Jim Sahli								Sept. 24, 1996
(Phone: 301-286-0697)
James.Sahli.1@gsfc.nasa.gov

RELEASE NO: 96-67

FAST SPACECRAFT STATUS REPORT #3
	
        All science instruments on NASA's Fast Auroral Snapshot (FAST)
Explorer spacecraft have been turned on and are returning preliminary data,
space officials said today.

        "The FAST spacecraft check-out and instrument check-out is
proceeding well," said Jim Watzin, manager of the Small Explorer program at
the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.  "We hope to start
full-up science operations on Sept. 30.  The scientists are excited about
the initial start up."

        NASA's FAST spacecraft, was launched Aug. 21. The spacecraft is
currently flying in a 217 by 2,603 mile (348 by 4,166 kilometer) orbit by
83 degree orbit with apogee located approximately 67 degrees south
latitude.   FAST was launched into orbit at the Western Test Range, near
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., using a winged Pegasus-XL launch
vehicle.

        The FAST spacecraft will probe the physical processes that produce
the aurora borealis and aurora australis. It is a unique plasma physics
experiment that will take fundamental measurements of the magnetic and
electrical field by flying through the highest altitude regions to date of
the aurora where acceleration of charged particles expelled from the Sun
begins.  This investigation will add significantly to our understanding of
the near-Earth space environment and its effect.

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2-2-2

        Spacecraft officials also said today that despite a problem with
deploying one of the spacecraft's booms, they still feel confident that 95%
of the FAST mission objectives can be met.   

	Watzin said that three of the spacecraft's four electric field sensor wire 
booms have been deployed successfully.  However, wire boom B remains stuck 
partially deployed.  He said engineers believe that a pyrotechnic charge initially 
released the sensor assembly from the spacecraft, but subsequently failed to 
unwind the boom to the expected 5 meter length.  It is estimated that the sensor 
only deployed the boom to 10 centimeters.  No further special activities are 
planned to attempt to free the boom.  Watzin also said it is anticipated that the last 
two instrument deployables, the two electric field sensor axial booms, will be 
deployed late this week.  All particle instruments have been enabled and high-
voltage operation has begun.

        FAST is the second of five missions in NASA's Small Explorer (SMEX)
Project developed by Goddard.  The SMEX satellites are small observatories
that are being used to support quick response astrophysics and space
physics investigations, as well as to develop new low cost approaches for
improving satellite productivity in space research.  FAST's five scientific
instruments will gather high time resolution "snapshots" of the electric
fields, magnetic fields, and energetic electron and ion distributions at
high altitudes of 1,200 - 2,600 miles and at high latitudes near the
Earth's magnetic poles.

        Information on the FAST mission can be obtained via the Internet
World Wide Web at URL:

        http://sunland.gsfc.nasa.gov/smex/fast/fast_top.html

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