Paula Cleggett-Haleim
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                 March 21, 1991
(Phone:  202/453-1547)                                                      
 
 
RELEASE:  91-46
 
SMITHSONIAN ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY WINS AXAF CONTRACT
 
        NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., has selected
the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, Mass., for negotiations
leading to award of a contract to design, develop and operate a science support
center for the space-based Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF).
Scheduled for launch in 1998, AXAF will be the third in NASA's series of
Earth-orbiting Great Observatories.
 
        The primary role of the science center will be to provide a service to
the international scientific community by developing and overseeing an
observation program for the X-ray telescope and by managing reception and
distribution of the data it collects.
 
        In addition, the facility will provide support during development of
the X-ray telescope and its complement of sensitive instruments, for testing
and verification of ground support systems, for calibration of the instruments
and for those orbital operations that relate to the science instrument data.
 
        The science center will serve as the primary focal point for the
observer community using the X-ray telescope.  Services it will provide for
users or potential users will include:
 
        o  Assistance in the preparation of observing proposals;
 
        o  Support for scientific observations, including planning the
           best observing strategy for study of specific objects;
 
        o  Processing and distribution of scientific data; and,
 
        o  Offering users appropriate software and computer resources,
           so they can most effectively and efficiently use the data.
 
        The  cost-reimbursement for the AXAF Science Center is at a proposed
cost of $86.7 million.  The contract is for a 10-year period of performance,
spanning the design, development and testing of the telescope as well as
support to its launch and early years of science mission operations.
 
        A major readiness milestone for the AXAF Science Center will be to
provide support for ground-based calibration tests in 1995.  The center must
be fully operational to support the telescope's launch in 1998.  Location of
the facility is to be determined by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
as part of this effort.
 
        The Marshall center, which manages the AXAF program for NASA, will
manage the contract.  The AXAF program is under the direction of NASA's Office
of Space Science and Applications, Washington, D.C.