_                   
                                                         |_|                  
      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  ***                        <)                    

GOLDSTONE TRACKING STATION

Due to NASA budgetary constraints, the Goldstone tracking station antenna used to support VSOP observations is being taken out of operation from the beginning of January 2001. This reduces the number of tracking stations to four, however, as there is reasonable overlap with the Green Bank tracking station (and, to a lesser extent, with Usuda and Tidbinbilla), the impact on VSOP observing is not as severe as it sounds. However, the decision at short notice to close Goldstone is disappointing, and does increase the burden upon the other tracking stations.

AO5

As previously announced, VSOP Announcements of Opportunity are now being made at four-monthly intervals, in line with the proposal cycles for ground-based VLBI arrays and networks. The fifth VSOP Announcement of Opportunity has now been released and is available from the VSOP web site. Very little has changed from AO4: the only changes to the Proposer's Guide, for instance, are in the cover page and abstract. The main operational change -- the decommissioning of the Goldstone tracking station antenna mentioned above -- does not affect which sources can be observed (but may result in slightly less HALCA data being available from an observation). The deadline for proposals is 1 February 2001.

SURVEY MEETING

The nucleus of the data reduction team for the VSOP Survey Program met recently in Canberra, Australia, to examine the data reduced to date. A "scoreboard" reflecting progress with the survey has been added to the Survey page on the VSOP website. With over 100 observations reduced so far, the team was able to closely compare the data from different ground arrays and from different correlators. Detailed from these comparisons will be included in the next VSOP news.

PASJ

The VSOP special edition of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan is currently at the printers and will be distributed later this month. More details will be available from the Literature page of the VSOP web site.

SEASONS GREETINGS

Best wishes from the VSOP team for a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a Happy New Century!

                Editors: Phil Edwards and Hirax Hirabayashi