HUGHES GLOBAL SERVICES, INC.
Communications and Customer Relations
P.O. Box 92919 (S10/S323)
Los Angeles, CA 90009
Media Relations (310) 364-6363
Investor Relations (310) 662-9688
www.hughesglobal.com		 HGS Logo


HUGHES SATELLITE ORBITS MOON, HEADS BACK TO EARTH

LOS ANGELES, May 13, 1998 -- The HGS-1 spacecraft became the first commercial communications satellite to orbit the moon, passing behind it at noon PDT today to grab a boost from lunar gravity and hurtle back toward Earth.

Engineers at the Hughes Mission Control Center in El Segundo, Calif., will begin braking maneuvers Saturday to guide the arriving spacecraft into orbit around the equator.

HGS-1 is a high-power satellite built by Hughes Space and Communications Company of Los Angeles, and owned by its subsidiary, Hughes Global Services, Inc. (HGS). It was designed to provide television and other telecommunications services for Asia and neighboring regions.

During launch last Christmas Day, however, the rocket that was carrying it malfunctioned, leaving the satellite in an unusable, highly inclined, elliptical orbit. The original owner of the spacecraft filed an insurance claim, and the insurers declared the mission a total loss for its original purposes.

Hughes scientists and engineers weren't ready to give up on the fully functional satellite, however. They devised a salvage mission using the moon's gravity to reposition the satellite into a usable circular orbit 22,300 miles above the equator, called geosynchronous orbit. It is the first known lunar mission involving a communications satellite and the first lunar mission financed by a non-governmental entity. If Hughes can put the HS 601HP model satellite into a useful revenue-generating orbit, it has agreed to share profits with the insurers.

HGS-1 began its lunar encounter at 11:52 a.m. PDT today. Occultation -- the period during which it was behind the moon and out of radio contact with ground controllers -- lasted until 12:20 p.m. The satellite came within 3,883 miles of the moon's surface -- called perilune -- at 12:55 p.m. It's now on a 3-day return trip to Earth.

Over the next three days, Hughes controllers will prepare the satellite for a retro burn that will slow HGS-1 as it approaches geosynchronous orbit. The spacecraft is expected to execute the maneuvers around 8 p.m. PDT Saturday. Controllers are using satellite ground stations, optical telescopes and radar facilities around the world to track the spacecraft.

Hughes began the mission April 10, firing the satellite's onboard rocket motor several times to raise its altitude. The 12th firing was May 7, giving HGS-1 its final kick toward the moon.

Hughes Space and Communications, a unit of Hughes Electronics Corporation, has been building communications and scientific spacecraft and instruments for more than 35 years. It is the world leader in manufacturing commercial geostationary communications satellites. Hughes Global Services packages commercial satellite services for government and military customers. HGS also works with other Hughes Electronics companies to provide end-to-end solutions for underserved commercial markets. PanAmSat Corporation, of which Hughes Electronics is the majority owner, has been providing critical command and tracking support for the mission through its teleport in Fillmore, Calif. The earnings of Hughes Electronics are used to calculate the earnings per share attributable to GMH (NYSE symbol) common stock.

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