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 Previous: RFI Task Group to Highlight Interference to Amateurs for ARRL Board |  Next: In Brief |
An artist's rendering of the Phase 3D spacecraft, now tentatively set to launch in September or October. |
NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 14, 2000--Phase 3D project officials are attempting to determine the impact of an Ariane 5 launch delay. Arianespace has postponed the launch of Flight 130 (Ariane Flight 506), scheduled to launch July 25, while it looks into an "anomaly" uncovered during testing. Phase 3D--the next-generation Amateur Radio satellite--had been tentatively scheduled to launch aboard Flight 132 (Ariane Flight 507), the next Ariane 5 flight in line after 130.
"We don't know. We're asking the question right now," said AMSAT-NA President Keith Baker, KB1SF, when asked about a possible schedule impact on P3D. He said there's been no official word yet as to whether the Flight 130 delay will affect Phase 3D's launch schedule. Phase 3D Project Manager Karl Meinzer, DJ4ZC, is attempting to find out more, Baker said.
Flight 132 had been set for mid-September at the earliest and possibly as late as the end of October. Arianespace is expected to announce a new launch date for Flight 130 soon, with the mission now being targeted for the first half of September.
The Phase 3D satellite is at the European Spaceport in French Guiana awaiting the start of launch preparations.
Arianespace said it was holding up the Flight 130 launch until an upper stage anomaly detected during endurance testing on Ariane 5 components in Europe could be resolved. The potential problem was detected during a long-duration ground test of the attitude control system for the future "Versatile" version of Ariane 5's EPS upper stage.
The Ariane 5 launch vehicle. |
"As a result, a preventive action was taken for the similar attitude control system on the Ariane 5 launcher that currently is undergoing preparations in French Guiana for Flight 130," Arianespace said in a statement. Additional checks could not yet confirm the flight readiness of attitude control system hardware installed on the Flight 130 vehicle, Arianespace added.
Arianespace says it won't authorize the launch of Flight 130 "until all causes of the anomaly have been completely analyzed and corrective measures applied, if needed."
Just over a month ago, Arianespace 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.
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.
| Previous: RFI Task Group to Highlight Interference to Amateurs for ARRL Board | Next: In Brief |
