From: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
Subject: GSFC Monthly Status Report - October 1992
Followup-To: sci.space
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   
Keywords:  COMPTON, EUVE, HST, IUE, LAGEOS, SAMPEX
Reply-To: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 07:01:48 GMT

Goddard Monthly Public Affairs Status Report, October 1992

COMPTON:  Compton Gamma Ray Observatory
EUVE:  Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer
HST:  Hubble Space Telescope
IUE:  International Ultraviolet Explorer
LAGEOS II: Laser Geodynamics Satellite II
SAMPEX:  Solar Anomalous Magnetospheric Particle Explorer
UARS:  Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite

COMPTON:  Compton is in a normal pointing mode with solar arrays
pointed toward the Sun.  The performance of the batteries continues
to be monitored very closely with power configurations adjusted as
necessary. The science teams anticipate finishing the all-sky
survey in mid-November.  Among the Compton results presented at a
symposium at Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., this month, was
a map presented by the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL) team of
radioactive aluminum that may have originated from supernovae or
novae from the distant past. Compton launched April 5, 1991 aboard
the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
Contact: Randee Exler (301) 286-7277

EUVE: A tremendously energetic elliptical galaxy that radiates as
much energy as a trillion Suns was observed by the EUVE. The galaxy
is two billion light years beyond the Milky Way, and may contain a
huge black hole at its center. The EUVE satellite is currently 14
weeks into its survey of the entire sky. EUVE was launched June 7,
1992 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a Delta II
rocket.
Contact: Dolores Beasley (301) 286-2806

HST:  A successful engineering test of the Faint Object Camera
(FOC) f/48 was conducted following high voltage problems last
month.  All other subsystems and science observations are
performing nominally.  Both the Planetary Camera and the Faint
Object Spectrograph (FOS) were used to make atmospheric
observations of the planet Saturn.  The spectral observations were
taken from several latitudes along the central meridians.  All of
the observations were received and reported to look fine.  The Fine
Guidance Sensors were used to make astrometric observations  of the
giant o-type star AV488 in the small Magellanic Cloud.  The target
acquisitions appeared to be successful.  The spectrum showed a
complex structure.  HST launched April 24, 1990 aboard the Space
Shuttle Discovery.
Contact: Jim Elliott (301) 286-6256

IUE:  The nearly-15-year-old IUE took more than 300 images during
October.  The IUE science team's ongoing study of active galactic
nuclei continues.  By monitoring changes in these mysterious
objects, the team is studying accretion discs -- gas circling
around the centers of these objects.  It is theorized that the
center of an active galactic nucleus is comprised of a black hole
with a mass equal to 100 million Suns.  The IUE was launched aboard
a Goddard-managed Delta on January 26, 1978.
Contact: Randee Exler (301) 286-7277

LAGEOS II: The Goddard-managed LAGEOS II, launched October 22,
1992, is in its 3,591-mile-high (5,782 kilometer) orbit.  Both
LAGEOS II upper stages performed flawlessly after the satellite was
deployed October 23 from Space Shuttle Columbia on the STS-52
mission.  The tracking station at Goddard was one of the first
stations to successfully track the satellite.  LAGEOS II was
developed to obtain precise  measurements of the Earth's crustal
movement and the gravitational field using a laser ranging
technique from ground based stations.
Contact: Jessie Katz (301) 286-5566

SAMPEX: Project officials continue to monitor the Low Energy Ion
Composition Analyzer (LEICA) instrument, one of four on SAMPEX. The
instrument had approximately one month of proper operation before
returning to an instable state on Oct. 21. The other three
instruments are performing nominally. SAMPEX, a small explorer
satellite, was launched July 3, 1992 from Vandenberg Air Force
Base, Lompoc, Calif., aboard a Scout rocket.
Contact: Dolores Beasley (301) 286-2806

UARS:  The UARS Science Team held two very successful data
validation workshops the week of October 12 concerning measurements
of wind, temperature, aerosols andatmospheric chemicals.  In
addition, data acquired over the past several months by UARS
indicate that much of the chemical and physical environment related
to the formation of the Antarctic ozone hole were in place in the
early southern winter, as opposed to being formed late in the
winter, as previously thought.  The area of this environment also
extended to lower latitudes than expected.  The observatory is
currently looking at the breakup of The Antarctic ozone hole.  UARS
launched September 12, 1991 from the Space Shuttle Discovery.
Contact: Jessie Katz (301) 286-5566

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    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
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