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H. W. Moos (JHU)
The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) is exploring the far-ultraviolet universe, 905 to 1187 Å\ with high spectral resolution. FUSE is studying a wide variety of sight-lines ranging from AGNs to the Io Torus about Jupiter. Science operations began in the fall of 1999 and as of October 2000, FUSE has performed \approx 900 observations. Measurements of sight lines through the Galactic halo usually show significant amounts of \ion{O}{6} indicating a hot Galactic halo in accordance with the predictions of Lyman Spitzer almost 45 years ago. High concentrations of \ion{O}{6} are also found in infalling high velocity gas clouds indicating that some of these clouds must exist at large distances from the Galactic disc. Detection of the same ion in the very low redshift (z \leq\ 0.15) Universe may signify the existence of a large reservoir of hot ionized baryonic material in the IGM. Molecular hydrogen, the most abundant molecule in the Universe, is being mapped in the diffuse interstellar media of the Milky Way, Large Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud. The first FUSE D/H results for the local interstellar medium will be presented in a set of papers at this meeting and also will be reviewed in this paper. NASA will release the cycle 3 call for proposals in the winter of 2001. Approximately 80%\ of the time will be available for Guest Investigators. A two year extended mission is planned with 100%\ of the time for Guest Investigators.
FUSE is a NASA Origins Mission funded in cooperation with the Canadian Space Agency and the Centre National d'Études Spatiales of France. It is operated for NASA by the Johns Hopkins University with financial support provided by NASA contract NAS5-32985.