_                    
                                                         |_|                   
      V   V   SSSS   OOO   PPPP                 \__      |_|      __/          
      V   V  S      O   O  P   P                   --____/ \____--             
      V   V   SSS   O   O  PPPP                    _ _ _ --- _ _ _             
       V V       S  O   O  P                      |_|_|_|  @|_|_|_|            
        V    SSSS    OOO   P                             o-o                   
                                                          /                    
      ***  N    E    W    S  ***                        <)                     
 

THE KOBE QUAKE

Its a little over three weeks since the Great Hanshin Earthquake destroyed sections of Kobe. The death toll now exceeds 5200, and an estimated 240,000 are still homeless. There has been much discussion about the slowness of the authorities to respond to the quake. It is clear that the interfaces between the various emergency response agencies were not sufficient to deal with a disaster of this magnitude...

VSOG MEETING

Interfaces between the various mission elements was one of the many items discussed at last week's VSOP Scientific Operations Group meeting at ISAS. Access to VSOP science programmes was the main item discussed, but good progress was made on a number of issues, many of which will be discussed at the VISC (VSOP International Scientific Council) Meeting at the end of March. Such issues include the definition of the Key Science Programs for the mission and the development of the Announcement of Opportunity...

THE FIRST AO

The first Announcement of Opportunity is due to be released this May. The AO will be backed up with a Proposer's Guide, which will describe the mission elements in some detail. Proposal submission will entail submitting paper copies of the proposal, with the cover sheet also being submitted electronically. The AO and Proposer's Guide will be able to be retrieved electronically, and paper copies will be mailed on request. The announcement of the AO release will be e-mailed to all VSOP news subscribers and all others registering their e-mail address in advance with vsopAO@orihime.isaslan1.isas.ac.jp .

SPACECRAFT TESTING

First integration testing ended last November, and the various contractors are now busy working on the `homework' assigned to them. Problems such as the excess noise that the Image Rejection Mixer was found to be producing are well on the way to being solved. Partial on-board radio-astronomical system tests, using NAOCO, a portable single-baseline XF correlator, are scheduled for next week at NEC. Another on-board radio-astronomical system integration test is planned for the early (northern hemisphere) spring. Spacecraft Attitude Control System integration testing is continuing at ISAS, and is due to end next week.

 
 
       Editors: Phil Edwards and Hirax Hirabayashi