karn@eagle.UUCP (06/04/83)
Official AMSAT P3B Bulletin #003 Date Time Group 0100 UTC 04 Jun 83 (File Time omitted henceforth; use "Posted" time above for reference) TO: QST FM: AMSAT HQ RLSD: WA2LQQ According to the schedule briefed 2 Jun by W4PUJ, the P3B S/C should have been buttoned up in the Sylda and the ECS-1 mated to same on Friday, 3 Jun. On Monday the payload will be rolled out and mated to the launcher. All is going extremely well and hopes are high. The 16 Jun schedule is holding now but the REAL decision date is 6 Jun. On 6 Jun ESA will decide if 16 Jun is viable. The support crew will be returning to their respective homes today, Saturday. W3GEY and W4PUJ are expected Saturday evening. ZS1FE left Friday (?). DJ4ZC and all but two of the DL crew will leave today as well. Jan speculates that Ulrich (DK4VW) and Wolfgang Schaefer (call ?) will remain to babysit the S/C until launch. The AMSAT Launch Information Network Service (ALINS) is shaping up very nicely under the leadership of W0RPK. ALINS for P3B launch may be the most widely heard amateur radio event ever with stations from England to Hawaii retransmitting the launch day, real-time coverage orginating at Goddard. Target areas for these transmissions cover virtually the entire globe. Pre- launch and post-launch nets are well-staffed too. All nets prior to P3B launch should heavily stress P3B-related info such as beacon frequencies, recommended station equipment capabilities, where to get more info (ASR, ORBIT, P.O. Boc 27, etc), and especially to NOT use the P3B transponder(s) until officially released for general use. W3IWI and WA2LQQ will be on travel (both to California but on separate missions) soon. K1HTV will provide daily bulletins via this media to keep all posted. If nothing changes, a "Status Quo" notice will be issued. WA2LQQ will be back o/a 8 Jun. W3IWI ETR late Jun.