NASA lost contact with STEREO-B on October 1st following a system reset as a test for the planned SEL3 pass in which it would not have been able to contact Earth.
B (Behind) is the STEREO orbiter trailing behind Earth, currently located at about -162 degrees halfway between the Sun-Earth-Lagrange Point SEL5 at -120 degrees and SEL3 at -180 degrees, opposite from the Earth on the other side of the Sun. STEREO-B was planned to enter a "side-lobe operations stage" on Dec 1st, during which it would only remain in extremely limited contact with Earth for one year while the Sun would pass between Earth and the orbiter. STEREO-A already entered this stage.
The last image automatically publicized from STEREO-B was taken on September 27th:
(ultraviolet image of the sun at the 195 Angstrom bandpass)
B (Behind) is the STEREO orbiter trailing behind Earth, currently located at about -162 degrees halfway between the Sun-Earth-Lagrange Point SEL5 at -120 degrees and SEL3 at -180 degrees, opposite from the Earth on the other side of the Sun. STEREO-B was planned to enter a "side-lobe operations stage" on Dec 1st, during which it would only remain in extremely limited contact with Earth for one year while the Sun would pass between Earth and the orbiter. STEREO-A already entered this stage.
The last image automatically publicized from STEREO-B was taken on September 27th:
(ultraviolet image of the sun at the 195 Angstrom bandpass)
Comment