Date: Sat, 15 May 93 05:21:38 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V16 #575 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Sat, 15 May 93 Volume 16 : Issue 575 Today's Topics: Ames to Drive Russian Robot Via Satellite Excess Shuttle criticism was Re: Shutt Just a few $0.01s worth Who is Henry Spencer anyway? 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: 15 May 1993 04:48 UT From: Ron Baalke Subject: Ames to Drive Russian Robot Via Satellite Newsgroups: sci.space,alt.sci.planetary,comp.robotics Charles Redmond Headquarters, Washington, D.C. May 14, 1993 (Phone: 202/358-1757) Noon Michael Mewhinney Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif. (Phone: 415/604-9000) RELEASE: 93-84 NASA AMES TO DRIVE RUSSIAN ROBOT VIA SATELLITE Scientists at NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif., will use a satellite video link, provided by Brown University, next week to try to maneuver a Russian robotic "rover" in a Moscow laboratory. This test is being conducted at the request of McDonnell Douglas Space Systems. "We will be steering the rover around remotely," said Project Leader Dr. Butler Hine, an Ames electrical engineer. "We will be able to see through the rover's cameras and also through cameras looking at the rover," Hine said. Hine will use a "telepresence interface" developed at Ames to control the prototype of a rover which Russian scientists hope to land on Mars in 1996. Hine will wear a video headset and use head movements to point the rover's camera. He will use joysticks to steer the rover. The objective of this test is to verify that this technology could be used in future missions such as Mars 96. During the tests, NASA scientists will use the same technology they used in February to test the rover when Russian scientists visited Ames. "During their visit, we drove the rover around our lunar terrain simulation and controlled it from our laboratory," Hine said. "We call this a 'tele-operator interface' because it is a combination of virtual reality and telepresence," he said. "We can drive the vehicle by looking through the rover's cameras, which is telepresence. We also can drive it using a computer-generated graphic simulation, which is virtual reality," Hine said. Hine said the "tele-operator interface" is designed to be a general purpose control mechanism for robotic vehicles. "So far, we have controlled surface rovers, underwater vehicles in the Antarctic and now the Russian rover," Hine said. Hine will have a model of the Russian test environment as well as a model of the rover at Ames. Depending on weather conditions, the Russians may test the rover outdoors or in a laboratory. "This is a team effort," Hine said. "There's a large group of people at McDonnell Douglas and a large group of people here at Ames working together. Hine calls this project a good example of technology transfer between the federal government and private industry. "We've been doing a series of experiments with McDonnell Douglas over the past month to prepare for this test. They are benefiting from the technology transfer. "We've had experience operating long-haul links to the Antarctic, so we don't expect any major barriers," Hine said. "It is costing us almost nothing," Hine said. "We're re-using the infrastructure developed for other projects." Scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute for Space Research and the Russian Space Agency also will participate in the test. Hine is the Project Leader at Ames, and John Garvey is the project leader at McDonnell Douglas. - end - Editors Note: Video and photos of the Russian rover are available by calling the NASA Headquarters Broadcast And Imaging Branch at 202/358-1741. ___ _____ ___ /_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| Ron Baalke | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov | | | | __ \ /| | | | Jet Propulsion Lab | ___| | | | |__) |/ | | |__ M/S 525-3684 Telos | Once a year, go someplace /___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | you've never been before. |_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ | ------------------------------ Date: 14 May 93 16:04:13 GMT From: Henry A Worth Subject: Excess Shuttle criticism was Re: Shutt Newsgroups: sci.space In article 5161@ee.ubc.ca, davem@ee.ubc.ca (Dave Michelson) writes: > > That brings up the obvious question... What sort of view will a DC-? pilot > have during the landing phase? (They aren't going to use some sort of > mirror-based scheme, are they?) > The pilot will have the whatever view the programmers provide them, i.e. the most likely scenario is that the DC-1 will be fully automated with override only from GROUND based contoller/pilots during the launch and landing ops. The DC-1 is intended to also be used in unmanned as well as manned configurations, without range safety devices, and from "Spaceports" near populated areas (like KSC ;-) ). If the DC-1 is not safe enough for manned ops without an on-board flight crew, then it's also not safe enough for unmanned ops. So why add the complexity, weight, expense, and risk of a flight crew that are more likely to compromise safety than enhance it? The DC-1 concept drawings do show the possibility of an optional, 2 person, flight crew compartment wedged in above the payload bay, below the O2 tank, but it just doesn't make sense to have a flight crew for normal ops. For special orbital maneuvers with hard real-time observation and reaction requirements, for special customers needing to operate in communications compromised situations (i.e. the military), perhaps... But, for the 90+++% percent case of hauling freight, experiments, and passengers to/from orbit, it just doesn't make sense. For the cases that do require onboard control, it can be handled as well from a computer console in the payload bay passenger/lab module as from a dedicated cockpit (the ground based pilots are using SGI workstations) and could be handled by someone who would only have to be trained in the orbital procedures (i.e. this could be a secondary skill for a payload specialist or scientist rather than requiring a somewhat more highly trained and specialized pilot). BTW, the crew compartment insert appears to have overhead windows. --- Henry Worth No, I don't speak for Amdahl... I'm not even sure I speak for myself. ------------------------------ Date: 15 May 93 03:12:50 GMT From: "Theodore F. Vaida ][" Subject: Just a few $0.01s worth Newsgroups: sci.space I have finally gotten back to reading this group, and I wanted to just say that it a damn sight funnier than rec.humor :O), I have now plastered my wall with dozens of printouts from the space-bilboard controversy, perhaps space science could benefit by haveing a few of you jokers do some standup routines about space :O) in any case, I was curious about ram and scramjet designs, does anyone have any suggested reading material about his topic (including the necessary materials research...) -- ---------=======================================================--------- ->POLAR CAPS<- or tfv0@lehigh.edu Student Konsultant Making the world safe for computing! "Never before have we owed so little to so many..."- R.T.Folk "One must not confuse John Dunne's famous quote `No man is an Island' with New York Telephone's `We're all connected'" - Dad ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 93 19:58:55 EDT From: Thierry Lach Subject: Who is Henry Spencer anyway? Newsgroups: sci.space cam@hawk.adied.oz.au (The Master) writes: > etoyoc@leland.Stanford.EDU (aaron thode) writes: > > >Having tracked sci.space for quite a while, I have some questions > >about a mysterious figure called Henry Spencer. If there is anything > >going on in the space community, he seems to know it. > > The questions are somewhat tounge-in-cheek: > > 1) Is sci.space a hobby or a job for you? > > 1) Do you ever eat or sleep? > > 3) Does U of Toronto Zoology department conduct space research? > > Or do you just use an account there? > >Just curious. > > >Aaron > > Well, Henry Spencer is *also* responsible for parts of Cnews, and other > internet related things. > > Quite a guy. :) > > Onya Henry! > > c. > This question comes up frequently enough that there should be a faq about it... ============================================================================ Thierry Lach curlie!thierry@sycom.mi.org #include "std.disclaimer" "Sufficiently superior technology is indistingushable from magic" ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 575 ------------------------------