Mark Hess
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                      
August 11, 1992
(Phone:  202/453-4164)

Jerry Berg
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
(Phone:  205/544-0034)


RELEASE:  92-129

TETHERED SATELLITE INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY

     A Board of Investigation has been formed to assess the 
problems that occurred during the first mission of the 
Tethered Satellite System (TSS) during Shuttle mission STS-46.  
The board was appointed by Jeremiah W. Pearson, Associate 
Administrator, Office of Space Flight, NASA Headquarters.

     The board is chaired by Darrell Branscome, Chief Engineer 
at the NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.  Other 
members include:

     ù Gianfranco Manarini, Italian Space Agency
     ù Bill J. Comer, Office of Safety and Mission Quality, HQ
     ù William G. Mahoney, Payload Operations, KSC
     ù John A. Wegener, Mission Operations, JSC
     ù James M. McMillion, Flight Systems, MSFC
     ù Thomas D. Stuart, Office of Space Flight, HQ (observer)

     "The board is authorized to take all necessary action to 
review the anomalies associated with the TSS problems to 
determine the probable cause and recommend corrective measures 
to prevent reoccurrence," Pearson said.  

     An initial report of the review findings, supporting data 
and analysis are to be submitted to Pearson by August 28, 
1992.

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     All relevant flight hardware and data that team members 
will need to examine are being maintained in the "as flown" 
condition.  Tethered Satellite System hardware removed from 
Atlantis following its landing is being kept in a secure 
location at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla.  Data obtained 
during the mission, as well as pertinent data gathered during 
development and testing phases of the Tethered Satellite 
program, is being preserved with no alteration. 

     The Board of Investigation is supported by the TSS 
Systems Working Group based at the Marshall Space Flight 
Center (MSFC), Huntsville, Ala., and by any other MSFC 
elements the board may require.

     The Tethered Satellite System-1 mission was a joint 
project of NASA and the Italian Space Agency.  


                            -end-