Date: Wed, 3 Feb 93 05:37:19 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V16 #117 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Wed, 3 Feb 93 Volume 16 : Issue 117 Today's Topics: "suicides" of SDI scientists Challenger transcript Mir/SSF(Fred) Combo Mission.. Precursors to Fred (was Re: Sabatier Reactors.) Question: International Space University So what's happened to Henry Spencer? Space FAQ 06/15 - Constants and Equations Space FAQ 07/15 - Astronomical Mnemonics Space FAQ 08/15 - Addresses Space FAQ 09/15 - Mission Schedules Using off-the-shelf-components Well.. (2 msgs) Welcome to the Space Digest!! Please send your messages to "space@isu.isunet.edu", and (un)subscription requests of the form "Subscribe Space " to one of these addresses: listserv@uga (BITNET), rice::boyle (SPAN/NSInet), utadnx::utspan::rice::boyle (THENET), or space-REQUEST@isu.isunet.edu (Internet). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 2 Feb 1993 18:06:31 GMT From: Andy Cohen Subject: "suicides" of SDI scientists Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Jan27.214243.21269@ee.ubc.ca>, davem@ee.ubc.ca (Dave Michelson) wrote: > > In article roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov (John Roberts) writes: > > > >...there's a significant chance that you read either this story or a reference > >to this story, and now you remember it as an historical event. > > > >Or, maybe, [lowers voice to ominous tone] > >it...wasn't...just...a...story!!! [eerie music plays in background] > > > > :-) > > In fact, it *was* an historical event. About four years ago(?), the media > spent a great deal of time pondering a number of "suspicious" suicides > of defence scientists working in Britain for companies like Marconi > Space and Defence. It's even possible that "60 Minutes" ran a segment > on the issue. Nothing was ever proven, though, and the media lost > interest. As I recall, the suspicious nature of the deaths was raised > by the victim's families who asked the media to investigate on their behalf. I recollect that they were not working on SDI......I recall that they were working on a superfast torpedo........The source was Av Week... Andy Cohen McDonnell Douglas Aerospace ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Feb 1993 16:40:36 GMT From: fred j mccall 575-3539 Subject: Challenger transcript Newsgroups: sci.space In dsblack@iastate.edu (Vilkata TDK) writes: >In <728437280.AA00100@eilc.fidonet.org> Tim.Tyler@f48.n374.z1.fidonet.org (Tim Tyler) writes: >>29 Jan 93 22:58, Tesuji wrote to All: >> T> A secret NASA tape reveals that the crew of the shuttle Challenger >> T> not only survived the explosion that ripped the vessel apart; they >> T> screamed, cried, cursed and prayed for three hellish minutes before >> T> they slammed into the Atlantic and perished on January 28, 1986. >> T> The tape is said to begin with a startled crewman screaming,"What >> T> happened? What happened? Oh God - No!" Screams and curses are heard- >> T> several crewmen begin to weep- and then others bid their families >> T> farewell. >> T> Two minutes forty-five seconds later the tape ends. That's when the >> T> shuttles crew compartment, which remained intact after the vessel >> T> exploded over the Atlantic, hit the ocean at over 2,000 miles per >> T> hour, instantly killing the crew. >>Well, that and the rest of that post was certainly the most tasteless thing I've seen here in ages... >Why do you think it's tasteless? It happens to be the truth. Horse manure. >I went to Space >Camp for two years, and lots of those people have information the general >public usually doesn't. Yeah, and the brother of a friend of mine was an astronaut at the time. So what? [And we won't even mention all the people on here who work a lot closer to things than you ever got. Oh, but of course, they're all part of a Conspiracy of Silence. Silly me.] >In fact, the first year, my group's counselor was the >daughter of astronaut Robert L. Stewart, Jenny (very nice). I don't remember >if it was she or someone else, but someone told us that the last thing they >heard _before the explosion_ was something to the effect of "Uh oh." This was known and has nothing to do with the lack of veracity of stupid things like this purported 'transcript', which of course is supposed to come from the personal recorder of the Teacher in Space (gotta work her in there somewhere for the emotional impact, after all). >The truth is, they were all conscious (sp?) and aware of what was happening. Well, they were sure conscious when it blew up (which is all your 'inside knowledge' proves), but we all kind of knew that already. We've never been in the habit of launching unconscious crews. That at least one person became aware of there being *something* wrong immediately before the explostion is hardly incredible. The remainder of this whole issue is merely sensationalist crap that someone posted to get attention. >Which makes it that much more terrible, but that's Life, and a lot of us like >to know the whole truth. With your attitude, you will never believe it. You're too busy looking for The Real Truth -- you know, the one that corresponds with what you want to believe rather than what happened. -- "Insisting on perfect safety is for people who don't have the balls to live in the real world." -- Mary Shafer, NASA Ames Dryden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fred.McCall@dseg.ti.com - I don't speak for others and they don't speak for me. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Feb 93 17:18:55 PST From: Brian Stuart Thorn Subject: Mir/SSF(Fred) Combo Mission.. Newsgroups: sci.space >Why must the US have its own pet progect space station.. Why not have a >combined one, maybe under a loose UN aspicies... United Fed here we come.. >Why not schedule Soyuz and Shuttle mission so that both US and Russian and >other Astronauts go up on different birds. Maybe have a revolving crew? >How dificult would it be to just build onto Mir or dsign a new center and >connect Mir to it.. Do some mining of waste space debris.. After all ther emus t >be alot of junk in space that is just there for the taking and using.. >Why must we spend more money to send materials into space when the materials >have already been sent into space.. > > >Michael Adams Sounds alot like putting all our eggs in one basket. Didn't we learn something about that on January 28, 1986? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian S. Thorn "If ignorance is bliss, BrianT@cup.portal.com this must be heaven." -Diane Chambers, "Cheers" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 2 Feb 1993 18:04:57 GMT From: Andy Cohen Subject: Precursors to Fred (was Re: Sabatier Reactors.) Newsgroups: sci.space In article , ewright@convex.com (Edward V. Wright) wrote: > > In <1k6ndgINNl2j@mojo.eng.umd.edu> sysmgr@king.eng.umd.edu (Doug Mohney) writes: > > >So how do you suggest NASA tests hardware and flight procedures before Freedom > >goes up? > > Well, if I was in a position to offer suggestions to NASA > (if NASA was willing to listen), I'd suggest that they *stop* > testing hardware and flight procedures for space station > Freedom. Forget about building the ultimate whizzy-gadget > loaded station. Just take what we already have and know > (which is quite a lot) and *build* the damn thing already. There is no more "ultimate whizzy-gadget loaded station". That went away a long time ago.... What we are building is just what is needed....period. SSF has been literally a fixed price program now for awhile.....even though it's officially cost plus. As far as building in orbit..... The first element launch (FEL)...... (*********1995!!!! This has held firm......SINCE 1988!!********) simply places the first truss assembly up there (this one has the first solar arrays, rotary joints and a bunch of avionics boxes) The crew will likely need to go out and do checkups on it to make sure it's OK after launch. The second launch (don't ask how long between launches..... it's still being worked...BUT THE FIRST INTERVAL WILL BE VERY SHORT...i.e., *****2 mos*****) puts up the next truss with enough additional boxes to start up some power and the propulsion system.... This second launch will require the job of placing the second truss on the Unpressurized berthing adapter (UBA) via the mobile transporter (MT.....a kinda cart which will travel along the length of the truss and will also carry the robotic servicing stuff....sorry...I'm trying to be brief)...then mating the two structures with motorized latching and bolting mechanisms. Once the second truss (S2) is on the UBA, the robot arm grabs the first (S1) and moves it into position..... Of course, there will be a great deal of EVA for the crew thoughout the procedure... Especially after the mating to attach the cabling and piping...etc......there will be four more launches after that for the Man-tended configuration to be completed..... IT WILL BE COMPLETED IN AT LEAST 15 mos after FEL....baring glitches and weather.... There are no test flights that are on our critical path. Any "test flights" are exploratory and not tied to our schedules/milestones. There are critical tests though at White Sands for propulsion going on right now for which ....They have already cut metal. I've actually seen metal truss assemblies.... We ARE building it.....even though the amount of $ we need to do the job correctly by 1995...96 through to 98 for full man-tended.....is diminishing..... The people working the drawings are all on a 24 hour a day schedule with most working through the weekend.... They are busting their butts....with only the glory of the completed job to look forward to afterward..... layoffs at some point will be inevitable..... After all there are no follow-on programs.... ONE THING IS A DEFINATE....... WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT THERE WILL NOT BE A SPACE STATION FREEDOM!!!! ------------------------------ Date: 2 Feb 93 18:56:48 GMT From: Michael Burstein Subject: Question: International Space University Newsgroups: sci.space I read in the Boston Globe today that the ISU had found a place for a permanent campus, in France. I was wondering if anyone out there knows how I can get in contact with them. Every year they run their summer program somewhere else, and I've been interested in applying, but I don't know how to reach them. -- Michael A. Burstein Physics Department, Boston University mab@buphy.bu.edu 590 Commonwealth Ave. (617) 353-9437 (o) Boston, MA 02215 (617) 735-9433 (h) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Feb 1993 17:51:02 GMT From: Thomas Kuerten Subject: So what's happened to Henry Spencer? Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Jan28.110930.20231@news.cs.indiana.edu>, "Bob Montante" writes: |> | > |>Does anyone know why Henry Spencer has not posted recently? |> | > |> | > Perhaps he is on vacation - with Elvis? |> |> He's *ba-a-a-a-ck-k-k...* |> |> :) And we're all glad! who's back ? Elvis ? ... -- Thomas Kuerten beim Pfarracker 29 8044 Unterschleissheim email: kuerten@informatik.tu-muenchen.de "Oh no, not one more of this silly past-post-poems...:)" ------------------------------ Date: 2 Feb 1993 13:58:19 -0500 From: Jon Leech Subject: Space FAQ 06/15 - Constants and Equations Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space,sci.answers,news.answers Archive-name: space/constants Last-modified: $Date: 93/02/02 13:16:58 $ CONSTANTS AND EQUATIONS FOR CALCULATIONS This list was originally compiled by Dale Greer. Additions would be appreciated. Numbers in parentheses are approximations that will serve for most blue-skying purposes. Unix systems provide the 'units' program, useful in converting between different systems (metric/English, etc.) NUMBERS 7726 m/s (8000) -- Earth orbital velocity at 300 km altitude 3075 m/s (3000) -- Earth orbital velocity at 35786 km (geosync) 6378 km (6400) -- Mean radius of Earth 1738 km (1700) -- Mean radius of Moon 5.974e24 kg (6e24) -- Mass of Earth 7.348e22 kg (7e22) -- Mass of Moon 1.989e30 kg (2e30) -- Mass of Sun 3.986e14 m^3/s^2 (4e14) -- Gravitational constant times mass of Earth 4.903e12 m^3/s^2 (5e12) -- Gravitational constant times mass of Moon 1.327e20 m^3/s^2 (13e19) -- Gravitational constant times mass of Sun 384401 km ( 4e5) -- Mean Earth-Moon distance 1.496e11 m (15e10) -- Mean Earth-Sun distance (Astronomical Unit) 1 megaton (MT) TNT = about 4.2e15 J or the energy equivalent of about .05 kg (50 gm) of matter. Ref: J.R Williams, "The Energy Level of Things", Air Force Special Weapons Center (ARDC), Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, 1963. Also see "The Effects of Nuclear Weapons", compiled by S. Glasstone and P.J. Dolan, published by the US Department of Defense (obtain from the GPO). EQUATIONS Where d is distance, v is velocity, a is acceleration, t is time. Additional more specialized equations are available from: ames.arc.nasa.gov:pub/SPACE/FAQ/MoreEquations For constant acceleration d = d0 + vt + .5at^2 v = v0 + at v^2 = 2ad Acceleration on a cylinder (space colony, etc.) of radius r and rotation period t: a = 4 pi**2 r / t^2 For circular Keplerian orbits where: Vc = velocity of a circular orbit Vesc = escape velocity M = Total mass of orbiting and orbited bodies G = Gravitational constant (defined below) u = G * M (can be measured much more accurately than G or M) K = -G * M / 2 / a r = radius of orbit (measured from center of mass of system) V = orbital velocity P = orbital period a = semimajor axis of orbit Vc = sqrt(M * G / r) Vesc = sqrt(2 * M * G / r) = sqrt(2) * Vc V^2 = u/a P = 2 pi/(Sqrt(u/a^3)) K = 1/2 V**2 - G * M / r (conservation of energy) The period of an eccentric orbit is the same as the period of a circular orbit with the same semi-major axis. Change in velocity required for a plane change of angle phi in a circular orbit: delta V = 2 sqrt(GM/r) sin (phi/2) Energy to put mass m into a circular orbit (ignores rotational velocity, which reduces the energy a bit). GMm (1/Re - 1/2Rcirc) Re = radius of the earth Rcirc = radius of the circular orbit. Classical rocket equation, where dv = change in velocity Isp = specific impulse of engine Ve = exhaust velocity x = reaction mass m1 = rocket mass excluding reaction mass g = 9.80665 m / s^2 Ve = Isp * g dv = Ve * ln((m1 + x) / m1) = Ve * ln((final mass) / (initial mass)) Relativistic rocket equation (constant acceleration) t (unaccelerated) = c/a * sinh(a*t/c) d = c**2/a * (cosh(a*t/c) - 1) v = c * tanh(a*t/c) Relativistic rocket with exhaust velocity Ve and mass ratio MR: at/c = Ve/c * ln(MR), or t (unaccelerated) = c/a * sinh(Ve/c * ln(MR)) d = c**2/a * (cosh(Ve/C * ln(MR)) - 1) v = c * tanh(Ve/C * ln(MR)) Converting from parallax to distance: d (in parsecs) = 1 / p (in arc seconds) d (in astronomical units) = 206265 / p Miscellaneous f=ma -- Force is mass times acceleration w=fd -- Work (energy) is force times distance Atmospheric density varies as exp(-mgz/kT) where z is altitude, m is molecular weight in kg of air, g is local acceleration of gravity, T is temperature, k is Bolztmann's constant. On Earth up to 100 km, d = d0*exp(-z*1.42e-4) where d is density, d0 is density at 0km, is approximately true, so d@12km (40000 ft) = d0*.18 d@9 km (30000 ft) = d0*.27 d@6 km (20000 ft) = d0*.43 d@3 km (10000 ft) = d0*.65 Titius-Bode Law for approximating planetary distances: R(n) = 0.4 + 0.3 * 2^N Astronomical Units (N = -infinity for Mercury, 0 for Venus, 1 for Earth, etc.) This fits fairly well except for Neptune. CONSTANTS 6.62618e-34 J-s (7e-34) -- Planck's Constant "h" 1.054589e-34 J-s (1e-34) -- Planck's Constant / (2 * PI), "h bar" 1.3807e-23 J/K (1.4e-23) - Boltzmann's Constant "k" 5.6697e-8 W/m^2/K (6e-8) -- Stephan-Boltzmann Constant "sigma" 6.673e-11 N m^2/kg^2 (7e-11) -- Newton's Gravitational Constant "G" 0.0029 m K (3e-3) -- Wien's Constant "sigma(W)" 3.827e26 W (4e26) -- Luminosity of Sun 1370 W / m^2 (1400) -- Solar Constant (intensity at 1 AU) 6.96e8 m (7e8) -- radius of Sun 1738 km (2e3) -- radius of Moon 299792458 m/s (3e8) -- speed of light in vacuum "c" 9.46053e15 m (1e16) -- light year 206264.806 AU (2e5) -- \ 3.2616 light years (3) -- --> parsec 3.0856e16 m (3e16) -- / Black Hole radius (also called Schwarzschild Radius): 2GM/c^2, where G is Newton's Grav Constant, M is mass of BH, c is speed of light Things to add (somebody look them up!) Basic rocketry numbers & equations Aerodynamical stuff Energy to put a pound into orbit or accelerate to interstellar velocities. Non-circular cases? Atmosphere scale height for various planets. NEXT: FAQ #7/15 - Astronomical Mnemonics ------------------------------ Date: 2 Feb 1993 13:58:24 -0500 From: Jon Leech Subject: Space FAQ 07/15 - Astronomical Mnemonics Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space,sci.answers,news.answers Archive-name: space/mnemonics Last-modified: $Date: 93/02/02 13:17:06 $ ASTRONOMICAL MNEMONICS (This is the last FAQ section posted to sci.astro) Gathered from various flurries of mnemonic postings on sci.astro. Spectral classification sequence: O B A F G K M R N S Oh Be A Fine Girl Kiss Me Right Now, Sweetheart. (a classic) O'Dell's Big Astronomical Fiasco Gonna Kill Me Right Now Surely Obese Balding Astronomy Found Guilty; Killed Many Reluctant Nonscience Students. Octopus Brains, A Favorite Gastronomical Kitchen Menu, Requires No Sauce Odd Ball Astronomers Find Generally Kooky Mnemonics Really Nifty Stuff Oh Big And Ferocious Gorilla, Kill My Roomate Next Saturday Oh Boy, A Flash! Godzilla Kills Mothra! Really Not Surprising! Oh Boy, An F Grade Kills Me On Bad Afternoons Fermented Grapes Keep Mrs. Richard Nixon Smiling On, Backward Astronomer, Forget Geocentricity; Kepler's Motions Reveal Nature's Simplicity Our Bad Astronomy Faculty Gets Killed Monday Oven Baked Ants, Fried Gently, Kept Moist, Retain Natural Succulence Overseas Broadcast: A Flash! Godzilla kills Mothra! (Rodan Named Successor) Overweight Boys and Fat Girls Keep Munching Only Bored Astronomers Find Gratification Knowing Mnemonics Oh Bloody Astronomy! F Grades Kill Me Order of the planets: Sun Mercury Venus Earth (Terra) Mars (Asteroids) Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto My Very Earnest Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas Mother Very Thoughtfully Made A Jelly Sandwich Under No Protest My Very Erotic Mate Joyfully Satisfies Unusual Needs Passionately Men Very Easily Make Jugs Serve Useful Nocturnal Purposes Man Very Early Made A Jug Serve Useful Noble Purposes My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets My Very Eager Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets My Very Exhausted Mother hAs Just Swept Up a Planetary Nebula Most Voters Earn Money Just Showing Up Near Polls My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizza-pies Many Viscious Elephants Made John, Suzy and Uncle Need Protection Solar Mass Very Easily Makes All Jupiter's Satellites Undergo Numerous Perturbations. Mein Vater erklaert mir jeden Sonntag unsere niedlichen Planeten (My Father explains to me every Sunday our nine planets) Man verachte einen Menschen in seinem Unglueck nie -- Punkt (Never scorn/despise a person in his misfortune/bad luck/misery -- period!) Colors of the spectrum: Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet ROY G. BIV (pronounce as a man's name) Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain Read Out Your Good Book In Verse Galilean Satellite of Jupiter: Io Europa Ganymede Callisto I Expect God Cries I Eat Green Cheese I Embarrass Good Christians Ich erschrecke all guten Christen (I scare all good Christians) Saturnian Satellites MET DR THIP Miriam's Enchiladas Taste Divine Recently. Tell Her I'm Proud. (Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, Hyperion, Iapetus, Phoebe) Uranian Satellites: MAUTO Mispronunciations Afflict Uranus Too Often My Angel Uriel Takes Opium (Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, Oberon) NOTE: the remaining FAQ sections do not appear in sci.astro, as they cover material of relevance only to sci.space. NEXT: FAQ #8/15 - Contacting NASA, ESA, and other space agencies/companies ------------------------------ Date: 2 Feb 1993 13:58:27 -0500 From: Jon Leech Subject: Space FAQ 08/15 - Addresses Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.answers,news.answers Archive-name: space/addresses Last-modified: $Date: 93/02/02 12:14:33 $ CONTACTING NASA, ESA, AND OTHER SPACE AGENCIES/COMPANIES Many space activities center around large Government or International Bureaucracies. In the US that means NASA. If you have basic information requests: (e.g., general PR info, research grants, data, limited tours, and ESPECIALLY SUMMER EMPLOYMENT (typically resumes should be ready by Jan. 1), etc.), consider contacting the nearest NASA Center to answer your questions. EMail typically will not get you any where, computers are used by investigators, not PR people. The typical volume of mail per Center is a multiple of 10,000 letters a day. Seek the Public Information Office at one of the below, this is their job: NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is the civilian space agency of of the United States Federal Government. It reports directly to the White House and is not a Cabinet post such as the military Department of Defense. Its 20K+ employees are civil servants and hence US citizens. Another 100K+ contractors also work for NASA. NASA CENTERS NASA Headquarters (NASA HQ) Washington DC 20546 (202)-453-8400 Ask them questions about policy, money, and things of political nature. Direct specific questions to the appropriate center. NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) Moffett Field, CA 94035 (415)-694-5091 Some aeronautical research, atmosphere reentry, Mars and Venus planetary atmospheres. "Lead center" for Helicopter research, V/STOL, etc. Runs Pioneer series of space probes. NASA Ames Research Center Dryden Flight Research Facility [DFRF] P. O. Box 273 Edwards, CA 93523 (805)-258-8381 Aircraft, mostly. Tested the shuttle orbiter landing characteristics. Developed X-1, D-558, X-3, X-4, X-5, XB-70, and of course, the X-15. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Greenbelt, MD 20771 [Outside of Washington DC] (301)-344-6255 Earth orbiting unmanned satellites and sounding rockets. Developed LANDSAT. Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) California Institute of Technology 4800 Oak Grove Dr. Pasadena, CA 91109 (818)-354-5011 The "heavies" in planetary research probes and other unmanned projects (they also had a lot to do with IRAS). They run Voyager, Magellan, Galileo, and will run Cassini, CRAF, etc. etc.. For images, probe navigation, and other info about unmanned exploration, this is the place to go. JPL is run under contract for NASA by the nearby California Institute of Technology, unlike the NASA centers above. This distinction is subtle but critical. JPL has different requirements for unsolicited research proposals and summer hires. For instance in the latter, an SF 171 is useless. Employees are Caltech employees, contractors, and for the most part have similar responsibilities. They offer an alternative to funding after other NASA Centers. NASA Johnson Manned Space Center (JSC) Houston, TX 77058 (713)-483-5111 JSC manages Space Shuttle, ground control of manned missions. Astronaut training. Manned mission simulators. NASA Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSC) Titusville, FL 32899 (407)-867-2468 Space launch center. You know this one. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Hampton, VA 23665 [Near Newport News, VA] (804)-865-2935 Original NASA site. Specializes in theoretical and experimental flight dynamics. Viking. Long Duration Exposure Facility. NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) 21000 Brookpark Rd. Cleveland, OH 44135 (216)-433-4000 Aircraft/Rocket propulsion. Space power generation. Materials research. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Huntsville, AL 35812 (205)-453-0034 Development, production, delivery of Solid Rocket Boosters, External Tank, Orbiter main engines. Propulsion and launchers. Michoud Assembly Facility Orleans Parish New Orleans, LA 70129 (504)-255-2601 Shuttle external tanks are produced here; formerly Michoud produced first stages for the Saturn V. Stennis Space Center Bay St. Louis, Mississippi 39529 (601)-688-3341 Space Shuttle main engines are tested here, as were Saturn V first and second stages. The center also does remote-sensing and technology-transfer research. Wallops Flight Center Wallops Island, VA 23337 (804)824-3411 Aeronautical research, sounding rockets, Scout launcher. Manager, Technology Utilization Office NASA Scientific and Technical Information Facility Post Office Box 8757 Baltimore, Maryland 21240 Specific requests for software must go thru COSMIC at the Univ. of Georgia, NASA's contracted software redistribution service. You can reach them at cosmic@uga.bitnet. NOTE: Foreign nationals requesting information must go through their Embassies in Washington DC. These are facilities of the US Government and are regarded with some degree of economic sensitivity. Centers cannot directly return information without high Center approval. Allow at least 1 month for clearance. This includes COSMIC. The US Air Force Space Command can be contacted thru the Pentagon along with other Department of Defense offices. They have unacknowledged offices in Los Angeles, Sunnyvale, Colorado Springs, and other locations. They have a budget which rivals NASA in size. ARIANESPACE HEADQUARTERS Boulevard de l'Europe B.P. 177 91006 Evry Cedex France ARIANESPACE, INC. 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 875 Washington, DC 20006 (202)-728-9075 EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY (ESA) 955 L'Enfant Plaza S.W. Washington, D.C. 20024 (202)-488-4158 NATIONAL SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (NASDA) 4-1 Hamamatsu-Cho, 2 Chome Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105, JAPAN SOYUZKARTA 45 Vologradsij Pr. Moscow 109125 USSR SPACE CAMP Alabama Space and Rocket Center U.S. SPACE CAMP 1 Tranquility Base 6225 Vectorspace Blvd Huntsville, AL 35805 Titusville FL 32780 (205)-837-3400 (407)267-3184 Registration and mailing list are handled through Huntsville -- both camps are described in the same brochure. Programs offered at Space Camp are: Space Camp - one week, youngsters completing grades 4-6 Space Academy I - one week, grades 7-9 Aviation Challenge - one week high school program, grades 9-11 Space Academy II - 8 days, college accredited, grades 10-12 Adult Program - 3 days (editorial comment: it's great!) Teachers Program - 5 days SPACE COMMERCE CORPORATION (U.S. agent for Soviet launch services) 504 Pluto Drive 69th flr, Texas Commerce Tower Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Houston, TX 77002 (719)-578-5490 (713)-227-9000 SPACEHAB 600 Maryland Avenue, SW Suite 201 West Washington, DC 20004 (202)-488-3483 SPOT IMAGE CORPORATION 1857 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 22091 (FAX) (703)-648-1813 (703)-620-2200 OTHER COMMERCIAL SPACE BUSINESSES Vincent Cate maintains a list with addresses and some info for a variety of companies in space-related businesses. This is mailed out on the space-investors list he runs (see the "Network Resources" FAQ) and is also available by anonymous ftp from furmint.nectar.cs.cmu.edu (128.2.209.111) in /usr/vac/ftp/space-companies. NEXT: FAQ #9/15 - Schedules for space missions, and how to see them ------------------------------ Date: 2 Feb 1993 13:58:29 -0500 From: Jon Leech Subject: Space FAQ 09/15 - Mission Schedules Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.answers,news.answers Archive-name: space/schedule Last-modified: $Date: 93/02/02 13:17:12 $ SPACE SHUTTLE ANSWERS, LAUNCH SCHEDULES, TV COVERAGE SHUTTLE LAUNCHINGS AND LANDINGS; SCHEDULES AND HOW TO SEE THEM Shuttle operations are discussed in the Usenet group sci.space.shuttle, and Ken Hollis (gandalf@pro-electric.cts.com) posts a compressed version of the shuttle manifest (launch dates and other information) periodically there. The manifest is also available from the Ames SPACE archive in SPACE/FAQ/manifest. The portion of his manifest formerly included in this FAQ has been removed; please refer to his posting or the archived copy. For the most up to date information on upcoming missions, call (407) 867-INFO (867-4636) at Kennedy Space Center. Official NASA shuttle status reports are posted to sci.space.news frequently. HOW TO RECEIVE THE NASA TV CHANNEL, NASA SELECT NASA SELECT is broadcast by satellite. If you have access to a satellite dish, you can find SELECT on Satcom F2R, Transponder 13, C-Band, 72 degrees West Longitude, Audio 6.8, Frequency 3960 MHz. F2R is stationed over the Atlantic, and is increasingly difficult to receive from California and points west. During events of special interest (e.g. shuttle missions), SELECT is sometimes broadcast on a second satellite for these viewers. If you can't get a satellite feed, some cable operators carry SELECT. It's worth asking if yours doesn't. The SELECT schedule is found in the NASA Headline News which is frequently posted to sci.space. Generally it carries press conferences, briefings by NASA officials, and live coverage of shuttle missions and planetary encounters. SELECT has recently begun carrying much more secondary material (associated with SPACELINK) when missions are not being covered. AMATEUR RADIO FREQUENCIES FOR SHUTTLE MISSIONS The following are believed to rebroadcast space shuttle mission audio: W6FXN - Los Angeles K6MF - Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California WA3NAN - Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, Maryland. W5RRR - Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, Texas W6VIO - Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California. W1AW Voice Bulletins Station VHF 10m 15m 20m 40m 80m ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ----- ----- W6FXN 145.46 K6MF 145.585 7.165 3.840 WA3NAN 147.45 28.650 21.395 14.295 7.185 3.860 W5RRR 146.64 28.400 21.350 14.280 7.227 3.850 W6VIO 224.04 21.340 14.270 W6VIO 224.04 21.280 14.282 7.165 3.840 W1AW 28.590 21.390 14.290 7.290 3.990 W5RRR transmits mission audio on 146.64, a special event station on the other frequencies supplying Keplerian Elements and mission information. W1AW also transmits on 147.555, 18.160. No mission audio but they transmit voice bulletins at 0245 and 0545 UTC. Frequencies in the 10-20m bands require USB and frequencies in the 40 and 80m bands LSB. Use FM for the VHF frequencies. [This item was most recently updated courtesy of Gary Morris (g@telesoft.com, KK6YB, N5QWC)] SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER FUEL COMPOSITION Reference: "Shuttle Flight Operations Manual" Volume 8B - Solid Rocket Booster Systems, NASA Document JSC-12770 Propellant Composition (percent) Ammonium perchlorate (oxidizer) 69.6 Aluminum 16 Iron Oxide (burn rate catalyst) 0.4 Polybutadiene-acrilic acid-acrylonitrile (a rubber) 12.04 Epoxy curing agent 1.96 End reference Comment: The aluminum, rubber, and epoxy all burn with the oxidizer. NEXT: FAQ #10/15 - Historical planetary probes ------------------------------ Date: 2 Feb 1993 18:17:10 GMT From: Andy Cohen Subject: Using off-the-shelf-components Newsgroups: sci.space When you are talking about computers tied to avionics...flight qualified gets alot hairier.... since the systems health (and the crews lives) are at stake the requirements are much more than that described above.... For example, all avionics equipment not only has to meet the env reqs already stated (protecting the IVA env), the boxes also have to be protected FROM the Ext env..... that is there has to be a great deal of radiation protection...... a floppy for an avionics based computer I've heard weighs in at 10 lbs...... Now...this is different from a PC which is not part of the avionics systems.....here, the reqs are likely as those already mentioned...... The CPSC program which is part of my group had to add a bit of protection to the powerbooks before they flew..... Andy Cohen McDonnell Douglas Aerospace ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Feb 1993 14:30:35 GMT From: Jim Campbell Subject: Well.. Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.misc,rec.arts.startrek.tech In article <1kl0r5INNhlo@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> ko_mike@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Michael Y Ko) writes: >Well, since Warp 1 is c, the speed of light, it should take a ship traveling >to a planet 60 light years away 60 years. Pretty basic... > According to which observer(s)? You know, that relativity stuff.... -- Jim Campbell | "Remember to tweet!" jimc@megatek.com | Is it my imagination, or am WB6ZPB NSS#36691 ASA TNS | I just imagining things? ------------------------------ Date: 2 Feb 93 19:12:28 GMT From: Goulet Martin Subject: Well.. Newsgroups: sci.misc,rec.arts.startrek.tech,sci.space Warp 1 = 1 c (where c is the speed of light) So, it would take 60 years at warp 1... -- ************************************************************************ * Martin Goulet. * We are Borg! Resistance is * * (gouletm@jsp.UMontreal.CA) * futile. You will be assimilated! * ************************************************************************ ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 117 ------------------------------