The Next Four Weeks on Galileo<br />May 20 - June 16, 2002<br /><br />The Galileo spacecraft proceeds in its measured pace around the giant <br />planet Jupiter while the flight team continues to diagnose a problem with <br />the on-board tape recorder. On April 12, during a routine maintenance <br />activity, the tape appears to have stuck to the record or playback heads. <br />Four tests have been performed to characterize the problem. On Wednesday, <br />May 22, one final low-speed test will be executed. Based on these results, <br />our efforts will now become more aggressive, possibly trying to move the <br />tape at higher speeds, which should provide more "oomph" to pulling the <br />tape free. Detailed plans for the subsequent tests have not been scheduled <br />as yet, and in the meantime all regularly scheduled tape activities have <br />been put on hold until we have demonstrated that the machine is working <br />properly again.<br /><br />On Saturday, May 25, the spacecraft performs a 4 degree turn in place to <br />keep the communications antenna pointed towards Earth.<br /><br />On Friday, May 31, routine maintenance of the propulsion system is performed.<br /><br />On Monday, June 3, the fourth planned load of sequence commands takes over <br />control of the spacecraft, and will govern Galileo's activities until <br />mid-August.<br /><br />On Wednesday, June 5, a test of the on-board gyroscopes will be performed. <br />These gyros have shown sensitivity to the intense radiation environment <br />seen near Jupiter, but gradually correct themselves with time spent in the <br />more benign environment far from the planet. This calibration will <br />determine the health of the gyros in preparation for an orbit trim maneuver <br />planned for Friday, June 14. This propulsive engine burn takes place one <br />day after apojove, the farthest point in Galileo's orbit from Jupiter. This <br />is the most distant that Galileo has been from Jupiter since before <br />arriving in orbit in December 1995. At 348.1 Jupiter radii from the planet <br />(24.9 million kilometers or 15.5 million miles) this is approximately one <br />sixth of the distance from Earth to the Sun, and it takes light nearly a <br />minute and a half to speed from Jupiter to the spacecraft!<br /><br />With the spacecraft well outside the magnetosphere of Jupiter on the <br />sunward side of the planet, continuous data collection by the Magnetometer, <br />the Dust Detector, and the Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer instruments <br />provides scientists with information about the interplanetary medium.<br /><br />For more information on the Galileo spacecraft and its mission to Jupiter,<br />please visit the Galileo home page at one of the following URL's:<br /><br />http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov<br />http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo