Space & Astronomy

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Space & Astronomy / Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso / mac / TEXT / DAILY_2 / 930415.DFC < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1993-04-17 | 44KB | 967 lines

"930415.DFC" (43144 bytes) was created on 04-15-93 15-Apr-93 Daily File Collection These files were added or updated between 14-Apr-93 at 21:00:00 {Central} and 15-Apr-93 at 21:02:14. =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930415.REL 4/15/93: NASA SPACE SUIT AND MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES HONORED Charles Redmond Headquarters, Washington, D.C. April 15, 1993 Catharine Schauer Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. RELEASE: 93-069 NASA technology, developed to keep astronauts cool on the lunar surface, and a NASA patient-monitoring device, originally designed for astronaut heart rate transmittal, tomorrow are being inducted into the U.S. Space Foundation's Technology Hall of Fame. The ceremonies are part of the Foundation's annual convention in Colorado Springs, Colo. The honors will be accepted by John Samos, former head of the technology transfer office at NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., and Thayer Sheets, a technology transfer specialist at the time of the transfers to industry. NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin will be the keynote speaker at the banquet. Liquid-cooled garments Through the efforts of Langley and a national charitable organization, the liquid-cooled garments used by astronauts were transformed into cool suits used for medical applications. The original garments were worn inside space suits to maintain body temperature at comfortable levels. A battery- powered pump circulated water through tubes in the suit and through a chiller mechanism in the suit backpack. Work which led to this approach was originally done at NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif., and at the then Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center), Houston. Langley adapted the technology to meet medical needs. Now it is used for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis and related neurologic disorders, cystic fibrosis, and hypohidrotic extodermal dyspiasia (HED), a condition where the victim has no sweat glands. Through the efforts of the HED Foundation and its founder, Sarah Moody, and NASA Langley staff, 108 of the cooling suits have been donated to children without sweat glands. In addition, about 300 suits have been sold to multiple sclerosis patients since 1991. The U.S. Army used 400 liquid- cooled garments for personnel during the Persian Gulf conflict, and the suits are used by race car drivers, hazardous materials handlers, nuclear reactor workers, and paper mill and shipyard personnel. The technology spinoff has created a multi-million- dollar industry. Patient Monitoring Device The patient monitoring device was first developed by the Sierra Research Corp., under sponsorship of the U.S. Air Force and Army. It was later adopted and improved upon by NASA. The monitoring technology enabled the transmission of information about the wearer's physiological condition from a remote site to a medical center. In the case of NASA, it is used to transmit astronaut heart rate and breathing rates. This system is still in use for astronaut monitoring but has expanded in scope to include the remote transmittal of patient information from locations around the planet. With the technology, heart patients can return to their own homes but still be monitored by nurses at a hospital. For more than 30 years, NASA's Technology Utilization Program has actively encouraged the secondary, or spinoff, application of technology originally developed for aerospace purposes. During this 3-decade period more than 30,000 aerospace innovations have found their way into common use. Collectively, these spinoffs represent a substantial return on the aerospace investment in terms of economic gain, lifestyle enhancement and solutions to problems of general public concern . Since 1988, the U.S. Space Foundation has selected space technologies that have made significant social and economic impact for inclusion in their Space Hall of Fame. Currently, there are 14 other technologies listed in the Hall. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930415.SHU KSC SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT 4/15/93 KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT Thursday, April 15, 1993 KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham Mission: STS-56/ATLAS-2/SSBUV Orbital altitude: 184 miles Vehicle: Discovery/OV-103 Inclination: 57 degrees Mission Duration: 8 days/6 hours Crew size: 5 KSC Landing Date/Time: Friday, April 16/approximately 7:33 a.m. NOTE: The Shuttle Discovery remains on orbit following launch on April 8 at 1:29 a.m. Landing is scheduled for Friday, April 16, at KSC. There are two opportunities for landing at KSC on Friday, 7:33 a.m. and 9:06 a.m. There is one KSC landing opportunity on Saturday at 7:39 a.m. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Mission: STS-55/SL-D2 Orbital Altitude: 184 miles Vehicle: Columbia/OV-102 Inclination: 28.45 degrees Location: Launch Pad 39-A Crew Size: 7 Mission Duration: 8 days/22 hours KSC Landing: May 3 Target Launch Date: NET April 24 Launch Window: 10:52 a.m. - 12:22 p.m. IN WORK TODAY: * Operations to enter spacelab for final service of experiments * External tank purges * Payload bay closeouts * Countdown preparations WORK SCHEDULED: * Close payload bay doors for flight (Friday) * Begin aft engine compartment closeouts (Friday) * Ordnance installation (Sunday) * Hypergolic fuel pressurization (Sunday) * Countdown begins 4:00 p.m. Wednesday WORK COMPLETED: * Main engine leak checks complete and good * Orbital maneuvering system heater checks * Helium signature leak checks ----------------------------------------------------------------- Mission: STS-57/Spacehab/EURECA-Retrieval Orbital Alt.: 287 miles Vehicle: Endeavour/OV-105 Inclination: 28 degrees Location: Vehicle Assembly Building Crew Size: 6 Mission Duration: 7days/23 hours Target KSC Landing: May 27 Target Launch Date: May 19 IN WORK TODAY: * Shuttle interface test * SRB hydraulic closeouts * External tank foaming operations * Pre-rollout inspections WORK SCHEDULED: * Main engine installation (Friday) * Rollout to pad 39-B targeted for NET April 22 WORK COMPLETED: * Launch countdown simulation * Main engine interface inspections * T-0 umbilical closeouts, leak checks and cavity purge Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930415.SKD Daily News/TV Sked 4/15/93 Daily News Thursday, April 15, 1993 Two Independence Square, Washington, D.C. Audio Service: 202/358-3014 % STS-56 mission status; % Columbia targeted to launch April 24; % Technicians prepare Endeavour for a May launch; % Mars Observer mission status. Discovery's STS-56 mission is going smoothly. Crew members continue to work through a variety of experiments. Discovery's landing at the Kennedy Space Center is still targeted for a 7:33 a.m. EDT touchdown tomorrow. At present the weather forecast is favorable, although flight controllers are keeping a close watch on the speed with which a frontal system is approaching Florida. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * In preparation for Columbia's upcoming launch, technicians at the Kennedy Space Center conducted main engine leak checks, continued engine check valve leak checks and performed orbital maneuvering system heater checks. Today workers are scheduled to begin aft engine compartment closeouts and perform external tank purges. Friday technicians will close Columbia's payload bay doors for flight. Space Shuttle Columbia is targeted for launch April 24. The launch window will open at 10:52 a.m. The STS-55 mission is scheduled to last 9 days and carry the Spacelab-D2 payload. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to make its next flight into space on May 19. Technicians at the Kennedy Space Center will begin main engine installation tomorrow. Workers have completed the launch countdown simulation and completed main engine interface inspections. Endeavour is scheduled to rollout to pad 39-B on April 22. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * All is well as the Mars Observer travels to the planet Mars. The Mars Observer is scheduled to reach Mars on August 24, 1993. On April 9, the spacecraft experienced a slight attitude change. This was caused when an internal software test failed and erroneously indicated that inertial reference had been lost. This problem has occurred before and is understood by ground control. The gravitational wave experiment, using Mars Observer and two other interplanetary spacecraft, Galileo and Ulysses, was concluded on Monday at about 4:20 a.m. EDT. The radio science team will spend a minimum of 6 months analyzing the data. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA TV. Note that all events and times may change without notice and that all times listed are Eastern. Live indicates a program is transmitted live. NASA TV will continue with its 24-hour a day coverage of the STS-56 mission. NASA TV is carried on GE Satcom F2R, transponder 13, C-Band, 72 degrees West Longitude, transponder frequency is 3960 MHz, audio subcarrier is 6.8 MHz, polarization is vertical. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930415A.REL 4/15/93: ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY SATELLITE BEING READIED AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER FOR DISCOVERY'S UPCOMING STS-51 MISSION George H. Diller April 15, 1993 KSC Release No. 36-93 Even as Discovery continues in orbit on Mission STS-56, its next major payload is being readied for launch. A milestone in payload processing for the upcoming STS-51 mission was achieved this week when the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) was mated to its upper stage booster, a Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS). This processing milestone occurred at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) and will be followed with integrated tests between the two payload flight elements. The ACTS/TOS combination will be moved to KSC's Vertical Processing Facility (VPF) during the first week of May for testing to assure its compatability with the Space Shuttle and readiness for integration with Discovery. ACTS arrived at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station runway on Feb. 11 aboard a C-5B military aircraft and was taken to NASA's Spacecraft Hangar AO nearby for checkout activities. It underwent a complete set of stand-alone tests before being moved to the PHSF at Kennedy Space Center on March 8. ACTS is a communications satellite designed to test an experimental advanced satellite communications concepts. ACTS will be deployed from Discovery shortly after launch which is currently targeted in mid-July. # # # Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930415B.REL 4/15/93: SERVICING OF SPACELAB D-2 LABORATORY MODULE ABOARD COLUMBIA CONCLUDES TODAY FOR APRIL 24 LAUNCH George H. Diller April 15, 1993 KSC Release No. 37-93 The STS-55 payload test team is concluding its Spacelab D-2 servicing activities today, leading to closing Columbia's payload bay doors for flight on Friday. After Columbia's initial launch attempt on March 21, the team moved to implement a plan which would assure that the Spacelab D-2 experiments would meet all mission success criteria. This meant replacing some experiment samples and testing other experiments, or their associated flight hardware. The task at hand is to implement the "MVAK" plan, which stands for Module Vertical Access Kit. The work is performed in three phases. Phase one on April 8 was to destow, or remove the experiment samples which had to be replaced or refurbished. This occupied 40 continuous hours with a team working inside the German Spacelab D-2 laboratory module, as well as in the payload changeout room (PCR) at the launch pad. In some cases, the sample exchanges could be done during Phase 1. Principal investigators were stationed in the PCR and could exchange their experiment samples with fresh ones and the trays were reinstalled the same day. The four elements of the Holographic Optics Laboratory, as well as other materials and life sciences experiments, were removed and taken to Hangar L for a refurbishment process which took approximately four days to complete. Phase two was "powered maintenance." This was performed on April 12 and lasted 18 hours. This included operation and checkout of video recorders, the experiment water pumps, a turbomolecular pump, two laser systems, and the Biolabor and Anthrorack experiment racks. Phase 3, which is underway today, involves restowing experiments which were removed for replacement or refurbishement during Phase 1. This work takes about 12 hours. Being restowed today are the four elements of the Holographic Optics Laboratory, the Chemical Garden, and the materials samples taken from the MEDEA experiment. The two orbiter refrigerator freezer units which support the mission were also removed from the mid-deck for servicing and will be reinstalled on Friday. The life sciences samples such as the frog embryos were also removed from the mid-deck and will be reinstalled one day before launch with fresh samples. The work in the Spacelab module is being done by a special team of McDonnell Douglas technicians who are specially trained in accessing a Spacelab laboratory while the orbiter is in the vertical position at the pad. The last time such an activity was necessary was on Spacelab-J to meet late stowage requirements. The team is now training for similar activity for the second Spacelab Life Sciences mission (SLS-2) currently scheduled for late August. A special simulator in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC helps the team develop the skills they need. The MVAK activity is being directed from the payload consoles in Firing Room 1 by a NASA Payload Test Director and a McDonnell Douglas Payload Test Conductor. The German experiment team is able to monitor and support the activities via remote television cameras at the pad and in the Spacelab module. Once fresh experiments are aboard Spacelab D-2, another MVAK Spacelab servicing would not be required before the end of May. Launch of Columbia is scheduled for 10:52 a.m. EDT on April 24. # # # Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_14_6_3.TXT HRMS QUARTERLY REPORT - 3/93 NASA HIGH RESOLUTION MICROWAVE SURVEY TARGETED SEARCH AND SKY SURVEY STATUS QUARTERLY REPORT - MARCH 1993 BACKGROUND The High Resolution Microwave Survey (HRMS) is part of the Toward Other Planetary Systems (TOPS) program in NASA's Solar System Exploration Division. The HRMS looks for evidence of planets orbiting other stars through radio emissions that may be produced by technological civilizations on any such planets. The HRMS has two search modes, a Sky Survey and a Targeted Search. The Sky Survey, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, uses 34-meter antennas in NASA's Deep Space Network to sweep the entire sky over a wide range of frequencies for the presence of strong signals. The Targeted Search uses the largest available radio telescopes to observe nearby Sun-like stars over a narrower range of frequencies for weak signals. The Targeted Search is managed by NASA's Ames Research Center, which is also the lead center for the HRMS. The combination of the two search modes is millions of times more comprehensive than the sum of all previous search programs. The observational phase of the HRMS was inaugurated at 1900 hours Universal Time on 12 October 1992 at the NASA Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. The Arecibo Observatory is part of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, operated by Cornell University for the National Science Foundation. In a coordinated program, the Arecibo antenna pointed at the star Gliese 615.1A and the Goldstone antenna began to scan a small area of sky that included the position of the target star. The beginning of the search generated worldwide interest in the media. This report presents an overview of the observations and results to date. THE OBSERVATIONS Sky Survey Initial observations began with the new 34-meter antenna at the Venus Development Station at Goldstone. The project is using the available X-Band receiver which can be tuned from 8200 to 8600 MHz, and the Sky Survey Prototype System (SSPS). The SSPS divides a single polarization 40 MHz band into two million 20JHz channels and automatically looks for continuous wave signals as the search progresses. Each observation involves driving the antenna rapidly in a precise "sliding racetrack" pattern programmed to cover a "sky frame," a rectangular area of sky approximately 1.8 degrees high and 30 degrees wide. While observing, the SSPS temporarily stores data from channels with power exceeding a specified threshold level and excises data from channels affected by terrestrial signals. The scan pattern is designed so that each point in the frame will be scanned by the antenna at least twice (with slightly different position offsets) at times separated by about eight minutes. At the completion of the sky frame, the stored data are analyzed and candidate signals are selected for immediate verification tests. Twenty-five sky frames, including four repeat frames, have been observed at X-Band. To date, no candidates have passed the verification tests and the results are entirely consistent with the expected thermal noise statistics. The SSPS is now observing about 32 hours per week on the 34-meter antenna with an increase in allocated time scheduled for later in the year. At other times, the SSPS is completing a series of special observations on the adjacent 26-meter antenna using an available L-Band receiver. These observations are designed to optimize radio astronomy data and improve interference excision algorithms. Three 5 degree by 30 degree sections of the galactic plane are being observed repeatedly in frequency bands that include the natural emission lines produced by hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl radicals (OH). Results of these observations, including maps of the detected emission, will be published later this year. Work also continues at JPL on developing the Sky Survey Operational System (with sixteen times the bandwidth of the SSPS) and the RF Systems to be used by both search modes. Targeted Search The Targeted Search System (TSS) used the Arecibo 305-meter antenna, the world's largest, for its initial observations. The TSS processed a dual polarization 10JMHz bandwidth into more than 14Jmillion, 1JHz wide, simultaneous channels. In parallel, it also produced channel resolutions of 7JHz and 28JHz. Data were analyzed in real-time for the presence of continuous wave and pulsed signals that may drift in frequency by as much as 1JHz per second. Twenty-five stars within 100 light years were observed. Receivers provided by the observatory allowed observations in four frequency bands covering a total of about 300 MHz within the range from 1300 MHz to 2400 MHz. Each "observation" of a star in a particular frequency band consisted of three steps with the antenna first pointed at the star, then away from the star, and then back at the star. Each step lasted either 92 seconds or 299 seconds. Signals that were present only when the telescope was pointed at the star (and not previously seen in other observations) were considered to be of possible extraterrestrial origin and were subjected to further tests. Signals that were present both "on" and "off" the star were deemed to be terrestrial interference signals. A total of 436 observations were conducted during the 200 hours of assigned telescope time. A large number of interference signals were detected and cataloged. Fifteen signals required further verification tests, but all proved to be intermittent terrestrial signals. Analysis of the data collected at Arecibo continues with the goal of developing better techniques for quickly identifying, classifying, and perhaps even avoiding interference signals. Since returning from Arecibo, the TSS has been reassembled in the development lab at NASA Ames. As expected, operational experience has indicated the need for modifications to several circuit boards and improvements to the software. While those modifications are under way, the capability of the system is being doubled to process 20JMHz of bandwidth. The increased capability is needed for observations of nearby Sun-like stars in the Southern Hemisphere, scheduled to begin in 1994 at the 64-meter antenna of the Parkes Observatory in Australia. Parkes is part of the Australian Telescope National Facility operated by the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization. A Memorandum of Agreement has been negotiated between NASA and CSIRO through the Australian Space Office for the use of this facility. RESULTS No signals from beyond our Solar System have been detected yet. Although many signals have been detected, none appears to originate from a fixed point on the celestial sphere. Most of the signals were recognized immediately as terrestrial interference by the software. A few signals required verification tests but no signal passed this level of testing. In summary, the HRMS has successfully inaugurated its observational phase. Both the Targeted Search and the Sky Survey are using the lessons learned in the initial observations to improve their hardware, software, and observation techniques as they build additional systems to implement the ten year search. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_18_5.TXT NOTE: This file is too large {28919 bytes} for inclusion in this collection. The first line of the file: - Current Two-Line Element Sets #174 - Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_2_44_12_33.TXT ATLAS 2 Public Affairs Status Report #14 6:00 p.m. CDT, April 14, 1993 6/17:31 MET Spacelab Mission Operations Control Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, Alabama The ATLAS 2 Spacelab is in the ninteenth orbit of its fourth atmospheric observation period, the longest of the mission. This afternoon, Mission Scientist Dr. Tim Miller announced that each of the three atmospheric instruments -- the Millimeter Wave Atmospheric Sounder (MAS), the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscospy (ATMOS) experiment, and the Shuttle Solar Ultraviolet Backscatter (SSBUV) instrument -- have already accumulated more data than they did during the entire ATLAS 1 flight last year. He told the crew, "The mission has more than lived up to our expectations." The Shuttle Discovery is oriented with its tail into the path of flight for most of this Earth-viewing period, rather than nose-first as it had been flying previously. This reorientation allows the Millimeter-Wave Atmospheric Sounder to look toward both hemispheres during the course of the mission, and make observations over around 94 percent of the globe, rather than the 84 percent covered by Discovery's high-inclination orbit alone. The maneuver is enabling the MAS to make important readings of chlorine monoxide relevant to the study of ozone loss in the stratosphere. A major goal of ATLAS 2 is to make detailed measurements of the northern stratosphere, so scientists can better understand the processes and more reliably predict phenomena such as ozone depletion. This winter, scientists announced record low ozone observations over Canada and Northern Europe. While these values are not nearly as low as those for the Antarctic ozone hole in the Southern Hemisphere spring, ATLAS 2 scientists believe there is reason for concern. In addition, the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite observed high levels of chlorine monoxide and cold temperatures for a large part of the past Northern Hemisphere winter. MAS is using an improved pointing mode to take chlorine monoxide measurements during daylight portions of orbits, then a scan mode for water vapor and ozone measurements during night passes. Because chlorine monoxide is broken down from chlorine compounds by ultraviolet light, there is much less of it present in the dark. The ATMOS experiment is viewing sunrises and sunsets through the narrow band of Earth's atmosphere, measuring the trace gases which are a result of the chemistry of the stratosphere and mesosphere. The ATMOS onboard recorder is nearing capacity, but observations will be downlinked from the Spacelab High Data Rate Recorder through the remainder of the mission. The Shuttle Solar Ultraviolet Backscattter (SSBUV) experiment is continuing its measurements of global concentrations of ozone in its Earth-viewing configuration. For two orbits today, the SSBUV team concentrated on the wavelengths in which the next generation of NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometers (TOMS) will operate. This was the first time a space-based instrument has checked out the new TOMS frequencies, planned to provide improved long-term readings of ozone distribution. Throughout the mission, the SSBUV team has reported "superb quality" in both real-time and recorded data, as well as excellent performance by their instrument. All the careful measurements from the ATLAS series of missions, as well as those made by free-flying satellites, contribute to the atmospheric portion of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. "The most important application of this mission is to understand the effects of human activity on the atmosphere and separate them from the effects of natural consequences such as variations in the sun's energy," Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa told students this morning in a televised interview from the Shuttle. "The more we know about that, the more we as people on Earth will be able to respond to changes in the atmosphere and change the way we do things on Earth." During the day, the crew took various photographs and made videos of the Earth for the three atmospheric instruments to use in post-flight data analysis. ATMOS and SSBUV are on standby during an orbiter water dump. They will rejoin MAS just after 6:30 p.m. CDT for about 11 more hours of atmospheric observations. The mission management team at Marshall continues to evaluate options for an extension of science activities, should the STS-56 landing tomorrow be waved off because of poor weather at Kennedy Space Center. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_2_44_12_34.TXT MISSION CONTROL CENTER STS-56 Status Report #19 Thursday, April 15, 1993, 5 a.m. CDT Discovery's crew continues to work thourgh a variety of experiments onboard, while stowing a few away in anticipation of tomorrow's return home. Discovery remains scheduled for a 6:33 a.m. CDT touchdown Friday at the Kennedy Space Center. The weather forecast at present is favorable for landing, although flight controllers are keeping a close watch on the speed with which a frontal system is approaching Florida. Early this morning, Discovery's crew wrapped up their work with the Hercules camera, a camera that records the location of its subject on the film at the time a photo is taken. The camera's location information was accurate as seen in a host of very clear photos that were transmitted to the ground by special equipment aboard Discovery for this flight. Also, Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa powered down Discovery's mechanical arm and latched it in place along the left edge of the cargo bay for the trip home. Today, the atmospheric instruments in Discovery's payload bay will be pointed to catch the first and last rays of orbital sunrises and sunsets so they may continue gathering information on the ozone and chemistry of the upper atmosphere. Secondary experiments inside the cabin will be concluded and put away throughout the day as well. Discovery is in excellent mechanical shape in a 161 by 157 nautical mile orbit. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_2_44_12_35.TXT ATLAS 2 Public Affairs Status Report #15 6:00 a.m. CDT, April 15, 1993 7/05:31 MET Spacelab Mission Operations Control Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, Alabama Science teams at the Spacelab Mission Operations Control center in Huntsville, Ala., monitored the activities of four instruments for the second Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS 2) mission last night. While solar-viewing instruments "rested" in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Discovery, atmospheric observations were conducted for the fourth time during this mission. The Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) scientists monitored feedback from their instrument's dedicated tape recorder during the night and received indications that there is still some storage space on the 44-gigabyte, high-density tape. ATMOS data concerning different trace gases in the middle atmosphere is being captured on both the dedicated tape recorder and the Spacelab's High Data Rate Recorder. The Millimeter-wave Atmospheric Sounder (MAS) instrument, which has been compared to a specialized radio receiver, continued to measure the strength of millimeter waves radiating from water vapor, chlorine monoxide and ozone in the middle atmosphere over northern latitudes. The scientists unlocked the device's hot target calibration mirror for this shift's last orbit in order to obtain one more calibration in the standard mode of operation. Mission Manager for the Shuttle Solar Ultraviolet Backscatter (SSBUV) experiment, Mr. Don Williams, described ATLAS 2 as being, "an extremely wealthy mission in relationship to the amount of ozone data that SSBUV has been able to receive." SSBUV measures the amount of ozone in a "column" of the atmosphere, as well as the way ozone is distributed by altitude. The total ozone values measured by the SSBUV instrument so far are agreeing with expected values for the amount of ozone in the atmosphere. The Solar Spectrum Measurement (SOLSPEC) experiment took advantage of the cargo bay-to-Earth position of the orbiter to observe global ozone levels on the sunlit side of the orbit. SOLSPEC data will help scientists understand more about how the changes in the sun's energy affect our atmosphere. During the next 12 hours, the ATLAS 2 solar-viewing instruments will be operational. The Solar Constant (SOLCON) experiment and the Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM) will measure the total amount of energy emitted by the sun. SOLSPEC and the Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM) will measure absolute values of solar radiation. Mission Specialist Michael Foale performed a second in-flight maintenance procedure to repair a cable that connects the Global Positioning System's on-board electronic receiver to a laptop computer. After the procedure proved unsuccessful, the equipment was stowed for post-flight examination. This device provides only complementary non-critical information, so the science objectives of the ATLAS-2 experiments will not be affected. Managers at Kennedy Space Flight Center, Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center are currently discussing options for additional science collection in the event of a weather-related landing delay. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_2_44_12_36.TXT STS-56 MCC Status Report #20 MISSION CONTROL CENTER STS-56 Status Report #20 Thursday, April 15, 1993, 2 p.m. CDT As Discovery's sixteenth mission draws to a close, flight controllers in Houston and Huntsville looked at options for gaining additional science, if possible, on an extension should tomorrow's landing be postponed. Many discussions are on going relative to prioritizing activities and reviewing the electricity available from the orbiter to support such experiment work. Decisions will be made late tonight and early tomorrow morning based on the updated weather conditions as the landing opportunities approach. The current forecast calls for a chance of thunderstorms in the KSC area at the time of landing. In the meantime, landing remains scheduled for a 6:33 a.m. CDT Friday at the Kennedy Space Center with a backup opportunity one orbit later at 8:06 a.m. The rest of the day will involve deactivating the STS-56 ATLAS experiments and disconnecting the electricity stream from the orbiter to the payloads. The crew will stow equipment taken out during the flight and prepare the cabin for the return home. After the Entry Team takes over in Mission Control late tonight, Commander Ken Cameron, Pilot Steve Oswald and Mission Specialist Ken Cockrell will test all of the small thruster jets in the nose and tail of the orbiter that are required for the entry phase of the mission. The moveable surfaces on the wings and tail were tested yesterday and are ready to support the atmospheric portion of the flight. The fifty-fourth Space Shuttle mission continues to go smoothly as Discovery circles the Earth every ninety minutes at an altitude of 160 nautical miles. * * * Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_2_44_7.TXT STS-56 Keplerian Elements/State Vector STS-56 element set GSFC-023 (orbit 110) STS-56 1 22621U 93 23 A 93105.06758714 0.00044513 00000-0 12649-3 0 236 2 22621 57.0022 147.2582 0004244 288.7212 71.3404 15.92992150 1108 Satellite: STS-56 Catalog number: 22621 Epoch time: 93105.06758714 (15 APR 93 01:37:19.53 UTC) Element set: GSFC-023 Inclination: 57.0022 deg RA of node: 147.2582 deg Space Shuttle Flight STS-56 Eccentricity: 0.0004244 Keplerian Elements Arg of perigee: 288.7212 deg Mean anomaly: 71.3404 deg Mean motion: 15.92992150 rev/day Semi-major Axis: 6672.0472 Km Decay rate: 0.45E-03 rev/day*2 Apogee Alt: 296.49 Km Epoch rev: 110 Perigee Alt: 290.83 Km NOTE - This element set is based on NORAD element set # 023. The spacecraft has been propagated to the next ascending node, and the orbit number has been adjusted to bring it into agreement with the NASA numbering convention. R.A. Parise, Goddard Space Flight Center G.L.CARMAN STS-56 FLIGHT DAY 7 STATE VECTOR (ACTUAL) ON ORBIT OPERATIONS (Posted 04/14/93 by Bruce Williamson) The following vector for the flight of STS-56 is provided by NASA Johnson Space Center Flight Design and Dynamics Division for use in ground track plotting programs. The vector is valid for flight day seven. The vector represents the trajectory of Discovery during the coasting phase of the flight, and should be reasonably valid for the remainder of the flight. Additional vectors will be posted, if necessary. Lift off Time : 1993/098/05:28:59.950 Lift off Date : 04/08/93 Vector Time (GMT) : 104/21:28:59.950 Vector Time (MET) : 006/16:00:00.000 Orbit Count : 107 Weight : 220522.0 LBS Drag Coefficient : 2.00 Drag Area : 2000.0 SQ FT M50 Elements Keplerian Elements ----------------------- -------------------------- X = -6074447.0 FT A = 3598.6745 NM Y = -10211393.3 FT E = 0.0004418 Z = 18366861.8 FT I (M50) = 57.11517 DEG Xdot = 21487.398065 FT/S Wp (M50) = 292.64218 DEG Ydot = -13467.827958 FT/S RAAN (M50) = 147.37176 DEG Zdot = -376.268945 FT/S / N (True) = 158.37943 DEG Anomalies \ M (Mean) = 158.36077 DEG Ha = 160.27061 NM Hp = 156.22608 NM Mean of 1950 (M50) : Inertial, right-handed Cartesian system whose Coordinate System origin is the center of the earth. The epoch is the beginning of the Besselian year 1950. X axis: Mean vernal equinox of epoch Z axis: Earth's mean rotational axis of epoch Y axis: Completes right-hand system A: Semi-major axis E: Eccentricity N: True anomaly I: Inclination M: Mean anomaly Wp: Argument of perigee Ha: Height of apogee RAAN: Right ascension of ascending node Hp: Height of perigee POSTED BY JBWMSON AT VMSPFHOU ON VMSPFHOU.VMBOARDS:PAONEWS Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_8_2_5_52.TXT GALILEO STATUS REPORT April 6, 1993 The Galileo Spacecraft is operating normally in the dual-spin mode and is transmitting coded telemetry at 40 bps (bits/second). Yesterday, no spacecraft was scheduled. Tracking was schedule over DSS-14 (Goldstone 70 meter antenna) and DSS-63 (Madrid 70 meter antenna). Today, April 6, 1993, no spacecraft activity is scheduled. Tracking is scheduled over DSS-14 and DSS-63. Tomorrow, real-time commands are scheduled to update a system fault protection parameter. Also, the LGA (Low Gain Antenna) deploy/retract mini-sequence is scheduled to be uplinked. Tracking is scheduled over DSS-14 and DSS-63. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_8_3_4_62.TXT Magellan Significant Events for Week Ending 4-9-93 1. The Magellan mission at Venus continues normally, gathering gravity data which will be correlated to surface topography. Spacecraft performance is nominal. 2. Magellan has completed 7173 orbits of Venus and is now 46 days from the end of Cycle 4 and the start of the Transition Experiment. 3. The Project has completed the current phase of office consolidation to assist in the collocation of the MESUR Project on the 230-2nd floor. 4. Preparations for aerobraking continue to go well. As presently planned, the Transition Experiment will begin with a 785-second Orbit Trim Maneuver (OTM) on May 26, 1993 during orbit #7626 at about 10:40 AM PDT. This will lower the periapsis from 170 km to 147 km above the surface of Venus. Magellan Significant Events for Next Week 1. No significant activities are expected next week, as preparation s for aerobraking continue on schedule. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:9_11_6_16_20_16.TXT STS-56 Hercules images 4/15/93 Several images taken by the crew of Discovery during STS-56 have been downlinked and released for downloading. HER01008.GIF An in cabin crew shot of Mike Foale on the left, and Ken Cockrell on the right. The sun is coming in the overhead window. The cable on the bottom right is part of the HERCULES system, connecting the Attitude Processor to the Inertial Measurement Unit. HER01037.GIF Darwin, Australia. 180mm lens, no filter, 1/500th Sec Shutter Speed. Latitude = 12.4 degrees South, Longitude = 130.9 degrees East. Orbit 30. HER01038.GIF Aral Sea. Taken on 4-10-93 at 3:06:43 GMT, Latitude = 46.05 N, Longitude = 59.560 E. HER01039.GIF River in Himalayan Mountains, 180mm lens, no filter, 1/500th Second Shutter Speed. Latitude = 27.8 degrees North, Longitude = 84.2 degrees East. Orbit 31. HER03030.GIF St. Louis, Missouri at night. Latitude = 38.6 degrees North, Longitude = 90.2 degrees West. The image was acquired with the image intensifier at 1/60 second shutter speed and -2/3 exposure compensation. Orbit 33. HER03031.GIF Chicago, Illinois at night. Latitude = 41.8 degrees North, Longitude = 87.7 degrees West. The image was acquired with the Image Intensifier at 1/60 second shutter speed and -2/3 exposure compensation. Orbit 33. HER03032.GIF Chicago, Illinois at night. Latitude = 41.8 degrees North, Longitude = 87.6 degrees West. The image was acquired with the Image Intensifier at 1/60 second shutter speed and -2/3 exposure compensation. Orbit 33. HER03033.GIF Lansing, Michigan at night. Latitude = 42.7 degrees North, Longitude = 84.5 degrees West. The image was acquired with the Image Intensifier at 1/60 second shutter speed and -2/3 exposure compensation. Orbit 33. HER03035.GIF Bonn - East of Langewehe, North of Dure Latitude = 50.8 degrees North, Longitude = 6.4 degrees East. A smoke plume. The image was acquired with a 300mm lens without a filter. A shutter speed of 1/500 second and -2/3 exposure compensation was used. The ESC was in shutter priority mode. Orbit 33. HER03036.GIF Yugoslavia Coast, point on island off Peljeski Canal Latitude = 42.9 degrees North, Longitude = 17.2 degrees East. A target of opportunity. The camera was in shutter priority mode with a 1/500 second shutter speed and -2/3 exposure compensation. A 300mm lens was used without a filter. Orbit 33. HER03037.GIF Limnos Island, Greece Latitude = 39.9 degrees North, Longitude = 25.3 degrees East. Airport can be seen on this island. The camera was in shutter priority mode with a 1/500 second shutter speed and -2/3 exposure compensation. A 300mm lens without a filter was used. Orbit 33. HER03039.GIF Southern Turkish coastline along the Mediterranean Sea. Latitude = 36.2 degrees North, Longitude = 30.4 degrees East. A 300mm lens without filter was utilized. The camera was in shutter priorty mode with a 1/500 second shutter speed and -2/3 exposure compensation. Orbit 33. HER07020.GIF Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Latitude = 37.86 degrees South, Longitude = 144.87 degrees East 300mm, no filter, f/8 Orbit 46. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=END OF COLLECTION---COLLECTED 15 FILES---COMPLETED 22:20:43=--=