RE: ESA Press Release - "Ariane 503 - Launch scheduled for mid-Oc tober 1998"

["Willmott, Paul" <paul.willmott@xxxxxxx>]

John,

I don't know what it means, I just forwarded the ESA press release. It
doesn't look good from first glance, ... but I don't want to get into
heated debate about it until we hear from the Marburg group.

Cheers
Paul, VP9MU

-----Original Message-----
From: Santillo, John [mailto:SANTILLOJ@pcmail.systems.gec.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 1998 12:39 PM
To: 'Willmott, Paul'
Subject: RE: ESA Press Release - "Ariane 503 - Launch scheduled for
mid-Oc tober 1998"


What does this mean for Phase IIID?  Skunked again?


	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Willmott, Paul [SMTP:paul.willmott@omsl.bm]
	Sent:	Tuesday, June 16, 1998 8:04 AM
	To:	'amsat-bb@amsat.org'
	Subject:	FW: ESA Press Release - "Ariane 503 - Launch
scheduled for mid-Oc tober 1998"



	-----Original Message-----
	From: ESA News/Document Server [mailto:esanews@esrin.esa.it] 
	Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 1998 8:34 AM
	Subject: ESA Press Release - "Ariane 503 - Launch scheduled for
	mid-October 1998"



	                                         No. 21-98 - Paris, 15
June 1998


	--------------------------------------------------
	JOINT ESA/CNES/ARIANESPACE PRESS RELEASE

	Ariane 503 - launch scheduled for mid-October 1998

	--------------------------------------------------

	The W1 communications satellite developed for Eutelsat no longer
being
	available, the W2 satellite, which was to have been carried as a
	commercial passenger on Ariane 503, will be launched by an
Ariane-4
	vehicle.

	The search for a new passenger cannot be reconciled with the
planning
	schedule leading to entry of Ariane-5 into operational service.
The
	Ariane 503 payload will therefore consist, in addition to the
ARD
	(Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator) -  which has already been
delivered
	to the Guiana Space Centre - of a representative mock-up of the
W2
	satellite.

	With these two payloads, the Ariane 503 flight will complete the
	qualification of the Ariane-5 launcher.

	Taking account of the time needed to develop, test and integrate
the
	mock-up, the  Ariane 503 launch is now scheduled for mid-October
1998.

	Ariane-5 is an ESA programme for which ESA has delegated
management
	responsibility to CNES.

	Flight 503, conducted under ESA responsibility, will be the last
of the
	Ariane-5 qualification flights.  The launcher used will be the
first
	production-series unit ordered by Arianespace from European
industry.

	Launch operations are managed by Arianespace at the ELA-3 launch
site at
	the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's space port (French Guyana).