ORFEUS-SPAS II Mission Status Report  # 3
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
(Nov. 22, 1996, 3 p.m. EST)

  In the past 24 hours, all three ORFEUS-SPAS II science teams
at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida completed their final checkouts
and calibration of their instruments.  All instruments are functioning
extremely well with sensitivity at or near pre-flight expectations.

  Overall, scientific data quality is better than expected.
Each science team is being given an eight-hour shift to conduct
astrophysical observations.  NASA mission scientist Dr. Ronald Polidan
reports that the ORFEUS-SPAS II science mission has begun in earnest!

  The Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph
(IMAPS) being controlled by Princeton University scientists located at
the Kennedy Center began normal science observations in the past 24
hours. They have obtained data on four targets and IMAPS continues to
work exceptionally well.  Science team members indicate that the
instrument sensitivity is several times what it was on the first
flight in September 1993.

  The University of California at Berkeley Extreme Ultraviolet
(EUV) Spectrograph is also conducting its normal science program,
having obtained 25 science observations.  The instrument is operating
extremely well with sensitivity at or slightly above pre-launch
expectations.  Science operations are progressing well.

  The German Far Ultraviolet (Echelle) Spectrograph (FUV)
finished its checkout/calibration phase in the past 24 hours and has
begun normal science observations.  The instrument is functioning
extremely well with nine science observations having been obtained
thus far.