From ota Mon Jun 20 03:07:58 1988 Received: by angband.s1.gov id AA03212; Mon, 20 Jun 88 03:07:39 PDT id AA03212; Mon, 20 Jun 88 03:07:39 PDT Date: Mon, 20 Jun 88 03:07:39 PDT From: Ted Anderson Message-Id: <8806201007.AA03212@angband.s1.gov> To: Space@angband.s1.gov Reply-To: Space@angband.s1.gov Subject: SPACE Digest V8 #258 SPACE Digest Volume 8 : Issue 258 Today's Topics: NASA news - Mars mission project Shuttle processing status, May 25 & 27 satellite oceanography STAR P.A.C. Re: Ruskies find Heaven to the left of Pluto Leaving NASA Prediction Bulletins Re: Space suits Bungled posting Re: skintight space suits Re: A New Holiday? (awkward question) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 28 May 88 06:53:08 GMT From: sonia!khayo@cs.ucla.edu (Eric Behr) Subject: NASA news - Mars mission project ============================================================================= LOCAL STUDENTS CHART COURSE FOR MARS MISSION May 27, 1988 RELEASE: 88-69 A three-month "Mars Mission" course concludes June 1 when District of Columbia students present mission scenarios to a Blue Ribbon panel of government aerospace managers and specialists. Presentations will begin 10:30 a.m. EDT at the Department of Transportation auditorium, sixth floor, 400 Seventh Street, SW. NASA has been conducting the course for 20 high school students of the District of Columbia's School Without Walls since February 1988. The school is an alternative high school using the community and its resources as the education setting. The community includes industry, museums, government, university and individual scholar mentors. The students were divided into U.S. and Soviet groups, and through role play, each group developed a manned Mars mission scenario using their country's resources. Throughout the course, NASA scientists, managers, and astronauts discussed space transportation systems, future flight systems, Soviet space programs, planetary science, Space Station, space physiology and medicine, and international agreements. From course lectures, the U.S. and Soviet groups designed their theoretical mission plan. The scenarios identify: * mission objective * mission schedule * crew participation * recreation/scientific activities * medical countermeasures * martian orbit precautions * international cooperation * political/budget obstacles The Blue Ribbon panel members include Dr. Franklin Martin, Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Station, NASA Headquarters; Dr. Marie Zuber, Geophysicist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Alan Ladwig, Director of Special Programs and Projects for Office of Exploration, NASA Headquarters; Carl Praktish, Special Assistant for External Relations, NASA Headquarters; Kathryn Schmoll, Assistant Associate Administrator of Space Science and Applications, NASA Headquarters; Frank Owens, Deputy Director of Educational Affairs, NASA Headquarters; and Marcia Smith, Aerospace Policy Specialist, Library of Congress. The Mars Mission course demonstrates NASA's continued commitment to improving the level of science literacy in the nation's schools and is a further extension of the NASA administrator's request for employees to participate in a volunteer effort to support the District's public school system. The NASA Headquarters Educational Affairs Division developed this course with Alan Ladwig and Dr. Andrew Gaffney, an astronaut mission specialist scheduled to fly a Spacelab mission in 1990. ============================================================================= Eric ------------------------------ Date: 28 May 88 06:51:59 GMT From: sonia!khayo@cs.ucla.edu (Eric Behr) Subject: Shuttle processing status, May 25 & 27 ============================================================================= WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1988 STS-26 - DISCOVERY (OV 103) - OPF BAY 1 Today, a 24-hour pressurization test of the main propulsion system helium bottles is planned. This test will locate any leaks in the helium tanks which are filled at the launch pad. This morning the frequency response test was completed and no sig- nificant problems were reported. A functional test of the payload bay doors is scheduled for this evening. Closeouts of all areas of the orbiter are underway in preparation for rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building scheduled for the first week of June. Thermal protection system operations are being worked on all areas of the orbiter as flight processing continues. STS- 27 - ATLANTIS (OV 104) - OPF BAY 2 Powered down operations are scheduled while a panel, neces- sary for power up, is being repaired. After power up the radiators will be deployed for structural inspections. Meanwhile processing operations are continuing to ready the power reactant storage and distribution system for flight. Modifications are continuing to implement the crew escape system. The chin panel has been reinstalled for final fit checks and contour measurements. STS-28 - COLUMBIA (OV 102) - OMRF Operations scheduled today include crew escape, bonding heat absorbing strips to Columiba's belly for the RTV heat sink modification, and electrical modifications in the forward and aft sections of the orbiter. STS-26 SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS - VAB Yesterday, technicians greased the metal parts of the last field joint on the right hand solid rocket booster. The metal parts of the segments were inspected in preparation for the mate. Prior to mate, adhesive will be applied to the j-seal, and the o- rings and the mating tool will be installed. Meanwhile, closeouts of the field joints on both boosters are continuing. Today, the right forward assembly is scheduled to be delivered to the VAB transfer aisle today. The left and right forward assemblies are scheduled to be installed this weekend. ============================================================================= Friday, May 27, 1988 STS-26 - DISCOVERY (OV 103) - OPF BAY 1 A pressurization test of the main propulsion system helium bottles is continuing today. Yesterday a functional test of the orbiter's star tracker was completed. Technicians finished shaving tiles around the nose landing gear and chin area. The nose landing gear doors are open and technicians will finish fine tuning adjustments of the thermal barrier. A functional test of the payload bay doors is scheduled for no earlier than midnight tonight. Technicians are inspecting the door hinges and the associated thermal covers. Orbiter closeouts are active on all areas of the shuttle in preparation for moving the vehicle to the Vehicle Assembly Building scheduled for June 4. Installation of ordnance devices is planned for tomorrow and thermal protection system operations are scheduled over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. STS-27 - ATLANTIS (0V 104) - OPF BAY 2 Power down operations are continuing today while two panels necessary for power up work are being repaired at the Rockwell Service Center. Yesterday, technicians installed an oxygen panel for the fuel cell system and electrical connections are planned today. No work is scheduled over the three-day weekend. STS-28 - COLUMBIA (OV 102) - OMRF Orbiter power down modifications scheduled today include checks of thermal blankets to be installed in the midbody, crew escape and electrical modifications in the forward and aft sections of the orbiter. No work is planned for the three-day weekend. STS-26 SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS - VAB Today the left forward assembly will be mated to the left stack. The right forward assembly is scheduled to be mated by the weekend. In parallel with stacking the forward assemblies workers are conducting a leak check of the final right hand field joint. After all the hardware is stacked on the mobile launcher platform, measurements of the alignment will be taken. Closeouts of all the field joints is also in progress. ============================================================================= Eric ------------------------------ Date: 28 May 88 16:19:06 GMT From: aplcen!aplcomm!stdc.jhuapl.edu!jwm@mimsy.umd.edu (Jim Meritt) Subject: satellite oceanography Is anybody else out there doing oceanography using satellite radar data? (currents, mostly. Adding wind & waves) Disclaimer: Individuals have opinions, organizations have policy. Therefore, these opinions are mine and not any organizations! Q.E.D. jwm@aplvax.jhuapl.edu 128.244.65.5 (James W. Meritt) ------------------------------ Date: 28 May 88 08:58:41 GMT From: EWTILENI@pucc.princeton.edu (Eric William Tilenius) Subject: STAR P.A.C. Has anyone heard of a Political Action Committee called STAR PAC ? They ran an ad in The Christian Science Monitor back about a week ago advertising the need for strong national leadership of the space program. I don't have the actual ad copy, but it said something like "Who will lead us into space in the 21st century - Bush or Dukakis." I sent the organization a small contribution since I liked what they were advocating, but was leary about an unfamiliar organization. Has anyone heard anything else on STAR PAC? Is it newly formed, or does it have a track record? How does it compare with SPACE PAC? - ERIC - *----------------------===> SPACE IS THE PLACE... <===-----------------------* * ewtileni@pucc.Princeton.EDU // ewtileni@pucc.BITNET * * rutgers!pucc.bitnet!ewtileni // princeton!pucc.bitnet!ewtileni * * ColorVenture - Microcomputer Software - "Because Life isn't Black and White"* *--------------------===> Another proud CoCo 3 owner <===---------------------* ------------------------------ Date: 28 May 88 05:22:51 GMT From: sonia!khayo@cs.ucla.edu (Eric Behr) Subject: Re: Ruskies find Heaven to the left of Pluto In article <1224@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk> jack@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Mr Jack Campin) writes: >First Hitler on the moon, and now this ... >Front page story from the Sunday Sport, 22 May 1988. >[For US readers: the Sunday Sport is basically a tits and bums paper... [the other 120 lines deleted] Yeah, yeah, we want more, we are all bored to death with those silly, uninformative, beside-the-point, endless summaries that Henry Spencer somehow finds time to pound into his keyboard ............... Eric ------------------------------ Date: 24 May 88 13:08:55 GMT From: ulysses!gamma!pyuxp!nvuxj!nvuxg!nvuxk!perseus@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (A D Domaratius) Subject: Leaving I will be leaving the net because I will be returning to my home company, New York Telephone. No boos and hisses please. I was on rotation at Bellcore since April, 1985. I have enjoyed many interesting articles on these nets and will miss the communications with other people (That includes you too |||SPIKE|||). I would like to find out if there is an access to these networks through Bulletin Board Services. If so then maybe I can continue to communicate with you people in the future. Al Domaratius Go METS (THIS ONE'S FOR YOU |||SPIKE|||) Go Bruins ------------------------------ Date: 28 May 88 17:04:44 GMT From: ut-emx!tskelso@sally.utexas.edu (TS Kelso) Subject: NASA Prediction Bulletins For those of you who are interested in satellite tracking, the most current orbital elements from the NASA Prediction Bulletins are carried on the Celestial RCP/M, (512) 892-4180, and are updated several times weekly. As a service to the amateur satellite community, the most current of these elements are uploaded weekly to rec.ham-radio. The Celestial RCP/M may be accessed 24 hours/day at 300, 1200, or 2400 baud using 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity. -- TS Kelso ARPA: tskelso@emx.cc.utexas.edu The Center for Space Research The University of Texas at Austin UUCP: {ihnp4,allegra}!ut-emx!tskelso ------------------------------ Date: 28 May 88 21:49:26 GMT From: mnetor!utzoo!henry@uunet.uu.net (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: Space suits Phil certainly knows whereof he speaks: contamination is something one does have to worry about, although the extent depends on what one is doing. However, note that neither existing manned spacecraft nor existing spacesuits are contamination-free; far from it. I doubt that the space activity suit would be spectacularly worse. -- "For perfect safety... sit on a fence| Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology and watch the birds." --Wilbur Wright| {ihnp4,decvax,uunet!mnetor}!utzoo!henry ------------------------------ Date: 29 May 88 03:11:08 GMT From: sonia!khayo@cs.ucla.edu (Eric Behr) Subject: Bungled posting Sorry for posting the latest Shuttle processing report to sci.space. It obviously should have gone to .space.shuttle. Mea culpa.... Eric ------------------------------ Date: 28 May 88 21:36:53 GMT From: mnetor!utzoo!henry@uunet.uu.net (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: skintight space suits > I'm willing to accept that human skin makes a good enough > space suit, with a little mechanical support. What about > human guts, human bladders, and human wombs? I have the > gut :-) feeling that with my head in a pressure bowl and > the other end exposed, I wouldn't need external propulsion. > How is that problem handled? Matching pressure shorts? I haven't seen that specific aspect addressed in the descriptions I've read, but I understand that concave spots in general are addressed with custom-shaped air-filled balloons inside the fabric. -- "For perfect safety... sit on a fence| Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology and watch the birds." --Wilbur Wright| {ihnp4,decvax,uunet!mnetor}!utzoo!henry ------------------------------ Date: 27 May 88 05:21:49 GMT From: okstate!richard@rutgers.edu (Richard Brown) Subject: Re: A New Holiday? (awkward question) > In article <24337@bbn.COM> mfidelma@BBN.COM () writes: >> Does anybody else out there think that July 20 (the day of the first moon >> landing) should be a recognized holiday? Is my memory playing tricks on me? I had always thought the actual _landing_ took place on 19 July (Oklahoma time). The EVA was postponed until the crew had rested, &c. The "...giant leap for mankind" occurred after midnight. I remember vividly that this was the first time I was allowed to stay up all night, to watch the TV coverage and live broadcast from the moon. Uh, I suppose the landing could well have been on the succeding date if GMT were used. I really don't recall that much detail. It certainly _SHOULD_ be an International holiday! - richard -- Richard Brown, Oklahoma State University, Computer Science UUCP: {cbosgd, ihnp4, rutgers}!okstate!richard ARPA: richard@A.CS.OKSTATE.EDU BITNET: ....CISXRVB ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V8 #258 *******************