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          Date       Origin         Title
 1  Wed May  6 07:29  STScI Hubble Status Report
 2  Wed May  6 13:53  KSC   Shuttle Status Report
 3  Wed May  6 18:08  HQ    Gamma Ray Burst Theories Challenged
 4  Wed May  6 13:54  HQ    Test Pilots to Testbeds

Hubble Status Report

Date: May 6 07:29 UTC
Origin: STScI

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DAILY REPORT #2117 
PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 05/05/98 - 0000Z (UTC) 05/06/98

Daily Status Report as of 126/0000Z

1.0 ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

1.1 Completed WF/PC-2 7277 (Calibration of the Cepheid P-L Relation
with Observations of the Maser-Host Galaxy NGC)

The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations of the maser-host galaxy
NGC-4258 to study its Cepheid variable stars. These data will help
refine the calibration of the Cepheid period-luminosity relationship.
The observations were completed as scheduled, and no problems were
reported.

1.2 Completed STIS/CCD 7803 (Daily Darks to Update Acquisition Bad
Pixel Table Part III)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make daily
dark calibration updates. These daily darks are intended to identify
hot pixels for update to the acquisition on-board FSW hot pixel table.
Daily hot pixel lists can also be used for science data analysis. The
observations were completed as planned, and no anomalies were
reported.

1.3 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 7712 (WF/PC-2 Cycle 7 Supplemental
Darks pt2/3)

The WF/PC-2 was used to make a series of Cycle 7 supplemental
calibration darks. This dark calibration program obtains three dark
frames every day to provide data for monitoring and characterizing the
evolution of hot pixels. The observations were executed as scheduled,
and no anomalies were noted.

1.4 Completed STIS/CCD 7926 (CCD Dark and Bias Monitor -- Continued)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make several
dark and bias calibration observations. This is to measure CCD dark
current and bias rates for the two supported amplifier settings {gain =
1 and gain = 4} in order to gather data for making superdarks and
superbiases. These observations will also track the growth of hot
pixels on the CCD in general and within the various target acquisition
apertures specifically. The observations were executed as scheduled,
and no anomalies were noted.

1.5 Completed STIS/CCD/MA2 7393 (Black Hole A0620-00 and
Advection-Dominated Accretion)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD and MA2) was used to make
observations of soft X-ray transient V616-Mon. These data might provide
the most clear-cut evidence presently available for the existence of
black holes. The observations were executed as scheduled, and no
anomalies were noted.

1.6 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 7625 (WF/PC-2 Cycle 7 Earth Flats)

The WF/PC-2 was used to make a series of Earth flat calibration images.
These flat fields will allow mapping of the OTA illumination pattern
and will be used in conjunction with previous internal and external
flats to generate new pipeline superflats. The observations were
completed as planned, and no anomalies were reported.

1.7 Completed Four Sets of NIC/2/3 7907 (NICMOS Pure Parallel Winter
97-98)

The Near Infrared Camera (Cameras Two and Three) was used to make pure
parallel spectrographic observations of sky regions when another
instrument is prime. The observations were completed as planned, and no
anomalies were reported.

1.8 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 7909 (POMS Test Proposal: WF II
Parallel Archive Proposal)

The WF/PC-2 was used to make parallel observations as part of the POMS
test proposal. This test proposal is designed to simulate scientific
plans. The observations were completed as planned, and no problems were
reported.

1.9 Completed NIC/1/2/3 7854 (The Onset of Axisymmetry in
Proto-Planetary Nebulae)

The Near Infrared Camera (Cameras One, Two and Three) was used to make
observations of the axissymmetry of the proto-planetary nebula CIT6.
The high-resolution imaging and multicolor polarimetric capabilities of
NICMOS comprise a superb combination for studying the processes by
which evolved (approximately one solar mass) stars shed their outer
layers to form planetary nebulae. The observations were completed as
planned, and no problems were reported.

1.10 Completed STIS/CCD 7908 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS Non-Scripted
Parallel Proposal)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make
calibration observations as part of the POMS Test Proposal. This was a
STIS non-scripted parallel proposal. The observations were completed as
planned, and no problems were reported.

1.11 Completed WF/PC-2 7409 (Resolving sdB Binary Systems)

The WF/PC-2 was used to make observations to try and resolve the sdB
class binary system Star-13114. This is a continuation of the approved
Cycle 6 Proposal No. 6351, which due to unlucky circumstances did not
succeed in obtaining any data until 8/30/96. The observations were
completed as scheduled, and no anomalies were reported.

1.12 Completed STIS/CCD 7666 (CCD Linearity and Shutter Stability)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make some
CCD linearity and shutter stability calibration checks. CCDs can suffer
from non-linearities at low, high {or both} intensity. Such effects can
be subtle, but important contributor to error budgets for routine
science observations and are sometimes recognized only after
limitations are detected in careful analyses of science data. The
observations were completed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

1.13 Completed WF/PC-2 7386 (A Snapshot Survey of Nova Shells)

The WF/PC-2 was used to make observational images of a super nova shell
in order to detect and measure its expanding gaseous shell. These
observations will trace the distribution of hot and cool gas in the
nova shells, and show their degree of inhomogeneity on both large and
small scales. The observations were completed as scheduled, and no
problems were noted.

1.14 Completed NIC/1/2/3 7829 (Mapping H_2 Emission around T Tauri
Stars)

The Near Infrared Camera (Cameras One, Two, and Three) was to be used
to study the distribution of circumstellar dust and molecular {H_2} gas
around six classical T Tauri stars {cTTS}, probing both the near
circumstellar environment {the accretion disk} as well as the
environment further out where strong winds from these stars may be
interacting with remnants of the cloud material from which they formed.
The primary goal is to map the distribution of the molecular gas around
cTTS. As described in HSTAR 6459 and in 2.1, the acquisition and the
two-reacquisitions for this approximate three-and-one-half-hour
proposal failed and the take data flag remained down.

1.15 Completed STIS/CCD 7911 (STIS Galactic Plane Pure Parallel
Program)

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make low
galactic latitude survey observations in parallel with the prime
science observations. Short exposures with the 50CCD imaging mode will
provide the wavelength zero-point calibration. These data will be
placed immediately into the Hubble Data Archive. The observations were
executed as scheduled, and no anomalies were noted.

1.16 Completed NIC/1/2/3 7896 (A NIR Snapshot Survey of Ultraluminous
IR Galaxies)

The Near Infrared Camera (Cameras One, Two and Three) was used to make
snapshot survey observations of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy
QDOTULIR06. Nearly all of these galaxies show evidence for a recent
tidal interaction, and we will search for evidence of the merger
progenitors near the center of each galaxy, a task made significantly
easier with NIR imaging. The observations were completed as planned,
and no anomalies were noted.

1.17 Completed WF/PC-2 7470 (A Snapshot Survey of Galactic Globular
Clusters)

The WF/PC-2 was used to make snap shot survey observations of the
crowded center of the galactic globular cluster NGC-6273. The resulting
color-magnitude diagram will include all stars down to about one
magnitude below the main-sequence turnoff. The observations were
completed as scheduled, and no problems were reported.

1.18 Completed STIS/MA1 7604 (Cycle 7 MAMA Dark Measurements) 30|35\;
The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1) was used to make MAMA
dark measurements. These darks will be used in later image reductions
and also trended over the instrument's life time as an indicator of the
detector's degradation or damage. The observations were completed as
scheduled, and no problems were reported.

1.19 Completed WF/PC-2/STIS/CCD/NIC/1/2/3 7307 (The Formation and
Evolution of Rich Star Clusters in the LMC)

The WF/PC-2, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD), and the
Near Infrared Camera (Cameras One, Two and Three) were used to make
observations of the rich star clusters which are located within the
Large Magellanic Cloud in order to study their formation and evolution.
These observations will help us understand the origin and evolution of
rich star clusters in our own galaxy. The observations were completed
as scheduled, and no anomalies were reported.

1.20 Completed S/C 7954 (FGS-1R Optimization)

Desorption and gravity release effects have modified the morphology and
modulation of the FGS1R Transfer Function. This test will accomplish a
re-optimization of the performance of FGS1R by adjusting the FF3 mirror
until the S Curve at the center of the field of view is comparable to
the optimized S Curve obtained during SMOV. This test requires special
data downlinks and uplinks for real-time commanding of the FF3. The
test concluded with no reported problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:

Scheduled Acquisitions : 12  Successful : 11

Scheduled Reacquisitions : 8  Successful : 6

The acquisition at 125/1533Z and the re-acquisitions at 125/1639Z and
125/1709Z failed when the search radius limit was exceeded. HSTAR 6459
was written. The proposal described in 1.14 was affected.

2.2 FHST Updates:

Scheduled : 30  Successful : 30

2.3 Operations Notes:

The SSR EDAC counts were cleared using ROP SR-1.

As a result of the acquisition failures described above, an ARU/PRT was
performed at 125/1805Z. The following acquisitions were successful.
Also, using ROP NS-11, the NICMOS error counter was cleared.

The optimization of FGS-1R, as described in 1.20, continues. Today, an
Internal Test Source (ITS) acquisition was performed at 125/2330Z. The
Articulated Mirror Assembly (AMA) was commanded eight steps in the
reverse direction at 125/2354Z, as directed by operations request, with
no anomalous behavior reported. Another ITS acquisition was executed at
126/0203Z, along with two POS exposures. Two S-curves were produced.
After an analysis meeting today, another AMA move will be performed.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

Shuttle Status Report

Date: May 06 13:53 UTC
Origin: KSC

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1998 (9:53 AM EDT)

MISSION: STS-91 -- 9TH AND FINAL MIR DOCKING, SPACEHAB-SM

VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
LOCATION: Launch Pad 39A
TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: June 2 at about 6:10 p.m. EDT
LAUNCH WINDOW: 7-10 minutes
MIR DOCKING DATE/TIME: June 4 at about 12:59 p.m.
MIR UNDOCKING DATE/TIME: June 8 at about 12:01 p.m.
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: June 12 at about 2:03 p.m. EDT
MISSION DURATION: about 9 days, 19 hours, 53 minutes
CREW: Precourt, Gorie, Lawrence, Chang-Diaz, Kavandi, Ryumin, Thomas (down)
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Preparations for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test
continue on schedule. The STS-91 flight crew arrived at KSC Monday
evening and are participating in mission familiarization activities
this week before their launch day dress rehearsal set for Thursday.

Discovery's master event controller (MEC) No. 1 failed tests on Monday
and technicians completed MEC removal efforts yesterday. A new MEC will
be installed tomorrow afternoon. Orbiter midbody umbilical mates are
complete and vertical payload installation concluded yesterday. The
helium signature test continues through this afternoon. Routine forward
and aft compartment cleaning is in work through the weekend and
external tank umbilical close-outs conclude tonight.

STS-91 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
  * Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (May 6-7)
  * Tanking test of first super lightweight external tank (May 18)
  * Flight Readiness Review (May 20)

MISSION: STS-88 -- FIRST FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
(NODE-1, PMAs 1 and 2)

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105
LOCATION: OPF bay 1
TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: No earlier than Sept. 3 (under review)
MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 19 hours, 18 minutes
CREW: Cabana, Sturckow, Currie, Ross, Newman
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 173 nautical miles/51.6 degrees

NOTE: Verification of Endeavour's right-hand orbiter maneuvering system
helium system continues. Technicians are checking a valve on the
reaction control system. Installation of a strut in bay 3 of the
midbody is in work. Drag chute installation is in work and hydraulic
checks of Endeavour's main landing gear begin tonight. Window No. 1 is
scheduled for installation Friday.

MISSION: STS-93 --  Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF)

VEHICLE: Columbia/OV-102
LOCATION: OPF bay 3
TARGET KSC LAUNCH DATE/TIME: no earlier than Dec. 3 at 2:50 p.m.
TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 8 at 1:57 p.m.
LAUNCH WINDOW: 43 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 4 days, 23 hours, 7 minutes
CREW: Collins, Ashby, Hawley, Coleman, Tognini
ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 153 nautical miles/28.45 degrees

NOTE: Following NASA's decision yesterday not to refly the Neurolab
mission, KSC workers will focus efforts to process Columbia for the
AXAF mission on STS-93. Draining of the orbiter's power reactant
storage and distribution system is complete and technicians now have
access to Columbia's aft compartment. Fuel cell and water spray boiler
evaluations are in work.

The payload bay doors will be opened today and technicians will begin
Neurolab deconfiguration on Friday. Removal of the Spacelab payload
from the cargo bay occurs Monday.

STS-93 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
  * Neurolab removal from payload bay (May 11)
  * Tunnel adapter removal (May 14)
  * Main engine heat shield removal (May 20)
  * Main engine removal (May 21)

Gamma Ray Burst Theories Challenged

Date: May 6 18:08 UTC
Origin: HQ

MOST POWERFUL EXPLOSION SINCE THE BIG BANG CHALLENGES GAMMA RAY BURST
THEORIES

A recently detected cosmic gamma ray burst released a hundred times
more energy than previously theorized, making it the most powerful
explosion since the creation of the universe in the Big Bang.

"For about one or two seconds, this burst was as luminous as all the
rest of the entire universe," said Caltech professor George Djorgovski,
one of the two principal investigators on the team from the California
Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.

The team measured the distance to a faint galaxy from which the burst
originated at about 12 billion light years from the Earth. The observed
brightness of the burst despite this great distance implies an enormous
energy release. The team's findings appear in the May 7 issue of the
journal Nature.

The burst was detected on Dec. 14, 1997, by the Italian/Dutch BeppoSAX
satellite and NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory satellite. The
Compton observatory provided detailed measurements of the total
brightness of the burst, designated GRB 971214, while BeppoSAX provided
its precise location, enabling follow-up observations with ground-based
telescopes and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

"The energy released by this burst in its first few seconds staggers
the imagination," said Caltech professor Shrinivas Kulkarni, the other
principal investigator on the team.

The burst appears to have released several hundred times more energy
than an exploding star, called a supernova, until now the most
energetic known phenomenon in the universe. Finding such a large energy
release over such a brief period of time is unprecedented in astronomy,
except for the Big Bang itself.

"In a region about a hundred miles across, the burst created conditions
like those in the early universe, about one millisecond (1/1,000 of a
second) after the Big Bang," said Djorgovski.

This large amount of energy was a surprise to astronomers.  "Most of
the theoretical models proposed to explain these bursts cannot explain
this much energy," said Kulkarni. "However, there are recent models,
involving rotating black holes, which can work.  On the other hand,
this is such an extreme phenomenon that it is possible we are dealing
with something completely unanticipated and even more exotic."

Gamma-ray bursts are mysterious flashes of high-energy radiation that
appear from random directions in space and typically last a few
seconds. They were first discovered by U.S.  Air Force Vela satellites
in the 1960s. Since then, numerous theories of their origin have been
proposed, but the causes of gamma-ray bursts remain unknown. The
Compton observatory has detected several thousand bursts so far.

The principal limitation in understanding the bursts was the difficulty
in pinpointing their direction on the sky. Unlike visible light, gamma
rays are exceedingly difficult to observe with a telescope, and the
bursts' short duration exacerbates the problem. With BeppoSAX,
scientists now have a tool to localize the bursts on the celestial
sphere with sufficient precision to permit follow-up observations with
the world's most powerful ground-based telescopes.

This breakthrough led to the discovery of long-lived "afterglows" of
bursts in X-rays, visible and infrared light, and radio waves. While
gamma-ray bursts last only a few seconds, their afterglows can be
studied for several months. Study of the afterglows indicated that the
bursts do not originate within our own galaxy, the Milky Way, but
rather are associated with extremely distant galaxies.

Both BeppoSAX and NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer spacecraft
detected an X-ray afterglow. BeppoSAX precision led to the detection of
a visible light afterglow, found by a team from Columbia University,
New York, NY, and Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, including Professors
Jules Halpern, David Helfand, John Torstensen, and their collaborators,
using a 2.4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak, AZ, but no distance could be
measured from these observations.

As the visible light from the burst afterglow faded, the Caltech team
detected an extremely faint galaxy at its location, using one of the
world's largest telescopes, the 10-meter Keck II telescope at Mauna
Kea, Hawaii. The galaxy is about as faint as an ordinary 100 watt light
bulb would be as seen from a distance of a million miles.

Subsequent images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope confirmed the
association of the burst afterglow with this faint galaxy and provided
a more detailed image of the host galaxy.

The Caltech team succeeded in measuring the distance to this galaxy,
using the light-gathering power of the Keck II telescope. The galaxy is
at a redshift of z=3.4, or about 12 billion light years distant
(assuming the universe to be about 14 billion years old).

From the distance and the observed brightness of the burst,
astronomers derived the amount of energy released in the flash.
Although the burst lasted approximately 50 seconds, the energy released
was hundreds of times larger than the energy given out in supernova
explosions, and it is about equal to the amount of energy radiated by
our entire Galaxy over a period of a couple of centuries. Scientists
say it is possible that other forms of radiation from the burst, such
as neutrinos or gravity waves, which are extremely difficult to detect,
carried a hundred times more energy than that.

NASA is planning two missions to further investigate gamma- ray
bursts:  the High Energy Transient Experiment II (HETE II), scheduled
to launch in the fall of 1999, and the Gamma Ray Large Area Space
Telescope (GLAST), scheduled to launch in 2005. HETE II will be able to
precisely locate gamma-ray bursts in near real- time and quickly
transmit their locations to ground-based observatories, permitting
rapid follow-up studies. GLAST will detect only those gamma-ray bursts
that emit the highest energy gamma rays, and will be able to locate
them with sufficient precision to permit coordinated observations from
the ground. Because not much is known about the bursts at these high
energies, the observations may permit researchers to choose among
competing theories for the origin of gamma-ray bursts.

Images of the GRB 971214 field are available at: 
"FTP://PAO.GSFC.NASA.GOV/newsmedia/GRB/".
Information on the BeppoSAX spacecraft is available at:
"http://www.sdc.asi.it/".
Information on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory is available at:
"http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cossc/descriptions/cgro.html".
Information on Gamma Ray Bursts is available at:
"http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cossc/nasm/VU/overview/bursts/bursts.html".

Test Pilots to Testbeds

Date: May 6 13:54 UTC
Origin: HQ

TEST PILOTS TO TESTBEDS -- NASA CUSHIONS LIFTOFF AND EASES BEDSORES

A foam material developed by NASA researchers to cushion pilots against
the rigors of test flight, and currently in use aboard the Space
Shuttles, is now being successfully sold in pillows and mattresses by a
Lexington, KY, company to treat disorders ranging from sleeplessness to
the more severe illness of pressure ulcers, commonly known as
bedsores.

Tempur-Pedic's products have been cited by the U.S.  Department of
Veterans Affairs as "very effective for the treatment and prevention"
of bedsores and "very comfortable" to patients. Both the Veterans
Affairs Department and the National Institutes of Health have purchased
hundreds of Tempur-Pedic products for use in their pain management and
ulcer treatment programs. Bedsores, which can be fatal if left
untreated, cost the Medicare and Medicaid programs almost $2 billion
annually for treatment of wheelchair-bound, nursing home and hospital
patients.

The one millionth pillow produced by the company, Tempur- Pedic, will
be presented by its CEO, Robert Trussell, to NASA Administrator Daniel
S. Goldin, on Wednesday, May 6, at 5 p.m. EDT in the NASA Headquarters
Auditorium, 300 E Street, SW, Washington, DC.

Administrator Goldin said, "This NASA technology designed to protect
astronauts and pilots is now being used to help the elderly, the
disabled and hospital patients. NASA is deeply committed to
transferring our unique knowledge to improve the quality of life for
all Americans." Tempur-Pedic's Trussell added, "We have taken NASA's
space-age material and developed it into 'body-friendly' bedding, which
distributes pressure more evenly throughout the spine, joints and other
parts of the body."

Tempur-Pedic's pillows, mattresses and other products made from Temper
Foam have billions of self-ventilating memory molecules that slowly
react to body heat and weight. It was first developed by NASA's Ames
Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, for use in aircraft test-pilot
seats and to protect airline passengers in crashes. Temper Foam was
recently inducted into the United States Space Foundation's Space
Technology Hall of Fame,  Colorado Springs, CO.

NASA actively encourages commercialization of its technologies. To
learn more about NASA innovations, commercialization efforts and the
Agency's technology transfer programs, interested parties can call
1-800-678-6882 or access the NASA Commercial Technology Network web
page at URL:  "http://nctn.hq.nasa/gov/".

Tempur-Pedic can be contacted by telephoning 1-800-886-6466 or at the
web address: www.tempurpedic.com