[meteorite-list] Venus Express Aerobraking Update - June 27, 2014

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2014 13:16:36 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201407012016.s61KGaeq016019_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://blogs.esa.int/rocketscience/2014/06/27/aerobraking-update/

Venus Express Aerobraking update
European Space Agency
June 27, 2014

Venus Express completed the 38th aerobraking orbit on 25 June with
pericentre passage expected to have occurred at 21:37:04z; the
spacecraft was in braking mode between 19:59:05z and 21:54:05z. The
predicted pericentre height was 132.7 km (the figures are being
confirmed by flight dynamics teams at ESOC).

A second pericentre-lowering manoeuvre will be performed at apocentre
(point of furthest distance from the Venus surface) in orbit 2991,
occurring on Saturday, 28 June, aiming to bring the craft even lower
into the atmosphere and target a dynamic pressure of 0.55 N/m2.

To date, the drag exerted by the atmosphere on the spacecraft has
reduced its orbital period by about 20 mins, so aerobraking is having a
real effect!

The mission control team and scientists are following progress closely,
and will analyse the actual dynamic pressures experienced by VEX to
determine if a further pericentre-lowering manoeuvre will be necessary.

[Graphic]
VEX pericentre height evolution

The plot shows the evolution of the predicted and actual pericentre
height since the start of the aerobraking phase. The data for the
actual pericentre height is available up to and including pericentre
number 2983. This plot does not take into account the lowering
manoeuvre planned for day 179.
Received on Tue 01 Jul 2014 04:16:36 PM PDT