_                   
                                                         |_|                  
      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  ***                        <)                    

VSOP-2 PLANNING

Planning for a successor to HALCA has been underway for the last few years. The VSOP-2 satellite will have a bigger antenna, operate at higher frequencies, with a wider observing bandwidth, lower system temperatures, observe at both LCP and RCP, and be in a higher orbit, providing gains in sensitivity and resolution of an order of magnitude over VSOP observations. There has been discussion for the last two years on the best time to submit the formal VSOP-2 proposal to ISAS. The introduction by ISAS of funding for development projects, and the success of the VSOP team in winning funds for studies of antennas and other next generation hardware, is placing the VSOP-2 satellite design on a firm foundation and will ensure a strong proposal can be submitted. Funding for continued development studies was again received this year, but it is anticipated that this will be the last year of development studies and that next year, with those results in hand, the formal proposal will be submitted.

VSOP STAFF

Richard Dodson arrived at ISAS at the end of November to take up a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science fellowship. Richard completed his PhD on the Mauritius Radio Telescope before moving to Hobart, Tasmania, in 1997. Hobart and Ceduna (also operated by the University of Tasmania) have been major contributors to both General Observing Time and VSOP Survey Program observations, and Richard is very familiar with the operational work involved in supporting VSOP observations. While at ISAS, Richard will have a chance to see things from the other side, and to become more involved in Survey Program data reduction, as well as pursuing interests in pulsars and pulsar nebulae.

MUSES-C

MUSES-C, the ISAS asteroid sample-return mission, had been scheduled for launch this month. However, a problem found some months ago, with an O-ring in a regulator of the attitude control system, forced replacements to be made and a variety of additional checks. All is now well, but the time taken in addressing this problem meant the launch had (several months ago) to be postponed to the next launch window, May 2003. In spite of this launch delay, the arrival time at the target asteroid, 1998SF36, and the return to Earth will not be affected. MUSES-C is the third satellite in the Mu Space Engineering Satellite series, following HALCA, which was formerly MUSES-B.

RECENT PUBLICATION CORRECTION

Last issue we stated that "Engineering Accomplishments of the space-VLBI satellite HALCA and the VLBI Space Observatory Programme (VSOP)", by Hirosawa and Hirabayashi, was the first article in the new journal Recent Research Developments in Electronics and Communications. In fact, it is not a journal but the first in a new series of review books. More details are available from http://www.transworldresearch.com/ .

                Editors: Phil Edwards and Hirax Hirabayashi