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Forwarded from:
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011

                  MARS OBSERVER MISSION STATUS
                         January 5, 1993

     The Mars Observer spacecraft is being prepared for the outer
cruise flight sequence.  Adjustments to point the high-gain
antenna directly at the sun are continuing through Jan. 6, 1993,
at which time the antenna will be powered on to begin receiving
and sending engineering and science data.

     The spacecraft team reports that all spacecraft subsystems
and instruments are performing well.  The camera "bakeout" to
prepare the instrument for operation will continue through Jan.
14, followed by a focusing test on Jan. 18. 

     Today the spacecraft is about 43 million kilometers (27
million miles) from Earth, traveling at a speed of about 36,000
kilometers per hour (23,000 miles per hour) relative to Earth. 
The spacecraft is traveling at a heliocentric velocity of about
97,000 kilometers (61,000 miles per hour).  One-way light time is
approximately 128 seconds.

                             #####  
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Choose a job you love, and
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | you'll never have to work
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     | a day in your life.