Date: Fri, 12 Feb 93 18:26:55 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V16 #162 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Fri, 12 Feb 93 Volume 16 : Issue 162 Today's Topics: Antimatter/Atomic Booms for Jettison! ASSET Challenger transcript Fred is dead again. FREE-ENERGY and other posts hardware on the moon hilarious HST repair mission Lunar map for Mike parachutes on Challenger? parachutes on Challenger? Ejection Seats! Payload Hit For Polar Orbit Refueling Freedom Refueling Freedom/Japanese Business Sabatier Reactors. Space Plasma Physics Summer School The Future *is* What It Used To Be Winter Wonderland/Bye Everett/Humor! Wood Pulp/Ice/Landing Strips..ICE Ship 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: 9 Feb 93 07:09:20 GMT From: nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu Subject: Antimatter/Atomic Booms for Jettison! Newsgroups: sci.space Way to handle anti-matter or atomic engines/rockets. Do it the same way the Enterprise does it.. Put them on booms and if they go critical jetteson them.. Or put them behind the space craft and jettison them.. or combine them.. ================== \ ----------- |__________| Engine on top == Michael Adams alias Ghost Wheel/Morgoth NSMCA@acad2.alaska.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1993 09:32:32 GMT From: Dave Michelson Subject: ASSET Newsgroups: sci.space I was just glacing through the Proc. X-15 First Flight 30th Anniversary that Mary sent out some time ago... On page 57, Richard Hallion refers to the ASSET program. What was that? I checked in Willy Ley's "Rockets, Missiles, ...", which is usually a *very* good source for pre-1968 stuff but ASSET isn't mentioned... --- Dave Michelson University of British Columbia davem@ee.ubc.ca Antenna Laboratory ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Feb 93 21:25:03 PST From: Brian Stuart Thorn Subject: Challenger transcript Newsgroups: sci.space > Worse, the anonymous poster presented the transcript as fact, > with no source except "friend of a friend at SpaceCamp" when > it has been subsequently shown to be from a "National Enquirer" > type rag. > > The person who posted the transcript was either: > > A) Carrying an axe to grind against the space community, > B) Exceedingly naive, or > C) Looking for a quick thrill. > > This the net can do without. Oops! Although I've lost track of who posted what, it's been pointed out to me that I combined two different posts in the above message. The person who anonymously the "transcript" is not the same person who used SpaceCamp as a reference to backup the legitmacy of the "transcript". Sorry about that, SpaceCamp-goer! -Brian ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian S. Thorn "If ignorance is bliss, BrianT@cup.portal.com this must be heaven." -Diane Chambers, "Cheers" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1993 12:52:46 GMT From: "John S. Neff" Subject: Fred is dead again. Newsgroups: sci.space In article Cohen@ssdgwy.mdc.com (Andy Cohen) writes: >From: Cohen@ssdgwy.mdc.com (Andy Cohen) >Subject: Re: Fred is dead again. >Date: 8 Feb 1993 21:52:03 GMT >In article <1l14r7INNd9i@digex.digex.com>, prb@access.digex.com (Pat) >wrote: >> >> >> Rumour has it that SSC went on the block too. >> >> However, don't hold your breath. IN DC, nothing dies. The contractors >> are spending 30 million on PR this week alone. Look for major ads. >> >> So waht re-write of the NASA act is likely???? >> > > >OK..... where did you get the "30 million on PR" ....data... from??? > >That is a fallacy in the extreme. > >If SSF goes away, the profit loss will not be as big as you seem to assume >it is.... > >The loss will be to personnel. That is the problem with discretionary programs like SSF and SSC. People think that they can be canceled or cut back in lean years and pushed hard in fat years, but it does not work that way. If you cancel you have defaulted on a contract and thrown a lot of people out of work, if you cut back you pay big overhead charges and get little in return. The real savings are small as a consequence. Why are these project theatened? I don't know about SSC but SSF appears to be a graveyard for managers. I have lost count of the number of managers that have left the project. Do they have a special landfill for old plans for SSF? I understand that some parts have been built. There are mockups at Houston and lots of pretty pictures of what SSF will look like when it is in orbit, but what else have we got for our $8 billion+ ?. This looks like a sick project and the wolves tend to kill the sick animals. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Feb 93 16:39:28 GMT From: Spiros Triantafyllopoulos Subject: FREE-ENERGY and other posts Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1kscrhINNdee@borg.cs.unc.edu> leech@cs.unc.edu (Jon Leech) writes: >In article , 18084TM@msu.edu (Tom) writes: >|> > FREE-ENERGY TECHNOLOGY >|> > by Robert E. McElwaine, Physicist >|> >|> [lots of stuff that you've already seen or ignored several times] >|> >|> Maybe if we gave this kind of stuff a FAQ, we wouldn't keep seeing it >|> over and over. > > The only FAQ I'd be willing to keep related to McElwaine is a short >discussion of KILL files. He'll always surprise you. We got a copy of FREE-ENERGY TECHNOLOGY posted in soc.culture.greek :-) Spiros -- Spiros Triantafyllopoulos c23st@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com Software Technology, Delco Electronics (317) 451-0815 GM Hughes Electronics, Kokomo, IN 46904 [A Different Kind of Disclaimer] ------------------------------ Date: 9 Feb 93 00:29:17 GMT From: 00acearl@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu Subject: hardware on the moon Newsgroups: sci.space In article <6752@rosie.NeXT.COM>, agaidos@pcbcad.next.com (Anton Gaidos) writes: > > I was whatching NASA Select yesterday, Apollo moon stuff when my > wife and I began wondering about all the stuff left behind. We noted > that the Rover's camara panned up to follow the moduale's acsent and > my wife said "now it is all alone". > Then the narrator went on to say the lunar mod was released before > burn back to earth. What happened to them? Did these moduales crash > to the moon or drift out to space or fall into some kind of lunar > orbit? Well, if the ascent stage of the LEM was released before the final burn, it is no doubt in a solar orbit. I know that NASA and the Air Force track debris in Earth orbit. Perhaps the orbits of the Apollo LEMs are known, too. > Does anybody know if any of the experiments or hardware still work > or how long some of the stuff did work? When was the last time one of > those camaras were turned on? Do the siesmonitors still send back > data? I remember reading in 1979 that the seismometer left by the Apollo 17 crew recorded a lunar quake. Perhaps that equipment operated well into the next decade. I know that the Laser Ranging Reflectors are still used by scientists to get precise measurements of the distance from Earth to the Moon. > The Voyager space craft have lasted so long It seemed like there was > a chance many of these things may have worked well into the Seventies > if not longer even though they came from an earlier technology. > We were pretty interested in knowing if it was planned to explore > these sites in the future to see the effects of long term exposure. I > can't help fantasing about someone someday charging the old Rover > batteries to see if it will work again like someone now finding an > old piece of equitment in a long forgetten barn. > Anybody have any information for me? > Anton You would probably have to call the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for info. like that. You're right, 'though. It would be worthwhile to revisit some of the Apollo sights. Have you and your wife ever seen an old movie called "Salvage-One?" Aaron Christopher Ball State Univ. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1993 02:13:49 GMT From: david niebuhr Subject: hilarious Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro,alt.privacy In article <1993Feb6.183234.7579@fuug.fi> an8785@anon.penet.fi (Tesuji) writes: >X-Anon-To:sci.space,sci.astro,alt.privacy > >The response the Challenger transcript has gotten >has been hilarious. > >If you guys can't joke about bone cancer, childhood leukemia, and facing >certain horrifying death, then you guys don't have >the perspective to call yourself adults. > >Get a life. Get *seven*. Ha ha. I personally don't find anything funny in bone cancer, childhood leukemia or a horrifying death. This person has a very sick mind and should be locked away until his/her mental processes are brought under control. Better yet, why not ignore anything from anon.penet.fi regardless of whose name is given. Dave -- Dave Niebuhr Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973 (516)-282-3093 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Feb 93 21:26:24 PST From: Brian Stuart Thorn Subject: HST repair mission Newsgroups: sci.space > >There's a faint rumour that the "return-to-Earth" option >for the HST mission has been re-opened and that a committee [sic] >has been set up to look at that option [again]. > >Anyone know whatsup? Are there new concerns over the EVA >schedule or is this out of the blue. > >| Steinn Sigurdsson Returning Hubble is a last ditch option, but that has been the case all along, there is no change in the timetable. According to last week's "Space News", Endeavour on December 2 will be launched with provisions enought to support up to seven spacewalks for about thirteen days on orbit. The nominal mission is for an eight day flight including three Hubble repair EVAs of six hours each. The more realistic plan is for four spacewalks to repair Hubble on a nine day flight. But Endeavour can go thirteen days and has six spacewalks available to do the job (the seventh is reserved for Shuttle emergencies). Four astronauts will be fully trained for the Hubble repair, but only two are actually scheduled to do the job. The 2:00am launch time may be revised to daytime so as not to radically alter the crew's training schedule / sleep cycle, which could adversely effect the mission. All STS-61 Endeavour / Hubble Repair Mission preparations are on schedule to support launch on December 2. -Brian ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian S. Thorn "If ignorance is bliss, BrianT@cup.portal.com this must be heaven." -Diane Chambers, "Cheers" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 9 Feb 93 09:14:36 -0400 From: agnew@gems.vcu.edu Subject: Lunar map for Mike Newsgroups: sci.space My apologies for posting to sci.space, the address bounced for Mike. It would help if everybody included their address in their note. Jim >Addressee: loucks@csn.org >Remote system's reason for rejecting: ... User unknown Mike, ther's a program on simtel20 that has a small map. it may be a starting point.. from a bitnet site, use the following, or ftp, its' the same directory. SEND LISTSERV@NDSUVM1 /PDGET MAIL PD:MOON.ZIP ! 1 ! 57300 ! 8 ! 901210 ! Graphic display of moon's face w/pan/move/find Jim /^^^\ \ / Jim Agnew | AGNEW@RUBY.VCU.EDU (Internet) / > || Neurosurgery, | AGNEW@VCUVAX (Bitnet) /\_/ ' \ / MCV-VCU | This disc will self destruct in /________________> Richmond, VA, USA | five seconds. Good luck, Jim..." text follows... X-News: gems sci.space:11491 >From: loucks@csn.org (Lord Vader) >Subject:Lunar Map >Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1993 19:40:30 GMT >Message-ID:<1993Jan29.194030.3638@colorado.edu> >I need a digital map of the moon for ground tracks. What >I am looking for is a projection onto a rectangular area >like you commonly see when earth ground-tracks of orbiters >are shown (I can't think of the name of that type of >projection). I have been told that no such thing exists, >although one would think that someone took the Apollo and >lunar orbiter data and did this at some point. I also >saw recently someone say that the Smithsonian has some >lunar stuff on laser disk, which would imply that the >data were digitized at some point. Anyway, If anyone knows >of the existence of such a map, I would appreciate hearing >from you. > >Mike Loucks >loucks@orbit.colorado.edu >and no, I don't have any noble statement to put after my name --Boundary (ID u/wZkFEK/Om2Y1eXtnHk6w)-- ------------------------------ Date: 9 Feb 93 13:53:36 GMT From: "R. Lee Hawkins" Subject: parachutes on Challenger? Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Feb5.231836.23346@mksol.dseg.ti.com> mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes: >In <1993Feb5.193727.13265@mksol.dseg.ti.com> pyron@skndiv.dseg.ti.com (Dillon Pyron) writes: > > >some training jets, the front seat has to go *first*. There is a >story, perhaps untrue (my memory isn't good enough to recall where I >heard it), of a pilot-instructor who got himself cut in half by >reaching up over a student to pull down his handle after the student >blacked out. The student got out. The instructor got a (posthumous) >medal. But, but, since the frontseater has to go first, the seats have to be sequenced so that the frontseater goes first regardless of who pulls the handle first. Otherwise, there would be little guarantee of the frontseater actually going first. Or is it your contention that only the frontseater could initiate an ejection? That's even harder to imagine. --Lee ------------------------------ Date: 9 Feb 93 07:16:24 GMT From: nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu Subject: parachutes on Challenger? Ejection Seats! Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Feb8.220526.29886@olaf.wellesley.edu>, lhawkins@annie.wellesley.edu (R. Lee Hawkins) writes: > In article henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes: >>In article <1993Feb3.212616.23436@mksol.dseg.ti.com> mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes: >>Actually, Martin-Baker thought they could build an ejection system for >>the shuttle... and they are the world's most respected manufacturer of >>ejection seats. The upper-deck crew would go first, followed by the >>mid-deck crew, whose seats would follow rails up through the upper deck. >>I don't think anyone has done a system quite like that before, but >>"sequenced" ejection systems, in which seats fire in a preprogrammed >>sequence to avoid collisions etc., are fairly common. > > Why not a full-ejection-module like on the F-111 or B-1? Seems like > this would work at almost any speed, with a large enough rocket could > easily clear the SRB blast, and would save everybody, and might even > save some of the equipment in the crew compartment for use as spares or > incorporation into the (now toasted) shuttle's replacement. I realize > such a solution would have a hugh weight penalty, and by its nature > isn't exactly retrofittable, but perhaps such a system would be useful > on future vehichles. I can't imagine any other means that is even > remotely survivable over much of the flight regime. > > Cheers, > --Lee > ________________________________________________________________________________ > R. Lee Hawkins lhawkins@annie.wellesley.edu > Department of Astronomy lhawkins@lucy.wellesley.edu > Whitin Observatory > Wellesley College Ph. 617-283-2708 > Wellesley, MA 02181 FAX 617-283-3642 > ________________________________________________________________________________ Wow Astronauts have lost alot of clout over the year. If Mercury/Gemini/Apollo ha dnot had some way to see and get down to earth safely they would ahve made the designers create one.. (Window they did).. Mayeb what is needed is to have astronauts to organize and bsically say, you design the next shuttle with a ejection module or something, or we will not flY!! Simple, NOT!! == Michael Adams alias Ghost Wheel/Morgoth NSMCA@acad2.alaska.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1993 07:22:36 GMT From: Dave Michelson Subject: Payload Hit For Polar Orbit Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Feb09.030026.7448@news.mentorg.com> drickel@bounce.mentorg.com (Dave Rickel) writes: > >Pretty clearly, the differences in velocity needed for polar orbit from the >equator or polar orbit from a pole are pretty insignificant... > > >Using these numbers, the penalty for equatorial launch into polar orbit vs >polar launch into polar orbit is on the order of 0.4%. If there *is* an advantage, perhaps it is aerodynamic. I vaguely recall that the tropopause is far lower at the poles than at the equator. How do the atmospheric profiles compare otherwise? --- Dave Michelson University of British Columbia davem@ee.ubc.ca Antenna Laboratory ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Feb 93 21:23:48 PST From: Brian Stuart Thorn Subject: Refueling Freedom Newsgroups: sci.space >HOPE would be unmanned. ESA is also interested in an Ariane 5 launched >resupply vehicle. I'm not aware of any serious proposals in the US. >Josh Hopkins Didn't General Dynamics do alot of work on an Atlas IIAS Station resupply system? Did I dream this up, or is it just one of those preliminary study things? -Brian ------------------------------ Date: 9 Feb 93 06:59:13 GMT From: nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu Subject: Refueling Freedom/Japanese Business Newsgroups: sci.space In article , jbh55289@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Josh Hopkins) writes: > matthew@phantom.gatech.edu (Matthew DeLuca) writes: > > [On the subject of Freedom resupply with HOPE..] >>>However, this does show a lack of confidince >>>in Space Shuttle-based logistics... > >>Actually, it's probably a pretty smart move. While I don't think it >>necessarily shows a lack of confidence in the Shuttle, it does show >>that they aren't about to be delayed or held hostage by U.S. payload >>and logistics scheduling; they've got their own route to get materials >>to and from the station. > > The Japanese don't just want backup. From what I've heard they are rather > worried that shuttle won't be able to carry all the stuff they want for their > materials proccessing experiments. They'd like to be able to produce a high > volume although their expectations may have changed when the available power > dropped. > > By the way Allen, I should point out that paper airplanes and vaporware don't > have operational costs. If and when HOPE flies you can decided that it's > cheaper than shuttle but the way things are looking now I wouldn't advise you > to take that for granted. > >>I would like to see an unmanned alternative to the Shuttle for primary >>logistics support; don't suppose anyone knows if this is in the works >>or not? > > HOPE would be unmanned. ESA is also interested in an Ariane 5 launched > resupply vehicle. I'm not aware of any serious proposals in the US. > -- > Josh Hopkins jbh55289@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu > > Q: Why did the chicken cross the mobius strip? > A: To get to the other... er, uh... I know the japanese they don't do anything part way or overly rash. They think the long term.. They don't get much into quicky deals (atleast not in the business area).. So basically Im saying is that they have lost confidence in the shuttle and think it just might be a flash in the pan.. and not an item for the long term.. == Michael Adams alias Ghost Wheel/Morgoth NSMCA@acad2.alaska.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Feb 93 21:24:25 PST From: Brian Stuart Thorn Subject: Sabatier Reactors. Newsgroups: sci.space >In article henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) w >rites: >>duration mission even had LH2/LOX tanks in the cargo bay. It was only >>Centaur that was banned from the cargo bay. > > >So why was centaur banned? couldn't they have made a few changes to >make it "Shuttle-safe" > >pat > First: Centaur would have weighed-in very close to the Shuttle's maximum capacity. Post Challenger mods and restrictions (i.e., no more 109% thrust for SSMEs) would have pushed Centaur beyond the Shuttle's performance capability. Second: Loaded with that much fuel, there was no way to safely dump LOZ/LH2 in the event of an emergency landing. -Brian ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian S. Thorn "If ignorance is bliss, BrianT@cup.portal.com this must be heaven." -Diane Chambers, "Cheers" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1993 06:43:24 GMT From: Bo Thide' Subject: Space Plasma Physics Summer School Newsgroups: sci.space Second announcement International Summer School on Space Plasma Physics Organised by Radiophysical Research Institute, NIRFI, Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia and Swedish Institute of Space Physics, IRFU, Uppsala, Sweden to be held Onboard a Cruise Ship on the Volga River, 1-10 June, 1993 The purpose of the school is to give an introduction to the problems of linear and non-linear space plasma physics, ionospheric modification, the use of the ionosphere as a space plasma laboratory, as well as to discuss current topics in astrophysics and ionospheric, solar, and stellar plasma physics. List of lecturers and lectures o Prof C E Alissandrakis, Greece, Emissions From Solar Flares. o Prof T Chang , USA, Electromagnetic Tornadoes in Space---Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating of Ionospheric Ions; Lower hybrid collapse, caviton turbulence, and charged particle energization. o Dr F C Drago, Italy, Radio Emission of Active Regions of the Sun and Stars. o Prof G Dulk, USA, Radio Methods For Investigating the Solar Wind Between Sun and Earth. o Prof Lev Erukhimov, Russia, Space Plasma Laboratories. o Dr J Foster, USA, Scattering in the Ionosphere. o Dr C Hanuise, France, Coherent Scattering in the Ionosphere. o Prof M Hayakawa, Japan, Terrestrial Electromagnetic Noise Environment. o Prof A Hewish, UK, Mapping Interplanetary Weather Patterns. o Prof R Hunsucker, USA, Radio Techniques for Probing the Terrestrial Ionosphere. o Prof Yu Kravtsov, Russia, Polarisation and Wave Propagation Effects in Inhomogeneous Plasma. o Prof J Kuijpers, Holland, Magnetic Flares In Accretion Disks. o Prof M Nambu, Japan, Plasma Maser Effects. o Prof V Petviashvili, Russia, Vortexes in Space. o Prof V Radhakrishnan, India, Pulsars--The Strangest Radiators in the Sky. o Prof H O Rucker, Austria, Planetary Radio Emissions. o Dr R Schlickeiser, Germany, The Theory of Cosmic Ray Transport and Acceleration and Astrophysical Applications. o Dr K Stasiewicz, Sweden, Auroral Kilometric Radiation. o Dr B Thide, Sweden, Controlled Generation of Radio Emission in the Near-Earth Plasma by Wave Injection from the Ground. o Prof V Trakhtengertz, Russia, Alfven Masers. o Dr V Zaytsev, Russia, Solar plasma. o Prof V V Zheleznyakov, Russia, Cyclotron Resonance in Astrophysics. General and topical lectures will be mixed with seminars and poster sessions. The lecture notes and reports of new results will be published in "Radiophysics and Quantum Electronics". Applications for attendance must be submitted before 15 March, 1993 to Bo Thide Swedish Institute of Space Physics Uppsala Division S-75591 Uppsala, Sweden Fax: [+46] 18-403100 E-mail: bt@irfu.se There will be an excursion to Vasil'sursk where the NIRFI radio observatory ``Sura'' is located. The cultural program of the school includes sightseeing in interesting old Russian towns on the upper Volga, art exhibitions, and other activities. The total cost for full board an lodging on the ship for the school is estimated at between US$300 and US$500, depending on type of cabin (first class single, first class double, second class singel, second class double). -- ^ Bo Thide'----------------------------------------------Science Director |I| Swedish Institute of Space Physics, S-755 91 Uppsala, Sweden |R| Phone: (+46) 18-303671. Fax: (+46) 18-403100. IP: 130.238.30.23 /|F|\ INTERNET: bt@irfu.se UUCP: ...!mcvax!sunic!irfu!bt ~~U~~ ----------------------------------------------------------------sm5dfw- ------------------------------ Date: 8 Feb 93 21:15:17 GMT From: Bruce Watson Subject: The Future *is* What It Used To Be Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro From _Satellite!_, Bergaust and Beller, 1956: "One of the most remarkable aspects suggested by [Professor Hermann] Oberth at that time was the _space mirror_ concept. A huge mirror in space would reflect the Sun's radiation in focused beams, its utility aspects including heating and illuminating cities. It could also be used to "boil" the water of our oceans, which in turn would yield vapor and rain during drought periods. Considered seriously by many scientis today [1956], the space mirror was first suggested in 1923. -- Bruce Watson (wats@scicom.alphaCDC.COM) Bulletin 629-49 Item 6700 Extract 75,131 ------------------------------ Date: 9 Feb 93 07:30:32 GMT From: nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu Subject: Winter Wonderland/Bye Everett/Humor! Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Feb8.234759.7988@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>, kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov writes: > nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu wrote: > : In article , gnb@baby.bby.com.au (Gregory N. Bond) writes: > : > And did you hear that researchers in Fairbanks, Alaska have developed > : > room-temperature superconductors? > > : I have not heard that.. I will check it out.. Unles this is a hoax? > > It's a joke, son. Think about it. > > Of course, we don't get winter here in Houston. It just rains a little > more. > > My wife has Renault's Syndrome [sp?], a problem with blood flow to the > hands which gives her perpetually cold fingers. Her doctor back in > Illinois told her to move someplace warm. It's a darned good thing > that most of the space program is located where it's warm -- Texas, > California, Florida, Alabama (not in any particular order). It's be > hell on her to live in Alaska. > > -- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office > kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov (713) 483-4368 > > "We choose to go to the moon not because it is easy, > but because it is fun." > -- John F. Kennedy, as [mis]quoted by > Scott Brigham, scotbri@rosemount.com, > in alt.folklore.urban Of course I know it is humor, I need humor these days. A good friend of mine blew his brains out last saturday morning and I miss him and need something to laugh about.. I ask why, and recieve no reply from him for he is dead and beyond my questions! So I live on.. Take care Everett P. Dick (yes that is his name), you are missed, you god damn fool... Michael Adams Alias: Morgoth/Ghost Wheel nsmca@acad2.alaska.edu ------------------------------ Date: 9 Feb 93 06:51:56 GMT From: nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu Subject: Wood Pulp/Ice/Landing Strips..ICE Ship Newsgroups: sci.space In article , stephens@geod.emr.ca (Dave Stephenson) writes: > nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu writes: > >>Anyone who has followed arctic/antarctic explorationknows about using ICe as a >>landing strip.. Here in Alaska it was and in some places still used.. Namely >>Little Diomede island has no landing strip until Feb/Mar when the shore ice >>freezes.. >>Using wood pulp for a additive for a landing strip/material is soemthing I had >>heard rumors of, but not sure where until someone mentioned landing strips, ice >>and wood pulp.. I have heard of other uses for the mixture, just not sure >>where... > > > >>Michael Adams >>Alias: Morgoth/Ghost Wheel >>nsmca@acad2.alaska.edu > > Oh Dear, You have raised the subject of ***HABAKKUK****. In 1940 the > British started a program to construct a 2 Million Ton Aircraft carrier > out of wood pulp reinforced ice. This wonder material was called Pycrete > after its inventor a DR. Pyke. It was bullet proof, could be machined like > wood, and floated. And like Halley's comet it did not melt very quickly. > A coating of insulating pulp formed over a hole and sealed it. > Re-inforced ice has been underexamination for protecting laser battle > stations in orbit, and for deep space rocket. Popisicle stages. > Naturally Canada with lots of ice and wood got the job. A mock up was > built and floated one summer in Lake Patricia in Jasper Park Alberta. > A 1 H.P. refrigerator kept it frozen. To hide it from German spies > it was disguised as a boat house. At the Quebec City conference a large > slab of Pycrete was the center of attention. To prove it was bullet > proof a British Boffin grabbed a gun and shot at it. The bullet > bounced off and winged an American Admiral. Better luck next time... > After the war work on re-inforced runways was carried out at Fort > Smith N.W.T., and a program to examine ice structure has continued > on and off ever since in various Arctic research institutes. > > One day reinforced ice ships will cruise the depths of interplanetary > space. > > If on its maiden voyage from Mars to Saturn a mighty Pykrete liner of > space runs into a metallic asteroid the media headlines of the day will > broadcast the sad news that: > > THE ICE SHIP TITANIC HAS STRUCJK AN IRON BURG AND BEEN LOST!! > > > -- > Dave Stephenson > Geodetic Survey of Canada > Ottawa, Ontario, Canada > Internet: stephens@geod.emr.ca And god help you if you lost control of the ICE SHIP, imagine if it entred the atmosphere, Hiroshima with out radiation.. That is if it entered wrong.. But the idea does open ideas... Imagine if you used something other than water or something other than wood chips/pulp.. Hum.. Michael Adams Alias: Morgoth/Ghost Wheel nsmca@acad2.alaska.edu ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 162 ------------------------------