_                    
                                                         |_|                   
      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  ***                        <)                     
 

COUNTDOWN

Everything is proceeding on schedule for the launch of the VSOP satellite next Tuesday, the 11th of February. Although a last minute delay due to adverse weather conditions could still occur, there are presently no clouds on the horizon. February 11th is National Foundation Day in Japan, a public holiday, but strangely no-one in the group seems to be planning to take the day off... February 11th is also the 27th anniversary of the launch of Ohsumi, ISAS's first satellite. The MUSES-B satellite has been installed in the nose fairing of the M-V rocket, and the final checks through (and of) the communications links are underway. (Images of the M-V-1 rocket on the launch pad have been added to the Launch Update page on the VSOP WWW site -- see also the `M-V Quick Report' link from the ISAS WWW site: http://www.isas.ac.jp/index-e.html)

FINAL PREPARATIONS

Many VSOP team members either have been, or still are, hard at work at the Kagoshima Space Center (KSC). Those remaining at ISAS have been conducting commanding and procedure checks for post-launch operations. Detailed In-Orbit Checkout planning and observation scheduling activities are also in full flight. At Mitaka, the VSOP correlator is being put through its paces in readiness for the first space-baseline data. Recent heavy snowfalls at Usuda have not dampened the enthusiasm of team members there, who have been busy with the final testing of the Ku-band tracking station. All is on schedule!

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

The tradition at ISAS is for all satellites to be renamed after they have been successfully launched. MUSES-B -- the second in the Mu Space Engineering Satellite series -- was the development name of the VSOP satellite. The first in the MUSES series, MUSES-A, was renamed Hiten after launch, Hiten being a fairy in Buddhist mythology. Ohsumi, ISAS's first satellite, takes its name from the peninsula on which the KSC is located. Candidate names for the post- launch name of MUSES-B have been accepted at ISAS over the past few weeks. The name will be announced after the launch has been declared a success. However, whatever the new name is, the satellite will still be the VSOP satellite -- and a Very Special Orbiting Platform it will be!

SETSU-BUN

February 3rd is celebrated as Setsu-bun in Japan. Traditionally people take one soy bean for each year of their age, and throw them while saying `Oni-wa soto! Fuku-wa uchi!' - `Devils out! Good luck in!' (fitting sentiments as launch approaches!). Setsubun is said to herald the coming spring, though the weather seems to be saying that it is still definitely winter.

 
 
       Editors: Phil Edwards and Hirax Hirabayashi