Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson Received: from holmes.andrew.cmu.edu via trymail for +dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr1/ota/space/space.dl@andrew.cmu.edu (->+dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr1/ota/space/space.dl) (->ota+space.digests) ID ; Sat, 4 Mar 89 05:16:49 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Sat, 4 Mar 89 05:16:40 -0500 (EST) Subject: SPACE Digest V9 #276 SPACE Digest Volume 9 : Issue 276 Today's Topics: E'Prime Aerospace Corporation Re: Photo identification? Re: mailing list for space digest For the People of Planet Earth Re: Forbes article on manned space program Re: manned vs unmanned, and space commercialization ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply-To: mordor!rutgers!pnet01.cts.com!jim@angband.s1.gov Date: Mon, 27 Feb 89 20:18:39 PST From: mordor!rutgers!pnet01.cts.com!jim@angband.s1.gov (Jim Bowery) To: ucsd!nosc!crash!space@angband.s1.gov Subject: E'Prime Aerospace Corporation I've received several inquiries about E'Prime Aerospace Corporation so here is some information that I've gathered. (For more complete information contact Mike Sprigg 800/525-4348 and ask for E'Prime's business plan document.) E'Prime Aerospace Corporation (EPAC) was formed in February of 1987 to enter the commercialization of space as a satellite launch service organization and as consultants to both government and industries in space commercialization. The founders, headed by Bobby G. Davis, are mainly the old-line Apollo era Kennedy Space Center types who decided it was rather ridiculous for the US to be falling behind in space transportation given the maturity of booster technology. They are doing something about it. What they are doing is setting up a fairly diversified launch services business with projected revenues through 2000 of $508M in sounding rockets (short duration microgravity environments), $3.38B U. S. Government orbital flights, $5.74B commercial orbital flights and minor income from a variety of other activities. The foundation of their business is the solid rocket motor technology developed for the MX (Peacekeeper) missile for the Air Force. They have EXCLUSIVE rights to this booster technology which consists of composite case SRBs with over $50B invested development costs. The Peacekeeper vehicle has flown 17 times. It has not failed yet. Their boosters require only about 20 people to run a launch as opposed to a couple hundred for a TITAN or DELTA type vehicle and over 6,000 for a Shuttle launch. These are the people who have watched poor systems engineering in the STS drive operational costs for launch through the ionosphere so they are painfully aware of the importance of choosing the right system for operational economy. They expect to be able to set up and launch one of their "S-series" rockets within 3 days -- a figure not unreasonable given that this sort of "stand-by" capability is exactly why the Air Force invested so much in the Peacekeeper technology. They have already gone through the main red-tape barriers with the launch of a sounding rocket from Cape Canaveral AFB last year (the first totally private commercial launch). The Air Force has granted them the right to use their facilities and services for launch. The S-series vehicles are made up of one or more MX booster segments standing alone, stacked and/or strapped together. Here are the payload capabilities: VEHICLE LEO GTO PLANETARY SCHEDULED CONFIGURATION REMARKS S1 2,500 975 675 4Q 1990 1 stage 1,200 Polar S2 6,500 2,400 1,625 3Q 1991 2 stage 4,200 Polar S3 11,000 4,200 2,900 3Q 1992 2 stage w/2 strap-ons S4 17,500 6,500 4,500 3Q 1993 2 stage w/3 strap-ons S1 has no current or proposed competitors except government surplus vehicles such as Scout and Minuteman. S2 competes with McDonnel Douglas Delta family, Japan's proposed H-1 and China's Long March 3. S3 competes with the high end Delta's, the H-2 and low end Ariane III. S4 competes with GD Atlas-Centaur, Ariane III/IV and Martin Marietta Titan III. (nondefense application of Titan III is limited due to defense contract ties) They expect pricing to be from $25M to $60M for the above vehicles. EPAC is a publically traded stock. To the best of my knowlege, the only brokerage selling it is First Eagle, Inc. For more information on the stock contact Mike Sprigg (the guy with E'Prime's business plan) at 800/525-4348. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Bowery Phone: 619/295-8868 PO Box 1981 Join the Mark Hopkins Society! La Jolla, CA 92038 (A member of the Mark Hopkins family of organizations.) UUCP: {cbosgd, hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, nosc}!crash!pnet01!jim ARPA: crash!pnet01!jim@nosc.mil INET: jim@pnet01.cts.com ------------------------------ Date: 28 Feb 89 15:18:37 GMT From: cfa!cfa250!mcdowell@husc6.harvard.edu (Jonathan McDowell) Subject: Re: Photo identification? From article <15152@cup.portal.com>, by PLS@cup.portal.com (Paul L Schauble): > Someone handed me copies of two satellite photos. These have identification > lines reading > 1615 26FE79 35A-2 00952 23132 SB39N121W-2 > 1645 26FE79 35A-2 00954 23132 SB39N121W-2 > > Can anyone tell me how do decode this? Can you tell me where these came from? I have no idea, but I'll guess... Well, the first two fields are not too difficult - clearly the images were taken at 1645 and 1645 on 26 Feb 1979. Hmm, problem, thats only a third of an orbit - bad news if the pictures are really of the same area. Part of the last field is fairly obvious too, the subsatellite point was at latitude 39N, longitude 121W. So what is 00952 and 00954? Seems to increase with time, so is probably some kind of image sequence number. It cant be an orbit number because 30 min separation means the pictures would be taken on the same orbit. Maybe the 1615 and 1645 arent times after all. 23132 is the right sort of number to be an orbit number, if so and assuming a 105 minute orbit the satellite was launched around Aug 1974. So if your picture is in color I would guess that it came from Landsat 2, launched in Jan 1975; (if in B&W it might be from a military weather satellite, but I doubt it). I dont know about 35A-2 or "SB". Check with Eosat Corp and see if they can help you. Jonathan McDowell ------------------------------ Date: 28 Feb 89 11:37:49 GMT From: shelby!Portia!hanauma!joe@decwrl.dec.com (Joe Dellinger) Subject: Re: mailing list for space digest Please, please, please, if you want to unsubscribe to sci.space or be removed from a mailing list, DON'T blast a message to the entire world! It's very annoying to many people!! Find out the correct way to do it!! Of course this message itself is in that category, for which I apologize... I just have seen one too many "please remove me from the space digest mailing list" messages here. It wouldn't be so bad if there were some global way of KILLing them... now THERE'S a good use for AI! \ /\ /\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\.-.-.-.-.......___________ \ / \ / \ /Dept of Geophysics, Stanford University \/\/\.-.-....___ \/ \/ \/Joe Dellinger joe@hanauma.stanford.edu decvax!hanauma!joe\/\.-._ ------------------------------ Date: 28 Feb 89 04:45:54 GMT From: att!whuts!lcuxlm!smd@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Friends of Earth) Subject: For the People of Planet Earth gP@ky Dear folks, Although hesitant, I have been asked by some "friends" to please post this message to a number of newgroups. It is for informational purposes only, for those who wish to hear. Any gripes or questions or sharings should be by email and NOT posted to the net. A summary of positive replies will be made on talk.religion.newage, where future postings of this nature will be made. Even if you have little interest in our Space Brothers, please simply listen to the message without judging, as much as possible, and record that you have read such information. This will be important in understanding the future of our Planet Earth. ===================================================================== .\:|/, -- o -- PEOPLE OF PLANET EARTH '|\` Your planet is nearing the period in its evolution when it shall pass from the third dimension (that which you experience as your surroundings now) into the fourth dimension of existence. This shall be a great change in the physical, mental and emotional nature of human beings as well as a dramatic change in the nature of your planet. Had you, the people of earth, evolved peacefully without producing collective negative frequencies of thought forms which now surround your planet, this transition from the third dimension into the fourth reality would be a simple rephasing of the electrical poles of your planet and no greater disturbance than going to sleep and awakening to a beautiful new day. However, your planet is in imminent danger or cataclysmic upheavals because of the disruption in the magnetic field surrounding your earth and caused by the tremendous negative vibrations you have been transmitting to one another for these past eons of time. The wars, cruelty, atomic havoc and nonsensical destruction of yourselves and your environment through greed and hatred have added extra collective negative energy to the poles of your planet. It may very soon tilt further on its axis than necessary to make this transition, creating a period of instability and destruction to the surface of your planet through resulting earthquakes, tidal waves, volcanic eruptions and windstorms of unprecedented velocities. This unnecessary violence will be a period of cleansing for your earth as foretold by your prophets and the reason we are here to observe and offer help. Yes, we are here in the millions from worlds already into our fourth dimension and beyond, hence you of the third dimension see us not. Our presence is to fulfill our mission of brotherly love, deep concern, and to urge you to help yourselves before it is too late! You see, people of earth, we represent a great Confederation of Planets, all of whom have long given up war and violence as a solution to our problems. We are here on a mission of love from the Alliance for Peace representing th Intergalactic Council whose authority comes from the Spiritual Hierarchy of this Solar System. As beings who have achieved both fourth and fifth dimensional consciousness, our desire after earth's purification will be to help teach humanity how to use the mind to create consciously all that it needs. This information will not be given until after the earth stabilizes in its fourth dimension so that it will not be used to control or manipulate others or to destroy. We cannot interfere with your free will... it is the law. So we wait and watch and reveal ourselves in your skies briefly to provoke mental stimulation, yet not panic. Wake up! The time for past ridicule, suspicion and fear must come to an end. For now, due to your ignorance of cosmic facts, your very lives are at stake! The method of travel beyond your third dimension is by star ship, airavanga, etc., for there are multitudinal designs including what you call saucers. We move with magnetic flow on lines of force through the roadways of the universe. It is no mystery. Should your axis move beyond its norm, threatening life upon your planet, we will use these conveyances as a means to evacuate YOU WHO HAVE RAISED YOUR PERSONAL VIBRATION TO A HIGHER DEGREE by practicing brotherly love and human kindness. Only these people can stand the higher frequencies of the fourth dimension you are soon to enter. How do you raise your personal vibration while there is yet time? Any immature emotion such as hatred, revenge, jealousy, competitiveness, suspicion, greed, cruelty, selfishness and fear the produces "up-tight tensions" must be overcome. We implore you to remove these blocking thoughts, accepting your God-given responsibility for yourself and your world by achieving a level of self discipline and awareness of cosmic law, which disallows death and destruction of any life form. Your mind and hearts will open wide to allow the Creator's love to flow through you. It is very simple, as are all truths. If negation remains as it is around your planet when this great change occurs, REMAIN CALM, realizing while all around you may be chaotic, that your deliverance is present. Step into the levitation beams that will be projected to earth from our ships. You will be reunited with your families and loved ones in a safer atmosphere, experiencing a tremendous feeling of love which is our very presence and motivation. Much effort on your part to do these things, to help yourselves, has a twofold benefit. The negative burden of your planet will begin to dissipate, lessening much of the violence from nature that we now foresee while you as a person will be raising your personal vibrations becoming at one with the new fourth dimension and all its glories. For your see, people of earth, your courageous planet is destined to become one of the most beautiful stars in the universe. A planet of shining light and love! Here, you will rejoin the remainder of the universe in brotherly love and fellowship with God the Father Creator. Do try to understand these concepts, although we know it is difficult for the three dimensional mind which has not yet detached from the fears locked into the subconscious. However, it is better to know of these things to come than not to know. Heed these words, for surely as the sun moves from east to west so shall these events come to pass. Your planet is going to evolve with or without you. Meditate/pray to find your truth. Peace and Love of the Radiant One be with you... Adonai. ASHTAR COMMAND ============ For more information contact: Guardian Action International PO Box 27725 Salt Lake City, UT 84127 ------------------------------ Date: 28 Feb 89 17:09:52 GMT From: firth@sei.cmu.edu (Robert Firth) Subject: Re: Forbes article on manned space program In article <91062@sun.uucp> msodos%amanda@Sun.COM (Martin Sodos) writes: >It is noted that merely rotating a space station is not a reasonable >solution, the example given being that to generate 1 g at 1 rotation per >minute requires a station either 10 miles wide, or a tether with a counter- >balance of the same length, Not a trivial engineering problem. Isn't this wrong, or has Unix totally rotted my brain? Angular velocity of 0.105 rad/s and required centripetal acceleration of 9.81 m/s^2 works out at a radius of 890m, for a total diameter of just under 1.8km. That's about 1.1 miles for you mediaevalists. I thought only Weekly World News made order-of-magnitude mistakes? ------------------------------ Date: 28 Feb 89 04:11:07 GMT From: ndcheg!uceng!dmocsny@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (daniel mocsny) Subject: Re: manned vs unmanned, and space commercialization In article <1989Feb27.172800.17809@utzoo.uucp>, henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: > In article <730@uceng.UC.EDU> dmocsny@uceng.UC.EDU (daniel mocsny) writes: > >The time has never been better to develop an orbiting, tele-operated > >materials-processing and biological experimentation laboratory. With > >skillful miniaturization, an unmanned laboratory could be lofted > >by a fairly small, and thus inexpensive, expendable launcher... > > In, say, 1999, when development of the laboratory is complete. If then. Isn't that about when NASA's Space Station is set to start becoming productive? Assuming we haven't blown the rest of the shuttle fleet in the meantime? I'd bet we could build a mass-producible teleoperated laboratory by then for less money than we're about to throw at the Station. And the payoff would be massive. We'd be _much_ closer to establishing _real_ space industry with such equipment. > This is *well beyond* current teleoperator technology ... Of course. That's why we need to put our best people on it. Never underestimate what determined people with a burning vision can do :-). Perhaps my optimism is fueled by ignorance, but I can't really see what the major obstacle to teleoperation is, other than neglect. In principle there's nothing to it---just track the operator's limb and head movements, and make the robot do the same thing, and (here's the catch, I know) feed back information quickly and completely enough to the operator to yield "transparency." The propagation delays to LEO will probably be a big problem, with all the relay stations getting in the way (we do not soon forget the lessons of USENET). However, what's wrong with putting the labs in geosynchronous orbit? Sure, the lift costs are a bit higher, but you'll get line-of-sight transmission with no relay station delays. And without life support to weigh things down, getting to GEO should be a bargain compared to a manned mission to LEO. Let's see, light travels at about 3x10^8m/s, and GEO is ca. 35x10^7m away, giving a theoretical minimum round-trip time of ca. 0.2 sec. That should be well within reason. We could put the satellite a bit lower if necessary, say to keep it in view for an eight-hour shift, to shorten the propagation delay and save on launch costs. I've not (yet) had the opportunity to play with a teleoperated robot, but I understand it can be great fun. With enough bandwidth, clever data compression, and high-fidelity displays, the average earth-bound Joe could have most of the sensory experience of going to space. For one heck of a lot less money. Think of the impact on the minds of the public if we set up viewing rooms where people could put on 20 megapixel-by- 24 color bit-plane binocular head-tracking display goggles and check out the planet they live on. You could recruit an army of space-oids in a matter of weeks. The entertainment aspects of teleoperation technology will probably drive more than a little of its development. In particular, I have heard from an associate that a small entertainment firm in New York City has developed an inexpensive dataglove. They have an order for 800,000 units from a major toy manufacturer who is going to incorporate them into a user-interface for a video game. We'll see this hitting the market by year's end, my source says. That's only the easier 1/2 of teleoperation, I know. But we'll soon see hobbyists hacking together their own teleoperated toy robots, and then they'll start getting together with the model rocketeers...This is enormously more accessible to private citizens than any manned project is going to be for a long, long time. > I agree that the teleoperator development in question is worth pursuing. I'm relieved. For a brief instant there, I was worrying that I had read Henry "Take the Long View" Spencer all wrong. Dan Mocsny dmocsny@uceng.uc.edu ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V9 #276 *******************