Date: Thu, 4 Feb 93 05:08:03 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V16 #123 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Thu, 4 Feb 93 Volume 16 : Issue 123 Today's Topics: An 'agitator' replies (was: Clinton's Promises...) challengar transcript (aka. tastelessness vs. cen) How the media portrays scientists? RE: Was bumbling geek... Info to ESA press release Interception Polar Orbit Re : Ignore the Challenger transcript Russian solar sail test now confirmed for Feb. 4th Satellite of the Month Space Camp (was re: Challenger Transcript) Today in 1986-Remember the Challenger 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: Wed, 3 Feb 1993 06:17:31 GMT From: "Edward V. Wright" Subject: An 'agitator' replies (was: Clinton's Promises...) Newsgroups: sci.space In <1kn9p0INN2dm@phantom.gatech.edu> matthew@phantom.gatech.edu (Matthew DeLuca) writes: >They go up three times a year, we go up eight. They send up two or three >people, we send up five to eight. So for every ten people they send up, we >are sending somewhere between forty and seventy. I wouldn't say they are >doing 'far far' more than we are. They use unmanned launchers to do many of the things we do with the Shuttle. This is because of NASA's decision, back in the 1970's, to move all payloads off expendables and onto the Shuttle. Russians also stay in space up to a year longer than we do. >Furthermore, I am not absolutely opposed to spending money on Russian gear; >as I said in a post late last week, using Soyuz for the ACRV is a reasonable >plan. But when people start proposing ongoing procurement for launch services >from the Russians that would cripple the U.S. industry, or scrapping Freedom >and leasing space on Mir, then I start thinking there's something wrong. > >Believe it or not, there's more to space than the almighty dollar. Oh, yeah? Why don't you take a drive out to Atlanta Hartsfield Airport and count the number of jetliners you see sitting on the tarmac. Multiply by $100 million or so to calculate the value of the aircraft. Look at the number of flights landing and taking off -- all for the almighty dollar you disdain. Think about what've you seen as you drive home -- in a car that I'll wager was made by a company in search of the almight dollar, or the all-powerful yen. The almighty dollar made this country, kid. It built the railroads, the mines, the harbors, and transformed the Great American Desert into the Breadbasket of the World. Not some jingoistic government program for "higher goals." It you want to see what kind of results that brings, look at the Ukraine. The former Breadbasket of Europe, reduced to a region that can't even feed itself. You think that we have an active program because NASA launches eight Shuttle flights per year? Phah! Eight popcycles! Go out to Atlanta Hartsfield and you'll see eight airliners taking off within a five-minute interval. Every one of them carrying more people on one flight than the United States and Soviet space programs have flown in 30 years. And that's just one airport, in one region of the country. The same thing is happening, at the same time, all over the world. All because of people going after the almighty dollar. The Japanese want to build a Honeymoon Hotel in orbit. Not a little tin can like Space Station Freedom, a big wheel like the one in 2001. They estimate it will cost $46 billion, of which an insignificant fraction is the actual construction cost. Most of it is the cost of Space Shuttle launches. And still, even with that, it's only about half-again the cost of SS Freedom. The Japanese won't pay $46 billion to build the hotel. But when someone builds a reuseable commercial space-transportation system and the cost drops to $1 billion dollars, someone will build it -- and rent out lab space to NASA in the basement -- for the almighty dollar. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1993 11:53:29 -0500 (EST) From: bry@craft.camp.clarkson.edu (Bryan Glancey) Subject: challengar transcript (aka. tastelessness vs. cen) I closely read this digest all the time, sometimes intelligent things are said and sometimes not so intelligent things are said. In the recent article which griped about non disclosure of the tapes of the final moments of the Challenger disaster this non disclosure was seemingly compared to censorship and a conspiracy of silence. This is one of the non-intelligent thing s that you read here. This tape, if it were released, would cause nothing but pain and agony to the families of those who died; a pain and agony already felt in the loss of their loved ones. Why should this tape be released only for the cheap amusement of a few people or to satisfy the media for a news chunk of the day. These men and women died in honourable service to their country, doing a job that we all value greatly (or else we wouldn't be reading this). I say that there is a limit to the decency of disclosure (though it should be noted that I am EXTREMELY libreal) and that this tape, if it exists is beyond that limit. Let the honourable dead rest in peace and let's honour their memory without making it a cheap media event. Bryan Glancey ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'I want to know God's Thoughts the rest are details' - Albert Einstein *********************** 'All you need is * Bryan Glancey * 'It's alright with me' Love' * Clarkson University * -Ella Fitzgerald * Box 3961 * 'God is testing us and I for -John Lennon * Potsdam, NY 13699 * one am going to be ready - * (315) 268 - 4372 * where's the Vodka' *********************** -Woody Allen ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Life's the illusion, love is the dream' Buzzcocks 'Life is just a dream; a story that I read, a picture that I've seen a thousand times before - but it's never quite the same.' -Nine Big Dogs ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1993 09:23:41 GMT From: "Hugh D.R. Evans (ESA/ESTEC/WMA Netherlands" Subject: How the media portrays scientists? RE: Was bumbling geek... Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Feb1.200922.1@acad3.alaska.edu>, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu writes: |>In article <1FEB199314535947@stars.gsfc.nasa.gov>, bhill@stars.gsfc.nasa.gov (Robert S. Hill) writes: |>> In article <1k927gINNbpq@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov>, pjs@euclid.jpl.nasa.gov writes... |>>>According to _Lorenzo's Oil_, scientists are cold-hearted, self-serving |>>>bureaucrats who like to torture little children for their studies. |>>>Didn't see any geeks. |>> |>> For a heroic portrayal, see George Pal's movie 'War of the Worlds' from |>> the 1950's. |>> |>> Robert S. Hill |>> bhill@stars.gsfc.nasa.gov |> |> |>For an extreme example see Steve Urkle(sp).... |> |> Oh come on now, what about 'Back to the Future'? The realistic portrayal of your typical scientist creating a time machine in his garage shows us all in the best possible light. :-) -- Hugh Evans European Space Research and Technology Centre Internet: hevans@estwm8.dnet.estec.esa.nl or hevans@estwm0.wm.estec.esa.nl SPAN ESTWM8::hevans "Etiquette is a universal language. And so is English. Foreigners may pretend otherwise, but if English is spoken loudly enough, anyone can understand it, the British included." - P.J. O'Rourke, Modern Manners ------------------------------ Date: Wednesday, 3 Feb 1993 10:22:27 CET From: A6@ESOC.BITNET Subject: Info to ESA press release Newsgroups: sci.space INFORMATION NOTE TO THE PRESS Nr. 01-93 Paris, 02.02.93 Meteosat-3 to be Stationed over America On 27 January 1993, the ESA-built weather satellite, Meteosat-3, began its move to a new station, longitude 75 degrees West, over the South American state of Colombia. From there it will be able to provide meteorological coverage of virtually the whole of the American continent and, most importantly, the United States of America. In 1991, following agreement between ESA and EUMETSAT, Meteosat-3 was made available to the US meteorological service NOAA, to cover a potential deficiency caused by delays in the US agency's new second-generation satellite service. Meteosat-3 became an instant television star as it plotted the course of the devastating hurricane, called "Andrew", which hit Florida in August 1992. It was the least that Europe could do for its friends in the United States: between 1985 and 1988, NOAA made capacity available on its GOES-4 satellite to Europe to collect meteorological data. Meteosat-3 is to become such an integral part of NOAA's forecasting service that for the first time ever, Europe has now constructed a satellite ground station on US territory, at Wallops Island, Virginia. Primetime Weather Meteosat weather images have been a feature of primetime European television for over 15 years. They have provided fast, reliable meteorological data for Europeans; warnings of storms, rain, ice, drought, sun and snow. Forecasts that enable everyone to plan each day with a little more care and a great deal more safety. Meteorologists combine satellite data with ground measurements to make weather predictions, based on complex computer models. Two Meteosats, operating in a geostationary orbit 36OOO kilometres above the equator, provide a daily stream of weather data to users all over Europe, Africa and the United States. A third Meteosat is operated in stand-by mode as an in-orbit spare. The Meteosat satellites - A Proven Concept Meteosat-3 consists of two cylindrical bodies, concentrically stacked. The main body is covered with solar cells and most subsystems, including the radiometer which generates the images, are located in this cylinder. The second, smaller cylinder carries an electronically despun antenna together with the communications equipment. At the heart of the satellite is a radiometer. This is a telescope with a focal length of 3.65 metres with a set of detectors in the focal plane to measure the radiance of the Earth and its cloud cover in three spectral bands : visible, infrared (thermal) and water-vapour. By virtue of the spin motion of the satellite, the radiometer scans the Earth from East to West ; the South to North scan is achieved by tilting the telescope axis. A set of three images with resolutions of 2,5 km in the visible and 5 km in the other spectral bands, is produced every 30 minutes. Getting Meteosat-3 Data to the Users An on-board communications system transmits the raw images from the satellite to the Wallops ground station in Virginia in the United States; these data are relayed by a telecommunications satellite to the Meteosat ground facilities in ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Darmstadt. From here, the spacecraft and its payload are controlled. Images are processed and meteorological products derived and distributed to national meteorological services and nearly 2000 end users. The meteorological products and image data for the United States are relayed to the Wallops station by a telecommunications satellite, for distribution via Meteosat's communications payload and ground telecommunications links. A unique feature of this system is that not only Meteosat-3 but also the Wallops station is completely remote-controlled from ESOC in Darmstadt, including any station reconfigurations and software-updating. Trans-Atlantic telephone trunk lines and ESA- installed back-up facilities ensure redundancy of the whole communications system. Meteosat - A Success Story with a Long Tradition Meteosat-1, Europe's first meteorological satellite, was launched in 1977 as a pre-operational satellite. It provided a permanent view of most of Europe, all of Africa, parts of Asia, North and South America; in total over 100 countries. Meteosat-2 was launched in 1981 and Meteosat-3 in 1988. In addition to fulfilling their missions to the complete satisfaction of scientists and meteorologists, the success of these pre- operational satellites paved the way for the operational Meteosat programme which covers the construction of three more satellites, support ground facilities and the operation of these facilities until the end of 1995. A dedicated European organisation, EUMETSAT, was set up in 1986 to ensure the financing and overall-responsibility for this programme. ESA oversees the construction and orbital operation of Meteosat-4 through Meteosat-6 on behalf of EUMETSAT. The first operational satellite, Meteosat-4, was launched on 6 March 1989; Meteosat-5 on 2 March 1991, to be followed by Meteosat-6 in November 1993. Meteosat-3 and the Americas - a Long Relation When the lack of geostationary satellite capacity over the Americas became apparent in early 1991, Europe reacted quickly by moving METEOSAT-3 to 50 degrees West, from where it could still be controlled directly from Darmstadt. Within a few months began what is known as the Atlantic Data Coverage (ADC) mission. The ADC mission served several purposes. First to extend Europe's monitoring of the Atlantic Ocean and the Americas and secondly to provide support to NOAA, especially during the hurricane season. This was of particular interest to NOAA since their operations were relying on a single Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) located around 98 degrees West. Thanks to METEOSAT-3, it was not necessary to move the GOES satellite to a more easterly location during the hurricane season. Finally, the ADC mission would provide support to the meteorological services of Central and South America. The success of the ADC mission was particularly emphasised in August 1992 at the time of Hurricane Andrew, when Meteosat-3 allowed the forecasters to have half-hourly updates of the situation before the hurricane struck the coast of Florida. Since NOAA wished to move the satellite even more westwards, the Wallops Meteosat ground station had to be built. With its inauguration on 25 February 1993, the extended ADC mission of Meteosat will begin. All equipment necessary for the extended-ADC (X-ADC) mission has been procured in Europe, through a contract for which Dornier/Deutsche Aerospace of Germany is the prime contractor. NOAA is funding the hardware and software, communication links and operations cost for the X-ADC mission. A final running-in phase was successfully accomplished during January 1993 when METEOSAT-3 at 50 degrees West was operated via the Wallops relay station. METEOSAT-3 is now drifting toward 75 degrees West and X-ADC operations will start late February 1993 with the official inauguration of the ground station. Should it be necessary, the range of the ground station is such that the mission could be operated at up to 115 degrees West. First Image of the Extended ADC Mission The first Meteosat-3 image during the X-ADC mission, showing all of the Americas, should be available from ESA Public Relations as from 24 February. Media wishing to obtain prints are requested to contact one of the Public Relations offices. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 03 Feb 93 17:33:07 MET From: PHARABOD@FRCPN11.IN2P3.FR Subject: Interception (Sorry for boring most of the list with that, but a dozen people seem more or less interested...) The following is a transcript of the interception of ??? by two F-16 of the Belgian Air Force during the night March 30-31, 1990. Does it look serious? Interesting times are 22h13 - 22h14, 22h27-22h32, 22h39-22h44, 22h46. I put some questions inside the transcript because I don't know anything in aviation and interception procedures. The Belgian military are now silent, therefore I try to get help elsewhere. I already posted (last September) the listing of what the radar of one of the two F-16 recorded. J. Pharabod 30/03/90 QRA(I) SCRAMBLE ------------------------------------------------------------------------- TIME C P ITEMS TAD 465 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2207 C Loud & clear how me P Reading you 5, flight level 90 C Task VID check armament safe P Safe C For your info, contact at your bearing 310 range is 15 P 310, 15, and confirm it's still on FL 90 C checking =>my remarks and questions: Time is GMT (local time -2). I believe that P = the pilot of one of the two F-16. I suspect that C = ground controller. What does mean "flight level 90" ? What means VID ? Why does P check armament ? "Live" weapons ? 220730 P Bravo reading you 5 C Bravo 5 as well. No C No height on the contact for the moment P Both levelling off FL 90 C Roger and both starboard 310 P OK, SB 310 C Last altitude on the contact is FL 210 C Keep on turning, roll out 320 P 320 =>my questions: what do mean "starboard 310" and "roll out 320" ? 2208 C 320, 17 miles. And for the moment maximum level 10000ft =>my question: is C giving to P the position and altitude of target ? P Steady 320 C Roger 330, 5 to 10 right range is 15 Possible altitude 10000ft P Steady at 10000. No contact 2209 C Contact 330 range 10. 11000ft Starboard 330 P Steady 330 C 330. 5 right range is 9 P No contact keep on taking C 345 range 7. Reduce speed. Slow moving P Roger, slow moving C Still at 10000ft. Bearing 345 range 5 P Confirm altitude 2210 C Last altitude 10000ft. Check 10 left range is 3. Left side 2 miles. No altitude. Passing overhead P No contact C Just below you P Say again C Just below you now. Both vector 090.Contact is 090 range 2 When steady check 090 range 3. Slow moving. Inside turn 4 Nm, 060, 3. P One blinking light just in front of you, do you see it, just below you. An orange one. C Range is 3, 060, 3. P ... heading 180. Roger reversing 180 You have contact on me MEEL. Roger contact on you. If you reverse 180, on your nose 1 mile. It should be 1 o'clock for you.Blinking orange light.It's on the ground P Efflux, you still have the contact. => my questions: What means MEEL ? What means "reversing 180" ? Efflux = flowing out, emanation. What does it mean here ? C Contact for the moment 020, 15 P Confirm 020 C 020, 5 miles P See the blinking light I mean unreadable....flash C 030, 6 miles P Contact on the ground seems to be 1 light C Another contact now 360, 10 miles P 360, 10 2213 C Altitude 11000ft, 350, 11 miles P I have a contact 9000 heading 250 at 970 knots C Possibly your target P One contact on the nose 9000ft speed 310 C Range is 6? P Eddy do you confirm contact I have the same in B 15 now unreadable C Contact is at 3 miles now. On the nose 3 P Contact is coming in and out C Roger and now... 2miles Right inside turn, level 1 mile 2214 Expedite right, roll out 130 =>my question: what does mean "expedite right" ? P unreadable. 130 C 140 range 3 P Confirm heading efflux C 130, 120 even. And continue roll out 180 He's now 170,4. Check camera on. 160, 3. P Camera on I've a possible contact now at 550 knots in C. 6 alt 10000 =>my question: what means "in C" ? C Just overhead 2215 If possible take a maximum of pictures. P May I suggest you keep the HUD, I keep... C At your 6 o'clock 2 P unreadable P Efflux, give a new heading C Roll out 360, 360, 2. unreadable Continue SB 030 P 030 C He's now 050, 3. Altitude 105. Keep on turningtowards 090 P Steady 090 C 090 on the nose 2 P One a/c passing below. Efflux is it possible ? =>my question: what means "a/c" ? C At what altitude ? P I see it efflux C On the nose 2 miles P MEEL, you see it, just below me now Efflux you have a new heading C South, 2 P Say altitude C FL 105. Snap 130. 130, 3. Last alt. reported 10000ft On the nose 2 =>my question: what means "snap 130" ? P come in attack C Past the contact now. Altitude is 10000ft P I'm at 9000ft C Still no contact? P " " " ! Heading please C 270, 2 P Confirm 260 2219 C 270 2220 P Roll out 270. Steady 270. 10000ft C No more contact for the moment P MEEL you switch 135 05 go C Can you contact Brussels on 127.15 P 127.15, go Efflux, confirm new heading 2221 C Keep on turning right 090 P Turning left 090. Efflux steady east now C Roger, maintain P Positive contact as well C For the moment no more contact on the scope 2222 P No contact on the scope as well Check fuel. unreadable Possible contact at 19 miles 800 knots h 350 2223 3000ft // Efflux confirm one contact at 5 miles, left side, speed fast C No contact for the moment P 4 miles to the left C Clear to investigate P Investigating. Rolling out now 034 2224 Brussels is calling. No contact. C Traffic approaching from 320 range 15, 9000ft. Possible contact bearing 270 range 12. Starboard turn 2225 P Turning right 270 This contact seems to be civilian traffic P Say again Efflux C Contact is civilian traffic 2226 P Rolling out 277 C Roger, maintain 17 from efflux P Come in efflux C Did you see in the previous investigation... P I had a kind of flashing light on the nose 5 miles C And this light was coming from the south? 2227 P This light is steady C When did you pass over the light, give me a top P Turning left to pass overhead at 10000ft and give you the coordinates Just passing overhead the light C Roger P Coordinates : 50.32.08 04.11.08 Reversing east, 10000ft C Roger C Possible contact bearing 020 12 miles P 12 miles looking out C High speed roll out 040 P 040 C Heading is 115 Starb 060 P One contact on nose 10 miles C That's the target. No alt on him for the moment P Contact in C 12 MEEL, at 5000ft. 740 knots Good contact again. Investigating One contact on the nose 7 miles C Chear to investigate, check armament safe 2231 P Sweet and safe C Passing overhead BE for the moment P Lost contact now, he's moving very fast C That's affirm High speed for the moment P One contact on the nose 6 miles, speed to 100 knots C 080, 10 miles. Heading is 120 P 120 confirm C Affirmative 2232 C Last alt. reported 10000ft 070, 10 miles P 070, 10 confirm Rolling out 070. Altitude 7000ft Lost contact more info efflux C Lost contact as well. It should be 090, 10 Roll out 100 2233 P 100 C Normally on the nose range 15 You have contact 2234 P No contact C 095 Range 18 17, both starboard 310 P SB 310 Fuel 044 C 17 check playtime left P Playtime left 15 minutes P 17 steady 310 C Roger 17. Maintain hdg for the moment One civilian traffic 315 range is 12 at 5000ft in the TMA 2238 P Looking out Contact at 6000ft slow moving at C C It's civilian traffic. Passing 2 o'clock 5 miles 5000ft, check 310, 12 miles possible contact 2239 P 10 miles on the nose 10000ft Contact C On the nose range 7 2240 P Got the same C Check camera on 2241 P Camera on C If possible take max of pictures P Very slow moving C Check alt. of contact P I still have the contact, 5 miles C No height P No height C 3 o'clock 2 miles P " " " C Crossing left to right P Say again C Left side high P Looking out. I see one beacon on the nose 2242 C One civilian traffic west, 10 miles C Contact 100, SB 100 P Roger SB 100 C Civilian traffic 300, 5 miles P " " " " " Steady 120 C Continue 100 P 100 C Even 060 now 060, 5 P Steady 060 C 060, 3. You have contact? P One contact but speed is changing from 100 to 600 C I have the same contact P Slightly to right 4 miles C Affirmative. High moving P Steady east now C Roger P Lost contact C Both vector 180 2244 P Turning right south C Contact south higher P Looking out. Steady south. C Nine o'clock 3. sorry 3 o'clock P Steady south no contact 2245 C Disregard snap 360 now P 360 to the left Check fuel C Possible contact 350 range 10 P 350, 10 C 2 contacts due to civilian traffic same position 345, 9 left 330 17 left 330 left 330 2246 C Civilian traffic 340 range 7 P Contact on traffic C At 5000ft, other contact at 325 range is 7, no height P Contact on the radar now C Check camera on P Camera on loosing contact C He's now 345 range is 5 P We have the same in B 8, 10000ft. MEEL C 350, 3 P Radar contact Contact slightly to the left, 8 miles, lost contact now 2247 C He's at your 360 now 360... P Request to turn north C Clear now P Steady north efflux C Roger, no contact P negative C Reverse south (... going on up to time 22h53, but nothing really interesting) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1993 07:55:14 GMT From: nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu Subject: Polar Orbit Newsgroups: sci.space Why does the US launch polar orbit missions from Vandenburg? other than for military missions? I wonder is they know about Poker Flats here in Alaska which has many of the same benfits as Vandenburg (open spaces) but nicely is near the pole.. Actually more like near or at the Arctic Circle.. Michael Adams Alias: Morgoth/Ghost Wheel nsmca@acad2.alaska.edu == Michael Adams, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu -- I'm not high, just jacked ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 01 Feb 93 15:16:56 EST From: Jonathan Deitch Subject: Re : Ignore the Challenger transcript Newsgroups: sci.space >From: an8785@anon.penet.fi >Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1993 22:58:08 GMT Organization: Anonymous contact service >Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro >X-Anon-To:sci.space,sci.astro This means this message was posted anonymously ... there's no way to trace the original poster. > A secret NASA tape reveals that the crew of the shuttle Challenger not only >survived the explosion that ripped the vessel apart; they screamed, cried, >cursed and prayed for three hellish minutes before they slammed into the >Atlantic and perished on January 28, 1986. This has been posted many, many times over the course of the last few years after it originally appeared in one of the more reputable newspapers in New York ... the National Enquirer, I believe. Simply put, cover up or no cover up, this article did not appear from any kind of believable source (that it was posted anonymously should tell you something ...) and is most likely a bogus post intended for some prank. - Jonathan -- Internet: musjndx@gsusgi2.gsu.edu Fidonet: Jonathan Deitch@1:133/411.7 jdeitch@gisatl.fidonet.org Bellnet: 1 - (404) - 261 - 3665 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlanta 1996 !! | Play Pinball !! | Don't Panic ! | "I hate it when I can't --------------------------------------------------| trust my own technology!" "Thrills! Chills! Magic! Prizes!" -- Hurricane | -- Geordi LaForge Gene Roddenberry, Isaac Asimov, Jim Henson, Dr. Seuss, Mel Blanc ... Sigh ... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1993 11:22:54 -0800 From: Glenn Chapman Subject: Russian solar sail test now confirmed for Feb. 4th The Russian solar sail experiment schedule was announced on Radio Moscow this morning (Feb. 3). The starting point for the experiment is the Progress TM-15 cargo craft, which is currently attached to the rear docking port (Kvant module port) of their Mir space station. The Progress masses about 5 Tonnes at this point, as it delivered about 2.5 Tonnes of fuel/supplies to Mir when it arrived there in October. This in this test, called the Znamya experiment, the Progress TM-15 tanker has a 20 metre mirror diameter solar sail folded on the vehicle. It will be detached from the Mir space station on "In the early hours of Thurs. Feb. 4th" Radio Moscow. After moving a few hundred metres from Mir it will deploy the sail and orientate itself to have the sun in line with the sail. However in some experiments the sail will be angled to reflect that light to earth (they talk of trying to illuminate dark Arctic areas, but do not make it clear if that is only for future work, and not an experiment to be done now). The test will continue for three days (till Feb. 6th). One point of care is that only a small change in the orbit of Mir, which usually is done a few days before the Progress tanker leaves, would significantly alter any viewing time times. However the latest Norad orbital elements (Feb. 2nd) indicate no new changes. Note that Mir is currently in about a 400 Km orbit, so that it does not take much change in location on earth to significantly alter were to look for the space station and the Progress. Probably one would see Mir itself first, and then sometime during the pass get a bright flash when the mirror becomes properly aligned to your location. Brightness in a close approach would be nearly that of the Moon according to one estimate. Best viewing will probably occur near sunrise, when the mirror, which is pointed towards the sun, is reflecting light while towards the earth's edge just before it enters the terminator for the earth's shadow. Exact times will depend on the orbital elements and your location For those that have satellite observing programs here is the latest Mir data Epoch Day: 30.5959211 Inclination 51.6201 Rt Asc. of the Node: 190.3727 Eccentricity 0.0002579 Arg. of Periaps 333.1555 Mean Anomaly 26.9263 Mean Motion 15.5833193 Mean M. Accel. 0.0000793 Yours truly Glenn Chapman Simon Fraser U. glennc@cs.sfu.ca ------------------------------ Date: 2 Feb 93 19:28:46 GMT From: Bruce Watson Subject: Satellite of the Month Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro Artificial earth satellite Cosmos 398 (NORAD #04966, COSPAR 1971-016A) was launched on a Proton (SL-13) launcher from the Baikonur (Tyuratam) Cosmodrome on 1971 February 26. This satellite is in an orbit inclined to the earth's equator by 51.5 degrees. In 1993, it makes one revolution of the earth every 112.4 minutes in an elliptical orbit with a low point (perigee) of 190 km and a high point (apogee) of 2486 km above the surface of the earth. Its visual characteristics indicate that it may be approximated as a sphere of 6.2 meters diameter. When launched it was put into a parking orbit of 196 x 275 km and soon afterwards boosted to an orbit of 200 x 11000 km. Since then, the apogee has steadily decreased. TRW Space Log asks if this Cosmos was manned lunar related. Was this a test of a command or lunar module in earth orbit or was it supposed to go to the moon but the burn didn't last long enough? I've been trying to observe Cosmos 398 while its perigee was over my latitude since January of 1986 when its apogee was 5800 km. Finally on the evenings of Jan 26-27 and Jan 27-28 I succeeded. On Jan 27, at 1:00 UTC, it appeared just north of Orion's belt moving very swiftly to the northeast at +2 magnitude. It was 198 km above the earth and 492 km distant from me. On the following evening, Jan 28 at 1:21 UTC, it passed through Cepheus and under the pole star moving to the northeast at +4 magnitude. It was 199 km above the earth and 308 km distant. Both evenings it was about 45 seconds late relative to the elements given below. The next time the perigee is above northern latitudes will be late June. Cosmos 398 6.2 0.0 0.0 4.4 1 04966U 71016 A 93 22.19651361 .00101327 26323-4 31262-3 0 9786 2 04966 51.4625 16.6086 1487809 50.8249 321.5614 12.80975878704617 -- Bruce Watson (wats@scicom.alphaCDC.COM) Bulletin 629-49 Item 6700 Extract 75,131 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1993 13:43:28 GMT From: Rich Kolker Subject: Space Camp (was re: Challenger Transcript) Newsgroups: sci.space A few words in defense of Space Camp... I've not only attended Space Camp, I've designed programs for them. I also work for a NASA contractor, and yes, it is true that Space Camp trainers (and folks in the space program) do sometimes know things that don't make it out to the "general public". That is the nature of any business, where insiders know more than outsiders. This in no way justifies the argument that the transcript posted is anything \but a fabrication. I am reminded of someone's comment, "They laughed at Galileo." and the response, "They also laughed at Bozo the clown". Dont take this individual's views out on what is basically a good program. ++rich ------------------------------------------------------------------- rich kolker rkolker@nuchat.sccsi.com < Do Not Write In This Space> -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Feb 1993 23:49:02 GMT From: Marc G Fournier Subject: Today in 1986-Remember the Challenger Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle In article <1993Jan29.182803.16908@ringer.cs.utsa.edu> sbooth@lonestar.utsa.edu (Simon E. Booth) writes: >In article <1993Jan28.183747.7474@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> ricks@berkeley.edu writes: > >>I was watching the launch in the conference room here at JSC. I had worked for >> NASA for 6 months. 51-L was the first flight I worked with in one of the >> simulators here. I knew some of the crew. They were wonderful people. >> >> >>Keith A. Grimm >>NASA-JSC >>Houston, TX 77058 > >My apologies if my posting was inapropriate. I forgot about the aerospace >personel who might have known the Challenger crew. > Why sorry? For making sure we remember those who risked, and still risk their lives for the continued enlightenment of man-kind about their surroundings? i think more of us need a reminder of things that matter, or should matter. marc -- Marc G. Fournier | FREE R-node Public Access Unix FREE Etobicoke, Ontario | 1700+ newsgroups network email Linux 0.99p4 voice: 249-4230 | shell accounts 24hrs 7 days/week 416-249-5366 marc@r-node.pci.on.ca | Telebit WorldBlazer/SupraModem2400/Cardinal 2400 ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 123 ------------------------------