[meteorite-list] Rosetta Timeline for Mars Swingby

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 20:33:41 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <200702250433.UAA23076_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

ESA News
http://www.esa.int

23 February 2007

Timeline: Mars swingby at 36 000 km per hour

The timeline for Rosetta's speedy swingby of Mars on 25 February includes a
series of slew manoeuvres, an occultation and signal blackout, an eclipse
and some excellent opportunities for scientific observations.
 
Rosetta's Mars swingby kicks off today with a series of complex slew
manoeuvres to enable instrument calibration. The spacecraft has been
correctly lined up on the proper trajectory since a series of engine firings
in the past several weeks.

Rosetta is expected to pass the Red Planet at 250 km altitude and 36 191
km/hour with respect to Mars at closest approach. The swingby should reduce
Rosetta's velocity with respect to the Sun by 7887 km/hour, and the
spacecraft should depart Mars travelling at 78 779 km/hour relative to the
Sun.

Timeline of major activities
 
Note: Times shown are ground event times in Central European Time,
equivalent to UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) + 1 hour. Spacecraft event
time is 17 mins 33 secs earlier.

23 February

17:32 First of a series of slew manoeuvres to perform instrument
        calibrations
19:30 Flight Control Team in ESOC's Main Control Room (MCR)
        around the clock

24 February

~14:00 Webcam in MCR switched on (access via ESA portal)
18:35 Additional slew manoeuvres to perform Mars observations
        with onboard instruments
22:30 End of observations until after Mars swingby

25 February

02:15 All payload instruments switched off; CIVA camera
        (onboard lander) remains in operation and scheduled
        to take images

        Loss of telemetry; S-band carrier signal remains

03:13 Occultation starts; Rosetta behind Mars
        Loss of S-band signal; no communication with spacecraft

03:15 Closest approach to Mars (250 km)
        Start of eclipse; no visibility for camera; no
        sunlight on solar panels

03:28 End of occultation; S-band carrier signal back
        Receipt of S-band carrier signal provides initial
        technical confirmation of swingby success

03:40 End of eclipse; sunrise above Mars

03:50 Start of Phobos and Mars tracking with additional
        scientific observations

03:52 Acquisition of telemetry (radio signal & data); full
        technical confirmation of swingby success
        Downloading of data and images begins

After 13:00 Images to be available on ESA portal

ESA/NASA interagency cooperation supports Rosetta
 
Increased ground tracking support has been scheduled throughout the swingby
period.

In addition to ESA's 35m deep-space station at New Norcia, NASA's Deep Space
Network (DSN) stations at Goldstone, Canberra and Madrid will participate.

The two agencies often work together and regularly share tracking station
resources.

[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMR7IBE8YE_index_1.html ]
Received on Sat 24 Feb 2007 11:33:41 PM PST