JANUARY LANDING AT WOOMERA FOR FIRST EXPRESS SPACE CAPSULE

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Subject: January Landing at Woomera for First Express Space Capsule
Author:  Karen McCormick at DITRD_451
Date:    16/12/94 11:55 AM


          Thursday 15 December 1994                         356/94
     
          JANUARY LANDING AT WOOMERA FOR FIRST EXPRESS SPACE CAPSULE 
          -  SCHACHT
     
          The Federal Minister for Construction and Minister 
          responsible for the Australian Space Program, Senator Chris 
          Schacht, confirmed today preparations are on schedule for 
          the landing of the first EXPRESS project space capsule in 
          the northern region of the Woomera Prohibited Area on 21 
          January 1995.
     
          The EXPRESS project is a cooperative industrial research 
          program arranged and funded by the German and Japanese 
          governments.  It involves the launch, over a period of five 
          years, of three to five unmanned space capsules to carry out 
          on-board scientific research.
     
          "The German Space Agency (DARA) and the Japanese Space 
          Activities Commission have recently advised the Australian 
          Space Office that integration and testing of the scientific 
          experiments into the capsule and the capsule to the rocket 
          are progressing well and are on schedule," Senator Schacht 
          said.
     
          The first capsule is scheduled to be launched into orbit by 
          a Japanese M3SII rocket from the Kagashima spaceport in 
          southern Japan on 15 January 1995.  After five and a half 
          days in orbit, the capsule will be commanded to land in a 
          designated zone in the northern part of the Woomera 
          Prohibited Area in the morning of 21 January.
     
          The South Australian based company, British Aerospace 
          Australia Ltd, will recover the capsule and assist the 
          German and Japanese scientists to recover the scientific 
          data obtained during the capsule's flight in space and the 
          high speed re-entry into the upper atmosphere.
     
          Senator Schacht said that participating in the EXPRESS 
          project had the potential to lead to an increased use of 
          Woomera, enhancing the value of this national asset.