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[jamsat-news:1300] SPECIAL AMSAT NEWS BULLETIN




The following is a special news bulletin from the AMSAT News Service.

73,

Dan James, NN0DJ
AMSAT News Service Editor




SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-196.01
ARIANE FLIGHT 130 LAUNCH DELAY

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 196.01 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, JULY 14, 2000
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-196.01

Arianespace has released a press statement announcing the launch
postponement of Flight 130. The release states that until an upper stage
anomaly (detected during endurance testing on Ariane-5 components)
is resolved, Flight 130 and subsequent Ariane-5 launches are delayed.

AMSAT-NA President Keith Baker, KB1SF, told ANS this it is unknown at
this time how the delay may affect the upcoming launch of Phase 3D.
KB1SF also reported that AMSAT-DL is exploring the delay on behalf
of the Phase 3D team. Stay tuned to ANS for further developments.
 
The delay was mandated by an anomaly that was detected during a long
duration ground test of the attitude control system used on the Ariane
series upper stage. Additional checks could not confirm the flight
readiness of the attitude control system hardware installed on the Flight
130 vehicle. In compliance with its policy to give absolute priority to
quality and reliability, Arianespace will not authorize the launch of Flight
130 until all causes of the anomaly have been completely analyzed and
corrective measures applied.

AR-130 had been scheduled for launch near the end of July -- using the
Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher to orbit the Astra 2B and GE-7 satellites.

[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA President Keith Baker, KB1SF, Arianespace
and Florida Today for this information]

/EX

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