All,

In the past 24 hours, two e-mail "Press Releases" were sent out by Miles Mann, WF1F, about ARISS related activities. Please ignore these e-mails as they are not totally accurate and Miles was given direction to not release this information.

What was accurate is that the ARISS team has been working very closely with Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, his father Owen Garriott, W5LFL, the International Space agencies and Space Adventures on ARISS related activities for Richard's flight which is planned for mid-October. This includes several educational outreach contacts with the USA-based Challenger Centers, several other internationally based schools, some opportunities for general QSOs and, if the hardware is flown, an opportunity to receive some SSTV downlinks from Richard.

However, the ARISS team is still working out the specifics on this initiative. We have not totally vetted these specifics through the ARISS international team. We have not completed coordination of our efforts with the requisite space agencies---RSA/Energia in Russia and NASA in the USA. And we have not completed coordination of our efforts with Space Adventures, who is working with the Russians to fly Richard on the Soyuz to ISS.

I hope you can be patient with the ARISS team as we work this coordination out. We should be able to provide additional details in the next 14 days.

And I hope you all get prepared for a lot of excitement this fall. Richard Garriott will fly almost 25 years after his father, Owen, W5LFL, made history as the first ham radio operator to communicate from a vehicle in space. And Mike Finke, who flies up with Richard, will take the helm as the ISS Expedition 18 Commander. Mike is a true ham radio enthusiast who plans to keep the ARISS microphone hot with lots of QSO excitement.

On behalf of the ARISS international team I appreciate your patience on this and thank you all for your interest in the ARISS program.

73,

Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO AMSAT-NA V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs ARISS International Chairman