Gene, Danny:

Here is the time line for the MEX BSR on day 199 (local time Saturday 3:05 AM
to approximately 8:45 AM with early EOT/EOA).

Operationally this is very similar to the ones we have been doing recently.
The experiment ends before the really intense FRO activity would happen.
About the only excitement is trying to fit the first mini-cal into the time
line (the second is easy).

During the 'echo' hour we traverse Utopia Planitia from roughly northwest to
southeast.  From MGS gravity it appeared Utopia might have once been an ocean
basin.  We won't see any signs of the ocean, but this is probably one of the
smoothest large areas on Mars and the echoes may be stronger (and less
variable) than in some of our recent experiments.  We'll also have a chance
to see whether the surface material gets denser as we move north to south --
something that was suggested by earlier BSR measurements when we had only
inertial HGA pointing.

I'll  plan to call in, but I'm not sure it will be an early call.  If you
need to reach me, try 530-426-3536.

Thanks,
Dick


2009/199 (UTC)
- - - - - - -

10:05  Begin Pre-cal at DSS 14
       FGAIN = 60 dB (all channels, including X-RCP)
       FRO_X = 0; FRO_S = 0 (all SCHAN)
       Start 4-channel 25 kHz recordings after Step 4
       Stop 25 kHz recording after Step 18

12:05  Begin track (X-Band should be on; ranging ON, but telemetry OFF)

12:18  S-Band ON

12:33  X-Band ranging OFF

       Resume 25 kHz recording

       Ask station to switch to 'planetary coordinates' at 12:35

12:35  Station switch to 'planetary coordinates'

12:40  FRO_X = +10000  (SCHAN 3)
       FRO_S = +11000  (SCHAN 3)

       Begin MINICAL #1

12:44  Begin SLEW #1 (not visible in 25 kHz)

12:55  End MINICAL #1 (end of step 5)

       End SLEW #1

12:56  FRO_X =  +1000 Hz (SCHAN 2)
       FRO_S =      0 Hz (SCHAN 3)

       Begin 100 kHz recordings (SCHAN 4)

       Begin surface reflections
       Expect S-Band echoes to be much weaker than X-Band
       RCP slightly stronger than LCP

13:16  FRO_X = +8000 Hz (SCHAN 3)

13:38  FRO_X =  +15000 Hz (SCHAN 3)

14:00  Advise station of upcoming MINICAL #2 (starts 14:10)

14:03  FRO_X = +10000 Hz (SCHAN 3)
       FRO_S = +11000 Hz (SCHAN 3)

       End 100 kHz recordings

       Begin SLEW #2 (not visible in 25 kHz)

14:10  Begin MINICAL #2

14:25  End MINICAL #2 (end of step 5)

       FRO_X = 0 (SCHAN 3)
       FRO_S = 0 (SCHAN 3)

       Carrier returns to center of passband (but still in slew)

       Advise station of upcoming return to spacecraft coordinates (14:30)

14:30  Return to spacecraft coordinates (pointing)

14:37  End SLEW #2

14:48  X-Band range modulation ON, telemetry ON

       S-Band OFF

       Early end of track (17 minutes early)

       Go to zenith

       Begin post-cal when ready

16:05  End post-cal (or earlier, if post-cal complete)

       End 25 kHz recordings

       End of Activity