SB SAT @ AMSAT  $ANS-353.01
PHASE 3-D LAUNCH NOW SET FOR JULY, 1997

HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 353.01 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, DECEMBER 18, 1996
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-353.01

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". 

[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA's Executive Vice President Keith Baker KB1SF
for bringing the ESA news release to our attention and Bill Tynan
W3XO, AMSAT-NA's President, for his comments used in the
preparation of this bulletin.]

/EX