MSP37.3

This segment covers the period from 30 September 2017 to 3 December 2017, orbits 2714 to 2741. The neutral sheet is accessible throughout the period. The neutral sheet is available until late October, and plasmasheet crossings into early November. The magnetopause becomes available in late November. There are no eclipses during this period, but there are manoeuvres on 7 October (C1, C2 and C3) and on 18 October (C1 and C2).

ESOC have advised JSOC to plan this segment on the basis of 120% data volume. So in this first version, there are no dedicated D0 periods on C1, C2 and C3 to reduce that volume.

The draft Bryant plots and the draft 'by-orbit' analysis are attached.

• The plasmasheet BM1 periods on 2727 and 2729 are centred on the time of closest approach to the model neutral sheet by any of the four spacecraft (usually C2). Note that there are no neutral sheet crossings on these orbits. See plot​​.
• The first magnetopause BM1 period on orbit 2736 is centred on the time that the centroid of the four spacecraft crosses the model magnetopause assuming a ram pressure at the upper sextile of the expected ram pressure distribution (3.35 nPa for November 2017). Note that on this orbit the centroid does not cross the model magnetopause if we assume a median ram pressure (2.05 nPa for November 2017). A similar approach is used for the magnetopause BM2 period on orbit 2738. The normal approach of targeting on the median ram pressure model will be used from orbit 2740.

The draft lists of four-spacecraft BM1 and BM2 periods are attached, as are the lists of single spacecraft BM2 and D0 periods.