[vsnet-alert 3810] (fwd) support extension to the BeppoSAX mission !

[Taichi Kato <tkato>]

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 17:31:03 +0100 (MET)
From: On behalf of SAX Team <lucio@saxpds4.tesre.bo.cnr.it>
Subject: [vsnet-alert 0] [SaveSAX!] support extension to the BeppoSAX mission !

Dear colleague,
                 this message is to inform you about some negative
developments of BeppoSAX program and, to solicit, if you agree, a
statement of help and support.

Last year the Italian Space Agency (ASI) had approved the extension of the
SAX mission until 2001 with some budget reduction. This is also consistent
with the status of the Spacecraft and Payload which are performing at an
extremely good level since spring 1997.

Now, as explained in detail on web page
http://sax.ifctr.mi.cnr.it/Savesax/, ASI is asking for a further stronger
cut and meanwhile is taking provisions to consider as the new baseline the
end of BeppoSAX by April 2000: in this frame ASI has suspended the 4th
Announcement of Opportunity that was about to be issued.

If you think that an anticipated suppression of BeppoSAX will impact
negatively on the development of High Energy Astronomy in next years we
ask you to write a few lines that can be used to support actions causing
ASI to recede from the decision.

These should include e.g. :

1) a statement on the impact of SAX results on the recent results of High
Energy Astrophysics

2) a statement on your expectations from further BeppoSAX results, with
particular regard to the domains of astrophysics which you are involved in

3) the authorization to make a public use of the previous statements (such
as circulating or putting in a web site).

We are sending this message to various mailing lists and ask every
colleague to further circulate. We apologize if you receive it more than
once.

Please, if you agree, send your message as an e-mail to the address
savesax@saxpds4.tesre.bo.cnr.it or use the Web form provided at
http://sax.ifctr.mi.cnr.it/Savesax/

                                        For the BeppoSAX Team

                                      L.Piro (Mission Scientist)
                                       L.Scarsi (Chairman SSSC)

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