It is with great pleasure that I personally welcome each of you to the 2000 AMSAT-NA AnnualMeeting and Space Symposium. This meeting continues a proud tradition that AMSAT started in the early1980s to provide an annual forum for amateur satellite enthusiasts to gather and share their ideas among likemindedfriends and colleagues. What's more, as you will soon see (if you haven't already) my own nativeNorthern New England is a beautiful setting for meetings this time of year. Make sure you plan some timeaway from the official proceedings to enjoy your unique surroundings.This year marked yet another major milestone in our Phase 3-D project. In January, P3-D arrived safelyat the launch site in Kourou, French Guyana to await a ride to orbit on an Arianespace Ariane 5 launch vehicle.What's more, if all is going as planned (and that is a BIG 'if' as I write these words!) many of our Phase 3-Dexperimenters will have been working very hard at the launch site to prepare the satellite for launch. However,as I have been saying for many months, a satellite sitting at the launch site in Kourou is still a far cry from onethat is up and running in orbit. Unfortunately, what this means for the Phase 3-D project is that the mostuncertain time for us may still lie ahead.
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