Sir

Tony Reichhardt's News article “Rescued satellite to get more managers” is almost entirely accurate in its explanation of the concerns of operating a complex spacecraft during a period of pressure to reduce the costs of flight operations (Nature 396, 399; 1998). But it is misleading in stating that “Management of the $1 billion satellite was to have merged with that of the other projects in the ⃛ ISTP programme to save money”.

In fact, it was the operation of SOHO and the ISTP WIND and POLAR satellites that was to have been merged in order to reduce costs, and indeed this is still going ahead. The management of SOHO flight operations, resources allocation and scientific investigations was never planned to be merged with the rest of ISTP. Indeed, the plan was to continue the already existing, shared management of SOHO, WIND, POLAR and several other space science assets operated at NASA Goddard.

I believe the new SOHO programme office offers an opportunity to manage a major space science asset in a manner consistent with both its scientific importance and the level of operational risk.