Paula Cleggett-Haleim
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                                                 
July 31, 1991
(Phone:  202/453-1547)

RELEASE:  91-121


EARLY HUBBLE SERVICE VISIT NOT SCHEDULED


     Contrary to a news report this morning, NASA is not in 
the process of planning a mission to visit the Hubble Space 
Telescope (HST) any earlier than late 1993.

     There has been discussion about this possibility within 
the science community because of some erratic behavior 
observed over the weekend in one of the maneuvering and 
pointing gyros on the HST.

     Space science officials said they would ask officials of 
the Space Shuttle program to help evaluate alternative 
servicing strategies.  No specific request for an earlier 
servicing mission has been made.

                            -end-