_                    
                                                         |_|                   
      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  ***                        <)                     
 

(SLIGHT!) LAUNCH DELAY

Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that the countdown-to-launch `clock' above has undergone a hiccup since the newsletter of two weeks ago (when there were 21 days till launch). On January 27th, it was decided to slip the launch date by four days, to February 11th. The delay was caused by a problem with the tension of one of the two wires that hold the solar panels in their folded launch position. The problem has been fixed, and the countdown is still on schedule for a February 11th launch. The launch time remains unchanged at 13:50 JST, or 04:50 UT. A `Launch Update' page has been added to the VSOP World Wide Web site which will be kept up to date with further developments.

PREPARATIONS FOR LAUNCH

The Kagoshima Space Center has been a hive of activity recently. In addition to final checks of satellite and rocket components, testing of the procedures for the launch have been made. Several rehearsals of the launch day have been held, with every monitor, terminal or piece of equipment that will be used on the launch day having someone stand by it to simulate each stage of the launch.

...AND AFTER LAUNCH

The nominal flight sequence for the launch is as follows: the first stage of the solid-fuel M-V rocket is ignited at 0 seconds. After 25 seconds the first stage separates and the second stage ignites. The second stage separates at 213 seconds, and the third stage ignites five seconds later, after the third stage nozzle has been extended. The spin motor, which spins the spacecraft up to 1 Hz, fires at 333 seconds, and the third stage separates six seconds later. The kick motor (which can be considered a mini `fourth stage') ignites at 343 seconds, and separates at 477 seconds. The Reaction Control System (RCS) then reduces the satellite's spin, and the sun sensors do their job. The solar paddles are deployed after 90 minutes, and the Ku-band antenna is deployed on its boom 5 minutes later.

The initial orbit has the nominally 20,000 km apogee height of the `final' orbit and a perigee height of 200 km. Four perigee raising maneuvers are scheduled at two day intervals following the launch to boost the perigee to its nominal height of 1,000 km. The current plan is to deploy the main antenna sub-reflector 12 days after launch, and the main antenna itself 2 days later.

The most up-to-date news leading up to and beyond launch will be available from the VSOP WWW site. In addition, the VSOP news will become more regular over the next few weeks to keep you in touch of the latest developments.

 
 
       Editors: Phil Edwards and Hirax Hirabayashi