Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson Received: from hogtown.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, 12 Apr 91 01:25:14 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: Precedence: junk Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Fri, 12 Apr 91 01:25:05 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #395 SPACE Digest Volume 13 : Issue 395 Today's Topics: Re: Launch Technology Re: Space technology NASA Headline News for 04/11/91 (Forwarded) Galileo Status for 04/10/91 (Forwarded) Current CD-ROMs on-line at the Ames SPACE archive Administrivia: Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to space+@andrew.cmu.edu. Other mail, esp. [un]subscription requests, should be sent to space-request+@andrew.cmu.edu, or, if urgent, to tm2b+@andrew.cmu.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 10 Apr 91 01:49:51 GMT From: van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a752@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Bruce Dunn) Subject: Re: Launch Technology > jdnicoll@watyew.uwaterloo.ca writes: > Person: James Davis Nicoll > > > What's the cost per tonne of lithium, fluorine and hydrogen, > what's the cost of storing and using them and how do those two costs > compare to the costs associated with standard fuels? A wild guess might > that the higher Isp is nice, but that the problems of handling fluorine > drove costs up above the level of standard fuels. > > James Nicoll Selected data from "Advanced Liquid Propellant Systems for Chemical Propulsion" by John Q. Weber of Rockwell (Rocketdyne Division); published in "Orbit Raising and Maneuvering Propulsion: Research Status and Needs", Leonard H. Caveny ed., Volume 89 of the series Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics, N.Y. (1984): Propellant Density Cost per lb. (1982) N2O4 1.433 $ 0.45 O2 1.149 $ 0.43 F2 1.505 $ 20.00 H2 0.071 $ 4.50 MMH 0.870 $ 6.60 RP-1 0.802 $ 0.27 N2H4 1.004 $ 7.00 NH3 0.607 $ 0.10 Li 0.512 (Liq) $ 20.00 Be 1.85 $ 166.00 MMH is monomethyl hydrazine, and RP-1 is Rocket Propellant-1 (a special grade of kerosene-like hydrocarbon). The quoted cost per pound presumably includes the cost of handling the material. The lithium is presumed to be injected as a liquid into the combustion chamber - however this introduces all sorts of problems such as how do you keep the lithium lines hot so that they don't plug with solid lithium at the end of a test stand run. In considering first stage launchers, the choice generally seems to have settled down to three systems: solid fuel, RP-1 and O2, and some form of hydrazine burned with N2O4. RP-1 and O2 are clearly the cheapest, but this seems to be outweighed by the hassles of handling a cryogenic propellant. The Ariane chose a hydrazine/N2O4 system in spite of the vastly greater costs of the propellants (relative to RP-1 and O2), presumably because of the fact that both propellants are storable. Interestingly, both hydrazines and N2O4 are quite toxic, so it seems that the launch industry is already handling some materials that would cause a fair size disaster if there were a tank rupture. Adding lithium in any manner helps the performance of propellant systems which use fluorine, but does nothing for systems in which oxygen is the oxidizer. In theory, adding beryllium to propellant systems in which oxygen is the oxidizer improves performance, however beryllium can't be injected as a liquid, suffers from incomplete combustion, forms a solid oxide which gives two-phase flow losses in nozzles, is extremely toxic, and costs a fortune. In spite of this, I have been told that the technology exists for high performance solid rocket motors incorporating beryllium as solid metal particles (presumably for use in space where the toxic exhaust won't give an environmental disaster). -- Bruce Dunn Vancouver, Canada a752@mindlink.UUCP ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Apr 91 17:07:51 EDT From: richard@pemrac.space.swri.edu Ate: Thu, 11 Apr 91 15:02:42 -0500 Rom: richard@pemrac.space.swri.edu (Richard Murphy) Essage-Id: <9104112002.AA03637@pemrac.space.swri.edu> O: space+@andrew.cmu.edu Ubject: ISDC-91 Apparently-To:  A SPACE CONFERENCE FOR YOU!! National Space Society's 10th Annual International Space Development Conference Hyatt Regency Riverwalk San Antonio, Texas May 22-27,1991 Technical, Advocacy, and General Tracks of speakers addressing the theme: SPACE: A CALL FOR ACTION Art Show Entertainment Exhibits Workshops Tours Kids Mini Con Meet: Joe Allen, Mark Albrecht, Ben Bova, Franklin Chang-Diaz, John Denver, Richard Truly, Charles Walker, among many others! For more information, write or call: Beatrice Moreno Southwest Research Institute 6220 Culebra Road San Antonio TX 78228-0510 (512) 522-2260 Internet: isdc-91@pemrac.space.swri.edu or call NSS (202) 543-1900 SPECIAL RATE AVAILABLE UNTIL MAY 1 ------------------------------ Date: 12 Apr 91 03:37:33 GMT From: prism!ccoprmd@gatech.edu (Matthew DeLuca) Subject: Re: Space technology In article <1991Apr11.221904.16361@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu> rwmurphr@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Robert W Murphree) writes: >I like what Carl Sagan said, if you want to develop non-stick frying pans >you're better off funding a program for developing non-stick frying pans >99% of the time(rather than a program for sending box cars with men in them >to space). Of course, if you have never conceived of non-stick frying pans, it is kind of hard to fund a program to develop them. The whole concept of spinoffs is based around the idea that technologies and materials developed for the space program and the military will later find applications in the civilian sector that were not thought of when development first started. Granted, the spinoff effect is somewhat overrated, but it is in fact there, and is important. -- Matthew DeLuca Georgia Institute of Technology "I'd hire the Dorsai, if I knew their Office of Information Technology P.O. box." - Zebadiah Carter, Internet: ccoprmd@prism.gatech.edu _The Number of the Beast_ ------------------------------ Date: 11 Apr 91 23:47:08 GMT From: usenet@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: NASA Headline News for 04/11/91 (Forwarded) Headline News Internal Communications Branch (P-2) NASA Headquarters Thursday, April 11, 1991 Audio Service: 202 / 755-1788 This is NASA Headline News for Thursday, April 11, 1991 . . . Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, this morning at 9:55 am EDT following a nearly perfect flight. The Gamma Ray Observatory, deployed Sunday, is doing fine and presently undergoing orbital checkout. The STS-37 crew awoke this morning at 12:30 am EDT to begin preparations for today's landing. The choice of a landing site was predicated on which site, Edwards or Kennedy, had the better weather the earliest. As it turned out, weather at Dryden was good enough to support the first of several California landing opportunities. Atlantis travelled over 2 1/2 million orbital miles during the nearly six days the STS-37 crew were up. This brings to eight the number of missions Atlantis has flown since its first flight in October, 1985. Atlantis has deployed several of NASA's highest science priority payloads -- its previous cargo included the Galileo and Magellan planetary spacecraft. The crew is expected to depart Edwards for Houston early this afternoon. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, Discovery is nearing completion of preparations for its end-of-the-month mission. Main engine flight readiness tests will be done today and ordnance installation will begin tomorrow. The Flight Readiness Review for Discovery's STS-39 mission begins Monday, April 15, at the Kennedy Space Center. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After 244 days orbiting Venus, the Magellan spacecraft and its remarkable imaging radar system continue to perform nominally. Star calibrations used to update Magellan's onboard navigation systems continue to produce occasional filter rejections of the reference stars. This is of little practical concern since the attitude updates remain acceptable and spacecraft pointing accuracy is very precise. Yesterday marked the passage of one Venusian year of Magellan orbital operations. Radar mapping of the planet began 36 days after Magellan entered orbit. On May 15, Magellan will have completed one radar-imaging cycle of the cloud-shrouded and geologically active planet. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Rep. George Brown is hosting a luncheon today in Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2318, at 12:00 pm to honor the first ten years of manned space flight using the space shuttle. Honorees at the luncheon include John Young and Robert Crippen, commander and pilot of Columbia on STS-1, April 12, 1981. Adm. Richard Truly, J.R. Thompson, Sam Keller, Bill Lenoir and the other associate administrators and most of the center directors also will be attending. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NASA astronaut Col. Guy S. Gardner has been named Commandant of the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base. He will leave the astronaut corps in June to assume his new position. Gardner was pilot on two shuttle missions: STS-27, a Department of Defense flight aboard Atlantis in Dec. 1988; and STS- 35, the Astro-1 astronomy laboratory aboard Columbia this past December. Gardner has been assigned to Johnson Space Center since his selection in May 1980. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Marshall Space Flight Center last night successfully test fired a 20-foot long, 48-inch-diameter, subscale solid rocket motor for approximately 30 seconds. The 8:30 pm EDT test at Marshall's East Test Area initiated a series of 10 firings which will support the development of the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor program candidate materials for the motor nozzle. The test motor weighs approximately 40,000 pounds and includes two propellant cartridges, each weighing about 10,000 lbs. Test measurements taken by the 150 sensors included temperatures, pressures, strains and other motor characteristics during the firing. The next Advanced Solid Rocket Motor subscale test is scheduled to occur in early summer. Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA Select TV. All times are Eastern. NASA Select TV is carried on GE Satcom F2R, transponder 13, C-Band, 72 degrees W Long., Audio 6.8, Frequency 3960 MHz. Thursday, 4/11/91 1:00 pm Replay of House Subcommittee on VA-HUD & Independent Agencies hearings on NASA FY 1992 budget request (Chairman Robert Traxler, D-Mich.)(taped 4/9/91). approx. 5:00 pm Replay of House Subcommittee on Space hearings on Space Station Freedom (Chairman Ralph Hall, D- Texas)(taped beginning 9:00 am, 4/11/91), this replay will follow immediately the Traxler replay. Friday, 4/12/91 10:30 am "Moonbase America," educational show originating in Cleveland. All events and times may change without notice. This report is filed daily, Monday through Friday, by 12:00 pm, Eastern. It is a service of NASA Headquarters Office of Public Affairs. Contact: CREDMOND on NASAmail or at 202/453-8425. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Apr 91 23:39:23 GMT From: usenet@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: Galileo Status for 04/10/91 (Forwarded) GALILEO STATUS REPORT April 10, 1991 Galileo will unfurl its 16-foot-diameter main communications antenna Thursday, setting the stage for transmission of high volumes of science data when Galileo flies by the asteroid Gaspra later this year. The umbrella-like high-gain antenna, made of metal mesh, has been stowed behind a sun shield since Galileo's launch in October 1989, to avoid heat damage while the spacecraft flew closer to the sun than the orbit of Earth. Using one of its low-gain antennas, Galileo generally transmits data at up to 1,200 bits per second (bps). With the high-gain antenna, Galileo will be able to transmit at up to 134,000 bps (the equivalent of about one television picture each minute) across hundreds of millions of miles of space. Commands to unfurl the antenna will be issued by Galileo's computers at about 12:50 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Thursday, April 11. The unfurling will be completed in less than 10 minutes. The first radio transmission over the antenna will be sent May 6. Galileo will use the high-gain antenna during its flyby of the asteroid Gaspra, at a distance of some 255 million miles from Earth, on October 29. The spacecraft will be some 580 million miles from Earth when it arrives at its final destination, the giant planet Jupiter, in December 1995. In other events this week, flight controllers on Tuesday, April 9, returned Galileo to its normal "dual-spin" configuration, in which part of the spacecraft spins and part remains fixed in relation to space. Galileo will be fully configured for normal operations by the time the next major sequence of commands is sent to the spacecraft April 25. Today Galileo is 37 million miles from Earth and 122 million miles from the sun, traveling at a heliocentric velocity of 62,800 miles per hour. Round-trip communication time is 6 minutes, 40 seconds. ------------------------------ Date: 12 Apr 91 01:40:57 GMT From: usenet@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: Current CD-ROMs on-line at the Ames SPACE archive Well, those CD-ROMs that Ron and I promised are now on-line and working. In fact, we have two drive slaved to the archive server. The first CD-ROM (directory /pub/SPACE/CDROM) currently contains volume 12 of the Voyager data. This disc has complete browse size and some full size images of Jupiter as taken by the Voyagers. I would suggest that you retrieve browse size images (quite a bit smaller) and then figure out which full resolution images you wish to retrieve. Some of the full size images are on other discs which will be rotated in on a weekly basis. The other CD-ROM currently on-line is attached to directory /pub/SPACE/CDROM2. This disc is Voyager CD-ROM 4 and contains images of Saturn. This disc does not contain the browse images (another disc, another week). Software to decompress the images is found in the software directory on each disc. For UNIX systems you need cdcomp.c (compile and run). PCs can use pcdcomp.exe. The /pub/SPACE/SOFTWARE directory on ames contains PC software to display the images on PCs. For UNIX systems, I suggest that you decompress the images into FITS format and then use Jef Poskaner's excellent PBMPlus to convert to your favorite viewing format. Try not to do "mget *" on every directory on the discs. If the network and host load from the archive service becomes excessive we will have to limit the number of ftps that can be run simulatenously. Also note that those CD-ROM drives have other uses and may be pulled off-line at anytime. And in addition, we will not mount CD-ROMs on demand -- we have other jobs to do and can't afford to devote too much time to the archive. On the other hand, if you have problems with archive service, please let me know. Now for the important facts: Archive host: ames.arc.nasa.gov (128.102.18.3) Login name: ftp Password: anything you like directories: /pub/SPACE/CDROM and /pub/SPACE/CDROM2 Mail archive-server access: Not currently available for binary files (Real Soon Now (tm)). As usual, we would like to thank and credit the following: Dr. Bradford A. Smith, Voyager Team Leader, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Planetary Data System, Jet Propulsion Laboratory National Space Science Data Center, Goddard Space Flight Center Please credit these people when using the data in any report, publication, or formal presentation. And a special thanks to Randall Robinson, Archive Server Manager, Ames Research Center for the use of his computer to house the archives. -Peter Yee yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov ames!yee PS We will put the Magellan and Neptune discs on-line as soon as Ron and I figure out how to get the Sun HSFS driver to understand the file types used on those discs. ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V13 #395 *******************