Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson Received: from hogtown.andrew.cmu.edu via trymail for +dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl@andrew.cmu.edu (->+dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl) (->ota+space.digests) ID ; Wed, 20 Mar 91 01:59:19 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: Precedence: junk Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Wed, 20 Mar 91 01:59:15 -0500 (EST) Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #282 SPACE Digest Volume 13 : Issue 282 Today's Topics: Re: He3 on Moon? KH-12 Breakup STS-40 Payload Showing (Forwarded) Re: O-Ring and Feynman MAJOR SOLAR FLARE ALERT - STORM WARNING UPDATES - 16 MARCH He3 on Moon? NASA Headline News - 03/13/91 (Forwarded) Administrivia: Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to space+@andrew.cmu.edu. Other mail, esp. [un]subscription requests, should be sent to space-request+@andrew.cmu.edu, or, if urgent, to tm2b+@andrew.cmu.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 14 Mar 91 03:38:37 GMT From: elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!jarthur!nntp-server.caltech.edu!romeo.caltech.edu!irwin@handies.ucar.edu (Horowitz, Irwin Kenneth) Subject: Re: He3 on Moon? In article <1991Mar13.214357.28899@mailer.cc.fsu.edu>, cain@geomag.gly.fsu.edu (Joe Cain) writes... >Does anyone know the origin of the weird sounding article that just >appeared in the March 15 "Washington Spectator?" >******************************************************************* >..A new "gold rush" is expected on the moon, where large amounts of a >powerful fuel, a hundred times more precious than gold, have been >discovered. "Lunar soil is rich in Helium-3 (He-3) which costs $1,000 >a gram," reports . "Some 100 million tons of He-3 lie >on the lunar surface. A mere 55,000 pounds of He-3 in a fusion reactor >(which scientists expect to build within 15 years) would electrify the >entire U.S. for a year. Nuclear fusion which powers the sun releases >energy by joining atoms together with almost no radioactive waste. >******************************************************************** > > The last time I dropped a note to this otherwise political >newspaper about some outlandish scientific sounding article, the >defense was that it was published in some other journal! > >I have read that Mercury has a wisp of atmosphere with some He, Na and >O from the solar wind and/or some vaporization of impacting bodies >(maybe a little K), but 3He??? The only gases I have read about in the >lunar regolith involve a little H and He from the solar wind. > >Maybe the little green men did it? > > >Joseph Cain cain@geomag.gly.fsu.edu >cain@fsu.bitnet scri::cain Indeed, Joe, you pointed out the answer in your last line...it is from the solar wind that the Moon has accumulated all that He3 (4.5 Gyr worth!). It is left as an exercise for the reader to estimate the total mass of He3 that would be on the lunar surface...:-). I have been aware of this potential resource for a few years now (ever since my friend, Jonathon Post, gave me a report from the In Situ Resource Utilization workshop that detailed the possible usage of He3 for fusion reactions here on Earth. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Irwin Horowitz |"Suppose they went nowhere?"-McCoy Astronomy Department |"Then this will be your big chance California Institute of Technology | to get away from it all!"-Kirk irwin@romeo.caltech.edu | from STII:TWOK ih@deimos.caltech.edu | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 14 Mar 91 04:34:04 GMT From: sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!cs.umn.edu!kksys!wd0gol!newave!john@decwrl.dec.com (John A. Weeks III) Subject: KH-12 Breakup In article <1991Mar13.043442.3045@zoo.toronto.edu> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes: > [A sidelight on this is that the KH-12 that reportedly broke up after > shuttle launch last March appears to be operational; apparently the > "breakup" was jettisoning of covers and shields before maneuvering, > not an accident.] Sounds like a reasonable story. And now for the unreasonable: does anyone think that the pentagon might have intentionally included jettisonable parts on the KH-12, parts that served no usefull purpose other than to fool observers into thinking that the spacecraft broke up and was no longer functional? Afterall, the Soviets reported the breakup with glee, only to now appear to have egg on their face. Maybe this was a pentagon scheme to test the Soviet space tracking systems. -john- -- =============================================================================== John A. Weeks III (612) 942-6969 john@newave.mn.org NeWave Communications ...uunet!rosevax!tcnet!wd0gol!newave!john =============================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: 15 Mar 91 03:20:15 GMT From: elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov!baalke@decwrl.dec.com (Ron Baalke) Subject: STS-40 Payload Showing (Forwarded) Mitch Varnes March 14, 1991 407/867-2468 KSC Release No. 33-91 Note to Editors/News Directors STS-40 PAYLOAD SHOWING TO BE HELD MARCH 19 AT KSC KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) Spacelab module, which is scheduled to be launched aboard the Shuttle Columbia in May, will be the subject of a press photo op- portunity on Tuesday, March 19. The showing will be held at 1:00 p.m. inside the high bay of the Operations & Checkout Building, where the payload is being readied for flight. This will be the final opportunity for news media to view SLS-1 before its mis- sion. SLS-1 is the first Spacelab mission to be flown since the Shuttle returned to flight in September 1988 and is the first of several Shuttle missions dedicated to examine how space affects the human body. The main objective of the SLS-1 mission is to study the various dynamics of certain physiological changes that occur during space flight and to investigate the consequences of the body's adaption to microgravity. During Tuesday's showing, SLS-1 will be in a test stand inside the high bay of the Operations & Checkout Building. Members of the STS-40 payload processing team will be on hand to answer questions concerning the processing of SLS-1. About 30 minutes has beeen allotted for the press opportunity. Electronic flash is permitted. However, all lighting and photographic equipment must be self-contained and battery powered. No external power sources are available inside the high bay. Safety regulations prohibit flame-producing devices of any sort, and all attendees must wear slacks and flat, closed-toe shoes. Dresses, shorts, sandals or high-heel shoes are not al- lowed. Transportation from the KSC News Center will be provided. Those members of the news media wishing to attend the STS-40 payload showing should be at the News Center by 12:15 p.m. Departure time is set for 12:30 p.m., sharp. Media needing accreditation should contact the news center at 407/867-2468 to arrange for badging. ___ _____ ___ /_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov | | | | __ \ /| | | | Jet Propulsion Lab | ___| | | | |__) |/ | | |___ M/S 301-355 | Change is constant. /___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | |_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ | ------------------------------ Date: 11 Mar 91 23:50:22 GMT From: marf@athena.mit.edu (Matthew R Feulner) Subject: Re: O-Ring and Feynman In article <1991Mar11.150257.28368@nstn.ns.ca> roberts@Iris1.ucis.dal.ca (Greg Roberts) writes: >I have the most absoluterespect for Feynman. He took at the technical mumbo >jumbo from the MT engineering staff, and made it crystal clear so that anyone, >including Neil Armstrong, could understand it. Temperature. O-Ring. Failure. > >Greg >Department of Mechanical Engineering, TUNS I hardly think Neil Armstrong should be singled out since he has either a bachelors or masters degree in aerospace engineering from Purdue. Do you think he's an idiot? How demeaning. Matthew Feulner ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Mar 91 00:05:46 MST From: oler%HG.ULeth.CA@vma.cc.cmu.edu (CARY OLER) Subject: MAJOR SOLAR FLARE ALERT - STORM WARNING UPDATES - 16 MARCH X-St-Vmsmail-To: st%"space+@andrew.cmu.edu" -- MAJOR SOLAR FLARE ALERT -- MARCH 16, 1991 Flare Event Summary Potential Impact Assessment Storm Warning Informational Update -------- MAJOR ENERGETIC EVENT SUMMARY Another major X-class flare exploded from Region 6545 early this UT day. The event was rated as a major class X1.8/2B Tenflare. The event began at 00:44 UT on 16 March, peaked at 00:52 UT and ended at 01:02 UT on 16 March. This event, like all of the other major events originating from this region, was of short duration. However, it was rich in radio emissions, with significant Type II AND IV bursts. The estimated shock velocity of the Type II is near 1000 km/s. The flare was associated with a 910 s.f.u. Tenflare and an 18,000 s.f.u. burst at 245 MHz. The flare was located at S10E08, easily within range of producing significant terrestrial impacts (however, see the impact assessment below). POTENTIAL TERRESTRIAL IMPACT FORECAST There is some uncertainty at the present time with regards to the potential impact this latest flare might have on the earth. The strong Type II and IV sweeps indicate some expulsion of mass was likely. At the present time, we think there is a fairly good chance that an interplanetary shock may be associated with this event. If so, magnetic storming is not out of the question. Any impacts from this flare are likely to be observed late on the 17th or on 18 March. The extent of the potential activity (if it occurs) is still to be determined. An additional update will be posted later on 16 March (with the warning update near 18:00 UT on 16 March). STORM WARNING INFORMATIONAL UPDATE A POTENTIAL GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR 16 MARCH and may be extended to 17 March if an interplanetary shock arrives within the next 12 to 18 hours. A shock has not yet been observed. It is late now by almost 12 hours. It is possible this shock could still arrive and produce some respectable storm conditions. However, as time passes by, the potential magnitude of any activity is diminishing. Major geomagnetic storming is still possible. The Pioneer Venus data indicated that some significant activity was out there near the Venusian environment. However, this satellite is a fair distance east of the earth-sun line and would have been more prone to flare-induced activity. There is a possibility the ejected mass will not impinge on the earth. But we believe there is still a fairly high possibility for a shock impact with the earth within the next 12 to 24 hours. Hence, the Potential Major Geomagnetic Storm Warning will be continued for the next 12-24 hours. If nothing materializes by then, it may be cancelled (or updated depending on further analysis of the recent major flare). These shocks have been known to be rather tardy. Please note that if storming does materialize, auroral activity will not likely become visible until the evening of 16 March (local time) for observers in North America. Geomagnetic activity has diminished substantially over the past 6 to 9 hours. Very quiet geomagnetic activity has been observed at almost all middle latitude stations as of 06:30 UT on 16 March. This could change abruptly, however, if a shock arrives as expected. ALL PREVIOUS ALERTS ARE STILL IN EFFECT FOR 16 MARCH. An update will be posted near 18:00 UT on 16 March. Warning cancellations or extensions will be issued then. Satellite level protons are still very near event thresholds. They are hovering between the 5 and 9 p.f.u. level (10 is the event threshold). If an interplanetary shock arrives, protons could easily surpass the event threshold briefly. A polar cap disturbance is currently in progress. The cause is the elevated proton fluence levels in progress. If a shock arrives, a bulletin will be posted immediately (provided the shock arrives during manned hours). If the shock arrives during unmanned hours, a bulletin will be posted immediately thereafter. ** End of Alert ** ------------------------------ Date: 14 Mar 91 10:43:00 GMT From: agate!linus!philabs!ttidca!quad1!bohica!mcws!p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org!Joe.Cain@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Joe Cain) Subject: He3 on Moon? From: cain@geomag.gly.fsu.edu (Joe Cain) Path: wciu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!rex!uflorida!mailer.cc.fsu.edu!geomag!cain Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: He3 on Moon? Message-ID: <1991Mar13.214357.28899@mailer.cc.fsu.edu> Date: 14 Mar 91 02:43:57 GMT Does anyone know the origin of the weird sounding article that just appeared in the March 15 "Washington Spectator?" ******************************************************************* .A new "gold rush" is expected on the moon, where large amounts of a powerful fuel, a hundred times more precious than gold, have been discovered. "Lunar soil is rich in Helium-3 (He-3) which costs $1,000 a gram," reports . "Some 100 million tons of He-3 lie on the lunar surface. A mere 55,000 pounds of He-3 in a fusion reactor (which scientists expect to build within 15 years) would electrify the entire U.S. for a year. Nuclear fusion which powers the sun releases energy by joining atoms together with almost no radioactive waste. ******************************************************************** The last time I dropped a note to this otherwise political newspaper about some outlandish scientific sounding article, the defense was that it was published in some other journal! I have read that Mercury has a wisp of atmosphere with some He, Na and O from the solar wind and/or some vaporization of impacting bodies (maybe a little K), but 3He??? The only gases I have read about in the lunar regolith involve a little H and He from the solar wind. Maybe the little green men did it? Joseph Cain cain@geomag.gly.fsu.edu cain@fsu.bitnet scri::cain -- : Joe Cain - via FidoNet node 1:102/851 (818)352-2993 : ARPA/INTERNET: Joe.Cain@p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org : UUCP: ...!{elroy!bohica,elroy!wciu,cit-vax!wciu}!mcws!851.0!Joe.Cain : Compu$erve: >internet:Joe.Cain@p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org ------------------------------ Date: 14 Mar 91 02:37:00 GMT From: agate!linus!philabs!ttidca!quad1!bohica!mcws!p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org!Ron.Baalke@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Ron Baalke) Subject: NASA Headline News - 03/13/91 (Forwarded) From: baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) Path: wciu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov!baalke Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: NASA Headline News - 03/13/91 (Forwarded) Message-ID: <1991Mar13.183736.25745@jato.jpl.nasa.gov> Date: Wed, 13 Mar 91 18:37:36 GMT Headline News Internal Communications Branch (P-2) NASA Headquarters Wednesday, March 13, 1991 Audio Service: 202 / 755-1788 This is NASA Headline News for Wednesday, March 13, 1991 Preparations for the STS-37 Gamma Ray Observatory deploy mission are progressing very smoothly at the Kennedy Space Center. Atlantis is mated to the solid rocket booster/external tank stack assembly and is presently undergoing frequency response tests. The Gamma Ray Observatory was delivered to launch pad 39-B earlier this morning and is now in the payload changeout room. Final vehicle assembly closeout activities on the STS-37 stack should be finished tomorrow. Atlantis is scheduled to begin the three- mile trip out to pad B Friday morning, March 15. The GRO payload will be installed into Atlantis' payload bay on Sunday. The terminal countdown demonstration test is scheduled for next week, March 19 and 20, with T-0 at noon on the 20th. The STS-37 flight readiness review will be held at KSC one week later, March 26 and 27. Discovery is in the VAB and is presently being demated from its external tank. The orbiter should be in the horizontal position and in the assembly building transfer aisle by this afternoon. Discovery will be towed the short distance to orbiter processing facility bay 2 tomorrow at 8:30 am. Preparations for Columbia's STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences mission also continue to go well. The Get-Away Special cannister bridge arrived at the Operations and Checkout Building high bay area today. It will be tested with the rest of the SLS-1 hardware. Installation of the payload experiments into the GAS cannisters is now set for March 20. The GAS bridge and the SLS-1 habitable module are scheduled to be moved to the OPF for installation into Columbia on March 23. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * KSC management will hold a ground-breaking ceremony for the Space Station Processing Facility on Tuesday, March 26, at 10:00 am. Center Director Forrest McCartney will preside. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ames Research Center Director Dr. Dale L. Compton was elected by the Silicon Valley Engineering Council to its Hall of Fame. A mechanical and aeronautical engineer, Dr. Compton was cited as a pioneer in the fields of planetary atmospheric entry, hypersonic aerodynamics, and the physics of high temperature gases. Dr. Compton, and deputy center director Steve Hawley, also participated in Bay Area engineering week teaching assignments and gave local grade school students lessons on physics. Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA Select TV. All times are Eastern. NASA Select TV is carried on GE Satcom F2R, transponder 13, C-Band, 72 degrees W Long., Audio 6.8, Frequency 3960 MHz. Wednesday, 3/13/91 1:15 pm Magellan-at-Venus report live from Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 4:00 pm Taped replay of House Subcommittee on Technology and Competitiveness (Committee on Science, Space and Technology), and the House Subcommittee on Research and Development (Committee on Armed Services) joint hearing on National Aero-Space Plane. (Recorded Tuesday.) Thursday, 3/14/91 12:00 pm Taped replay of House Subcommittee on Space Science and Applications (Committee on Science Space and Technology) hearing on NASA's Aeronautics, Exploration, and Technology FY 92 budget. Arnold Aldrich was the NASA witness. (Recorded Wednesday.) 6:00 pm Taped replay of House Subcommittee on Technology and Competitiveness (Committee on Science, Space and Technology), and the House Subcommittee on Research and Development (Committee on Armed Services) joint hearing on National Aero-Space Plane. (Recorded Tuesday.) followed by Taped replay of House Subcommittee on Space Science and Applications (Committee on Science Space and Technology) hearing on NASA's Aeronautics, Exploration, and Technology FY 92 budget. Arnold Aldrich was the NASA witness. (Recorded Wednesday.) Friday, 3/15/91 12:00 pm Taped replay of sessions from the American Astronautical Society 29th Goddard Memorial Symposium being held in Washington March 14 and 15. (Sessions and times yet to be determined.) ___ _____ ___ /_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov | | | | __ \ /| | | | Jet Propulsion Lab | ___| | | | |__) |/ | | |___ M/S 301-355 | Change is constant. /___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | |_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ | -- : Ron Baalke - via FidoNet node 1:102/851 (818)352-2993 : ARPA/INTERNET: Ron.Baalke@p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org : UUCP: ...!{elroy!bohica,elroy!wciu,cit-vax!wciu}!mcws!851.0!Ron.Baalke : Compu$erve: >internet:Ron.Baalke@p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V13 #282 *******************