Amsat Phase 3D Has Firm Launch Schedule

QST de W1AW 
Space Bulletin 016  ARLS016
From ARRL Headquarters 
Newington, CT  November 2, 2000
To all radio amateurs

SB SPACE ARL ARLS016
ARLS016 Phase 3D Gets Firm Launch Date

AMSAT News Service says the next-generation Phase 3D satellite now
has a firm launch date and time. ANS says it's been informed by
''various sources'' that the Ariane 507 carrying Phase 3D and other
satellite payloads aloft will head into space Wednesday, November
15, at 0107 UTC from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French,
Guiana.

The Radio Club of Kourou's FY5KE has announced plans to broadcast
the Phase 3D launch on 14.315 MHz in French ''and probably in
English.'' The transmission will start at approximately 15 minutes
prior to launch and will end about 45 minutes later when the
satellite is put on orbit.

Also atop the Ariane 5 rocket will be the PanAmSat 1R communications
satellite--the largest and primary payload--and two British Space
Technology Research Vehicle minisats, STRV 1C and STRV 1D. If all
goes as intended, the Ariane 5 will place all four satellites into
geostationary transfer orbit.

Phase 3D, at more than 1400 pounds and nearly 20 feet across, will
be the largest Amateur Radio payload ever put into space. In
October, AMSAT-DL Executive Vice President Peter Guelzow,
DB2OS--who's heading up the Phase 3D launch campaign--pronounced the
satellite ''ready to fly'' after it passed all of its pre-launch
inspections, testing, and preparation.

Once in geostationary transfer orbit and deployed by the Ariane 5,
Phase 3D will fire its own motor and thrusters that eventually will
put the satellite into a high elliptical orbit that's almost 30,000
miles from Earth at its farthest point. Establishing the satellite's
final orbital configuration will take up to one year.

For more information, visit the AMSAT-NA Web site,
http://www.amsat.org/.

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