Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Re-Entry Status Report 31 May 2000

FIRST RE-ENTRY BURN SUCCESSFUL

The first of four burns necessary for re-entry of NASA’s Compton Gamma Ray
Observatory (CGRO) was initiated at 9:51 p.m. EDT May 30 by controllers at
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. Compton’s Attitude
Control thrusters and Orbit Adjust thrusters were fired for 23 minutes. The
descent burn lowered the spacecraft’s orbit’s perigee from 316 miles (510
kilometers) to 226 miles (364 kilometers).

“I am thrilled, everything went as expected. All systems performed nominally,”
said Mansoor Ahmed, CGRO reentry mission manager from Goddard.

After the failure of one of Compton’s three gyroscopes, NASA decided to bring
the satellite back via a controlled reentry. NASA has determined that it is much
safer to bring the satellite back now to safe guard against further system failures
in the spacecraft which might hinder a controlled reentry. Compton is scheduled
to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere on June 4 in an isolated area of the Pacific
Ocean, southeast of Hawaii.

The next scheduled burn is planned for Wednesday, May 31 at 10:41 p.m. EDT.
A second status report will follow the conclusion of burn #2.

– end –

Media contact::

Nancy Neal, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

(Phone: 301-286-0039)