Bulletins
In this memo from AMSAT Russia President Eugene Labutini, RA3APR, AMSAT-R apologizes for any trouble which was brought to amateur satellite community and hope that amateurs in the entire world will understand this situation and separate AMSAT-R and SCSC. He writes that in the future AMSAT-R will "stop any attempt from SCSC to use AMSAT-R in commercial projects".
Read a letter from AMSAT-France President Bernard Pidoux, F6BVP to the other AMSAT organizations detailing the situation with the new satellite, and how it violates ITU rules and amateur radio operation. This article on Ham Radio Online details the specific ITU regulations which are being violated by this satellite.
New! President Pidoux expands on the French and Russian AMSAT group involvement in this activity in an aptly titled April 13, 1999 press release, "A radioamateur satellite kidnapped by a big commercial company."
The ARRL has weighed in on this issue with a fax from David Sumner, K1ZZ, to the Swatch Group CEO Nicolas E. Hayek. The amateur radio community have made their opinions very well known on both the Swatch Group comment form and the "Should we Launch?" submit forms.
Read a protest message sent to Swatch by No Code International. As this protest message to Swatch states, they have lodged formal protests with the appropriate government agencies, both US and in the countries involved, Switzerland and Russia, as well as contacting other amateur organizations and asking them to join in.
Read an article from the ARRL Letter entitled AMSAT-France distances itself from latest mini-Sputnik, Vol. 18, No. 14 dated April 2, 1999.