The following message has been forwarded to all registered PO.DAAC users on behalf of the RapidScat Project:

Operations Status: 

• Operations team continues to troubleshoot the “reduced echo power” anomaly which began last Friday evening (August 14 08:01:59 pm PDT; DOY 227 03:01:59 UTC). As previously reported, the primary symptom was a sudden, but sustained, reduction in power level of the radar return reflected from the earth.  
• The investigation continues to collect data, and all possible faults are being considered.  However, attention has been directed toward the SES (Scatterometer Electronics Subsystem), which is showing a small current draw increase, and specifically toward the receiver within the SES, which is showing a slightly elevated temperature.  Less attention is being directed toward the radar's transmit chain at this time, because the power meters in the radar's front end continue to measure nominal transmit powers.  
• Despite this reduction in power level of the radar return, ground data processing engineers have made significant progress in working with the science data now being received and are able to process this data to Level-1B. The quality of this data is still being assessed, but an initial inspection of product appears reasonable.  
• All telemetry remains well within nominal limits (no observed errors or alarms)
• The team also continues to investigate multiple potential root and contributing causes of the observed elevated torque in the antenna spin mechanism. The average daily torque calculated today was 256 in-oz, remaining essentially flat since July 28. The maximum estimated commanded torque limit for RapidScat is 460 in-oz (uncalibrated).  

 
Upcoming Plans:

• Continue troubleshooting of reduced echo power anomaly and try to identify the cause of the observed reduction in radar return power and to optimize configuration parameters to improve science return.
• Continue to update and refine ground science processing of the science data return and evaluate its fidelity.
• Deactivations/Reactivations for visiting vehicles:
  • Aug. 24 – HTV-5 docking
  • Aug. 28 – Soyuz 42S Relocation
  • Sept. 1 – Soyuz docking
  • Sept. 11 – Soyuz 42S undocking

Special thanks to the team at the HOSC for supporting all the extra commanding this past week!
 
Glen Havens
RapidScat Project/Mission Manager
Jet Propulsion Laboratory

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