From: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Ulysses Update - 04/13/92
Followup-To: sci.space
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   
Keywords:  Ulysses, JPL, ESA
Reply-To: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 01:44:50 GMT

Forwarded from Peter Beech, Ulysses Mission Operations Manager

SUBJECT:  ULYSSES MISSION OPERATIONS REPORT No. 86

PERIOD: 7th April to 13th April 1992

1.   MISSION OPERATIONS

     Experiment reconfigurations have been carried out as
     required.

     AOCS (Attitude and Orbit Control Subsystem) checkout
     commenced on 7th April. This activity will continue
     throughout the reporting period. The checkout
     during this period has confirmed that all tested units
     are functioning normally.

     However, the BAM-E (Solar Wind Plasma) experiment is
     susceptible to sun sensor switching and consequently some
     configuration problems have been experienced during the
     above checkout.  These configuration problems have been
     corrected.

     Routine Earth pointing manoeuvres were carried out on 9th
     April and 13th April.

     An average of 98.04 % data recovery was achieved during
     the reporting period.

     The percentage of data acquired as a function of bit rate
     is as follows:

     1024 bps  40.83%
      512 bps  57.01%

2.   SPACECRAFT STATUS

     POWER

     Nominal.

     Estimated S/C power consumption 263 watts.

     AOCS

     Nominal.


        TTC

     The spacecraft is currently configured with receiver 2 as
     the prime unit fed via the high gain antenna and with
     receiver 1 as backup fed through the low gain antenna
     (LGA-F). The downlink is provided through EPC2/TWTA2.

     The 34 meter ground stations are in use to support TTC
     operations.

     Received downlink level -148 dBm.(34 meter) X-band.

     (Variations of up to 10 db. can be expected as a result
     of station antenna in use, local weather conditions, and
     spacecraft antenna off-pointing).

     Received uplink level -125 dBm.

        DATA HANDLING

     The anomaly on CTU2 reported in previous Operations
     Reports is still under investigation.

     THERMAL

     Nominal.


3.   FLIGHT DYNAMICS

     Solar Aspect   The angle increased from 7.91 on
     Angle (deg.)   7th April to 8.37 on 13th April.

     Sun-Probe-Earth  The angle increased from 7.77 on
     Angle (deg.)     7th April to 8.59 on 13th April.

     Spin Rate               4.982 rpm.


4.   ORBITAL DATA

     Data taken at 09:00 PDT. on 13th April
     Distance from Earth                  708,866,291 km.
     Distance from Jupiter                 79,654,984 km.
     Velocity relative to the Sun              29,851 km/hr.
     Velocity relative to the Earth           104,440 km/hr.


5.   PLANNED OPERATIONS

     Routine data gathering operations will continue together
     with experiment reconfigurations as required.

     Earth pointing manoeuvres will be performed on 18th and
     24th April.

     The Attitude and Orbit Control System post-Jupiter
     checkout will continue.


6.   GROUND SEGMENT

     The ground segment performed nominally during the
     reporting period.
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Denial is always the first
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | sympton.
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     | 

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