LOSS OF NOAA 13 SATELLITE COMMS

• To: L.MILLER.UCAR(REC)
• Subject: LOSS OF NOAA 13 SATELLITE COMMS
• From: C.ALEX
• Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1993 10:02:55 -0600

Posted: Mon, Aug 23, 1993   3:50 PM EDT              Msg: HGJD-5859-9142
Subj:   LOSS OF NOAA 13 SATELLITE COMMS               

WSHPNSWSH
ADMN81 KWBC 231933

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
325 PM EDT MON AUG 23 1993


     CONTROLLERS LOSE CONTACT WITH NOAA-13 WEATHER SATELLITE
     
Satellite controllers have lost contact with NOAA-13, an
environmental satellite launched Aug. 9, 1993, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said today.

The last contact with the polar-orbiting satellite was Saturday,
Aug. 21, at 7:15 p.m. EDT.  Subsequent attempts to contact the
satellite have been unsuccessful.  Engineers from NOAA, the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Martin
Marietta Astro Space, manufacturer of the satellite, are currently
trying to determine the problem and how to correct it.      

NOAA-13, successfully launched by the Air Force for NASA and NOAA,
is designed to monitor Earth's oceans and atmosphere.  The
satellite collects meteorological and ocean data for direct
transmission to users around the world and to central data
processing centers.

NOAA's polar-orbiting satellite program is a cooperative effort
with NASA, which, through its Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Md., develops and procures the spacecraft before turning
the satellite over to NOAA for operations. 

NOAA's polar-orbiting satellite system consists of NOAA-11,
launched in September 1988, and NOAA-12, launched in May 1991. 
Both satellites are continuing to provide environmental data to
users around the world.  NOAA-13 was planned to replace NOAA-11,
but with the continued availability of NOAA-11 and -12, there is no
immediate impact to NOAA's National Weather Service's forecast and
warning program.

For more information, call Patricia Viets, NOAA/NESDIS, at 
(301) 763-2560.

NWS PUBLIC AFFAIRS
END