Gene, Danny:

Here is the time line for the MEX BSR Thursday morning.  This starts very
slowly, but the pace picks up and we may be a little stressed by the time it
is over.

We have 81 minutes of tracking before S-Band even comes on.  There is an
ingress occultation, which we can collect.  Minical #1 and a pretend SLEW #1
(none is needed) fit very comfortably within the 43-minute occultation.

The BSR begins at exit occultation with the carriers on the high edges of
each filter.  After 6 minutes (18:29) we start updating the 25 kHz X-Band
FRO, then continue this every two minutes.  There's also an update to the 25
kHz S-Band FRO and the 100 kHz X-Band FRO at 18:34.

The BSR ends at 18:40, but the pace remains fast.  We start Minical #2 at
18:40.  When Minical #2 ends, we also return to the original FROs, and EOT is
a minute later (18:56).  We do the post-cal with 2 minute steps (rather than
the usual 3), and should finish about 19:25.  That gives the station 10
minutes to tear down before the next pass.

My flight arrives at Burbank about 9 PM this evening.  I'll be at the Best
Western Pasadena Royale (626-793-0950) overnight and should be at the JPL
front gate by 7 AM.  I have a copy of the Visitor Request Form that Sami
pushed through.

I look forward to collecting some data on YOUR schedule for a change.

Dick

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2008/185 (UTC)
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14:00  Begin Pre-cal at DSS 63
       FGAIN = 60 dB (all channels, including X-RCP)
       FRO_X = 0; FRO_S = 0
       Start 4-channel 25 kHz recordings after Step 4
       Stop 25 kHz recording after Step 18


16:00  Begin track (spacecraft is X-Band, carrier only, 1-way)

17:21  S-Band Tx ON (carrier only, 1-way)

17:22  FRO_X = -11000 Hz (SCHAN 3)
       FRO_S = -10000 Hz (SCHAN 3)
       FRO_X = -40000 Hz (SCHAN 4)
       FRO_S = -40000 Hz (SCHAN 4)

17:25  Resume 25 kHz recording (SCHAN 3)

17:39  Occultation ingress

17:45  Ask station to switch to "planetary pointing" (center of Mars)

17:50  Begin MiniCal #1

18:05  End MiniCal #1 (end of Step 5)

18:22  Begin 4-channel 100 kHz recordings (SCHAN 4)

18:23  Occultion egress

       Expect X-RCP echo to build as it quickly drifts lower;
       others will be weak and maybe not visible

18:29  FRO_X = -22000 Hz (SCHAN 3)

18:32  FRO_X = -32000 Hz (SCHAN 3)

18:34  FRO_X = -42000 Hz (SCHAN 3)
       FRO_S = -19000 Hz (SCHAN 3)
       FRO_X = -80000 Hz (SCHAN 4)

18:36  FRO_X = -53000 Hz (SCHAN 3)

       If visible, the X-LCP echo should be stronger than X-RCP

18:38  FRO_X = -64000 Hz (SCHAN 3)

18:40  Begin SLEW #2

       End 100 kHz recording (SCHAN 4)

       Begin Minical #2

18:55  End SLEW #2

       End Minical #2

       FRO_X = -11000 (SCHAN 3)
       FRO_S = -10000 (SCHAN 3)


18:56  EOT (24 minutes early)

       Begin Post-Cal (accelerated, 2 minute steps)

19:25  End Post-cal (if not before)

       End 25 kHz recordings

       End of Activity