Who Is Hughes?
Hughes Global Services is a subsidiary of Hughes Space and Communications Company (HSC), the world’s leading manufacturer of geostationary commercial communications satellites. Scientists and engineers from both HGS and HSC are taking part in the mission. Both companies are units of Hughes Electronics Corporation. PanAmSat Corporation, of which Hughes Electronics is the majority owner, has been providing critical command and tracking support for the mission through its ground station in Fillmore, Calif. Artist’s conception of HGS-1 communications satellite rocket burn above Earth Previous Gravity Assists? NASA had used gravity assists to send spacecraft away from Earth on interplanetary missions, but no one had ever tried that way to bring a communications satellite back into Earth orbit. The experiment was the first known lunar mission involving a communications satellite and the first mission financed by a non-governmental entity. After the firing on May 7, the satellite reached a ma
