_                    
                                                         |_|                   
      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 ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY

The first AO for the VLBI Space Observatory Programme was released on the 30th of June. Apologies to those who received the announcement of the release of the AO via several different e-mail exploders.

THE VSOP SURVEY PROGRAM

As described in detail in section 3 of the AO, the VSOP mission will lead a Survey Program through the Survey Working Group (SWG). The SWG will define and carry out surveys to determine general characteristics of various classes of sources. These exploratory surveys will increase the percentage of the mission during which scientific observations occur over that possible with General Observing Time, since they will utilize GRT time devoted directly to the surveys, as arranged by the mission. Few ground telescopes will be available for the survey observations. Thus, although the source structure information in such data will be limited, these periods provide an excellent opportunity to perform surveys by utilizing telescope time outside of the General Observing Time pool that would not be useful for more detailed imaging investigations. The Survey Program will be composed of a small number of individual surveys, each involving a large number of sources. Each survey will be led by a PI and a team of co-investigators chosen by the SWG, including contributors from outside the mission. The results of the surveys will be released on a regular basis as a community service.

SURVEY WORKING GROUP MEETING

The mission will convene an open international SWG meeting at ISAS on the 5th and 6th of September 1995 to discuss the definition of the surveys to be undertaken. All interested scientists are invited to attend. At this meeting the principal characteristics of the surveys will be defined. The SWG encourages contributions of telescope time, other resources, related observations, or concepts for the surveys from outside the mission. In return for contributions, a few new members may be added to the SWG. Interested scientists -- whether they are able to attend the SWG meeting or not -- should contact the VSOP Project Scientist as soon as possible, but no later than the 1st of September, by e-mail to vsop_ps@vsop.isas.ac.jp . A summary of the conclusions reached at the SWG meeting will be posted in the week following the meeting on the VSOP WWW page.

 
 
       Editors: Phil Edwards and Hirax Hirabayashi