 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||
|
|
 Previous: Amateur Radio Industry Mulls Ideas to Boost Hobby Growth |  Next: In Brief |
An artist's rendering of the Phase 3D spacecraft, now tentatively set to launch in September or October. |
NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 14, 2000--The next-generation Phase 3D Amateur Radio satellite will not launch until September at the earliest. Under the latest tentative Arianespace launch schedule, P3D now could go up on the Ariane Flight 507 as early as mid-September, but the launch could be as late as the end of October.
Flight 507 had been on the schedule to go into space in July. Arianespace recently announced a resumption of Ariane flights from the European Spaceport. A three-month flight hiatus resulted when several prime Arianespace passengers put their launch preparations on hold until concerns over possible onboard thruster problems could be resolved.
AMSAT-NA President Keith Baker, KB1SF, called the Arianespace announcement "very good news" for the Phase 3D program. On the Ariane 507 launch manifest with P3D is the PAS-1R satellite and two STRV microsatellites.
The Phase 3D satellite safely arrived at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, last January and has been awaiting the start of its launch campaign.
Arianespace representatives--including the mission director--met recently with Phase 3D representatives at AMSAT-DL headquarters in Marburg, Germany, to discuss preparations for the P3D launch campaign, which could take up to a couple of months to complete. On hand for AMSAT was Phase 3D Project Leader Karl Meinzer, DJ4ZC, Peter Guelzow, DB2OS, Chuck Green, N0ADI, Dick Daniels, W4PUJ and Martin Riehle from DASA/ASTRIUM. DASA is undertaking fueling of Phase 3D at Kourou.
The Ariane 5 launch vehicle. |
Arianespace has announced its next launch is Flight V130/AR-506, targeted for launch on July 25, with the Astra 2B and GE-7 satellites aboard. The exact date of the Phase 3D mission's launch depends on the AR-506 launch and the availability of the other satellites.
For now, Phase 3D awaits launch preparations stored in its shipping container and housed in an air-conditioned integration building at the launch complex. All systems have been shut down and the batteries left uncharged.
A launch contract accepting Phase 3D as a payload for the first suitable Ariane 5 launch vehicle was signed last October.
For more information about Phase 3D, visit the AMSAT-NA Web site.--AMSAT-DL and Peter Guelzow, DB2OS, via AMSAT News Service; SpaceNews
| Previous: Amateur Radio Industry Mulls Ideas to Boost Hobby Growth | Next: In Brief |
