Hughes Satellite Orbits Moon, Heads Back To Earth
Ron Baalke
HUGHES GLOBAL SERVICES, INC.
Communications and Customer Relations
P.O. Box 92919 (S10/S323)
Los Angeles, CA 90009
Media Relations (310) 364-6363
Investor Relations (310) 662-9688
www.hughesglobal.com
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HUGHES SATELLITE ORBITS MOON, HEADS BACK TO EARTH
LOS ANGELES, May 13, 1998 -- The HGS-1 spacecraft became the first
commercial communications satellite to orbit the moon, passing behind it at
noon PDT today to grab a boost from lunar gravity and hurtle back toward
Earth.
Engineers at the Hughes Mission Control Center in El Segundo, Calif., will
begin braking maneuvers Saturday to guide the arriving spacecraft into orbit
around the equator.
HGS-1 is a high-power satellite built by Hughes Space and Communications
Company of Los Angeles, and owned by its subsidiary, Hughes Global Services,
Inc. (HGS). It was designed to provide television and other
telecommunications services for Asia and neighboring regions.
During launch last Christmas Day, however, the rocket that was carrying it
malfunctioned, leaving the satellite in an unusable, highly inclined,
elliptical orbit. The original owner of the spacecraft filed an insurance
claim, and the insurers declared the mission a total loss for its original
purposes.
Hughes scientists and engineers weren't ready to give up on the fully
functional satellite, however. They devised a salvage mission using the
moon's gravity to reposition the satellite into a usable circular orbit
22,300 miles above the equator, called geosynchronous orbit. It is the first
known lunar mission involving a communications satellite and the first lunar
mission financed by a non-governmental entity. If Hughes can put the HS
601HP model satellite into a useful revenue-generating orbit, it has agreed
to share profits with the insurers.
HGS-1 began its lunar encounter at 11:52 a.m. PDT today. Occultation -- the
period during which it was behind the moon and out of radio contact with
ground controllers -- lasted until 12:20 p.m. The satellite came within
3,883 miles of the moon's surface -- called perilune -- at 12:55 p.m. It's
now on a 3-day return trip to Earth.
Over the next three days, Hughes controllers will prepare the satellite for
a retro burn that will slow HGS-1 as it approaches geosynchronous orbit. The
spacecraft is expected to execute the maneuvers around 8 p.m. PDT Saturday.
Controllers are using satellite ground stations, optical telescopes and
radar facilities around the world to track the spacecraft.
Hughes began the mission April 10, firing the satellite's onboard rocket
motor several times to raise its altitude. The 12th firing was May 7, giving
HGS-1 its final kick toward the moon.
Hughes Space and Communications, a unit of Hughes Electronics Corporation,
has been building communications and scientific spacecraft and instruments
for more than 35 years. It is the world leader in manufacturing commercial
geostationary communications satellites. Hughes Global Services packages
commercial satellite services for government and military customers. HGS
also works with other Hughes Electronics companies to provide end-to-end
solutions for underserved commercial markets. PanAmSat Corporation, of which
Hughes Electronics is the majority owner, has been providing critical
command and tracking support for the mission through its teleport in
Fillmore, Calif. The earnings of Hughes Electronics are used to calculate
the earnings per share attributable to GMH (NYSE symbol) common stock.
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