eThis This page will be used to coordinate Solar Orbiter and PSP operations. We can add a list of upcoming opportunities, discussions on the scientific value and operational constraints for each campaign, etc. We also provide links to the planning schedule for Solar Orbiter science operations and other useful pages on SOC Public.
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Coordinated campaigns are to be discussed during the Mission Level Planning meetings, typically being held as part of Solar Orbiter Science Working Team (SWT) meetings. These take place every 6 months , (typically around March-April and Sep-Oct May and November) and set in stone the science goals for a 6 months period (called an LTP) starting roughly 9 7-8 months in the future.
So the upcoming planning meetings are the following:
- SWT#27SWT#26b in March-April 2020 (run as a series of PI telecons due to Covid19 restrictions): planning of LTP03 Jan 2021-June 2021 (Cruise Phase)
- SWT#28SWT#27 5-9 Oct 2020 (also run remotely): planning of LTP04 July 2021-Sep 2021
- SWT#29 May 2021 (TBC): planning of LTP05 Oct 2021-Dec 2021, incl start of Nominal Mission PhaseNMP
During these meetings, the following will be discussed, starting from the draft operations schedule in the Science Activity Plan (SAP):
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After mission level planning, the agreed operations will be specified in more detail during Long Term Planning, taking place every 6 months 3 months (starting LTP4), typically around January, April, July and JulyOctober.
The actual commanding (for Solar Orbiter payload) will be uploaded to the SC typically ~2 weeks before the actual operations, as part of Short Term Planning.
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Cruise Phase runs from mid 2020 (TBC) to end November 2021. It is split up in 4 5 periods (LTP1 to LTP4). The two periods still to be planned LTP5) and the details of each planning period are specified on the following pages, incl orbit plots. :
An animated version of the Orbit plot for the entire mission is available here: Orbit_Feb2020.mp4
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SO at roughly 0.6AU and PSP at 0.74AU.
During LTP4 planning at SWT#27, high rate observations have been added for the in situ instruments to support the radial alignment. See LTP04 July 2021-Sep 2021
LTP5
November 11-21, 2021
In Nov 11-21 2021 (range to be refined), PSP is approaching perihelion and is radially aligned w/ SO and Earth. I would aim for an imaging campaign (and cross-calibration w/ assets on sun-earth line). Request for RS support over the western limb (as seen by Earth/SO).
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- Nov 11-21 2021 falls in the middle of a GAM restriction period around Earth GAM 1 (2021-11-27) and RS payload will probably not be allowed to operateoperational restrictions will apply.
- Value of Solar Orbiter giving RS support is not so clear when it is so close to Earth. Cross-calibration could be an option, but may be of limited value as SolO will be close to 1AU.
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NMP runs from end November 2021 to end 2026. It is split up in 10 6-month-long periods: LTP05 Jan 2022-June 2022 until LTP14 Jul 2026-Dec 2026LTP periods covering roughly 3 months, starting with LTP06 Q1-2022.
The associated orbit plots, including PSP and STEREO-A orbits, are available in Orbit Plots. At the bottom of the page, there is also a mission movie available which can be helpful to find interesting geometrical configurations.
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