Cassini Significant Events 10/06/10 - 10/12/10
The most recent spacecraft telemetry was acquired on Oct. 12 from the
Deep Space Network tracking complex at Canberra, Australia. The Cassini
spacecraft is in an excellent state of health and all subsystems are
operating normally. Information on the present position and speed of the
Cassini spacecraft may be found on the "Present Position" page
at:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/presentposition/.
Wednesday, Oct. 6 (DOY 279)
The S64 background sequence, the first of the Solstice Mission, was
uplinked over DSS-43 today. The files have been verified as properly
received by the spacecraft and will start execution on Monday, Oct.
11.
A feature story called "Saturn's Tiny Moon May Keep its Oceans
Liquid by Wobbling" is available on the Cassini web site. It
describes research by scientists who have studied Saturn's icy moon
Enceladus to explain its mysterious warmth. Cassini helped decode the
puzzling heat patterns of this Saturnian moon. For more information on
this subject, link to:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/cassinifeatures/feature20101006/.
An article called "Lightning Mixes a Dark and Stormy Brew at
Saturn" was posted on the Cassini web site today. It describes how
Cassini data indicate that methane zapped by lightning produces soot and
an array of other carbon products in Saturn's atmosphere. This process
creates the dark clouds that have been detected in visible and infrared
wavelengths. Lightning's effects on methane, it turns out, may be at the
heart of some of the most interesting chemical changes that occur in
Saturn's atmosphere. For more information on this subject, link to:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/cassiniscienceleague/science20101006/
.
Thursday, Oct. 7 (DOY 280)
A news release called "Cassini Catches Saturn Moons in Paintball
Fight" is available on the Cassini web site. Scientists using data
from the Cassini spacecraft have learned that distinctive, colorful bands
and splotches embellish the surfaces of Saturn's inner, mid-size moons.
The reddish and bluish hues on the icy surfaces of Mimas, Enceladus,
Tethys, Dione and Rhea appear to be the aftermath of bombardments large
and small. A paper based on the findings was recently published and in
it, scientists describe prominent global patterns that trace the trade
routes for material exchange between the moons themselves, an outer ring
of Saturn known as the E ring, and the planet's magnetic environment. For
more information on this subject and images, link to:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/newsreleases/newsrelease20101007/.
Friday, Oct. 8 (DOY 281)
The Integrated Test Lab (ITL) transition to Solaris 10 was completed
this week. Backup machines still remain on the Solaris 9 operating system
for another two weeks.
This week's science observations included a 13 hour interstellar dust
observation by the Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA). The Composite Infrared
Spectrometer (CIRS) completed a 25 hour observation to measure oxygen
compounds in Saturn's stratosphere. Imaging Science (ISS) performed
another observation in its Satellite Orbit Campaign and a four hour
observation of the moon Kiviuq. The Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph
(UVIS) performed a calibration by observing the star Spica, and completed
its 32 hour mosaic scan of Saturn's magnetosphere. ISS and CIRS performed
another observation in the Titan monitoring campaign.
Monday, Oct. 11 (DOY 284)
The S63 sequence concluded and S64 began execution today at
2010-284T04:17:00. The sequence will run for 45 days and conclude on Nov.
24. During that time there will be one targeted encounter of Titan and
eleven non-targeted flybys two each of Dione and one each of Titan,
Polydeuces, Mimas, Pallene, Telesto, Methone, Aegaeon, Rhea, and
Enceladus.
Four OTMs are scheduled, numbered 264 through 267. The S63 sequence began
in the Equinox Mission but extended for two and a half weeks into the
Solstice Mission period, so S64 is the first complete sequence in the
Solstice Mission.
Real time command procedure SCO-1794 to normalize the Command and Data
Subsystem (CDS) flight software load on the Solid State Recorder (SSR)
began execution today. Normalization makes all four copies of the CDS
flight software on the SSRs equivalent.
The Science Forum for S67 was held today. Topics included an overview of
science planned for this sequence followed by highlights, unique
activities, and highest priority observations as described by the Titan
Working Team (TWT) and Orbiter Science Team (OST) leads, with comments
from the Investigation Scientists and other instrument team
representatives.
Tuesday, Oct. 12 (DOY 285)
Commands were radiated over Canberra's DSS-45 today in support of the
S64 Live Inertial Vector Propagator (IVP) update. The Pallene, Dione,
Mimas, and Rhea Live IVP update is on board and will execute on Oct.
16.
A very artsy image of Saturn and its rings is Astronomy Picture of the
Day today. Check it out at:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap101012.html.
Port 1 products were due today as part of the S67 Sequence Implementation
Process (SIP). The products will be merged and sent out to the flight
team for review.
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