Here is "MY" translation of an article from AMSAT-DL web site

http://www.amsat-dl.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&...

It was my best way to wished you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year 2009 with this probably best refreshing news about amateur HEO satellite in 2008.

SpaceX with AMSAT DL Written by Peter Gülzow Tuesday, 28 October 2008

This was the fourth and successful launch of the Falcon-1 rocket on September 29 2008 of the SpaceX program. It is the beginning of a new era . This first purely privately financed launch using a liquid fuels operated rocket, which can bring pay loads into a stable earth orbit.

SpaceX (space exploration Technologies corporation) was created of the entrepreneur Elon Musk as a privately financed starting up enterprise for the building of a large extent re-usable two-stage rocket, the Falcon in June 2002.

On the occasion of the successful launch of the Falcon-1 rocket AMSAT DL president Peter Gülzow congratulated the SpaceX team and Elon Musk personally for this huge success. AMSAT DL follow the activities of SpaceX already for quite some time with large interest, especially regarding a possible co-operation and launch possibility of the AMSAT P5-A Mars mission.

On 9 October 2008, a meeting with SpaceX in the central development lab of the AMSAT DL in Marburg was organized in a relatively short notice. Jonathan Hofeller of SpaceX was received by AMSAT DL president Peter Gülzow and Hartmut Päsler. Professor Dr. Karl Meinzer, project manager of the P5-A Mars mission were in addition represented, as well as P3-E project manager Heike Straube. In the process of theses very detailed discussions it became obvious and again and again clear that the guest and the hosts of SpaceX and AMSAT share a quite unite and same philosophy and approach, and it will only lead again and again to success. Besides it was to be developed it is interesting to see that Elon Musk has already his own ideas and plans toward Mars and there is here quite further thing in common in our goals in the present time. In the further discussion also the technical aspects were discussed regarding possible launch configurations for AMSAT P3-E and P5-A, with the appropriate schedules in addition. After an afternoon of very informative very positive discussions for both sides future further deepening discussions were agreed upon. Possibly as a result of it also new perspectives for the AMSAT P3-E and P5-A Mars mission will arise.

P.S. If AMSAT-NA set aside his Eagle funds towards P3E can we expect to have a HEO in 2009-2010? It is obvious that our German friends are in a very advance state of completion for their HEO project. I just hope in a TRUE amateur radio spirit that all the international AMSAT'S will regroup and support the AMSAT-DL project. It is no more a question of pride but a question of survival for the amateur satellite side of our hobby.

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Luc Leblanc VE2DWE Skype VE2DWE www.qsl.net/ve2dwe WAC BASIC CW PHONE SATELLITE