Headline News
Internal Communications Branch (P-2) NASA Headquarters

  Tuesday, December 4, 1990	Audio Service: 202 / 755-1788

This is NASA Headline News for Tuesday, December 4, 1990

It was an on-again-off-again-on-again show with the Astro-1 automatic
pointing system during the past 24 hours, but it looks like the
astronomical space mission may now be gaining a full head of steam in
accomplishing its goals.  Aboard the STS-35 Space Shuttle Columbia,
Payload Specialist Sam Durrance reported the first successful target
acquisition with the Astro-1 Instrument Pointing System Optical Sensor
Package at around 8:30 Monday evening Eastern Time.  Three hours
earlier, another milestone was reached when the three ultraviolet
telescopes were brought into the observe mode simultaneously.

A subsystem computer crash in the late evening hours, however, caused
the science crew to revert to manually acquiring data as one of the
star trackers on the optical sensor package failed to return to
operating condition.  Attempts to automatically lock on to target guide
stars failed, though targets were often in the fields of view.  Using a
manual method incorporating data typed in on a keyboard and a joystick
"paddle" led Mission Specialist  Bob Parker to declare, "Give me a
paddle and a telescope and I can move the universe!"

Intensive efforts to recycle the star tracker to bring it back to full
operating condition, have apparently borne fruit, as Astro-1 officials
reported this morning that the pointing team now termed the Image
Pointing System "steady as a rock".

Prior to the subsystem crash, excellent spectra data was
gathered and the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope has been operating well,
according to Mission Scientist Gene Urban. The Broad Band X-ray
Telescope demonstrated successful acquisition of X-ray photons while
aimed at the Crab Nebula.

The Space Shuttle Columbia continues to perform flawlessly supporting
the Astro-1 mission.


*************************************


Tomorrow, NASA employees may see a special screening of the
multimedia presentation which highlighted the 75th Anniversary
celebration of the NACA/NASA last week at the National Air and Space
Museum.  Employees may attend one of three showings at 8:30, 9:00 and
9:30 am in the NASM Langley IMAX theatre. (Please enter through the
Independence Ave. side and show  your NASA badge)

	
Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA Select
TV.  All times are Eastern.  **indicates a live program.

Tuesday, 12/4/90   Mission coverage of the STS-35/Astro-1 flight
will continue 
live throughout the week...
       2:00 pm	Flight deck activities from Columbia
       3:30 pm  "Today In Space" with Dr. Frank Six from MSFC
       4:51 pm  Science TV from Astro-1
       5:00 pm  Change-of-shift Flight Director briefing from JSC
       6:00 pm  Change-of-shift Mission Manager brief from MSFC
       7:21 pm  Science TV from Astro-1
       8:04 pm  Science TV from Astro-1
      10:19 pm  Blue/Red crew handover

Wednesday, 12/5/90
	1:00 am    Change-of-shift Flight Director briefing from JSC
	1:30 am    Replay of flight deck activities
	3:09 am    Science TV from Astro-1
	5:47 am    Science TV from Astro-1
	7:34 am    Science TV from Astro-1
	8:33 am    Science TV from Astro-1
	9:00 am    Change-of-shift Flight Director briefing from JSC
       10:19 am   Red/Blue crew handover
       10:30 am   Mission Science Briefing - Ted Gull-- Mission Scientist
       11:41 am   Science TV from Astro-1
_________________________________________________________________
All events and times may change without notice.  This report is filed
daily, Monday through Friday, at 12:00 pm, EST.  It is a service of
Internal Communications Branch at NASA Headquarters.  Contact:
CREDMOND on NASAmail or at 202/453-8425.


NASA Select TV:  Satcom F2R, Transponder 13, C-Band, 72 degrees West
Longitude, Audio 6.8, Frequency 3960 MHz.