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Satellite completes pivot around the moon

animation
Computer animation of the satellite going around the moon   

Risky move designed to save wayward spacecraft

May 13, 1998
Web posted at: 11:22 p.m. EDT (0322 GMT)

(CNN) -- A wayward communications satellite made a swing around the moon Wednesday, completing a pivotal part of a slingshot maneuver that engineers hope will salvage the spacecraft from a worthless orbit.

The HGS-1 satellite drew close to the moon and looped around the back side, using lunar gravity to change direction and hurl back toward Earth. It came as close as 5,000 miles (8,000 km) from the lunar surface about 3:30 p.m. EDT (1930 GMT).

If all goes according to plan, the satellite will speed up to 9,500 mph (15,200 km/h) and then be braked and nudged into a circular orbit over Earth's equator by the end of the month.

"Everything has worked out wonderfully. We couldn't be more pleased at this point," said Diana Ball, a spokeswoman for Hughes Space and Communications Co., which owns the satellite.

Rocket failure left craft in useless orbit

satellite in Earth orbit
Computer animation of the satellite in Earth orbit   

The HGS-1, designed for high-powered satellite TV transmissions, was declared a total loss in December after the rocket carrying it into orbit misfired. The satellite did not have enough power to boost itself into the proper orbit 23,000 miles (36,800 km) from Earth.

So the engineers at Hughes decided to try something that hasn't been done since the Apollo moon landing program. They fired the satellite's on-board rocket motor several times to nudge it out of its highly angled orbit, then sent it on a six-day trip to the moon so it could make use of lunar gravity to reach its proper alignment.

"There were some naysayers, myself included," said Mark Skidmore, project manager for the mission. "But it's evolved into one of those things that kind of went from, 'Gee, I don't know. I don't think so' to 'Yeah, we can do this.'"

First trip by commercial satellite to moon

Wednesday's trip marks the first time a commercial satellite has traveled to the moon. It's also the first time commercial operators have tried anything this extreme to bring a satellite back into the proper orbit.

Assisting HGS with the mission were the U.S. and Air Force Space Commands, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and EMBRATEL, a Brazilian company.

If the technique works, Hughes officials believe it raises the possibility of reduced costs for future space missions,

"While we haven't yet begun exploring what a standard lunar injection to geosychronous (orbit) really means, it's true we may be able to reduce the cost of some missions or even boost more payload in orbit for the same cost," said Mark Schwene, a vice president for Hughes Global Services. "Either of these could significantly benefit future satellite programs."

Hughes officials say the satellite is fully functional and capable of covering more than a quarter of the Earth at any time. It had been kept in a stowed and dormant state until the engineers decided what to do with it.

It was built to provide television distribution and telecommunications services throughout Asia, India, the Middle East, Australia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, made up of 11 former Soviet republics.

Hughes has funded the salvage mission and, if successful, wants to put the satellite to work. The company does most of its business with governments and military customers, and says it will share the profits with insurance underwriters.

Correspondent John Holliman contributed to this report.

 
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