News Release from  AMSAT(R)
The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NUMBER 96-07
DECEMBER 18, 1996

PHASE 3-D LAUNCH NOW SET FOR JULY, 1997

SILVER SPRING, MD (AMSAT News Service)--A published report released on
Tuesday, December 17th by the European Space Agency (ESA) has shed new
light on the planned launch date for AMSAT's Phase 3-D International
satellite aboard the next flight of the Ariane 5 booster, Ariane 502.

Following a plan of action set in motion last September among ESA, the
French Space Agency (CNES) and the firms concerned in building the
rocket, a detailed timetable for operations leading up to Ariane
flight 502 has now been established by these organizations.

ESA reports that, while each individual operation will require very
close analysis, the Ariane 502 launch campaign is now scheduled to
begin on Wednesday April 9th, 1997, with the launch itself now planned
for early July.

Given these dates, the last qualification launch of the Ariane 5,
Ariane 503, managed by ArianeSpace, has now been scheduled for
November 1997.

AMSAT-NA President Bill Tynan W3XO welcomed the news saying that, "It
gives us a definite goal to shoot for in our preparations of the Phase
3-D spacecraft, however every month the launch is pushed back means
more funds are needed."  Bill noted that a letter is currently going
out to all AMSAT-NA members asking for additional contributions to the
Project.  He emphasized that, "It is particularly important to the
successful completion and launch of Phase 3-D that recipients of this
letter respond as generously as they can."

AMSAT is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) educational and scientific
organization that was first chartered in Washington, DC, USA.  Its
objectives include promoting space research and communication by
building, launching and controlling Amateur Radio spacecraft.  Since
its founding, over 25 years ago, many other like-minded organizations
have been formed around the world to pursue the same goals and who now
also share the AMSAT name.  Often acting together, these groups have
used predominantly volunteer labor and donated resources to design,
construct and, with the added assistance of government and commercial
space agencies, successfully launch, over two dozen Amateur Radio
communications satellites into Earth orbit.

The Phase 3-D satellite, now under construction with the help of over
a dozen AMSAT groups on five continents, will be the largest, most
complex, and most expensive Amateur Radio satellite ever built.


FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

In North America:					

AMSAT-North America		
Keith Baker, KB1SF; Executive Vice President
1324 Fairgrounds Road
Xenia, Ohio 45385-9514 USA
Phone/Fax:  513-429-5325
Internet: "kb1sf@amsat.org"


In Europe:

AMSAT-Germany
Werner Haas, DJ5KQ; Vice President
Holderstrauch 10
D-35041 Marburg, Germany
Phone: (06421) 684121
Fax: (06421) 285665
Internet: "dj5kq@amsat.org"

                                  -30-