_                    
                                                         |_|                   
      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  ***                        <)                     
 

`Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. Kotoshi-mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.' A Happy New Year to readers of the VSOP news!

THERMAL STABILITY TESTING

The MUSES-B on-board radio astronomy system was put through a stability test in December. The test, which lasted a week and required personnel in attendance 24 hours a day, saw the temperature dropped in 10 degree steps from room temperature to -20C and then raised to +30C. The cycle was then repeated with the temperature varied in a continuous manner between the two extremes (which simulate those the system will experience in orbit). The on-board system passed the testing with flying colours. VOSG members resisted the temptation to escape the Tokyo winter by entering the test chamber when it was at a pleasant 25C...

MITAKA CORRELATOR

The Mitaka correlator is currently undergoing a multi-station test. The multi- station tape synchronisation test is finished and now the tape cart operation is being tested. A tape cart is used for each two recorders and holds up to 24 tapes. So 24 hours continuous correlator operation is possible with 128 Mbps playback. It is hoped to operate the correlator for Japanese domestic VLBI experiments from the coming April. The fringe fitting, data editing, amplitude calibration and FITS output software required for this are under development.

SPACE FLYER UNIT

The Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched from Cape Canaveral on Thursday 11th, will retrieve ISAS's Space Flyer Unit (SFU) as part of its mission. The SFU was launched in March last year on an NASDA H-II rocket (see VSOP news no. 16). Koichi Wakata, the third Japanese to fly aboard a U.S. space shuttle, will lead the retrieval of the satellite, which is scheduled for Saturday 13th. The SFU in an unmanned, reusable, free-flying platform carrying a number of experiments, including a small infra-red telescope.

THE YEAR OF THE RAT

According to the Chinese 12-year calendar cycle, this is the year of the rat. About 10.5 million people in Japan were born in the year of the rat, about 8.3% of the nation's population. There will be more `rats' turning 48 this year (2.37 million) than those turning 24 (2.03 million), the former being part of the post-war baby boom. About 1.6 million people will have their 60th birthday this year, an important birthday in Japan (and China) as it is the completion of the ten and twelve year calendar cycles. The oldest `rats' -- all 37 of them -- are heading towards their 108th birthday this year!

 
 
  Phil Edwards, Hideyuki Kobayashi and Hirax Hirabayashi