _____ ___ > /_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| > | | | | __ \ /| | | | Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov > ___| | | | |__) |/ | | |___ Jet Propulsion Lab | baalke@jems.jpl.nasa.gov > /___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| M/S 301-355 | > |_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ Pasadena, CA 91109 | Perhaps a dumb question (I'm full of those, believe me!) What's the JPL/NASA going to do with the Magellan probe when it's done mapping Venus? Kevin
baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) (11/14/90)
In article <20538.273ffbf3@merrimack.edu> yetmank@merrimack.edu writes: > > >Perhaps a dumb question (I'm full of those, believe me!) > >What's the JPL/NASA going to do with the Magellan probe when it's done mapping >Venus? > If Congress approves the extended mission for Magellan, then the spacecraft can continue mapping Venus for about 12 more years, at which point the propellant will have run out, and the spacecraft's orbit will decay resulting in Magellan entering the atmosphere and burning up. ___ _____ ___ /_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| | | | | __ \ /| | | | Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov ___| | | | |__) |/ | | |___ Jet Propulsion Lab | baalke@jems.jpl.nasa.gov /___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| M/S 301-355 | |_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ Pasadena, CA 91109 |
dil@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Perry G Ramsey) (11/15/90)
In article <20538.273ffbf3@merrimack.edu>, yetmank@merrimack.edu writes: > In article <1990Nov12.220502.28617@jato.jpl.nasa.gov>, baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) writes: > > MAGELLAN STATUS REPORT > > November 12, 1990 > > > > The Magellan spacecraft performance is nominal. The spacecraft > > successfully accepted commands on Friday, November 9, resuming mapping on > > orbit 787 at 4:07 am PST on Saturday, November 10. One STARCAL (star > > calibration) occurs every orbit and 1 DESAT (desaturation of the reaction > > wheels) every 4th orbit. 16 STARCALS and 4 DESATS have been done since > > mapping resumed. > > > > A sequence patch to disable solar array control during mapping has > > prevented the spacecraft vibration from recurring. Track 1 of tape recorder B > > was successfully played back on November 9. It contains the results of > > STARCALS performed during Superior Conjunction. > > ___ _____ ___ > > /_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| > > | | | | __ \ /| | | | Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov > > ___| | | | |__) |/ | | |___ Jet Propulsion Lab | baalke@jems.jpl.nasa.gov > > /___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| M/S 301-355 | > > |_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ Pasadena, CA 91109 | > What's the JPL/NASA going to do with the Magellan probe when it's done mapping > Venus? > > Kevin There are a lot of things Magellan can do after the first mapping pass 1) Finish mapping. The conjunction gap leaves a vertical hole in the map. Another Venus year will be needed to fill that in. 2) Map it again. Getting views from two locations gives stereo views, which is useful in determining topography. 3) Map the south pole. It is not currently being mapped. 4) Work on gravity anomalies. They can tell a lot about the density distribution of the planet by tracking the spacecraft while it orbits. This works best when the spacecraft is close to the planet, but pointing the high gain antenna at the earth. The trouble is that for mapping, you want the antenna pointing toward Venus at closest approach. If someday it is decided that there is enough mapping data, (or perhaps the SAR dies but the transmitter continues) this mode could be selected. That's just what I know. Maybe there's more. Perry G. Ramsey Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences perryr@vm.cc.purdue.edu Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN USA dil@mace.cc.purdue.edu Congress thinks that if you have nine women pregnant simultaneously, you can get one baby in one month. -- Perry G. Ramsey Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences perryr@vm.cc.purdue.edu Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN USA dil@mace.cc.purdue.edu Congress thinks that if you have nine women pregnant simultaneously, you can get one baby in one month.