Gene and Danny:

Here is the time line for the MEX BSR on day 051 (local time 19 February
21:05 to 20 February 04:00) at DSS 14.

The surface observations start at (26S, 9E) and end at (39S, 5W); this is
lightly cratered terrain northeast of the large basin Argyre.  The spacecraft
has just passed apoapsis, so everything happens slowly and signals are
relatively weak; but we have just passed Mars opposition, so the small Earth-
Mars distance makes the weak signals stronger.  Incident angle on the surface
varies from 39 to 51 degrees, meaning LCP should be stronger than RCP
throughout but with RCP making gains toward the end.

I'm not sure how it happened, but the surface observations last 73 minutes
where the previous limit has been 65.  So there's one X-Band FRO in the
middle of the surface observations; otherwise, this should look a lot like
the experiment we did on day 041 - hopefully with fewer glitches.

For playback, I recommend the following for the 25 kHz data (no segment
longer than 88 minutes):

       Pre-cal
       Track until start of 100 kHz data
       Surface observations until end of 100 kHz data
       Remaining track plus post-cal

For 100 kHz playback three 18 minute segments and one 19 minute segment would
be best; but I can carve these up at Stanford if you give me a 73 minute file
from each RSR.

Feel free to phone if there are problems; you should be able to reach me at
650-494-9272.

Thanks,
Dick


2010/051 (UTC)
- - - - - - -

05:05  Begin Pre-cal at DSS 14
       FGAIN = 60 dB (all channels, except X-RCP)
       FGAIN = 63 dB (X-RCP)
       FRO_X = 0; FRO_S = 0 (all SCHAN)
       Start 4-channel 25 kHz recordings after Step 5 (new NOP)
       Stop 25 kHz recording after Step 20 (new NOP)

07:05  Begin track (S- and X-Band should both be OFF)

07:50  X-Band ON, telemetry ON - ignore it

08:14  S-Band ON

08:30  Resume 25 kHz recording

       Advise DSS 14 of switch to planetary coordinates at 08:45

08:42  Begin SLEW #1

08:45  DSS 14 switch to planetary coordinates

08:47  FRO_X = +25000 Hz (SCHAN 3)
       FRO_S =  +5000 Hz (SCHAN 3)

08:48  Begin MINICAL #1

09:03  End of MINICAL #1 (end of step 5)

09:07  End SLEW #1

       Begin 100 kHz recording (SCHAN 4)

09:40  FRO_X = +35000 Hz (SCHAN 3)

10:15  Advise station of MINICAL #2 starting at 10:21 and
       Advise station of return to S/C pointing predictions at 10:36

10:20  End 100 kHz recording (SCHAN 4)

       Begin SLEW #2

10:21  Begin MINICAL #2

10:36  End MINICAL #2 (end of step 5)

       DSS 14 return to spacecraft pointing predicts

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

10:39  End SLEW #2

10:55  X-Band telemetry ON

       S-Band LOS

       Early end of track (scheduled EOT 11:50)

       Go to zenith

       Begin post-cal when ready

12:50  End post-cal (or earlier, if post-cal complete)

       End 25 kHz recordings

       End of Activity