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 ; Sat, 15 Dec 1990 02:24:59 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: Precedence: junk Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Sat, 15 Dec 1990 02:24:28 -0500 (EST) Subject: SPACE Digest V12 #661 SPACE Digest Volume 12 : Issue 661 Today's Topics: [l/m 7/11] Frequently asked SPACE questions Re: space news from Oct 6 AW&ST Re: space news from Oct 6 AW&ST * SpaceNews 10-Dec-90 * 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 10 Dec 90 11:59:57 GMT From: sdd.hp.com!news.cs.indiana.edu!ariel.unm.edu!pprg.unm.edu!topgun!mustang!data.nas.nasa.gov!amelia!eugene@ucsd.edu (Eugene N. Miya) Subject: [l/m 7/11] Frequently asked SPACE questions This list does change. Slowly. It only changes when the members of s.s. have something to add, correct, etc. I no longer have time to read s.s., and the SNR is too low. So if this does not change it is more a reflection of the other people you are reading, and not me. Think about that for a moment. You make the difference. "It's not a message. I think it's a warning." -- Ripley This is a list of frequently asked questions on SPACE (which goes back before 1980). It is developing. Good summaries will be accepted in place of the answers given here. The point of this is to circulate existing information, and avoid rehashing old answers. Better to build on top than start again. Nothing more depressing than rehashing old topics for the 100th time. References are provided because they give more complete information than any short generalization. Questions fall into three basic types: 1) Where do I find some information about space? Try you local public library first. You do know how to use a library, don't you? Can't tell these days. The net is not a good place to ask for general information. Ask INDIVIDUALS if you must. There are other sources, use them, too. The net is a place for open ended discussion. 2) I have an idea which would improve space flight? Hope you aren't surprised but 9,999 out of 10,000 have usually been thought of before. Again, contact a direct individual source for evaluation. NASA fields thousands of these each day. 3) Miscellanous queries. Sorry, have to take them case by case. Initially, this message will be automatically posted once per month and hopefully, we can cut it back to quarterly. In time questions and good answers will be added (and maybe removed, nah). 1) What happen to Saturn V plans? What about reviving the Saturn V as a heavy-lift launcher? Possible but very expensive -- tools, subcontractors, plans, facilities are gone or converted for the shuttle, and would need rebuilding, re-testing, or even total redesign. 2) Where can I learn about space computers: shuttle, programming, core memories? %J Communications of the ACM %V 27 %N 9 %D September 1984 %K Special issue on space [shuttle] computers %A Myron Kayton %T Avionics for Manned Spacecraft %J IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems %V 25 %N 6 %D November 1989 %P 786-827 Other various AIAA and IEEE publications. Computers in Spaceflight: The NASA Experience James E. Tomayko 1988? 3) SETI computation articles? %A D. K. Cullers %A Ivan R. Linscott %A Bernard M. Oliver %T Signal Processing in SETI %J Communications of the ACM %V 28 %N 11 %D November 1984 %P 1151-1163 %K CR Categories and Subject Descriptors: D.4.1 [Operating Systems]: Process Management - concurrency; I.5.4 [Pattern Recognition]: Applications - signal processing; J.2 [Phsyical Sciences and Engineering]: astronomy General Terms: Design Additional Key Words and Phrases: digital Fourier transforms, finite impulse-response filters, interstellar communications, Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence, signal detection, spectrum analysis You can make it change. Just discuss the changes on the net, then mail the resolution to me. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Dec 90 19:12:35 GMT From: rochester!sol!yamauchi@louie.udel.edu (Brian Yamauchi) Subject: Re: space news from Oct 6 AW&ST In article <20657@crg5.UUCP> szabo@crg5.UUCP (Nick Szabo) writes: We are entering a new era where the funding proportions for "manned" stunts and real exploration and industry will be reversed, leading to a new Space Age, with an immense gain in knowledge of the solar system's every corner, and the blossoming of space industry. I eagerly await the death of Fred, Colombus, Hermes, and the other punch-card era throwbacks so that we can move forward more quickly into this new age of knowledge and commerce. But, if Fred dies, is there any guarantee that unmanned exploration will get the funds? Or will they be sucked up by some other federal bureaucracy? Fred seems to be being squeezed by pressure from congresscritters who want to shuffle funds to their own (non-space) pet projects, and not by demands from scientists who want to transfer the funds to robotic space probes. Some sort of deal where NASA agrees to kill Fred in return for being able to keep the $X billion/year and spend it on unmanned space exploration might be a good thing, but transferring the $X billion to a dozen porkbarrel development projects in a dozen critter home districts doesn't seem like a win. -- _______________________________________________________________________________ Brian Yamauchi University of Rochester yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu Computer Science Department _______________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: 7 Dec 90 15:34:42 GMT From: chinet!price@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Doug Price) Subject: Re: space news from Oct 6 AW&ST Every year, I receive my renewal notice from the Planetary Society, and I wonder why I bother doing it. The history of the Planetary Society has been checkered with a private fiefdom mentality. When I joined, I thought I was supporting an organization with the goal of the the exploration of our solar system within the context of the larger effort to explore the universe. How wrong I was. Instead, the Society quickly degenerated into a, "Let's do MY experiment next at the expense of everyone else." group. "Hey!", said Carl Sagan, "I can make this operation my anti-nuclear war platform using someone else's money, and I can bash the manned program for taking money away from MY favorite projects at the same time!" This was amply demonstrated by Sagan's anti-manned space editorial in the Planetary Report a few years ago. I was surprised by the abrupt about-face of the Society in support of a manned mission to Mars a few issues later. I suspect the hate mail was so intense that the Society figured out quickly that bashing manned space was probably a bad move from the membership point of view. I do not dispute that a lot of good science can be done for a lot cheaper for a few more years using robots. This zero-sum, "zap his budget so I can get my budget" stuff has got to go. -- Douglas H. Price price@chinet.chi.il.us price@vfrot.chi.il.us ------------------------------ Date: 9 Dec 90 02:35:29 GMT From: elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dali.cs.montana.edu!masscomp!ocpt!tsdiag!ka2qhd!kd2bd@ames.arc.nasa.gov (John Magliacane) Subject: * SpaceNews 10-Dec-90 * SB SPACE @ ALLBBS < KD2BD $SPC1210 * SpaceNews 10-Dec-90 * Bulletin ID: $SPC1210 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY DECEMBER 10, 1990 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, United States. It is published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution. * SAREX NEWS * ============== Dr. Ron Parise, WA4SIR, has made hundreds of packet radio contacts with his Amateur Radio station on board the space shuttle Columbia. Telephone bridges were set up to enable school children to talk with the latest ham in space. Ron has also been making some voice contacts. The primary downlink frequency for all SAREX operations has been 145.550 MHz. * MIR NEWS * ============ Soyuz TM-11 has successfully docked with the Mir space station complex currently on Earth orbit. The Soyuz spacecraft carried Soviet cosmonauts Musa Manarov, Viktor Afanasyev, and Japanese journalist Toyehiro Akiyama. * OSCAR-21 NEWS * ================= The launch of AMSAT-21/RM-1/RS-14/RUDAK-2 has been postponed until 07-Jan-91 so that a Soviet official may witness the launch. * FEEDBACK * ============ From Franklin Antonio: In article <378@ka2qhd.UUCP> kd2bd@ka2qhd.UUCP (John Magliacane) writes: >* MINI-TUTORIAL * >================= >The first person to investigate elliptical orbits thoroughly was the >mathematician and astronomer Kepler. He formulated a set of rules for >elliptical orbits and was able to demonstrate that all planets followed >such orbits in their motions around the sun. Over 100 years later, orbital >elements defined by Kepler are still being used by astronomers and satellite >trackers worldwide. Actually, it was a __long__ time ago. Kepler published his work on elliptical motion in "seu Physica coelestis tradita commetariis de motibus stellae Martis" in 1609! This contained the first two laws: orbits are ellipses, and equal area = equal time. In 1619, he published "De Harmonice Mundi", containing the third law, which relates distance to orbit period. In 1620, his mother was arrested for witchcraft. So, the basic work was done 371 years ago! This is one of the humbling things about celestial mechanics. I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to figure this out, yet Kepler did it 371 years ago. Obviously, he didn't have computers. Most people don't realize that he didn't even have the benefit of a telescope. The telescope was invented around 1609; Galileo pulblished in 1610. The observations that Kepler used to develop his theory were made by Tycho Brahe, many years earlier. === John, Thank you very much for your Keplerian elements tutorial in SpaceNews (90-12-03). You know, this was the first time I have seen any explanation of what Keplerian element sets actually represent, in sufficent enough detail to permit me (or anyone else, for that matter) to write tracking software. - William Graham - grahamw@cpsc.ucalgary.ca - 73 de VE6UUG @ VE6YYC - * TNX QSL! * ============ A special thanks to all those who sent QSLs, cards and letters to SpaceNews: KB0CGJ: John Krohn, Redwood Falls, Minnesota, U.S.A. KB4ZVM: Dan Allen, Greer, South Carolina, U.S.A. KF8FF : Larry Sparks, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A. KI4LX : Vernon Eckleberry, Brunswick, Georgia, U.S.A. OH5IY : Ilkka Yrjola, Kuusankoski, Finland N2IXD : Jim DiTucci, Rochester, New York, U.S.A. N6QJM : Tom Hambrick, Imperial Beach, California, U.S.A. NT2R : Michael Yorke, Port Washington, New York, U.S.A. * FEEDBACK WELCOMED * ===================== Feedback regarding SpaceNews can be directed to the editor (John) via any of the following paths: INTERNET : kd2bd@ka2qhd.de.com PACKET : KD2BD @ NN2Z.NJ.USA.NA UUCP : ...!rutgers!ka2qhd!kd2bd MAIL : John A. Magliacane, KD2BD Department of Electronics Technology Advanced Technology Center Brookdale Community College 765 Newman Springs Road Lincroft, New Jersey 07738 U.S.A. << If you like what you see, send us your QSL card! >> /EX -- John A. Magliacane FAX : (908) 747-7107 Electronics Technology Department AMPR : KD2BD @ NN2Z.NJ.USA.NA Brookdale Community College UUCP : ...!rutgers!ka2qhd!kd2bd Lincroft, NJ 07738 USA VOICE: (908) 842-1900 ext 607 ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V12 #661 *******************