Date: Mon, 26 Apr 93 05:49:56 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V16 #490 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Mon, 26 Apr 93 Volume 16 : Issue 490 Today's Topics: $1bil space race ideas/moon base on the cheap. 30826 computer cult Gamma Ray Bursters. WHere are they. Jemison on Star Trek (Better Ideas) (2 msgs) NASA Special Publications for Voyager Mission? Order MOORE's book to restore Great Telescope Potential World-Bearing Stars? Space Advertising (1 of 2) Space Advertising (2 of 2) Space Station Redesign (30826) Option C Sunrise/ sunset times TRUE "GLOBE", Who makes it? Vandalizing the sky. 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: 25 Apr 93 23:04:37 GMT From: nsmca@ACAD3.ALASKA.EDU Subject: $1bil space race ideas/moon base on the cheap. Newsgroups: sci.space That is an idea.. The most efficient moon habitat.. also the idea of how to get the people off the moon once the prize was won.. Also the idea of how to rescue someone who is "dying" on the moon. Maybe have a area where they can all "see" each other, and can help each other if something happens.. I liek the idea of one prize for the first moon landing and return, by a non-governmental body.. Also the idea of then having a moon habitat race.. I know we need to do somthing to get people involved.. Eccentric millionaire/billionaire would be nice.. We see how old Ross feels about it.. After all it would be a great promotional thing and a way to show he does care about commericalization and the people.. Will try to broach the subject to him.. Moonbase on the cheap is a good idea.. NASA and friends seem to take to much time and give us to expensive stuff that of late does not work (hubble and such). Basically what is the difference between a $1mil peice of junk and a multi $1mil piece of junk.. I know junk.. == Michael Adams, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu -- I'm not high, just jacked ------------------------------ Date: 25 Apr 93 23:11:08 GMT From: nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu Subject: 30826 Newsgroups: sci.space I like option C of the new space station design.. It needs some work, but it is simple and elegant.. Its about time someone got into simple construction versus overly complex... Basically just strap some rockets and a nose cone on the habitat and go for it.. Might be an idea for a Moon/Mars base to.. Where is Captain Eugenia(sp) when you need it (reference to russian heavy lifter, I think). == Michael Adams, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu -- I'm not high, just jacked ------------------------------ Date: 24 Apr 93 09:26 PDT From: tom@igc.apc.org Subject: computer cult Newsgroups: sci.space From: Subject: computer cult From scott Fri Apr 23 16:31:21 1993 Received: by igc.apc.org (4.1/Revision: 1.77 ) id AA16121; Fri, 23 Apr 93 16:31:09 PDT Date: Fri, 23 Apr 93 16:31:09 PDT Message-Id: <9304232331.AA16121@igc.apc.org> From: Scott Weikart Sender: scott To: cdplist Subject: Next stand-off? Status: R Redwood City, CA (API) -- A tense stand-off entered its third week today as authorities reported no progress in negotiations with charismatic cult leader Steve Jobs. Negotiators are uncertain of the situation inside the compound, but some reports suggest that half of the hundreds of followers inside have been terminated. Others claim to be staying of their own free will, but Jobs' persuasive manner makes this hard to confirm. In conversations with authorities, Jobs has given conflicting information on how heavily prepared the group is for war with the industry. At times, he has claimed to "have hardware which will blow anything else away", while more recently he claims they have stopped manufacturing their own. Agents from the ATF (Apple-Taligent Forces) believe that the group is equipped with serious hardware, including 486-caliber pieces and possibly Canon equipment. The siege has attracted a variety of spectators, from the curious to other cultists. Some have offered to intercede in negotiations, including a young man who will identify himself only as "Bill" and claims to be the "MS-iah". Former members of the cult, some only recently deprogrammed, speak hesitantly of their former lives, including being forced to work 20-hour days, and subsisting on Jolt and Twinkies. There were frequent lectures in which they were indoctrinated into a theory of "interpersonal computing" which rejects traditional roles. Late-night vigils on Chesapeake Drive are taking their toll on federal marshals. Loud rock and roll, mostly Talking Heads, blares throughout the night. Some fear that Jobs will fulfill his own apocalyptic prophecies, a worry reinforced when the loudspeakers carry Jobs' own speeches -- typically beginning with a chilling "I want to welcome you to the 'Next World' ". - - -- Roland J. Schemers III | Networking Systems Systems Programmer | G16 Redwood Hall (415) 723-6740 Distributed Computing Group | Stanford, CA 94305-4122 Stanford University | schemers@Slapshot.Stanford.EDU ------------------------------ Date: 25 Apr 93 18:01:18 From: Steinn Sigurdsson Subject: Gamma Ray Bursters. WHere are they. Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro In article <1radsr$att@access.digex.net> prb@access.digex.com (Pat) writes: What evidence indicates that Gamma Ray bursters are very far away? Their distribution is very isotropic and the intensity distribution, crudely speaking, indicates we're seeing an edge to the distribution. Given the enormous power, i was just wondering, what if they are quantum black holes or something like that fairly close by? Why would they have to be at galactic ranges? Now, in the good old days before GRO data, it was thought the gamma bursters were neutron stars in the galaxy, it was expected that GRO would confirm this by either showing they were a local population (within a few hundred light years) or that they were in the galactic halo. (Mechanism was not known but several plausible ones existed) (also to be fair it was noted that the _brightest_ burster was probably in the LMC, suggesting theorists might be wrong back then...) As the Sun is not at the center of the galaxy a halo population should show anisotropy (a local disk population is ruled out completely at this stage) - to avoid the anisotropy you have to push the halo out, the energy then gets large, the mechanism of getting NS out that far becomes questionable, and we should start to see for example the Andromeda's bursters. The data is consistent with either a Oort cloud distribution (but only just) - but no one can think of a plausible source with the right spectrum. Or, it can be a cosmological distances (hence isotropy) and the edge is "the edge of the Universe" ;-) If at cosmological distances you need very high energy (to detect) and a very compact source (for spectrum), ergo a neutron star colliding with another neutron star or black hole. Even then getting the spectrum is very hard, but conceivable. If we know anything about physics at that level, the bursters are not due to quantum black holes or cosmic strings, wrong spectrum for one thing. The situation is further complicated by recent claims that there are two classes of sources ;-) [in the colliding NS they'd actually probably fit relatively easily into the NS-NS and NS-BH collision scenarios respectively] my own pet theory is that it's Flying saucers entering hyperspace :-) but the reason i am asking is that most everyone assumes that they are colliding nuetron stars or spinning black holes, i just wondered if any mechanism could exist and place them closer in. If you can think of one, remember to invite me to Stockholm... * Steinn Sigurdsson Lick Observatory * * steinly@lick.ucsc.edu "standard disclaimer" * * The laws of gravity are very,very strict * * And you're just bending them for your own benefit - B.B. 1988* ------------------------------ Date: 25 Apr 93 23:44:49 GMT From: nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu Subject: Jemison on Star Trek (Better Ideas) Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1rbp6q$oai@access.digex.net>, prb@access.digex.com (Pat) writes: > In article <1993Apr22.214735.22733@Princeton.EDU> phoenix.Princeton.EDU!carlosn (Carlos G. Niederstrasser) writes: >>A transporter operator!?!? That better be one important transport. Usually >>it is a nameless ensign who does the job. For such a guest appearance I would >>have expected a more visible/meaningful role. > > > Christian Slater, only gota cameo on ST6, > > and besides. > > Maybe she can't act:-) > > pat > Better idea for use of NASA Shuttle Astronauts and Crew is have them be found lost in space after a accident with a worm hole or other space/time glitch.. Maybe age Jemison a few years (makeup and such) and have her as the only survivour of a failed shuttle mission that got lost.. Heh of late, they way they have been having shuttle problems in the media, anything can happen.. Imagine a Astronaut/Crew member to find themselves in the 24th Century as the object of interest of an alien civilization, maybe rescued or helped by the ST Enterprise... I know Vegr and such was okay, but this could be better.. == Michael Adams, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu -- I'm not high, just jacked ------------------------------ Date: 25 Apr 1993 20:41:19 -0400 From: Pat Subject: Jemison on Star Trek (Better Ideas) Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Apr25.154449.1@aurora.alaska.edu> nsmca@aurora.alaska.edu writes: | |Better idea for use of NASA Shuttle Astronauts and Crew is have them be found |lost in space after a accident with a worm hole or other space/time glitch.. | |Maybe age Jemison a few years (makeup and such) and have her as the only >survivour of a failed shuttle mission that got lost.. Of course that asumes the mission was able to launch :-) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Apr 1993 19:51:05 GMT From: Gene Wright Subject: NASA Special Publications for Voyager Mission? Newsgroups: sci.space I have two books, both NASA Special Publications, on the Voyager Missions. One is titled "Voyages to Jupiter" the other "Voyage to Saturn" These were excellent books put together after the encounters with each planet. The question is: Did NASA ever put together a similar book for either the Uranus encounter or Neptune? If so, what SP number is it and where can it be obtained? If not, why didn't they? -- gene@theporch.raider.net (Gene Wright) theporch.raider.net 615/297-7951 The MacInteresteds of Nashville ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 02:37:17 GMT From: apryan@vax1.tcd.ie Subject: Order MOORE's book to restore Great Telescope Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro Several people have enquired about the availability of the book about the Great 72" reflector built at Birr Castle, Ireland in 1845 which remained the largest in the world until the the start of the 20th century. "The Astronomy of Birr Castle" was written by Patrick Moore who now sits on the committee which is going to restore the telescope. (The remains are on public display all year round - the massive support walls, the 60 foot long tube, and other bits and pieces). This book is the definitivie history of how one man, the Third Earl of Rosse, pulled off the most impressive technical achievement, perhaps ever, in the history of the telescope, and the discoveries made with the instrument. Patrick Moore is donating all proceeds from the book's sale to help restore the telescope. Astronomy Ireland is making the book available world wide by mail order. It's a fascinating read and by ordering a copy you bring the day when we can all look through it once again that little bit nearer. =====ORDERING INFORMATION===== "The Astronomy of Birr Castle" Dr. Patrick Moore, xii, 90pp, 208mm x 145mm. Price: U.S.: US$4.95 + US$2.95 post & packing (add $3.50 airmail) U.K. (pounds sterling): 3.50 + 1.50 post & packing EUROPE (pounds sterling): 3.50 + 2.00 post and packing REST OF WORLD: as per U.S. but funds payable in US$ only. PAYMENT: Make all payments to "Astronomy Ireland". CREDIT CARD: MASTERCARD/VISA/EUROCARD/ACCESS accepted by email or snail mail: give card number, name & address, expiration date, and total amount. Payments otherwise must be by money order or bank draft. Send to our permanent address: P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 1, Ireland. You can also subscribe to "Astronomy & Space" at the same time. See below: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tony Ryan, "Astronomy & Space", new International magazine, available from: Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 1, Ireland. 6 issues (one year sub.): UK 10.00 pounds, US$20 surface (add US$8 airmail). ACCESS/VISA/MASTERCARD accepted (give number, expiration date, name&address). (WORLD'S LARGEST ASTRO. SOC. per capita - unless you know better? 0.033%) Tel: 0891-88-1950 (UK/N.Ireland) 1550-111-442 (Eire). Cost up to 48p per min ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1993 20:47:06 GMT From: Rui Sousa Subject: Potential World-Bearing Stars? Newsgroups: sci.space In article dan@visix.com (Daniel Appelquist) writes: I'm on a fact-finding mission, trying to find out if there exists a list of potentially world-bearing stars within 100 light years of the Sun... Is anyone currently working on this sort of thing? Thanks... Dan -- In principle, any star resembling the Sun (mass, luminosity) might have planets located in a suitable orbit. There several within 100 ly of the sun. They are single stars, for double or multiple systems might be troublesome. There's a list located at ames.arc.nasa.gov somewhere in pub/SPACE. I think it is called stars.dat. By the way, what kind of project, if I may know? Rui -- *** Infinity is at hand! Rui Sousa *** If yours is big enough, grab it! ruca@saber-si.pt All opinions expressed here are strictly my own ------------------------------ From: Wales.Larrison@ofa123.fidonet.org Subject: Space Advertising (1 of 2) Newsgroups: sci.space X-Sender: newtout 0.08 Feb 23 1993 Message-Id: <502441799@ofa123.fidonet.org> Date: 23 Apr 93 21:16:38 Lines: 81 Sender: news@CRABAPPLE.SRV.CS.CMU.EDU Source-Info: Sender is really isu@VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU Brian Yamauchi asks: [Regarding orbital billboards...] >And does anyone have any more details other than what was in the WN >news blip? How serious is this project? Is this just in the "wild >idea" stage or does it have real funding? Well, I had been collecting data for next edition of the Commercial Space News/Space Technology Investor... To summarize: SPACE ADVERTISING First, advertising on space vehicles is not new -- it is very common practice to put the cooperating organization's logos on the space launch vehicle. For example, the latest GPS launcher had the (very prominent) logos on its side of - McDonnell Douglas (the Delta launcher) - Rockwell International (who built the GPS satellite) - USAF (who paid for the satellite and launch), and - the GPS/Navstar program office This has not been considered "paid advertising" but rather "public relations", since the restrictions have been such that only organizations involved in the launch could put their logos on the side, and there was no money exchanged for this. [However, putting a 10' high logo on the side of the launch vehicle facing the cameras is "advertising" as much as it is "public relations", in my opinion.] [And by the way, I note that the DC-X test vehicle has rather prominent McDonnell-Douglas and SDIO logos on the side...] There have been several studies looking at the revenue potentials for use of space vehicles for advertising, or placing large advertising signs in orbit. On the shuttle, for example, I know of several serious studies in the early and mid 1980's which looked at putting logos on the external tank, or on the sides of the payload bay. These ventures would be different than "public relations", in that the logos or displays would not be restricted to the firms participating on that flight, and would involve payment of sums for the right to fly the logos in a prominent organization. (For example, painting the ET to look like a Pepsi can, or putting a Disneyworld logo on the inside of the payload bay where the cameras would scan past it.) ADVERTS ON LAUNCH VEHICLES The first paid advertising was done on a Soviet launcher in about 1990, when several non-involved foreign organizations were allowed to pay to put their logos on a Proton launch. (An Italian shoe company was one of the first advertisers, I remember.) Similarly, Soviet cosmonauts on Mir made a paid advertisement for the last Olympic games, and have gleefully shown banners and other items from participating firms and organizations. Mars candy bars, for example, got a plug from orbit as a sponsor of the launch of the British visiting cosmonaut to Mir. Now US firms are starting to put paid advertisements on launch vehicles. The upcoming Conestoga launch (in June) putting the COMET recoverable payload capsule into orbit will have paid advertisements on the side, for Arnold Schwarzenegger's upcoming movie "The Last Action Hero". Besides the usual logos of the participating organizations, Columbia pictures has paid $500,000 to put ads on the main fuselage of the mission's Conestoga rocket, its booster rockets, and on the COMET payload, which will orbit the Earth for one month. A concept for this advertising display was published in Space News magazine a couple of months ago. (As a side note: Robert Lorsch, an advertising executive, is talking about suing NASA. He charges NASA with appropriating an idea he created with the space agency in 1981 to form corporate advertising sponsorships on NASA spacecraft as a way to get funding for the space program. Lorsch contends that in selling advertising space on the upcoming COMET, NASA violated an agreement that it "would not use his idea without him being the exclusive representative for NASA and receiving compensation." This is being disputed, since the launch is a "commercial launch" and NASA is receiving none of the advertising revenues, but the funding for the COMET program is coming from NASA.) ORBITAL "BILLBOARDS" Orbital "billboards" have been the staple of science fiction for some time. Arthur C. Clarke wrote about one example, and Robert Heinlein described another in "The Man Who Sold the Moon". Several different potential projects have been developed, although none have been implemented, but the most real prior to 1993 being the "Eiffel II" project, which would have placed a large inflatable sculpture in orbit to celebrate the French Republic's Bi-centennial. (cont) --- Maximus 2.01wb ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 05:36:06 GMT From: Josh Hopkins Subject: Space Advertising (2 of 2) Newsgroups: sci.space Wales.Larrison@ofa123.fidonet.org writes: >the "Environmental >Billboard" is a large inflatable outer support structure of up to >804x1609 meters. Advertising is carried by a mylar reflective area, >deployed by the inflatable 'frame'. > To help sell the concept, the spacecraft responsible for >maintaining the billboard on orbit will carry "ozone reading >sensors" to "continuously monitor the condition of the Earth's >delicate protective ozone layer," according to Mike Lawson, head of >SMI. Furthermore, the inflatable billboard has reached its minimum >exposure of 30 days it will be released to re-enter the Earth's >atmosphere. According to IMI, "as the biodegradable material burns, >it will release ozone-building components that will literally >replenish the ozone layer." ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ Can we assume that this guy studied advertising and not chemistry? Granted it probably a great advertising gimic, but it doesn't sound at all practical. -- Josh Hopkins jbh55289@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu "Find a way or make one." -attributed to Hannibal ------------------------------ Date: 26 Apr 93 05:46:53 GMT From: nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu Subject: Space Station Redesign (30826) Option C Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Apr25.151108.1@aurora.alaska.edu>, nsmca@aurora.alaska.edu writes: > I like option C of the new space station design.. > It needs some work, but it is simple and elegant.. > > Its about time someone got into simple construction versus overly complex... > > Basically just strap some rockets and a nose cone on the habitat and go for > it.. > > Might be an idea for a Moon/Mars base to.. > > Where is Captain Eugenia(sp) when you need it (reference to russian heavy > lifter, I think). > == > Michael Adams, nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu -- I'm not high, just jacked > > > > This is a report, I got the subject messed up.. ------------------------------ Date: 21 Apr 93 18:51:21 GMT From: Uwe Bonnes Subject: Sunrise/ sunset times Newsgroups: sci.misc,sci.math,sci.space In article <1993Apr21.141824.23536@cbis.ece.drexel.edu>, jpw@cbis.ece.drexel.edu (Joseph Wetstein) asked: |> |> Hello. I am looking for a program (or algorithm) that can be used |> to compute sunrise and sunset times. |> |> I would appreciate any advice. |> |> Joe Wetstein |> jpw@coe.drexel.edu To compute this, and many other astronomical things, go and get (x)ephem written by Elwood C. Downey. It is e.g. on export.lcs.mit.edu Uwe Bonnes bon@lte.e-technik.uni-erlangen.de ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Apr 1993 21:20:46 GMT From: Henry Spencer Subject: TRUE "GLOBE", Who makes it? Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space In article bill@xpresso.UUCP (Bill Vance) writes: >It has been known for quite a while that the earth is actually more pear >shaped than globular/spherical. Does anyone make a "globe" that is accurate >as to actual shape, landmass configuration/Long/Lat lines etc.? I don't think you're going to be able to see the differences from a sphere unless they are greatly exaggerated. Even the equatorial bulge is only about 1 part in 300 -- you'd never notice a 1mm error in a 30cm globe -- and the other deviations from spherical shape are much smaller. -- SVR4 resembles a high-speed collision | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology between SVR3 and SunOS. - Dick Dunn | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry ------------------------------ Date: 26 Apr 1993 01:20:33 -0400 From: Pat Subject: Vandalizing the sky. Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space In article gfk39017@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (George F. Krumins) writes: >It is so typical that the rights of the minority are extinguished by the >wants of the majority, no matter how ridiculous those wants might be. George. It's called a democracy. The majority rules. sorry. If ytou don't like it, I suggest you modify the constitution to include a constitutional right to Dark Skies. The theory of government here is that the majority rules, except in the nature of fundamental civil rights. If you really are annoyed, get some legislation to create a dark sky zone, where in all light emissions are protected in the zone. Kind of like the national radio quiet zone. Did you know about that? near teh Radio telescope observatory in West virginia, they have a 90?????? mile EMCON zone. Theoretically they can prevent you from running light AC motors, like air conditioners and Vacuums. In practice, they use it mostly to control large radio users. pat ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 490 ------------------------------