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 ; Thu, 20 Jun 91 01:26:37 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: Precedence: junk Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Thu, 20 Jun 91 01:26:29 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #668 SPACE Digest Volume 13 : Issue 668 Today's Topics: Research assistant positions at UC Berkeley - Space Sciences SIGNIFICANT MAJOR SOLAR FLARE ALERT Re: Tethers (was Re: Laser launchers) Toward 2001 - 27 May Re: satellite refuelling 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: 31 May 91 23:32:07 GMT From: stanford.edu!agate!root@decwrl.dec.com (EUVE jobs) Subject: Research assistant positions at UC Berkeley - Space Sciences Map the Unseen Universe The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) Project is looking for talented and enthusiastic professionals to join our team in exploring and documenting stars and galaxies as they have never been seen before. EUVE is a NASA satellite scheduled for launch in December 1991. Its four telescopes were designed and built at the Space Sciences Laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley. These high-tech instruments will scan the sky in the first-ever study of the extreme ultraviolet, a band of the spectrum that cannot be seen from Earth. Discoveries await us in this previously unexplored region of space. Among the challenges of the EUVE mission is the development of software to interpret the data gathered by the satellite. This software will be used to study the entire sky, creating a map of the locations and intensities of stars and other astronomical sources emitting EUV radiation, and to convert photon events into meaningful data for in-depth scientific study. The following positions are available: STAFF POSITIONS All jobs require a background in Astronomy, Physics, Math, Computer Science, or a related field. In addition, applicants must be familiar with the UNIX operating system and have experience with C and/or FORTRAN. RESEARCH ASSISTANT Box # 12-215-218-22 Q Work on a scientific team for reducing and analyzing EUVE spectrometer data for the Guest Observer Program. Coordinate data processing activities of space- and ground-based astronomical observations and assist in using software for scientific analysis of data. Integrate instrument calibration data into an evolving software package; test integrated astronomical software. Assist with evaluation of Guest Observer proposals. REQUIRED: Related work experience on an astronomical satellite project. DESIRABLE: Knowledge of IRAF. RESEARCH ASSISTANT Box # 03-214-218-22 Support the processing of EUVE satellite data from raw telemetry into skymaps, source catalogs, time-tagged photon files, and spectra. Monitor the data processing flow, help detect previously unknown EUV sources, assist in the understanding of spacecraft aspect, produce skymaps in multiple bandpasses, produce a history file database, develop data processing strategies with the staff scientists. REQUIRED: Experience with C or Bourne shell scripts. DESIRABLE: Experience with data reduction and analysis techniques with astronomical packages. **************************************************************** All jobs are located at the Center for EUV Astrophysics on the UC Berkeley campus. To apply, send a resume and three references to the UC Employment Office, 2539 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 94720. Cite the box number given for the position. You may also send copies of resumes and cover letters by email to euvejobs@ssl.berkeley.edu. However, official applications MUST go through the UC Employment Office at the address given above. THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jun 91 13:05:58 MDT From: oler <@BITNET.CC.CMU.EDU:oler@HG.ULeth.CA> (CARY OLER) Subject: SIGNIFICANT MAJOR SOLAR FLARE ALERT X-St-Vmsmail-To: st%"space+@andrew.cmu.edu" -- MAJOR SOLAR FLARE ALERT -- JUNE 01, 1991 Flare Event Summary Potential Impact Assessment -------- MAJOR ENERGETIC EVENT SUMMARY A very powerful solar flare ripped out of the northeast solar limb today. The event, one of the most powerful events observed in several years, produced an impressive spray out to as far as 0.51 solar radii. The x-rays from this flare peaked at a class X12 level before saturating the sensors on the GOES satellites. Saturation occurred for a period of 12 minutes, so the true intensity of this flare is unknown (it was well above a class X12 level). The location of this very energetic event is not firmly known. The region which spawned this flare is still just slightly beyond the east solar limb and should rotate into view shortly. The associated flare spray was observed at a solar latitude of N30E90. This event included a major Type II sweep frequency event, and a moderate intensity Type IV continuum burst. The 10 cm radio burst was 5,400 sfu, while the 245 MHz burst was rated at 21,000 sfu. The integrated x-ray flux from this event is estimated at 4.50, which is extraordinarily high for any solar event. The flare began at 14:56 UT, reached a peak near 15:00 UT (preliminary data) and has not yet finished. X-rays decayed to a class X1.0 level at 17:30 UT and at the time of this writing (18:00 UT) x-rays were still above the M8.0 level. This is an exceedingly significant solar flare. Although the optical counterpart cannot be determined accurately due to the poor location of this flare, the optical portion that was observed was estimated at 2N. Significant protons were likely ejected from this flare, but due to the poor location of the flare, we may not observe any protons from it. This flare produced one of the most significant ionospheric impacts in quite some time. A major HF radio blackout occurred with this event. All HF bands have been wiped out since approximately 15:00 UT (over three hours so far), and blackout conditions are expected to continue for at least another hour or so. Some improvement may be observed by 20:00 UT, although ionization levels will remain enhanced throughout the rest of the UT day. Significant VHF enhancements may have been observed with this event. Data has not yet arrived concerning the VHF spectrum. POTENTIAL TERRESTRIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT There is not expected to be a geomagnetic impact from this large flare. There is a very slight risk that protons might become slightly enhanced, although the probability for this is rather low. A proton event remains in progress at the present time (particles are hovering near 10 pfu). The next two weeks should prove to be very interesting. If the region which spawned todays very powerful event holds together throughout the next two weeks, very high terrestrial impacts might be observed. Central meridian transit of this region should occur within 7 or 8 days. More will be known when this region rotates into view. HF radio operators should expect to see further minor to major radio blackouts over the next two weeks. Perhaps not as all-encompassing as this most recent major event was, but strong nonetheless. Watch for future major flare alerts, and possible warnings. ** End of Alert ** ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 21:34:43 GMT From: news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utzoo!henry@uunet.uu.net (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: Tethers (was Re: Laser launchers) In article <1991Jun01.114755.779@disk.uucp> joefish@disk.uucp (joefish) writes: >The long things you were discussing are called "beanstalks", >and are science fiction, because the materials to make them >possible will never exist. Nonsense. For the full geostationary beanstalk, given careful design (in particular, a tapered cable), the strengths are well within theoretical maximum strengths of materials. They are beyond the current state of the art, but the state of the art is advancing rapidly. Less demanding designs like rotating low-orbit tethers can be done with off-the-shelf materials, although they have their own complications. >A steel cable 20 miles long will >break from it's own weight. Make it out of 1Mpsi carbon fiber (commercially available for several years) and it won't. Nobody has ever suggested using steel. >The question is: How can discussions of beanstalks be stopped? By persistently posting completely ignorant and incorrect flames about them? -- "We're thinking about upgrading from | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology SunOS 4.1.1 to SunOS 3.5." | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry ------------------------------ Date: 25 May 91 17:36:42 GMT From: usc!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!pitt!nss!freed@apple.com (Bev Freed) Subject: Toward 2001 - 27 May *********** TOWARD 2001 *********** Week of 27 May 1991 A Weekly Feature of SPACE CALENDAR + = Domestic (USA) Earth event * = Domestic (USA) space event o = International Earth event # = International space event -------------------------------------------------------------------- REPRINT INFORMATION This information is reproduced by permission of the Space Age Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Copyright April 15, 1991. Reproduction in any form without written permission violates federal statute with penalty of up to $50,000. SPACE CALENDAR is edited and published on the Big `Space' Island of Hawaii. ==================================================================== * * * * * * * + 5th Shuttle Orbiter Washington DC NASA administrator Richard Truly will pursue the issue of another orbiter to bring the fleet back to its originally planned strength. Truly told a Senate panel on 8 May that debate should continue. * * * * * * * + American Rocket Co Camrillo CA AMROC is proceeding with plans to use its hybrid rocket engine technology to build the Aquila launcher. The new rocket is to have a LEO capacity of 1,400 lb (636 kg) and could be ready for flight by late 1994. * * * * * * * o Canada Space Technologies Ancaster Ontario Founded in 1990, CST is negotiating with Canadian officials for rights to transform the defunct Churchill Research Range into a commercial launch facility. A 1989 feasibility study found the market could make the range profitable after a few years. * * * * * * * o Solidaridad System Mexico City, Mexico Hughes will provide two HS601 satellites, ground equipment, and training to the Mexican government for US$183.47 million. The first spacecraft, which will have a service life of 12-14 years, is to be delivered by September 1993 and could be launched as early as November 1993. * * * * * * * # Soviet Mir 1 Space Station Low Earth Orbit Cosmonauts Viktor Afanasyev and Musa Manarov should return to Earth this week following a 6 month tour of duty, along with premier British astronaut Helen Sharman. New crew at Mir 1 consists of Anatoly P Artsebarski and Sergei K Krikalyov. * * * * * * * o Arabsat Consortium Cairo, Egypt A third ArabSat communications satellite, worth US$50 million, will be launched in December 1991 via an Ariane rocket, ministers of the group revealed in early May. The move ends speculation that Arabsat would honor an earlier contract with China Great Wall Industries Corp. * * * * * * * o HutchVision Ltd / MTV Deal Hong Kong HutchVision expects to begin 24 hour programming of an adapted MTV to its pan-Asia audience in September, following an agreement with Viacom International. * * * * * * * + Texas Space Future College Station TX Texas' work in superconductivity, biomedical research, and agriculture is part of "creating a world that will make `Star Trek' look primitive" Governor Ann Richards told graduates from Texas A&M this month. Those developments will make Texas an international trade center, Richards said. * * * * * * * + Onizuka Space Center Kona HI The $2 million Astronaut Ellison S Onizuka Space Center at Keahole Airport should be open in time for the 11 July total solar eclipse, the coordinating committee said recently. About $750,000 worth of exhibits have yet to be installed in the $1.3 million structure completed by the state earlier this year. * * * * * * * + Lunar Footnote (Statistic) 6,738 Days since Moon last visited by humans. * * * * * * * o International Space Year 1992 (Quotation) "The most important policy objective of the ISY . . . is to instill a new Space Age frame of reference in the thoughts and actions of governments and individuals." -- The late U S Senator Spark M Matsunaga, Hawaii -------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT SPACE CALENDAR Space Calendar provides a weekly preview of upcoming events in the space industry. It is published weekly by the SPACE AGE PUBLISHING COMPANY from offices in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. For a free sample of the printed publication, use the address, telephone, or fax numbers for the Hawaii office listed below. SPACE AGE PUBLISHING COMPANY also publishes SPACE FAX DAILY from its offices in Cupertino, California. For information about SPACE FAX DAILY use the address, telephone, or fax numbers for the California office listed below. HAWAII OFFICE: 75-5751 Kuakini Highway, Suite 209, Kailua-Kona HI 96740; 808-326-2014, fax 808-326-1825. CALIFORNIA OFFICE: 20431 Steven Creek Blvd, Cupertino CA 95054; 408-996-9210, fax 408-996-2125. ==================================================================== --- Opus-CBCS 1.20.iii * Origin: NSS BBS - Ad Astra! (412)366-5208 *HST* (1:129/104.0) -- Bev Freed - via FidoNet node 1:129/104 UUCP: ...!pitt!nss!freed INTERNET: freed@nss.FIDONET.ORG ------------------------------ Date: 27 May 91 19:56:00 GMT From: agate!spool.mu.edu!rex!rouge!dlbres10@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Fraering Philip) Subject: Re: satellite refuelling In article <1991May27.165348.7826@zoo.toronto.edu> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes: \Very slowly. There is some interest in small electric thrusters for comsat /stationkeeping, but I don't think anyone has flown them yet. The hottest \new development (pun unintentional) in comsat thrusters is using resistance /grids or electric arcs to superheat the exhaust from a hydrazine thruster. Couldn't an electric heating element be used as a catalyst? Doesn't the design of some resistojets involve feeding the hydrazine itself into an arcjet, without prior decomposition? BTW, WRT extraterrestrial resources: most schemes to retrieve extraterrestrial resources involve propulsion devices much more sophisticated, powerful, and efficient (both energy and propellantwise) than the thrusters on today's comsats. This same technology applied to sattelites would at today's usage levels greatly diminish the need for any sort of refuelling. I suspect that bulk fuels from Earth or extraterrestrial resources would have to serve a different market than today's comsats. There is no immediate market right now. Phil Fraering || Usenet (?):dlbres10@pc.usl.edu || YellNet: 318/365-5418 Standard disclaimer, whatever a disclaimer is, applies. ''It hardly mattered now; it was, in fact, a fine and enviable madness, this delusion that all questions have answers, and nothing is beyond the reach of a strong left arm.`` - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, _The Mote in God's Eye_ ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V13 #668 *******************