diff --git a/astro/src/astro/astroState.F b/astro/src/astro/astroState.F
index b72eca4..cc17a3e 100644
--- a/astro/src/astro/astroState.F
+++ b/astro/src/astro/astroState.F
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ subroutine astroState(njd,JD30,lat,lon,hgt,crc250,irc)
       !
       character*1 c1
       character*30 b30
+      integer lenb
+      integer, external :: length
       real :: jd ! 	IAU, 0 Jan 2010, 0h TT
       integer, parameter :: nbodies=11
       real :: pole(6,nbodies) ! R.A., Dec, omega, domega/dt (deg/day) , orbits (index), xmu = G * Mass
@@ -94,6 +96,14 @@ subroutine astroState(njd,JD30,lat,lon,hgt,crc250,irc)
             return
          end if
          CALL DATE2JD(JD2000(tt),YY,MM,DD,HH,MI,SEC) 
+! clean up
+         write(b30,'(F6.3)') sec
+         call chop0(b30,6)
+         lenb=length(b30,6,6)
+         write(jd30(tt),'(I4.4,"-",I2.2,"-",I2.2,"T",'//
+     &        'I2.2,":",I2.2,":",A,"Z")') 
+     &        YY,MM,DD,HH,MI,b30(1:lenb)
+
       end do
 !
 !     get planetary angular vectors in MJD2000
diff --git a/astro/src/astro/event.F b/astro/src/astro/event.F
index af75caf..6b2ddcf 100644
--- a/astro/src/astro/event.F
+++ b/astro/src/astro/event.F
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ subroutine event()
       mode=0                    ! initial
       bdone=(ii.gt.lens)
       do while (.not. bdone)
+         if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'%') then ! special character
+            s1000(ii:ii+2)='   '
+         end if
          if (mode.eq.0) then
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then
                ii=ii+1
@@ -220,7 +223,7 @@ subroutine event()
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'=') then
                ii=ii+1
                istart=ii
-            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';') then
+            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then
                if (bdeb) write(*,*) 'Found debug value: "'//
      &              s1000(istart:istop)//'"',ii,mode
                read(s1000(istart:istop),*,iostat=irc) idebug
@@ -239,7 +242,7 @@ subroutine event()
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'=') then
                ii=ii+1
                istart=ii
-            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';') then ! we are done
+            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then ! we are done
                if (bdeb) write(*,*) 'Found start time: "'//
      &              s1000(istart:istop)//'"',ii,mode
                read(s1000(istart:istop),*,iostat=irc) 
@@ -275,7 +278,7 @@ subroutine event()
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'=') then
                ii=ii+1
                istart=ii
-            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';') then ! we are done
+            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then ! we are done
                if (bdeb) write(*,*) 'Found search code: "'//
      &              s1000(istart:istop)//'"',ii,mode
                read(s1000(istart:istop),*,iostat=irc) searchCode
@@ -295,7 +298,7 @@ subroutine event()
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'=') then
                ii=ii+1
                istart=ii
-            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';') then ! we are done
+            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then ! we are done
                if (bdeb) write(*,*) 'Found stop time: "'//
      &              s1000(istart:istop)//'"',ii,mode
                read(s1000(istart:istop),*,iostat=irc) 
@@ -330,7 +333,7 @@ subroutine event()
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'=') then
                ii=ii+1
                istart=ii
-            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';') then
+            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then
                if (bdeb) write(*,*) 'Found event id: "'//
      &              s1000(istart:istop)//'"',ii,mode
                read(s1000(istart:istop),*,iostat=irc) eventId
@@ -375,7 +378,7 @@ subroutine event()
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'=') then
                ii=ii+1
                istart=ii
-            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';') then ! we are done
+            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then ! we are done
                if (bdeb) write(*,*) 'Found value: "'//
      &              s1000(istart:istop)//'"',ii,mode,nval
                read(s1000(istart:istop),*,iostat=irc) 
diff --git a/astro/src/astro/state.F b/astro/src/astro/state.F
index 0311bce..0826bab 100644
--- a/astro/src/astro/state.F
+++ b/astro/src/astro/state.F
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ subroutine state()
       mode=0                    ! initial
       bdone=(ii.gt.lens)
       do while (.not. bdone)
+         if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'%') then ! special character
+            s1000(ii:ii+2)='   '
+         end if
          if (mode.eq.0) then
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then
                ii=ii+1
@@ -80,7 +83,7 @@ subroutine state()
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'=') then
                ii=ii+1
                istart=ii
-            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';') then ! we are done
+            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then ! we are done
                if (bdeb) write(*,*) 'Found lat: "'//
      &              s1000(istart:istop)//'"',ii,mode,nval
                read(s1000(istart:istop),*,iostat=irc) 
@@ -98,7 +101,7 @@ subroutine state()
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'=') then
                ii=ii+1
                istart=ii
-            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';') then ! we are done
+            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then ! we are done
                if (bdeb) write(*,*) 'Found lon: "'//
      &              s1000(istart:istop)//'"',ii,mode,nval
                read(s1000(istart:istop),*,iostat=irc) 
@@ -116,7 +119,7 @@ subroutine state()
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'=') then
                ii=ii+1
                istart=ii
-            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';') then ! we are done
+            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then ! we are done
                if (bdeb) write(*,*) 'Found hgt: "'//
      &              s1000(istart:istop)//'"',ii,mode,nval
                read(s1000(istart:istop),*,iostat=irc) 
@@ -134,7 +137,7 @@ subroutine state()
             if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.'=') then
                ii=ii+1
                istart=ii
-            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';') then ! we are done
+            else if (s1000(ii:ii).eq.';'.or.s1000(ii:ii).eq.'&') then ! we are done
                if (bdeb) write(*,*) 'Found time: "'//
      &              s1000(istart:istop)//'"',ii,mode
                njd=min(mjd,njd+1)