Apr 27 1981
From The Space Library
NASA announced that it would consolidate two major field installations as of October 1, 1981: DFRC would become an operational element and component of ARC, and Wallops Flight Center (WFC) would become an operational element and component of GSFC. DFRC and WFC would retain their identity under the overall management of ARC and GSFC, respectively. (NASA anno, Apr 27/81; NASA Release 81-54)
Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) reported that HEAO 2, NASAs second high-energy astronomy observatory (HEAO), had expended its control-gas supply and ended its mission. One of a family of three "highly successful" scientific satellites managed by MSFC, HEAO 2 (like its predecessor, HEAO 1) had performed twice as long as its predicted design life; a third observatory was still operating.
Launched November 13, 1978, HEAO 2 carried the world's largest focusing X-ray telescope and an array of astronomical instruments; it had provided data on X-ray output of normal stars, content of supernova remnants, distribution of mass in galaxies, and the origin of the extragalactic X-ray background. MSFC said that participating astronomers would need years to analyze all the data received. Unable to maintain attitude after exhausting its control fuel April 25, the spacecraft was powered down April 26. Reentry and burnup would probably occur early in 1982. (MSFC Release 81-52; NASA Release 81-56)
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