bobp@daemon.UUCP (08/20/84)
#N:daemon:7600001:000:212 daemon!bobp Aug 20 09:30:00 1984 Since the U.S. repaired the satellite during the last shuttle excursion I haven't heard what its current status is. Is the satellite functioning again? tektronix!bobp bobp@tektronix bobp.tektronix@csnet-relay
woods@hao.UUCP (Greg "Bucket" Woods) (08/21/84)
If you are referring to the Solar Maximum Mission satellite, then I can
tell you exactly, since we analyze practically all the data from that
satellite here at HAO. For some of us, that repair literally saved our jobs.
The major repair to the satellite involved fixing the damaged attitude
control system of the satellite itself (as opposed to the instruments on
board the satellite). This repair can only be described as a complete success.
Of the 7 scientific data-gathering devices on board, 5 of them are functioning
perfectly, a sixth (UVSP) is functioning in a degraded mode due to a
microprocessor problem which has nothing to do with what was repaired on the
shuttle, and the last is not working in spite of the fact that the main power
supply was replaced during the shuttle mission. It was hoped that this would
fix a problem that they had been having with it, but it did not.
Overall the repair mission was successful. The scientists here seem very
happy with the data now being received (we don't receive it here, they get
it at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD., and ship it here on
mag tapes for analysis and display). If you want more information, feel
free to write to me or Andy Stanger (hao!stanger).
--Greg
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{ucbvax!hplabs | allegra!nbires | decvax!stcvax | harpo!seismo | ihnp4!stcvax}
!hao!woods
"... the heat come 'round and busted me for smiling on a cloudy day..."alb@alice.UUCP (Adam L. Buchsbaum) (08/21/84)
I assume you are referring to Solar Max. It is functioning perfectly. In fact, not one week after being repaired, it recorded one of the biggest solar flares on record.
jcp@brl-tgr.ARPA (Joe Pistritto <jcp>) (08/22/84)
I have seen articles in 'Aviation Week' that indicate that the Solar Max is back in operation again with all but one instrument working. (NASA did not attempt to repair this instrument, it was believed damaged). In fact, one of the largest Solar Flares since 1978 occurred just 3 days after the satellite was recommissioned. Imagery from that flare appeared in Aviation Week. -JCP-