Dec. 4, 1995


Jim Sahli
Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Md.   20771
(Phone:  301-286-0697)


SOHO Status Report #2
Monday, Dec. 4
9:30 a.m. EST

SOHO SPACECRAFT IS ON ITS WAY TO HALO ORBIT


	Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft operations are running normal this morning after a 
successful launch Saturday morning at 3:08 a.m. EST from the Cape Canaveral Air Station, spacecraft officials said 
Monday morning  at 9 a.m. 

	The SOHO spacecraft is on its way to a four-month journey to reach its eventual Halo orbit where it will 
gather scientific information about the sun for NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).   

	Spacecraft officials said this morning that SOHO spacecraft operations are returning to normal after some 
initial problems Sunday night during a midcourse correction burn.

	At 7:21 p.m., Dec. 3, the spacecraft executed successfully an initial planned thruster burn. This planned 
burn or midcourse correction is necessary to further guide the SOHO spacecraft to its eventual Halo orbit 937,000 
miles from Earth toward the Sun.

	Then, after executing the required burn, the computer on the spacecraft's Attitude Control Unit went into a 
Emergency Sun Reacquisition mode.  The SOHO spacecraft automatically switched to the B side.  Engineers have 
returned the spacecraft to the A side again and the spacecraft is functioning properly.  

	The launch of the SOHO observatory  aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIAS rocket occurred Saturday 
morning from Launch Complex 36-Pad B at  Cape Canaveral Air Station in Florida. SOHO is a project of 
international cooperation between NASA and  ESA.  The mission is part of the International Solar Terrestrial 
Program (ISTP).  SOHO will provide data in concert with other spacecraft for a global observation of the sun and its 
influence on Earth's environment.

	Information will be updated on the Goddard Audio News Service, 301-286-NEWS 
(6397), as it becomes available.  For additional information about the SOHO mission, call 
the Goddard Newsroom at 301-286-8955.
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