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 ; Mon, 4 Jun 1990 01:39:06 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: Precedence: junk Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Mon, 4 Jun 1990 01:38:37 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SPACE Digest V11 #486 SPACE Digest Volume 11 : Issue 486 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to space+@andrew.cmu.edu. Other mail, esp. administrivia, should be sent to space-request+@andrew.cmu.edu, or, if urgent, to tm2b+@andrew.cmu.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Topics: Re: mars vs. venus, which is easier to terraform? Re: Ulysses plutonium essay in *The Nation*, 14 May Re: Ulysses plutonium essay in *The Nation*, 14 May Re: Ulysses plutonium essay in *The Nation*, 14 May Re: Ulysses propulsion Re: SPACE Digest V11 #471 Men on Venus Re: Imperial units NASA Prediction Bulletin Format space news from April 30 AW&ST etc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 3 Jun 90 17:35:09 GMT From: portal!cup.portal.com!hkhenson@apple.com (H Keith Henson) Subject: Re: mars vs. venus, which is easier to terraform? Given nanotechnology terraforming either would be a trivial task (though it might take a while for venus to cool off.) First thing to do with venus would be a sunshade, block *all* the solar input, and let it cool. The CO2 could all be liquified and stored in diamond cased cylindars underground; convert the sulfer to solid and store it the same way. But who wants to stay around this star anyway? Keith Henson ------------------------------ Date: 3 Jun 90 02:05:04 GMT From: mtndew!friedl@uunet.uu.net (Stephen J. Friedl) Subject: Re: Ulysses plutonium essay in *The Nation*, 14 May Kenneth Arromdee writes: > > Does anyone have any good references to exactly _how_ toxic plutonium is? > Hopefully when the next round starts on this newsgroup we'll be ready so there > won't be thousands of postings of the same factoid over and over again.... Dr. Edward Teller has offered to *eat* a quantity of Pu if a journalist will at the same time eat a similar quantity of caffeine. No takers... Steve -- Stephen J. Friedl, KA8CMY / Software Consultant / Tustin, CA / 3B2-kind-of-guy +1 714 544 6561 / friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US / {uunet,attmail}!mtndew!friedl "I will defend to your death my right to my opinion" - me ------------------------------ Date: 3 Jun 90 18:03:44 GMT From: thorin!homer!leech@mcnc.org (Jonathan Leech) Subject: Re: Ulysses plutonium essay in *The Nation*, 14 May In article <432@mtndew.UUCP> friedl@mtndew.UUCP (Stephen J. Friedl) writes: >Dr. Edward Teller has offered to *eat* a quantity of Pu if a journalist >will at the same time eat a similar quantity of caffeine. No takers... I'd be more impressed if he changed the offer to inhalation rather than eating. -- Jon Leech (leech@cs.unc.edu) __@/ "We've already learned something we didn't know and that's fun!" - Dr. James Westphal on the first Hubble photo ------------------------------ Date: 3 Jun 90 02:01:14 GMT From: mtndew!friedl@uunet.uu.net (Stephen J. Friedl) Subject: Re: Ulysses plutonium essay in *The Nation*, 14 May In article , HIGGINS@FNAL.BITNET (Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey) writes: > > "Groups that see solar-powered space missions as the best alternative to those > scenarios have filed a lawsuit to block the Ulysses launch and to abort the > Galileo mission before its plutonium probe makes two flybys of the Earth, the > first this December, passing 625 miles above the Earth, and the second, in > December 1992, 185 miles overhead." Two questions on this. First, what is the absolute worst scenario for a "disaster" on a flyby? Is the probe large enough to survive reentry if somehow it got routed that way? Second (and my main question), can we assume that the second pass will get a much bigger gravity assist than the first one? Steve -- Stephen J. Friedl, KA8CMY / Software Consultant / Tustin, CA / 3B2-kind-of-guy +1 714 544 6561 / friedl@mtndew.Tustin.CA.US / {uunet,attmail}!mtndew!friedl "I will defend to your death my right to my opinion" - me ------------------------------ Date: 3 Jun 90 23:45:15 GMT From: usc!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!henry@ucsd.edu (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: Ulysses propulsion In article <504.2667D5B8@ofa123.fidonet.org> David.Anderman@ofa123.fidonet.org (David Anderman) writes: >I have heard that the Soviets will unveil a Lh2 powered upper stage for >the Proton next year. Perhaps that combination might be able to >out-perform the shuttle/IUS combination that will be used for Ulysses. Quite possibly. However, Ulysses will be en route by then, and long overdue at that. (Also, the Soviets would probably want to be paid in cash, while NASA is providing the shuttle launch free as part of the vestigial US participation in what was once the International Solar Polar Mission.) -- As a user I'll take speed over| Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology features any day. -A.Tanenbaum| uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 03 Jun 90 22:45:00 EDT From: Iqbal Qazi Subject: Re: SPACE Digest V11 #471 Please unsubscribe me. Thank you very much. ________________________________________________________________________ < Insert funny remarks here > Iqbal Qazi < I'm all tapped out > WQ956C at GWUVM ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: 4 Jun 90 03:25:45 GMT From: thorin!homer!leech@mcnc.org (Jonathan Leech) Subject: Men on Venus [I hate 'interp buffer overflow' errors when the References: line gets too long so I have to construct the reply by hand. Anyone have a patch for this? Anyway...] In some article or other, Mark Sokolowski writes >Sorry, I find the Moon terribly boring and unexciting since men have been >there. Mark, if this is your concern, there's a much easier and quicker solution than going to Venus. Launch a manned exploration mission to the women's bathroom of your computer center. -- Jon Leech (leech@cs.unc.edu) __@/ "Why do you suppose we only feel compelled to chase the ones who run away?" "Immaturity." _Dangerous Liasons_ ------------------------------ Date: 2 Jun 90 15:22:24 GMT From: van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a752@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Bruce Dunn) Subject: Re: Imperial units > roberts@CMR.NCSL.NIST.GOV writes: > - While one can get a metric ruler or meter stick, it seems to be impossible > to buy a long metric tape measure. The next time you are in Canada, drop in at any hardware store for a metric tape. The standard household tape is marked 3m/10', and of course longer tapes are available. What I find difficult to get is drill bits in metric dimensions. I used to have a nice metric set where the bits were in half millimeter sizes (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 mm etc.) but I have broken or lost many and can't easily get replacements. Such a drill bit set is infinitely easier to use than those marked in fractional inches (quick - if your drill bit set is in increments of 1/64 of an inch, what is the next drill size larger than 3/8 inch !). -- Bruce Dunn Vancouver, Canada a752@mindlink.UUCP ------------------------------ Date: 3 Jun 90 14:57:08 GMT From: ncis.tis.llnl.gov!blackbird!tkelso@lll-winken.llnl.gov (TS Kelso) Subject: NASA Prediction Bulletin Format As a service to the satellite user community, the following description of the NASA Prediction Bulletin's two-line orbital element set format is uploaded to sci.space on a monthly basis. The most current orbital elements from the NASA Prediction Bulletins are carried on the Celestial RCP/M, (513) 427-0674, and are updated several times weekly. Documentation and tracking software are also available on this system. 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. ============================================================================== Data for each satellite consists of three lines in the following format: AAAAAAAAAAA 1 NNNNNU NNNNNAAA NNNNN.NNNNNNNN +.NNNNNNNN +NNNNN-N +NNNNN-N N NNNNN 2 NNNNN NNN.NNNN NNN.NNNN NNNNNNN NNN.NNNN NNN.NNNN NN.NNNNNNNNNNNNNN Line 1 is a eleven-character name. Lines 2 and 3 are the standard Two-Line Orbital Element Set Format identical to that used by NASA and NORAD. The format description is: Line 2 Column Description 01-01 Line Number of Element Data 03-07 Satellite Number 10-11 International Designator (Last two digits of launch year) 12-14 International Designator (Launch number of the year) 15-17 International Designator (Piece of launch) 19-20 Epoch Year (Last two digits of year) 21-32 Epoch (Julian Day and fractional portion of the day) 34-43 First Time Derivative of the Mean Motion or Ballistic Coefficient (Depending on ephemeris type) 45-52 Second Time Derivative of Mean Motion (decimal point assumed; blank if N/A) 54-61 BSTAR drag term if GP4 general perturbation theory was used. Otherwise, radiation pressure coefficient. (Decimal point assumed) 63-63 Ephemeris type 65-68 Element number 69-69 Check Sum (Modulo 10) (Letters, blanks, periods = 0; minus sign = 1; plus sign = 2) Line 3 Column Description 01-01 Line Number of Element Data 03-07 Satellite Number 09-16 Inclination [Degrees] 18-25 Right Ascension of the Ascending Node [Degrees] 27-33 Eccentricity (decimal point assumed) 35-42 Argument of Perigee [Degrees] 44-51 Mean Anomaly [Degrees] 53-63 Mean Motion [Revs per day] 64-68 Revolution number at epoch [Revs] 69-69 Check Sum (Modulo 10) All other columns are blank or fixed. Example: NOAA 6 1 11416U 86 50.28438588 0.00000140 67960-4 0 5293 2 11416 98.5105 69.3305 0012788 63.2828 296.9658 14.24899292346978 Note that the International Designator fields are usually blank, as issued in the NASA Prediction Bulletins. -- Dr TS Kelso Assistant Professor of Space Operations tkelso@blackbird.afit.af.mil Air Force Institute of Technology ------------------------------ Date: 4 Jun 90 00:39:43 GMT From: cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!henry@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Henry Spencer) Subject: space news from April 30 AW&ST etc. Payload Systems, which recently flew a commercial payload on Mir, says that Soviet paperwork was just as much of a nuisance as NASA paperwork, but in general things went more quickly in Moscow and Baikonur than in Washington and the Cape. Why? Because most disagreements could be eliminated quickly and quietly by simply paying more. HST is up and functioning, after headaches during solar-array deployment. When the array masts were ordered to swing out to proper position, they did so, but telemetry indicated they had not locked. McCandless and Sullivan were told to prepare for an EVA as a precaution, while Goddard controllers commanded the mast motors to full power in a second attempt. This succeeded, but raised doubts about control electronics, and in particular made controllers wonder whether the deployment-complete sensors on the arrays themselves would work. The astronauts were told to order a manual halt when the arrays reached full extension, in case the automatic halt failed. The port-side array deployed flawlessly. However, sending of the manual-halt command also cut off telemetry on deployment and locking, and there was some delay while things were restarted momentarily to check. Then came the starboard array, which moved out a few inches... and stopped. After half an hour of trouble- shooting, it was tried again, and again stopped after about 30 seconds. McCandless and Sullivan, by this time suited up and ready, were told to start depressurizing the airlock. Meanwhile, Goddard tried to sort out what was going on. The camera views showed everything normal (this array was not visible from the orbiter windows). The major reason for halting deployment early would be excessive tension on the array -- i.e. something sticking -- but tension showed as normal in the telemetry. A third attempt was made with the array controller's tension limits disabled, and it worked. The final orbit for HST was 332x331nmi, a record for the shuttle and the highest US astronauts have flown since Apollo 17. Originally 330 was the target, but it turned out that an extra 1-2nmi was available, and of course they took it. HST launched three minutes late due to human error. A fix to avoid a potential safety problem (possible trouble if ground computers lost power at a crucial moment) had been put in manually, and as a result a crucial valve was open instead of closed at T-48s. The software noticed it and stopped the count. The controllers said "oops", tidied things up, and picked up the count with the valve properly closed. Orbital Sciences goes public, selling 2.4M shares of common stock at $14 each in the wake of the successful Pegasus launch. An earlier plan to offer stock at $13 had been halted due to skeptical press reports before the launch. Pictures of LDEF stripped down to the frame, and various experiments and pieces thereof. There is starting to be discussion of reflying LDEF, possibly as a paying joint venture with a commercial firm. Most of LDEF's experimenters would like another chance to fly, as would many who lost out in the competition for the first-flight payloads. There is no firm decision yet, except that the structure will not be broken up or donated to a museum for at least a year. There would be some difficulty in getting a new launch slot soon, as LDEF is big and heavy. Pictures of microcraters in LDEF experiments. First-look results from the experiments are starting to come in. Although there is a lot of visible weathering on external surfaces, that *is* strictly a surface phenomenon; the insides are fine. Lewis Research Center's solar-cell experiment was actually alive and recording data until early last year, in a low-power hibernation mode that minimized battery drain. Most of the hardware from the experiments still works. Some of the tape recorders are stuck over the capstans, but that happens even on Earth when recorders are idle for long periods. Pretty well everyone has good data, although some experiments did not function perfectly. LDEF's chief scientist, William Kinard, says the results so far indicate that there is no problem for long-life space systems if some care is taken about the outer surfaces. Atomic-oxygen erosion attacks materials on the leading face, so those materials must be chosen carefully. However, it looks like even composites are usable with proper protective coatings. A slight surprise is that most meteorite/debris impacts are on the leading face, with very strongly directional behavior. However, the "meteor bumper" approach -- using an outer layer to vaporize incoming objects so nothing solid reaches an inner layer -- works very efficiently, even better than was expected. "We've got situations where thermal blankets have 400-500 penetrations in them, and we have to look extremely hard for any marks on the surfaces underneath..." LTV and SNIA BPD [a Fiat subsidiary] agree on the development of the San Marcos family of small launchers, souped-up versions of Scout. The first version is expected to be a Scout with a new fourth stage and two big strap-on boosters. More and bigger strap-ons are the obvious route to further growth. Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite arrives at KSC for Atlas-Centaur launch in mide-June. The satellite will map the Van Allen belts in detail and release chemicals into space to study interactions with the atmosphere and magnetosphere. [From Flight International, 21 March:] Aeritalia completes assembly and tests of the Tethered Satellite project, for shuttle launch in May 1991. The Christics and their buddies are getting organized to try to stop the Ulysses launch in October, since Ulysses is (gasp) nuclear powered, carrying a single isotope generator similar to the ones on Galileo. [From Flight International, 28 March:] Spacehab, the private-venture middeck-extension module for the shuttle, gets its necessary funding, from a consortium of banks led by Central Bank and including The Mitsubishi Bank, Banque Nationale de Paris, and Banque Paribas. Hardware construction has begun in Turin (Aeritalia is a major subcontractor). Giotto successfully retargeted for Earth encounter this summer, taking it on to comet Grigg-Skjellerup in 1992. India announces plans to keep on trying to build its own launchers, despite two failures of its ASLV in a row (in 1987 and 1988). The next ASLV launch attempt will be next year. [From Flight International, 25 April:] Alexander Alexandrov, Soviet cosmonaut and manager of cosmonaut training, says flights by mixed-gender crews cause "moral and ethical problems" and there will be no more female cosmonauts for now. [And a late note to LDEF fans: the coverage of the LDEF retrieval in the March 1990 issue of Spaceflight (one of the BIS's journals) struck me as the best of the bunch, better than either Aviation Week or Flight International and beating out the other space magazines by a mile. Spaceflight still gets my nomination for best all-round space periodical.] -- As a user I'll take speed over| Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology features any day. -A.Tanenbaum| uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V11 #486 *******************