STS-95 SAREX Mission

["Frank H. Bauer" <frank.bauer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

NASA TIME LINE REQUIRES SAREX TO BACK OFF STS-95

   The Space Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) payload originally
scheduled to fly on Shuttle Mission STS-95 this October has been removed,
along with nine other payloads from the flight manifest due to tight 
constraints on the crew's payload activity timeline.

     Flight managers after reviewing all of the planned STS-95 activities
concluded that there was a need to reduce the overall manifest and took the
action of removing SAREX and some other secondary payloads to insure
sufficient time to accomplish the major objectives of the flight and insure
the overall success of the busy mission.

     NASA expressed regret at having to take the unfortunate action, in
particular, having to delete educational activities from STS-95.  NASA,
SAREX, ARRL and AMSAT were in the throes of planning the activities for
STS-95 when official word came concerning the mission.  Four US schools
that had been selected for SAREX QSOs will now be first in line for
consideration on future missions, such as STS-93 and the International
Space Station.

     All future shuttle missions are heavily loaded with activities that 
revolve around building the International Space Station.  But SAREX has an
imminent place in NASA's future plans for the few shuttle missions that
will support it, such as January's STS-93.  The SAREX Working Group is
looking at another mission for 1999 that may be suitable, too.  SAREX also
continues to have a big place within NASA's International Space Station
plans, which involve a
temporary and a permanent Amateur Radio station onboard.

Submitted by Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO for the SAREX Working Group