Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson Received: from beak.andrew.cmu.edu via trymail for +dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl@andrew.cmu.edu (->+dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl) (->ota+space.digests) ID ; Fri, 18 May 90 02:44:39 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Fri, 18 May 90 02:44:04 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SPACE Digest V11 #421 SPACE Digest Volume 11 : Issue 421 Today's Topics: NASA Headline News for 05/17/90 (Forwarded) Re: Surface of Venus Magellen Hubble Space Telescope Update - 05/17/90 Payload Status for 05/17/90 (Forwarded) Re: why there are no ETs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 17 May 90 18:29:10 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: NASA Headline News for 05/17/90 (Forwarded) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, May 17, 1990 Audio Service: 202/755-1788 ----------------------------------------------------------------- This is NASA Headline News for Thursday, May 17.... Kennedy Space Center ground crews are replacing the space shuttle Columbia's coolant valve. Following a check of the coolant system, the new valve will be tested. Work is expected to continue throught the next week. Payload team members continue to service the Astro-1 with liquid Argon while protected in the Columbia payload bay. ******** Hubble Space Telescope controllers report significant progress has been made in resolving one of the main problems. They believe the "jitter" can be reduced or eliminated through software changes. All of the flight systems continue to function well. Checkout and activation of the science instruments is ahead of schedule. Operators plan on Friday to further refine focusing of the secondary mirror. ******** The Galileo spacecraft is about 97 million miles from Earth. Round-trip communications time takes just over 17 minutes. It has logged over 371 million miles since launch and is traveling in solar orbit at over 64,000 miles per hour. Two maneuvers recently transmitted by the Jet Propulsion Flight Team brought the trajectory closer to the program for the Earth gravity assist this December. Four more steps will begin next month. ******** A unique software control system tells a new robot how to explore unstable terrain. The six-legged, aluminum "Ambler" walks similar to a cross-country skier. Future rovers could reach areas on the Moon and Mars inaccessible to man or wheeled vehicles. It is one of the concepts of NASA's robotic and manned technology program. ******** Aerospace Daily reports Arianespace will launch two satellites this summer. The launch of a French direct broadcast television satellite and a West German telecommunications satellite will be the first since an Ariane 44L booster exploded about two minutes after liftoff last February. Analysis revealed the cause was due to a small piece of cloth lodged in a water line leading to one of the first stage engines. ******** ---------------------------------------------------------------- Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA Select TV. All times are Eastern. Thursday, May 17................... 12:00-2:00 P.M. AMBLER planetary robot vehicle video followed by a series of video programs including: Mercury Program. Earth life of a spacecraft. Project Laser. Thursday, May 24................... 11:30 A.M. NASA Update will be transmitted. All events and times are subject to change without notice. These reports are filed daily, Monday through Friday, at 12 Noon, EDT. This is a service of the Internal Communications Branch, NASA HQ. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NASA Select TV: Satcom F2R, Transponder 13, C-Band 72 Degrees West Longitude, Audio 6.8, Frequency 3960 MHz. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 May 90 18:36:11 EDT From: John Roberts Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of the sender and do not reflect NIST policy or agreement. Subject: Re: Surface of Venus >From: mcgill-vision!quiche!calvin!msdos@bloom-beacon.mit.edu (Mark SOKOLOWSKI) >Subject: Re: Terraforming Venus (was: Manned mission to Venus) >And beside, I don't see we should >disfigurate the venusian landscapes with craters. For God's sake, >ALL the solid objects in our solar system (except Venus and Earth) are >SURSATURATED with those boring, destructive round circles, so please, >DON'T DESTROY THE BEAUTIE OF VENUS!!!!! Why do you assume the surface of Venus is free of impact craters? I agree the thick atmosphere would tend to stop the smaller meteors, but the really big ones (i.e. ~1km or more) that go through Earth's oceans pretty much as though there were nothing there should have even less trouble blasting the surface of Venus. Given the low wind speed, uniform temperatures, and lack of precipitation on the surface, I would assume that weathering is very slow at best. In any event, the beauty (if any) of the surface of Venus is the presence of bare, broken rock. If you make the surface rougher, you increase the surface area, so aren't you by definition increasing the beauty? :-) John Roberts roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov ------------------------------ Date: 17 May 90 19:11:27 GMT From: swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!pikes!ndimas@ucsd.edu (Nicholas Dimas) Subject: Magellen Hello everyone, my name is Nicholas Dimas. I see a lot of news about Magellen and Galileo on the net. Can someone please tell me who is going where, who built what, who launched what, and what the status is with them. Send mail via Internet: ndimas@pikes.denver.colorado.edu Thank You Nicholas Dimas ------------------------------ Date: 17 May 90 16:23:50 GMT From: swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!forsight!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov!baalke@ucsd.edu (Ron Baalke) Subject: Hubble Space Telescope Update - 05/17/90 Hubble Space Telescope Update May 17, 1990 The first stage of focusing the Hubble Space Telescope was completed yesterday and a guidance system test was started. The guidance system test is necessary before the telescope can take its first picture, which is still scheduled for Sunday. Engineers were able to bring the telescope to within .0000747 of an inch of being focused and that if a second focusing procedure goes well, the first picture, of star cluster NGC 3532, could be acquired late this weekend. The turn-on process for the telescope is a complicated process and will take eight months to complete. _ _____ _ | | | __ \ | | Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov | | | |__) | | | Jet Propulsion Lab | baalke@jems.jpl.nasa.gov ___| | | ___/ | |___ M/S 301-355 | |_____| |_| |_____| Pasadena, CA 91109 | ------------------------------ Date: 17 May 90 18:29:52 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: Payload Status for 05/17/90 (Forwarded) Daily Status/KSC Payload Management and Operations 05-17-90. - STS-31R HST (at VPF) - Post launch GSE removal continues. - STS-35 ASTRO-1/BBXRT (at Pad-A) - BBXRT liquid argon servicing will be performed today. - STS-40 SLS-1 (at O&C) - The mission sequence test was completed Wednesday. Module leak checks and MVAK training will be performed today. - STS-41 Ulysses (at ESA 60) - PAM-S spin balance operations will continue today at a 60. VPHD preps will continue today at the VPF. - STS-42 IML-1 (at O&C) - Module pyrell foam replacement, floor staging, and rack staging will continue today. - STS-45 Atlas-1 (at O&C) - Cable installations will continue today. - STS-46 TSS-1 (at O&C) - HDRR cables were removed third shift Wednesday. - STS-47 Spacelab-J (at O&C) - No work is scheduled for today. - STS-55 SL-D2 (at O&C) - Rack 12 staging will continue today. - HST M&R (at O&C) - Paper closure and ORUC interface testing will be performed today. ------------------------------ Date: 17 May 90 16:48:03 GMT From: pyuxp!pyuxe!nvuxr!deej@bellcore.com (David Lewis) Subject: Re: why there are no ETs In article <15492@bfmny0.UU.NET>, tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET (Tom Neff) writes: ] In article <1990May11.052904.11302@cs.rochester.edu> yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) writes: ] >tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET (Tom Neff) writes: ] >>I still like my explanation. When you achieve interstellar travel ] >>or communication, someone comes along and kills you. ] > ] >Which also has the same flaw mentioned above -- it assumes the killers ] >are able to succeed in all cases. I can believe in berserkers, but ] >not in omniscient, omnipotent berserkers. ] ] If you know how to move asteroids around you can take out Earth's higher ] civilization RIGHT NOW. Splash a few of them and we're back to the Dark ] Ages just like >that<. Somehow, I think that by the time we achieve interstellar travel or communication (beyond splashing RF out all over the place), we won't have much trouble dealing with a few pesky asteroids... -- David G Lewis ...!bellcore!nvuxr!deej (@ Bellcore Navesink Research & Engineering Center) "If this is paradise, I wish I had a lawnmower." ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V11 #421 *******************