THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 773. 1993 Sept 5 09.05UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England. Telephone/FAX(0256)471074 Int:+44256471074 TELEX: 9312111261 Answerback: TA G TELECOM GOLD: 10074:MIK2885 GMH at UK.AC.RUTHERFORD.STARLINK.ASTROPHYSICS STARLINK: RLSAC::GMH GMH at UK.AC.CAM.ASTRONOMY.STARLINK STARLINK: CAVAD::GMH ------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA NAMES TEAM TO STUDY RETURN TRIP TO MARS NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin today announced the establishment of a study team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., to explore possibilities for a return mission to Mars to recover some of the scientific objectives of the Mars Observer mission, if communications with that spacecraft cannot be reestablished. The study team, led by Dr. Charles Elachi, Assistant Laboratory Director at JPL, will look at a variety of low-cost spacecraft, instrument and launch options, with the objective of returning to Mars in 1994 or 1996. The team will review available spacecraft and instrument options from industry and government, including Mars Observer spares and possible international contributions. The team is expected to present potential mission options to NASA within the next 2 months. Members of the study team currently include: Arden Albee California Institute of Technology, Pasadena Carl Sagan Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. Bruce Murray California Institute of Technology, Pasadena John Casani JPL Tom Coughlin Applied Physics Laboratory, Baltimore Steve Paddock Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Eugene Giberson JPL (retired) Ray Heacock JPL (retired) Jonathan Lunine University of Arizona, Tucson Rich Matlock Ballistic Missile Defense Office, Washington, D.C. Donna Pivirotto JPL Rob Staehle JPL John Beckman JPL Larry Soderblom U.S. Geologic Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz. Carolyn Porco University of Arizona, Tucson Bud Wheelon Hughes Aircraft Co. (retired), Los Angeles R CORONAE BOREALIS Further visual estimates: Aug 30.545UT, 6.8 (Y.Watanabe, Kanagawa, Japan) Aug 30.87 UT, 6.9 (Alfredo Pereira, Cabo da Roca, Portugal) Aug 31.813UT, 6.9 (Patrick Schmeer, Bischmisheim, Germany) Aug 31.86 UT, 7.0 (Pereira) Sept 1.85 UT, 7.1 (Pereira) Sept 1.867UT, 7.0 (Schmeer) Sept 3.876UT, 6.9 (Gary Poyner, Birmingham, UK) Sept 3.918UT, 7.1 (Guy Hurst, Basingstoke, UK) Sept 4.440UT, 7.3 (Y.Sekino, Kanagawa, Japan) Sept 5.881UT, 7.3 (Hurst) V SAGITTAE Gary Poyner, Birmingham, UK reports that V Sagittae is fading. His visual estimates follow: Aug 02.963 mv=11.3 05.999 11.3 13.013 11.3 16.953 11.1 20.931 11.2 27.008 11.1 30.900 11.4 Sep 01.890 11.7 03.952 11.8