HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

   DAILY REPORT #2842

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 04/02/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 04/03/01

Daily Status Report as of 093/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed WF/PC-2 8829 (Observatory Focus Monitor)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to analyze the HST focus which drifts slowly 
and shows evidence of undergoing slips of a few microns at random 
times.  The rate of the WFPC2 monitoring program is insufficient to track 
and/or understand OTA behavior in order to request timely and appropriate 
secondary mirror corrections.  This 14-orbit program obtains a large amount 
of high signal to noise focus data, sometimes in two Science Instruments at 
once, and will be sufficient to more accurately define the HST 
focus.  There were no reported problems.

    1.2 Completed Three Sets of STIS/CCD 9248 (Probing the Large Scale 
Structure: Cosmic Shear Observations)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to measure 
the distortion of light bundles from distant galaxies that probe the 
statistical properties of the intervening inhomogeneous {dark} matter 
distribution.  Its tidal gravitational field distorts the observable image 
shapes thereby causing a coherent ellipticity pattern {Cosmic Shear}.  The 
observations completed nominally.

    1.3 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8864 (CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the darks for the CCD.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.4 Completed Five Sets of WF/PC-2 8816 (Cycle 9 UV Earthflats)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain sequences of Earth streak flats to 
improve the quality of pipeline flat fields for the WFPC2 UV filter set and 
in order to monitor flat field stability.  There were no reported problems.

    1.5 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 8827 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt2/3)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain three dark frames every day to 
provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot 
pixels.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.6 Completed FGS/1 8774 (Calibrating the Mass-Luminosity Relation at 
the End of the Main Sequence)

        FGS-1R was used to calibrate the mass-luminosity relation {MLR} for 
stars less massive than 0.2 Msun, with special emphasis on objects near the 
stellar/brown dwarf border.  Our goals are to determine Mv values to 0.10 
magnitude, masses to 5%, and more than double the number of objects with 
masses determined to be less than 0.20 Msun.  The proposal completed with 
no reported problems.

    1.7 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 9244 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII 
Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a generic target version of the 
Archival Pure Parallel program.  The program will be used to take parallel 
images of random areas of the sky, following the recommendations of the 
Parallels Working Group.  The observations completed with no anomalous 
activity.

    1.8 Completed STIS/MA2 8843 (Cycle 9 MAMA Dark Measurements)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to perform 
the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise.  The proposal 
completed nominally.

    1.9 Completed STIS/CCD/MA1 8662 (A Snapshot Survey of the Hot 
Interstellar Medium)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD And MA1) was used to 
obtain snapshot STIS echelle observations of key tracers of hot 
interstellar gas {C IV, N IV, and Si IV} for selected FUSE Team O VI survey 
targets with known UV fluxes.  By taking advantage of the snapshot 
observing mode we will efficiently obtain a large number of spectra 
suitable for the study of the highly ionized hot component of the 
interstellar medium {ISM}.  Our goals are to explore the physical 
conditions in and distribution of such gas, as well as to explore the 
nature of the interfaces between the hot ISM and the other interstellar gas 
phases.  The observations completed with no reported problems.

    1.10 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD 8472 (Key Project: Demographics Of 
Nuclear Black Holes Observations)

        The WF/PC-2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) were 
used to investigate the detection of supermassive black holes {BHs} in 
normal galaxies which is one of the grand challenges that HST was designed 
to meet.  During this program, the kinematics of nuclear gas disks in the 
target galaxies will be measured.  The proposal completed with no reported 
problems.

    1.11 Completed WF/PC-2 8812 (Cycle 9 Internal Monitor)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain routine internal monitors for WFPC2 
in order to monitor the health of the cameras.  A variety of internal 
exposures are obtained in order to provide a monitor of the integrity of 
the CCD camera electronics in both bays {gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for 
quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a monitor for possible buildup of 
contaminants on the CCD windows.  There were no reported problems.

    1.12 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 8811 (Cycle 9 Standard Darks)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain dark frames every week in order to 
provide data for the ongoing calibration of the CCD dark current rate, and 
to monitor and characterize the evolution of hot pixels.  Over an extended 
period these data will also provide a monitor of radiation damage to the 
CCDs.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.13 Completed STIS/CCD 8865 (Bias Monitor-Part 2)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1x1 at 
gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot 
columns.  The proposal completed with no anomalous activity.

    1.14 Completed STIS/CCD 8591 (The Smallest Nuclear Black Holes)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe 
small nuclear black holes which are the last major unexplored part of BH 
parameter space, searching for the smallest BHs that HST can possibly 
find.  The proposal completed with no reported anomalies.

    1.15 Completed Four Sets of STIS/CCD 8851 (Sparse Field CTE test {Cycle 9})

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform 
CTE measurements that are made using the "sparse field test", along both 
the serial and parallel axes.  The proposal completed with no reported 
anomalies.

    1.16 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8577 (Ozone, Condensates, and Dust 
in the Martian Atmosphere)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to study the spatial and seasonal variations 
in ozone, condensates, and dust in the Martian atmosphere.  The data 
obtained promise to be critical in addressing recent breakthroughs in 
understanding the basic radiative, transport, and microphysical processes 
that provide for both long-term and short-term balance within the global 
Mars climate system.  There were no reported problems.

    1.17 Completed WF/PC-2 8773 (Expansion Parallax Distances to Planetary 
Nebulae)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe planetary nebulae {PNe} for which 
the lack of reliable distances is especially troubling.  Acquired by 
generalized statistical methods in all but a handful of cases, individual 
PNe distances are often uncertain by factors of two or more.  The 
observations completed nominally.

    1.18 Completed WF/PC-2 8583 (Imaging Snapshots of Asteroids)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain images of the fifty largest main 
belt asteroids that have favorable apparitions during cycle 9.  The images 
will be searched for companion bodies, as well as mineralogical variegation 
on the resolved main bodies.  There were no reported problems.

    1.19 Completed WF/PC-2 8599 (A Census of Nuclear Star Clusters in 
Late-Type Spiral Galaxies)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to conduct an I-band snapshot survey of a 
well-defined sample of nearby, face-on spiral galaxies of type Scd or 
later.  The proposal completed nominally.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions:  8
Successful:  8

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  8
Successful:  8

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 20
Successful: 19

        The update at 092/1146Z failed.

    2.3 Operations Notes:

        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared three times.

        Engineering status buffer parameters were adjusted at 092/1202Z per 
ROP DF-18A.

        486 table dumps were performed between 092/1542Z and 092/1635Z per 
ROP DF-1A.

        A TTR was written for a two-minute loss of engineering data 
beginning at 092/2035Z due to an incorrect MA frequency scheduled pass.

        Another TTR was generated for a required re-transmit at 093/032934Z 
during a NSSC-1 load.

        The ephemeris tables were uplinked at 093/0431Z as directed by ROP 
DF-07A.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW