Date: Fri, 23 Apr 93 05:07:56 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V16 #475 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Fri, 23 Apr 93 Volume 16 : Issue 475 Today's Topics: Astronomy Program Boom! Whoosh...... Commercial mining activities on the moon Did any DC-X gifs show up? Jemison on Star Trek Keeping Spacecraft on after Funding Cuts. Level 5? Life on Mars??? Looking for a little research help Lunar Colony Race! By 2005 or 2010? Moonbase race (2 msgs) Old Spacecraft as NAvigation Beacons! (2 msgs) Proton/Centaur? Solar Sail Data Space Station radio commercial Vandalizing the sky. (2 msgs) Why not give $1 billion to first year-lo (2 msgs) Why not give $1 billion to first year-long moon residents? (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: Tue, 20 Apr 1993 23:46:36 GMT From: Robert Sheaffer Subject: Astronomy Program Newsgroups: sci.space In article <28641@galaxy.ucr.edu> datadec@ucrengr.ucr.edu (kevin marcus) writes: >Are there any public domain or shareware astronomy programs which will >map out the sky at any given time, and allow you to locate planets, nebulae, >and so forth? If so, is there any ftp site where I can get one? I posted my public-domain MSDOS program "sunlight.zip" to "sci.astro" yesterday. It easily locates the sun, moon, and planets, and can also be used to locate other objects if you input their Right Ascesion and Declination. Use "uudecode" to extract. -- Robert Sheaffer - Scepticus Maximus - sheaffer@netcom.com Past Chairman, The Bay Area Skeptics - for whom I speak only when authorized! "Marxism and feminism are one and that one is Marxism" - Heidi Hartmann and Amy Bridges, quoted by Catharine MacKinnon above the first chapter of her "Toward a Feminist Theory of the State" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Apr 93 02:44:23 GMT From: David Fuzzy Wells Subject: Boom! Whoosh...... Newsgroups: sci.space And one of my profs is the chief engineer for the project (Dr. Ron Humble, Univ. Colorado at Colorado Springs). I love the idea of an inflatable 1-mile long sign.... It will be a really neat thing to see it explode when a bolt (or even better, a Westford Needle!) comes crashing into it at 10 clicks a sec. Whooooooooshhhhhh...... I hear that it will supposedly coincide with the Atlanta Olympics. Fuzzy. =============================================================================== _ __/| | Lt. David "Fuzzy" Wells | "I want peace on earth, \'o.O' | HQ AFSPACECOM/CNA | goodwill toward men." =(___)= | "We do debris" |"We're the government. We don't do that U ...ack!| wdwells@esprit.uccs.edu | that sort of thing." -SNEAKERS =============================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: 20 Apr 93 16:01:16 From: Steinn Sigurdsson Subject: Commercial mining activities on the moon Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Apr20.223807.16712@cs.rochester.edu> dietz@cs.rochester.edu (Paul Dietz) writes: In article steinly@topaz.ucsc.edu (Steinn Sigurdsson) writes: > Why Paul, it's obvious. > Once chlorine chemistry has been banned on Earth, > as is being advocated by some groups, Ti prices will > :-) :-) :-) Well, there already is a sulfate process for TiO2 purification. The chlorine process is cleaner, however, and for that reason is achieving dominance in the marketplace. Darn, caught by the white hot heat of technological progress again... Most Ti is used in pigment, btw (as the oxide), where it replaced white lead pigment some decades ago. Very little is reduced to the metal. Spoilsport. Hence the need for increasing fashion emphasis on anodise Ti jewelry... > Seriously, I'd say there is a flaw in Gary's analysis > in that he assumes an export oriented economy, maybe > the lunatics will just want some native Ti for local > use... Which merely evades the issue of why those lunatics are there at all (and, why their children would want to stay.) I did not evade the issue at all. I clearly stated that this would be from diabolical foresight in establishing a sheltered industrial base for the upcoming Great War ;-) Very cost effective if you use the right accounting method :-) * Steinn Sigurdsson Lick Observatory * * steinly@lick.ucsc.edu "standard disclaimer" * * But, oh, love is strange * * and you have to learn to take the crunchy with the smooth, * * I suppose - B.B. 1983 * ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1993 22:47:11 GMT From: "Patrick W. Grady" Subject: Did any DC-X gifs show up? Newsgroups: sci.space fils@iastate.edu (Douglas R Fils) writes: >In article <1qgiah$h9g@news.cerf.net> diaspar@nic.cerf.net (Diaspar Virtual Reality Network) writes: >>The rollout was great and I got lots of great shots. I attended >>the press briefing and got shots of the DC-Y model, too. All >>in 3D >> >>David H. Mitchell >> >> >David, > Are you still planing on scanning these and posting them >somewhere? Hope Hope Hope. If you could that would be GREAT. >Thanks for report of the rollout as well >take care >Doug They did the rollout already??!? I am going to have to pay more attention to the news. Are any of the gifs headed for wuarchive?? Patrick -- Patrick Grady |How do they manage it, these humans-beginning pwg25888@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu |each time so innocently, yet always ending up pwg25888@sumter.cso.uiuc.edu |with the most blood on their hands? |Fathertree to bugger, O.S. Card's _Xenocide_ ------------------------------ Date: 20 Apr 93 22:27:47 GMT From: nsmca@ACAD3.ALASKA.EDU Subject: Jemison on Star Trek Newsgroups: sci.space In article , loss@fs7.ECE.CMU.EDU (Doug Loss) writes: > I saw in the newspaper last night that Dr. Mae Jemison, the first > black woman in space (she's a physician and chemical engineer who flew > on Endeavour last year) will appear as a transporter operator on the > "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode that airs the week of May 31. > It's hardly space science, I know, but it's interesting. > > Doug Loss Interesting is rigth.. I wonder if they will make a mention of her being an astronaut in the credits.. I think it might help people connect the future of space with the present.. And give them an idea that we must go into space.. == Michael Adams, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu -- I'm not high, just jacked ------------------------------ Date: 20 Apr 1993 22:41:48 -0400 From: Pat Subject: Keeping Spacecraft on after Funding Cuts. Newsgroups: alt.sci.planetary,sci.space,sci.astro Some birds require constant management for survival. Pointing a sensor at the sun, even when powered down, may burn it out. Pointing a parabolic antenna at Sol, from venus orbit may trash the foci elements. Even if you let teh bird drift, it may get hosed by some cosmic phenomena. pat ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1993 14:43:59 GMT From: Nick Haines Subject: Level 5? Newsgroups: sci.space In article 18084TM@msu.edu (Tom) writes: Nick Haines sez; >(given that I've heard the Shuttle software rated as Level 5 in >maturity, I strongly doubt that this [having lots of bugs] is the case). Level 5? Out of how many? What are the different levels? I've never heard of this rating system. Anyone care to clue me in? This is a rating system used by ARPA and other organisations to measure the maturity of a `software process' i.e. the entire process by which software gets designed, written, tested, delivered, supported etc. See `Managing the Software Process', by Watts S. Humphrey, Addison Wesley 1989. An excellent software engineering text. The 5 levels of software process maturity are: 1. Initial 2. Repeatable 3. Defined 4. Managed 5. Optimizing The levels are approximately characterized as follows: 1. no statistically software process control. Have no statistical basis for estimating how large software will be, how long it will take to produce, how expensive it will be, or how reliable it will be. Most software production is at this level. 2. stable process with statistical controls, rigorous project management; having done something once, can do it again. Projects are planned in detail, and there is software configuration management and quality assurance. 3. The process is defined and understood, implementation is consistent. This includes things like software inspection, a rigorous software testing framework, more configuration management, and typically a `software engineering process group' within the project. 4. Statistical information on the software is systematically gathered and analysed, and the process is controlled on the basis of this information. Software quality is measured and has goals. 5. Defects are prevented, the process is automated, software contracts are effective and certified. Nick Haines nickh@cmu.edu ------------------------------ Date: 20 Apr 93 12:03:11 CDT From: Don Schiewer Subject: Life on Mars??? Newsgroups: sci.space What is the deal with life on Mars? I save the "face" and heard associated theories. (which sound thin to me) Are we going back to Mars to look at this face agian? Does anyone buy all the life theories? -- Don Schiewer | Internet schiewer@pa881a.inland.com | Onward Great Inland Steel | UUCP: !uucp!pa881a.inland!schiewer | Stream... ------------------------------ Date: 20 Apr 1993 11:01:38 -0700 From: Milady Printcap the goddess of peripherals Subject: Looking for a little research help Newsgroups: sci.space,alt.sci.planetary Found it! Thanks. I got several offers for help. I appreciate it and will be contacting those people via e-mail. Thanks again... jennise ------------------------------ Date: 21 Apr 93 07:44:27 GMT From: nsmca@ACAD3.ALASKA.EDU Subject: Lunar Colony Race! By 2005 or 2010? Newsgroups: sci.space Okay here is what I have so far: Have a group (any size, preferibly small, but?) send a human being to the moon, set up a habitate and have the human(s) spend one earth year on the moon. Does that mean no resupply or ?? Need to find atleast $1billion for prize money. Contest open to different classes of participants. New Mexico State has semi-challenged University of Alaska (any branch) to put a team together and to do it.. Any other University/College/Institute of Higher Learning wish to make a counter challenge or challenge another school? Say it here. I like the idea of having atleast a russian team. Some prefer using new technology, others old or .. The basic idea of the New Moon Race is like the Solar Car Race acrossed Australia.. Atleast in that basic vein of endevour.. Any other suggestions? == Michael Adams, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu -- I'm not high, just jacked ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1993 03:47:06 GMT From: Henry Spencer Subject: Moonbase race Newsgroups: sci.space In article 18084TM@msu.edu (Tom) writes: >On the other hand, if Apollo cost ~25billion, for a few days or weeks >in space, in 1970 dollars, then won't the reward have to be a lot more >than only 1 billion to get any takers? Apollo was done the hard way, in a big hurry, from a very limited technology base... and on government contracts. Just doing it privately, rather than as a government project, cuts costs by a factor of several. -- All work is one man's work. | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology - Kipling | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry ------------------------------ Date: 21 Apr 1993 09:03:39 GMT From: George William Herbert Subject: Moonbase race Newsgroups: sci.space Hmm. $1 billion, lesse... I can probably launch 100 tons to LEO at $200 million, in five years, which gives about 20 tons to the lunar surface one-way. Say five tons of that is a return vehicle and its fuel, a bigger Mercury or something (might get that as low as two tons), leaving fifteen tons for a one-man habitat and a year's supplies? Gee, with that sort of mass margins I can build the systems off the shelf for about another hundred million tops. That leaves about $700 million profit. I like this idea 8-) Let's see if you guys can push someone to make it happen 8-) 8-) [slightly seriously] -george william herbert Retro Aerospace ------------------------------ Date: 21 Apr 93 08:15:55 GMT From: nsmca@ACAD3.ALASKA.EDU Subject: Old Spacecraft as NAvigation Beacons! Newsgroups: sci.space Other idea for old space crafts is as navigation beacons and such.. Why not?? If you can put them on "safe" "pause" mode.. why not have them be activated by a signal from a space craft (manned?) to act as a naviagtion beacon, to take a directional plot on?? Wierd or what? == Michael Adams, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu -- I'm not high, just jacked ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1993 13:28:58 GMT From: Dave Stephenson Subject: Old Spacecraft as NAvigation Beacons! Newsgroups: sci.space nsmca@aurora.alaska.edu writes: >Other idea for old space crafts is as navigation beacons and such.. >Why not?? If you can put them on "safe" "pause" mode.. why not have them be >activated by a signal from a space craft (manned?) to act as a naviagtion >beacon, to take a directional plot on?? >Wierd or what? >== >Michael Adams, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu -- I'm not high, just jacked There is a whole constellation of custom built navigation beacon satellites in the process of being phased out right now. The TRANSIT/OSCAR satellites are being replaced by GPS. Or were you thinking of deep space navigation, which is best done with doppler/VLBI/ stellar measurements. I do not think additional radio beacons would help much. -- Dave Stephenson Geological Survey of Canada Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Internet: stephens@geod.emr.ca ------------------------------ Date: 20 Apr 1993 22:12:34 -0400 From: Pat Subject: Proton/Centaur? Newsgroups: talk.politics.space,sci.space In article <1993Apr20.211638.168730@zeus.calpoly.edu> jgreen@trumpet.calpoly.edu (James Thomas Green) writes: >Has anyone looked into the possiblity of a Proton/Centaur combo? I don't know a whole lot on Proton, but given that it is a multi stage rocket, up to 4 stages, it may not really need the Centaur, plus it may end up seriously beating on said centaur. Also, the centaur is not small, unless the Proton has an oversize shroud you may not be able to get the centaur in under it. Dennis, you know much about this? pat ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1993 01:40:59 GMT From: Josh Hopkins Subject: Solar Sail Data Newsgroups: sci.space higgins@fnalf.fnal.gov (Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey) writes: >snydefj@eng.auburn.edu (Frank J. Snyder) writes: >> I am looking for any information concerning projects involving Solar >> Sails. [...] >> Are there any groups out there currently involved in such a project ? Bill says ... >Also there is a nontechnical book on solar sailing by Louis Friedman, >a technical one by a guy whose name escapes me (help me out, Josh), I presume the one you refer to is "Space Sailing" by Jerome L. Wright. He worked on solar sails while at JPL and as CEO of General Astronautics. I'll furnish ordering info upon request. The Friedman book is called "Starsailing: Solar Sails and Interstellar Travel." It was available from the Planetary Society a few years ago, I don't know if it still is. -- Josh Hopkins jbh55289@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu "Find a way or make one." -attributed to Hannibal ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1993 14:01:23 GMT From: Spiros Triantafyllopoulos Subject: Space Station radio commercial Newsgroups: sci.space In article xrcjd@resolve.gsfc.nasa.gov (Charles J. Divine) writes: >A brief political/cultural item. > >Radio station WGMS in Washington is a classical music station with >a large audience among high officials (elected and otherwise). >Imagine a radio station that advertises Mercedes Benzes, diamond >jewelry, expensive resorts and (truthfully) Trident submarines. > >This morning I heard a commercial for the space station project. >Didn't catch the advertiser. > >Guess they're pulling out all the stops. In the Air Force world at least, the crisis escalates when scale models of the plane in question (i.e. about to be sacrificed) begin to arrive in key Senators and Congresspersons' offices. Of course it is assumed that coffee mugs and other decorative junk has been tried earlier. Spiros -- Spiros Triantafyllopoulos c23st@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com Software Technology, Delco Electronics (317) 451-0815 GM Hughes Electronics, Kokomo, IN 46904 "I post, therefore I ARMM" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1993 22:36:55 GMT From: Enzo Liguori Subject: Vandalizing the sky. Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space From the article "What's New" Apr-16-93 in sci.physics.research: ........ WHAT'S NEW (in my opinion), Friday, 16 April 1993 Washington, DC 1. SPACE BILLBOARDS! IS THIS ONE THE "SPINOFFS" WE WERE PROMISED? In 1950, science fiction writer Robert Heinlein published "The Man Who Sold the Moon," which involved a dispute over the sale of rights to the Moon for use as billboard. NASA has taken the firsteps toward this hideous vision of the future. Observers were startled this spring when a NASA launch vehicle arrived at the pad with "SCHWARZENEGGER" painted in huge block letters on the side of the booster rockets. Space Marketing Inc. had arranged for the ad to promote Arnold's latest movie. Now, Space Marketing is working with University of Colorado and Livermore engineers on a plan to place a mile-long inflatable billboard in low-earth orbit. NASA would provide contractual launch services. However, since NASA bases its charge on seriously flawed cost estimates (WN 26 Mar 93) the taxpayers would bear most of the expense. This may look like environmental vandalism, but Mike Lawson, CEO of Space Marketing, told us yesterday that the real purpose of the project is to help the environment! The platform will carry ozone monitors he explained--advertising is just to help defray costs. .......... What do you think of this revolting and hideous attempt to vandalize the night sky? It is not even April 1 anymore. What about light pollution in observations? (I read somewhere else that it might even be visible during the day, leave alone at night). Is NASA really supporting this junk? Are protesting groups being organized in the States? Really, really depressed. Enzo -- Vincenzo Liguori | enzo@research.canon.oz.au Canon Information Systems Research Australia | Phone +61 2 805 2983 PO Box 313 NORTH RYDE NSW 2113 | Fax +61 2 805 2929 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1993 09:55:50 GMT From: Uwe Schuerkamp Subject: Vandalizing the sky. Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space In article enzo@research.canon.oz.au (Enzo Liguori) writes: > hideous vision of the future. Observers were >startled this spring when a NASA launch vehicle arrived at the >pad with "SCHWARZENEGGER" painted in huge block letters on the This is ok in my opinion as long as the stuff *returns to earth*. >What do you think of this revolting and hideous attempt to vandalize >the night sky? It is not even April 1 anymore. If this turns out to be true, it's time to get seriously active in terrorism. This is unbelievable! Who do those people think they are, selling every bit that promises to make money? I guess we really deserve being wiped out by uv radiation, folks. "Stupidity wins". I guess that's true, and if only by pure numbers. Another depressed planetary citizen, hoover -- Uwe "Hoover" Schuerkamp hoover@mathematik.uni-bielefeld.de Clear Skies --- Fight light pollution! ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1993 22:30:57 GMT From: "Don M. Gibson" Subject: Why not give $1 billion to first year-lo Newsgroups: sci.space In article F23@zoo.toronto.edu, henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes: >In article <1993Apr20.101044.2291@iti.org> aws@iti.org (Allen W. Sherzer) writes: >>This prize isn't big enough to warrent developing a SSTO, but it is >>enough to do it if the vehicle exists. > >Actually, there are people who will tell you that it *would* be enough >to do SSTO development, if done privately as a cut-rate operation. Of >course, they may be over-optimistic. > >You can also assume that a working SSTO would have other applications >that would help pay for its development costs. > >I'd be inclined to make the prize somewhat larger, but $1G might be enough. this all sounds like that Indecent Proposal movie. wouldn't there be a lot of people that would try this with little hope of working just to get the dough? if you have a 1:100 chance and it costs you $10Mil, then you might pay some stooge a few grand to be your lucky hero. just send up a few dozen and 1 is bound to survive enough to make YOU rich. --DonG ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1993 03:49:39 GMT From: Henry Spencer Subject: Why not give $1 billion to first year-lo Newsgroups: sci.space In article dong@oakhill.sps.mot.com writes: >>I'd be inclined to make the prize somewhat larger, but $1G might be enough. > >this all sounds like that Indecent Proposal movie. wouldn't there be >a lot of people that would try this with little hope of working just >to get the dough? if you have a 1:100 chance and it costs you $10Mil, >then you might pay some stooge a few grand to be your lucky hero. >just send up a few dozen and 1 is bound to survive enough to make YOU >rich. Any prize like this is going to need to be worded carefully enough that you cannot get it without demonstrating sustained and reliable capability, rather than a lucky one-shot. It can be done. -- All work is one man's work. | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology - Kipling | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry ------------------------------ Date: 20 Apr 93 22:11:37 GMT From: nsmca@ACAD3.ALASKA.EDU Subject: Why not give $1 billion to first year-long moon residents? Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Apr20.101044.2291@iti.org>, aws@iti.org (Allen W. Sherzer) writes: > In article <1qve4kINNpas@sal-sun121.usc.edu> schaefer@sal-sun121.usc.edu (Peter Schaefer) writes: > >>|> > Announce that a reward of $1 billion would go to the first corporation >>|> > who successfully keeps at least 1 person alive on the moon for a year. > >>Oh gee, a billion dollars! That'd be just about enough to cover the cost of the >>feasability study! Happy, Happy, JOY! JOY! > > Depends. If you assume the existance of a working SSTO like DC, on billion > $$ would be enough to put about a quarter million pounds of stuff on the > moon. If some of that mass went to send equipment to make LOX for the > transfer vehicle, you could send a lot more. Either way, its a lot > more than needed. > > This prize isn't big enough to warrent developing a SSTO, but it is > enough to do it if the vehicle exists. > > Allen > > -- > +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ > | Lady Astor: "Sir, if you were my husband I would poison your coffee!" | > | W. Churchill: "Madam, if you were my wife, I would drink it." | > +----------------------57 DAYS TO FIRST FLIGHT OF DCX-----------------------+ Or have different classes of competetors.. and made the total purse $6billion or $7billion (depending on how many different classes there are, as in auto racing/motocycle racing and such).. We shall see how things go.. == Michael Adams, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu -- I'm not high, just jacked ------------------------------ Date: 20 Apr 93 18:17:25 GMT From: Bruce Watson Subject: Why not give $1 billion to first year-long moon residents? Newsgroups: sci.space The Apollo program cost something like $25 billion at a time when the value of a dollar was worth more than it is now. No one would take the offer. -- Bruce Watson (wats@scicom.alphaCDC.COM) Bulletin 629-49 Item 6700 Extract 75,131 ------------------------------ Xref: crabapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu rec.arts.sf.science:5763 sci.space:61032 Path: crabapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!news.sei.cmu.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ub!galileo.cc.rochester.edu!palm.lle.rochester.edu!agae From: "Andres C. Gaeris" Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science,sci.space Subject: Re: Orion drive in vacuum -- how? Message-Id: <1993Apr20.203839.9396@galileo.cc.rochester.edu> Date: 20 Apr 93 20:38:39 GMT References: <1qn4bgINN4s7@mimi.UU.NET> <1993Apr18.014305.28536@sfu.ca> <1quh78INNf45@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov> <1993Apr20.164655.11048@head-cfa.harvard.edu> Sender: news@galileo.cc.rochester.edu Reply-To: "Andres C. Gaeris" Organization: UofR Laboratory for Laser Energetics Lines: 17 Nntp-Posting-Host: palm.lle.rochester.edu Source-Info: Sender is really news@CRABAPPLE.SRV.CS.CMU.EDU Source-Info: Sender is really isu@VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU In article <1993Apr20.164655.11048@head-cfa.harvard.edu>, willner@head-cfa.harvard.edu (Steve Willner) writes: > > The NASM photo archives are open to the public. All (or almost all) > still pictures in the collection are available for viewing, but I > don't know about films. At least it might be worth a try. I'm not > sure if appointments are necessary, but I think not. > Is posible to make copies of these photographs (or any other aerospace photographs at NASM) if you pay a copyright fee? =============================================================================== Andres C. Gaeris || "Living example of the application of Newton's Junior laser fusioneer || Zeroth Law: agae@lle.rochester.edu || `Every body in rest wants to remain in bed'" =============================================================================== ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 475 ------------------------------