Re: P3D News

["Bill Ford" <billf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Date:          Wed, 17 Jun 1998 05:00:26 -0500 (CDT)
> From:          Andrew Reynolds <pemberton!sinnfree.sinnfree.org!calliban>
> To:            Richard W L Limebear <pemberton!g3rwl.demon.co.uk!Richard>
> Cc:            pemberton!AMSAT.org!amsat-bb
> Subject:       Re: P3D News

> 
> 
> On Tue, 16 Jun 1998, Richard W L Limebear wrote:
> 
> > Guys
> > 
> > In the past I have fought tooth and nail for ESA/Arianespace's reputation
> > saying that they were honourable people and, having shafted us over AR502,
> > they would give us proper, FAIR, consideration.
> > 
> > I hereby withdraw those statements.
> > 
> > 73
> > Richard W L Limebear G3RWL
> > g3rwl@amsat.org
> > FOC # 1188
> > 
> >           So many beautiful girls ..... (sob) so little time
> > 
> I hate to say it, but I am inclined to agree. Maybe we aren't the biggest
> customer Arianespace has, but it might be time that we voted with our
> feet and took our business elsewhere.
>  So, does anyone know if ILS has some spare space on any of their upcoming
> Proton launches?
> 
> Later,
> Andy
> WD9IYT.

I know that we all want P3D to get up and operating ASAP, but do we 
really want to place our hopes on  a launcher that has yet to be 
launched successfully? As far as I can tell, the Arianne 5 has 
thus far been something of a dud. The first one blew up and the 
second one failed to reach the proper orbit. Which of us would want 
to get on an airplane knowing that the first flight had crashed, and 
the second had gone so far off course that its passengers didn't know 
where they were when it landed.

>From the ESA press release, it appears that ESA doesn't have too much 
confidence in the "5" either. It looks like the payloads they are 
carrying are "nothing" or essentially dummy payloads, so that when 
503 fails, no harm is done...





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Bill Ford       HAM CALL:WB5SXK         Voice: (601) 631-2995
Computer Specialist                     Fax:   (601) 634-4565
City of Vicksburg         EMAIL:        billf@vickpfe.ci.vicksburg.ms.us
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