GOCE Operations Manager Christoph Steiger has just reported:
Spacecraft still functioning nominally in Fine Pointing Mode, as seen in the last Troll pass just made at 22:16 CET (21:16 UTC). Temperature of central computer and battery now around 64 degC (some converters of the central computer already at 80 degC). Next possible visibility again over Troll at 23:42 CET (22:42 UTC).
Discussion: 7 comments
Is there an estimate of the current altitude ?
David, thanks for Goce’s Swan Song. What’s the evolution of speed, drag force, altitude? Thank you again.
Hi! Thanks a lot for your status updates! it’s really fascinating that the S/C is still working nominally in Fine Pointing Mode with increasing computer temperatures… do you know at which temperature it will eventually fall into a Safe Mode or will there likely be other alarms on attitude rates or so triggering earlier? And can you tell us the current altitude?
Cheers
About the only significant target in the trajectory is the Kourou Space Centre, well within the reentry drift. Return to sender?
Reply is late but nevertheless. GOCE was not launched from Kourou but Plesesk
Hoops,… sorry Daniel
Little surprised that the air traffic in Australia was not affected in any way. The area was paced with air planes while a orbit in this condition passed. Hope there will be some restrictions when the orbit get close to used public air-routes again. Parts of the route is passing well known and heavy trafficed plane routes.