This Week on Galileo - February 10-16, 1997
This week is the final week for data playback from Galileo's previous encounter with Europa. This can only mean one thing! It is time for another satellite encounter. At the end of this week, on the evening of February 16 (PST), Galileo will start executing the sequence of commands required to perform another encounter with Europa, the second of three scheduled during the orbital tour.
In the final scramble for data from the previous encounter, the playback plans for this week include a variety of data from many different observations. Some of the data returned during this week will again be used to fill in gaps caused by solar conjunction. Other portions will expand on partial data sets already return in earlier weeks. New data sets complete the plans for this week.
Europa data includes high resolution observations of dark material and regions with maculas as well as observations taken to map Europa at a global level. High resolution fields and particles data from Galileo's flyby of Europa are also returned this week. These data will be used to understand the interaction between Europa and Jupiter's magnetosphere.
Io observations are returned containing data used to monitor volcanic activity while others will be used to understand what happens on the surface of Io as it moves in and out of sunlight as occurs when sunlight is blocked from getting to Io by Jupiter. Observations of Jupiter continue to include data describing the "hot spots" in Jupiter's atmosphere. Playback plans are rounded off by including observations of Jupiter's main ring, and the minor satellites Amalthea and Thebe.
Preparations continue this week to prepare for Galileo's next encounter. Early in the week, the spacecraft will perform an turn designed to keep it pointed toward earth. These attitude maintenance turns are required periodically as the spacecraft and the earth drift relative to each other in the sky. The first set of commands for the next encounter will be sent to the spacecraft this week. This set of commands will control Galileo's activity from February 16 through the end of February 20. A second set of commands will be sent to the spacecraft before February 20 to control the spacecraft through the end of the encounter (February 22). Optical navigation images will continue to be taken this week. These images will aid navigators in determining how well the spacecraft is following the desired path through Jupiter's system. This type of information will be used to plan the next orbit trim maneuver.
Well, that's it for this week! With a new encounter comes the return of Today on Galileo. Come back and visit on Sunday, February 16!