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 ; Tue, 13 Nov 1990 02:40:43 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: Precedence: junk Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Tue, 13 Nov 1990 02:40:13 -0500 (EST) Subject: SPACE Digest V12 #541 SPACE Digest Volume 12 : Issue 541 Today's Topics: Fundamental FITS Information Re: LNLL Inflatable Stations Re: Space Station Work Package #3 NASA Headline News for 11/08/90 (Forwarded) Payload systems & Cape York (was LLNL Astronaut Delivery) Administrivia: Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to space+@andrew.cmu.edu. Other mail, esp. [un]subscription notices, should be sent to space-request+@andrew.cmu.edu, or, if urgent, to tm2b+@andrew.cmu.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 0;andrew.cmu.edu;Network-Mail Date: 7 Nov 90 16:33:41 GMT From: dftsrv!nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov!bschlesinger@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Barry Schlesinger) Organization: NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center Subject: Fundamental FITS Information Sender: space-request@andrew.cmu.edu To: space@andrew.cmu.edu Fundamental FITS information can be obtained primarily from three papers: Wells, Greisen, and Harten, 1981, "FITS: a flexible image transport system", Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplements, v. 44, p. 363. Grosbol, et al., 1988, "Generalized extensions and blocking factors for FITS", Astron. Astrophys. Suppl., 88, 359. Harten, et al., 1988, "The FITS tables extension", Astron. Astrophys. Suppl., 88, 365. These titles show that FITS is capable of transforming a far wider range of information than simply digital images. An additional paper immediately following the first one cited above discusses "groups" format. In practice, this format is used only to transfer and store radio interferometry results. It is not widely used or understood elsewhere. In original FITS, as discussed in the first paper, the data matrix could contain only integers. By international agreement, it now may contain IEEE-754 single and double precision floating point. A data matrix consisting of floating point numbers is signalled by negative values of the BITPIX keyword (-32 for single and -64 for double precision). The FITS Handbook is not yet available; the first sections are expected to be available later this year. We have not yet collected contributed software. Probably, this office will have available information on availability of software that the originators are willing to make available before software is available directly from this office. Barry Schlesinger NSDSSO FITS Support Office ------------------------------ Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 0;andrew.cmu.edu;Network-Mail Date: Thu, 8 Nov 90 08:33:06 -0500 From: "Allen W. Sherzer" To: space+@andrew.cmu.edu Subject: Re: LNLL Inflatable Stations Newsgroups: sci.space In-Reply-To: <1221@iceman.jcu.oz> References: <2667@polari.UUCP> <9011061347.AA16848@iti.org> Organization: Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow Cc: In article <1221@iceman.jcu.oz> Marco Parigi writes: >What are the repairment proposals for damage due to space debris for the >LLNL inflatable space station. I don't know the details but provisions have been made. There is an outer bubble around each module pressurized to 2.5 PSI. If this is punctured, it will have no effect on the areas where people are. If it deflates, I assume they would go EVA and fix it. Space debris would need to go through the external shield, the outer kevlar envelope and the inner kevlar envelope before it could put people in danger. Also remember that since the station is inflatable the envelopes will absorb shock before puncturing, like a tire on your car. >Would the material tend to tear due to the >pressure differential once a small rip was instigated (fail catastrophically, >much like an ALOHA airliner did some time ago, ripping its top off) This is covered in the ILC report I quoted. Provisions are made to make sure that any rip does not become too large. Remember that this company has built large inflatable aerospace structures in the past. These are not new problems. Allen -- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Allen W. Sherzer| I had a guaranteed military sale with ED-209. Renovation | | aws@iti.org | programs, spare parts for 25 years. Who cares if it | | | works or not? - Dick Jones, VP OCP Security Concepts | ------------------------------ Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 0;andrew.cmu.edu;Network-Mail Date: 8 Nov 90 03:25:18 GMT From: sumax!thebes!polari!crad@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Charles Radley) Organization: Seattle Online Public Unix (206) 328-4944 Subject: Re: Space Station Work Package #3 References: <90311.130321GWS102@psuvm.psu.edu>, <9011072137.AA15699@iti.org> Sender: space-request@andrew.cmu.edu To: space@andrew.cmu.edu In response to requests for Freedom info, in comparison to LLNL, here is some more...... +In terms of differences with Freedom, the LLNL station is bigger but +provides a little less power. It also would require free flying +platforms to be associated with it for microgravity. I suspect the +CDSF or a modified Spacelab would do just fine. - Freedom includes microgravity and life science capability, without the additional expense of these free-flyers. The LLNL/Free-flyer system combination is not useful for life sciences. Freedom also has some polar orbit free-flyers for Earth Observation activites, which LLNL does not have. Freedom weighs 250 tonnes, over six times as heavy as LLNL. Freedom will not be habitable until the fourth assembly flight, when it will achieve "Man Tended Capabilty", scheduled for Jan 97. After about flight 11, in Nov 97, Permanently Manned Capability will be achieved. After the last of the appropriated flights, it will achieve "Assembly Complete" configuration. The station will then operate for thirty years. It is designed like an aircraft, with Orbital Replaceable Units, allowing it to be repaired and maintained on orbit. The Freedom habitable volume is not much more than Skylab, but the science does not need volume. Initial crew size is 4, growing to 8 when the international modules are attached. Oh yes, it is international, US pays about 70 %, Canada 4 % and ESA and Japan pay about 13 % each. So pretty well everybody on this net has an interest...... Canada provides a mobile Remote Servicer robot with a large manipulator arm. Japan and ESA each provide one habitable science module. History:- Phase-A was 5/82 until award of Phase-B contracts in 4/85. Phase-B ran from 4/85 to 12/87. Phase-C contracts were awarded 12/87, and is currently in progress. Phase-C will culminate with a Critical Design review in 1992. Phase-D will begin 1992. First element launch is schedule 3/95, and Assembly Complete in 1998. +(Freedom will take over 50 flights of the Shuttle). Most of this +advantage is due to the use of+ inflatables. - Freedom will take less than 30 flights, I think the number authorized is 28. LLNL weighs much less than Freedom, because it has only a tiny fraction of the science capability and equipment. Freedom's solar arrays were recently reduced by half, now two pairs of panels will provide about 37.5 KW. Each panel is 32 by 108 feet. The Freedom truss structure has now been shortened to a little less than 150 metres. the solar panels are at right angles to the truss. The station is equippped with hydrazine thrusters to prevent orbital decay. I will leave it at that for now. Happy to answer any questions if I can. ------------------------------ Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 0;andrew.cmu.edu;Network-Mail Date: 8 Nov 90 22:08:28 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA Subject: NASA Headline News for 11/08/90 (Forwarded) Sender: space-request@andrew.cmu.edu To: space@andrew.cmu.edu Headline News Internal Communications Branch (P-2) NASA Headquarters Thursday, November 8, 1990 Audio Service: 202 / 755-1788 This is NASA Headline News for Thursday, November 8, 1990 NASA yesterday announced the selection of Thursday, Nov. 15, as the new target launch date for the Atlantis STS-38 Department of Defense mission. The delay from Atlantis' original target date of Nov. 9 is due to payload problems. Start of the 4-hour launch opportunity period is unchanged at 6:30 pm EST. It will be the seventh flight of Atlantis and the 37th shuttle mission. The STS-35 Flight Readiness Review for Columbia's Astro-1 mission is now scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 26 and 27, at the Kennedy Space Center. A launch date for STS-35 will be announced following review of performance data from the STS-38 mission and review of mission status during the readiness review. Shuttle chief Robert Crippen said yesterday that he was confident NASA would be flying Columbia sometime in early December. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, preparations for the removal of Discovery's three main engines has begun. They will be removed tomorrow and transferred to the engine shop for refurbishment. Stacking of the solid rocket boosters for the STS-39 mission has begun in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The left aft booster segment is on the mobile launcher platform. STS-39 is the Department of Defense mission slated for next February on Discovery. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * At yesterday's monthly space flight press briefing, William Lenoir said that John Young's special Kennedy Space Center accident investigation group had found no common thread in the string of accidents which have occurred at KSC. The report has not been finalized yet, but will be distributed to media when it is. Lenoir also said the reassessment of the space station program is underway, and the challenge will be to find a way to reduce anticipated program cost by six billion dollars in the next five years and still maintain a useful station. The reassessment process will involve all of NASA's work package centers, the work package contractors and all the international partners. Results of the assessment will be given to station chief Richard Kohrs, who will assemble the input as individual recommendations to be presented to Lenoir and Adm. Truly. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Jet Propulsion Laboratory Magellan flight controllers report that the spacecraft is still too close to the Sun in the Earth- Venus line of sight for clean, high-bit-rate communications. The current schedule calls for mapping to resume on Saturday. JPL will begin to transmit a new mapping sequence tomorrow if communications improve, as expected. Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA Select TV. All times are Eastern. **indicates a live program. Thursday, 11/8/90 11:30 pm NASA Update will be transmitted. 12:00 pm "A Look to the Future," Eisenhower Institute and Smithsonian Institution space symposium. 1:15 pm Aeronautics & Space Report #254 1:30 pm Back Space, one of a continuing series in the NASA Productions. 2:00 pm Replay of yesterday's Magellan-at-Venus report from JPL. All events and times may change without notice. This report is filed daily, Monday through Friday, at 12:00 pm, EST. It is a service of Internal Communications Branch at NASA Headquarters. Contact: CREDMOND on NASAmail or at 202/453-8425. NASA Select TV: Satcom F2R, Transponder 13, C-Band, 72 degrees West Longitude, Audio 6.8, Frequency 3960 MHz. ------------------------------ Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 0;andrew.cmu.edu;Network-Mail Date: Thu, 8 Nov 90 11:56:45 -0500 From: "Allen W. Sherzer" To: space+@andrew.cmu.edu Subject: Payload systems & Cape York (was LLNL Astronaut Delivery) Newsgroups: sci.space In-Reply-To: <2677@polari.UUCP> References: <9011061342.AA16405@iti.org> <2669@polari.UUCP> <1990Nov7.175448.17819@zoo.toronto.edu> Organization: Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow Cc: In article <2677@polari.UUCP>: >Payload Systems did indeed slip through the net. What I mean by >that is that they did obtain an export license, but the license >was issued by the Department of Commerce, and not by the Department >of State. Well if you want to call following existing US export law in an open and above bord manner 'slipping through the net' fine, they slipped through the net. >The latter was extremely annoyed, and had strong words >to say to the Dept of Commerce. Yawn. But since Commerce had the strong support of the administration, there's not a lot State can do about it. >It is now highly unlikely that Commerce will want to incurr the wrath of >State again, and are not likely to issue any more licenses without State's >approval. The Office of Commercial Space is very supportive of commercial space. They want to see this take off. They will (in accordance with US law and policy) issue other licenses as needed. > Ref USBI and CYSA - there were lots of reports in the media in the >summer that an export license had been issued to USBI. However, I >never saw a formal announcement. I attended the Vandeburg Space >Week conference at the end of July, where Norman Bowles, Associate >Director of Licensing Programs at the Department of >Transportation stated strongly that the reports in the media were >incorrect, and that no formal approval had been given. This is true. The anouncement was that approval would be given, not that it had been given. Final approval needed changes to federal policy which where to be included in the new space policy. > I still have not seen a formal announcement. Have you ? My understanding is that formal approval is either done or very soon. I have seen copies of the policy changes needed. BTW, the entire policy is still in the works but the parts needed to approve Cape York where accelerated so permission could be given on time. This amounts to a very strong show of support from the administration and the space council. Allen -- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Allen W. Sherzer| I had a guaranteed military sale with ED-209. Renovation | | aws@iti.org | programs, spare parts for 25 years. Who cares if it | | | works or not? - Dick Jones, VP OCP Security Concepts | ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V12 #541 *******************