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"930428.DFC" (73786 bytes) was created on 04-28-93 28-Apr-93 Daily File Collection These files were added or updated between 27-Apr-93 at 21:00:00 {Central} and 28-Apr-93 at 21:01:45. =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930409A.REL 4/09/93: CLEMENTINE MISSION SCIENCE TEAM SELECTED Paula Cleggett-Haleim Headquarters, Washington, D.C. Major Mike Doble Department of Defense, Washington, D.C. RELEASE: 93-66 NASA today announced the selection of the science team for the Clementine mission to orbit the moon and to visit an asteroid. The team will be headed by Dr. Eugene Shoemaker of the U.S. Geologic Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz., who has been very active for many years in both lunar and asteroid research. Clementine, sponsored by the Strategic Defense Initiative Office (SDIO), will launch a small spacecraft in January 1994 to orbit the moon for several months, then de-orbit the moon in early May 1994. The spacecraft would then fly by the near-Earth asteroid 1620 Geographos on Aug. 31, 1994, when the asteroid is several million miles away, its closest distance to the Earth. The goals of the mission are to test new, lightweight sensors in a space radiation environment and to demonstrate autonomous navigation and spacecraft operation. Lightweight and innovative spacecraft components also will be tested, including a lightweight star tracker, an inertial measurement unit, lightweight reaction wheels for attitude control, as well as a lightweight nickel hydrogen battery and a lightweight solar panel. The science team will plan for the acquisition of the scientific measurements, the archiving of all science data in a form easily accessible to the planetary science community and initial analyses of the data. Geographos is one of the earliest discovered Earth-crossing asteroids. It was discovered in September 1951, in a sky survey sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Most Earth-crossasteroids are thought to be fragments produced by collisions between asteroids in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter, which are later perturbed into Earth-crossing orbits. Radar images recently obtained of the asteroid 4179 Toutatis suggest that the shape of Geographos and other Earth crossers might be much more complex than previously suspected. The sensors will be trained on the moon and on the asteroid. Also, mutispectral science measurements at ultraviolet, visible and infrared wavelengths will be made and played back to Earth. The specific filter wavelengths were selected in consultation with NASA scientists, to both meet SDIO objectives and maximize the scientific data return. The science team members selected and their affiliations are: Charles Acton, Jet Propusion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Daniel Baker, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Jacques Blamont, CNES (France) Bonnie Buratti, Jet Propusion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Merton Davies, Rand Corp., Santa Monica, Calif. Thomas Duxbury, Jet Propusion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Eric Eliason, U.S. Geologic Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz. Paul Lucey, University of Hawaii, Honolulu Alfred McEwen, U.S. Geologic Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz. Carle Pieters, Brown University, Providence, R.I. David Smith, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Paul Spudis, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., is responsible for mission design, providing the spacecraft and for mission operations. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory will be responsible for tracking the spacecraft radio signal using NASA's Deep Space Network and will be responsible for accurately locating Geographos using its Near Earth Object Center in preparation for the flyby. - end - Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930413.REL 4/13/93: COMPUTER PROGRAM WILL CATALOG ASTRONOMICAL SKY SURVEY Charles Redmond Headquarters, Washington, D.C. April 13, 1993 Jim Doyle Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. RELEASE: 93-067 Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), both in Pasadena, Calif., announced today that they have developed a computer software system to catalog and analyze the estimated half billion sky objects in the second Palomar Observatory sky survey. The survey of the northern sky includes more than 3,000 digitized photographic plates produced by Palomar, located in San Diego. Drs. Usama Fayyad and Richard Doyle of JPL said the system, called Sky Image Cataloging and Analysis Tool (SKICAT), will be delivered to Caltech this month. SKICAT is based on state-of- the-art machine learning, high performance database and image processing techniques. Caltech astronomer Professor S. Djorgovski said each photographic plate is being digitized into 23,040 by 23,040-pixel images at the Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore. The resulting data set will not be surpassed in quality or scope for the next decade, he said. "The sky object classification task is manually forbidding. The plates contain hundreds of millions of sky objects. Humans are unable to visually process the fainter objects in the survey," Djorgovski said. Fayyad said the core of the new system includes two integrated machine learning mathematical formulas, called algorithms. These algorithms automatically produce decision trees for the computer based on astronomer-provided training data or examples. A machine learning program learns to classify new data based on training data provided by human experts. Caltech astronomer Nick Weir and Fayyad said SKICAT has a correct sky object classification rate of about 94 percent, which exceeds the performance requirement of 90 percent needed for accurate scientific analysis of the data. By contrast, Fayyad said, the best performance of a commercially available learning algorithm was about 75 percent. By training the learning algorithms to predict classes for faint astronomical objects on the survey plates, the algorithms can learn to classify objects that actually are too faint for humans to recognize. The training data for faint objects was obtained from a limited set of charge coupled device images taken at a much higher resolution than the survey images, Weir said. The SKICAT system will produce a comprehensive survey catalog database containing about one-half billion entries by automatically processing about three terabytes (24 trillion bits, 8-bits to a byte) of image data. Since SKICAT can classify sky objects that are too faint for humans to recognize, the SKICAT catalog will contain a wealth of new information not obtainable using traditional cataloging methods, Weir said. Because sky objects up to one visual magnitude fainter now can be processed, the number of classified catalog entries will be approximately three times larger than has been possible so far with other techniques. "Some historical sky object classification tasks performed over a period of years could now be achieved in a few hours," Weir said. One major benefit of this program includes freeing astronomers from the tedium of an intensely visual and manual task so they may pursue more challenging analysis and interpretation problems, according to Djorgovski. "This is an excellent example of the use of machine learning technology to automate an otherwise infeasible task of dealing with an amount of data that is simply overwhelming to humans," Fayyad said. "SKICAT represents a new generation of intelligent trainable tools for dealing with the huge volumes of scientific image data that today's instruments collect." "We view SKICAT as a step towards the development of the next generation of tools for the astronomer of the turn of the century and beyond," Djorgovski said. -end- Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930414.REL 4/14/93: OZONE DESTROYING CHLORINE EXISTED LONGER IN 92-93 WINTER Paula Cleggett-Haleim Headquarters, Washington, D.C. April 14, 1993 James H. Wilson Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. RELEASE: 93-068 Ozone-destroying forms of chlorine existed for much longer in the Arctic stratosphere this winter than last, say scientists. Northern Hemisphere ozone abundance also was observed to be some 10 percent below that measured during the same period last year, with some regions 20 percent lower. Using NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), Dr. Joe Waters and his colleagues at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., and Edinburgh University, Scotland, have collected daily maps of ozone and other gases and of temperature in different layers of the stratosphere. One of their most critical measurements is of chlorine monoxide, a form of chlorine that destroys ozone. They reported the results in the international scientific journal Nature. "Ozone concentrations in the Arctic in a layer about 12 miles (20 kilometers) high, where most chlorine monoxide was located, decreased by 0.7 percent per day from mid-February through early March 1993," Waters said. Ozone levels normally increase in this area at this time of the year, he added. Chlorine already in the stratosphere, from chlorofluorocarbons, is converted to ozone-destroying forms by chemistry occurring on clouds which form at low temperature. Last year, the scientists measured large abundances of chlorine monoxide in the Arctic, but the concentrations decreased after the stratosphere warmed in late January. This winter, the stratosphere remained cold through February, and chlorine monoxide remained abundant through early March. About as much chlorine monoxide was seen in the northern polar regions in February 1993 as was measured at the South Pole before the 1992 Antarctic ozone hole formed. "We do not see a well-defined area of ozone loss that could be described as an Arctic ozone hole," Waters said, "but the smaller abundances of ozone seen throughout the Northern Hemisphere this winter raise the question of whether the chlorine destruction of ozone has been spread over a wider area." Record low values of ozone also have been reported recently by the World Meteorological Organization and Environment Canada. The microwave limb sounder aboard UARS was developed and is operated by JPL, led by Waters and sponsored by NASA's Office of Mission to Planet Earth. Additional members are from Edinburgh University, Heriot-Watt University and the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory in the United Kingdom. UARS, launched Sept. 12, 1991, aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=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: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:930419.REL 4/19/93: JEFF LAWRENCE APPOINTED TO HEAD LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS FOR NASA Jeff Vincent Headquarters, Washington, D.C. Apr RELEASE: 93-70 NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin announced today the appointment of Jeff Lawrence, a senior congressional staff aide with extensive experience in space and aeronautics matters, as the agency's Associate Administrator for Legislative Affairs. "With his considerable knowledge of the legislative and appropriations processes, as well as space, environmental and technology issues, Jeff Lawrence is ideally suited to serve as NASA's chief representative to the Congress today," Goldin said. Mary D. Kerwin, currently the acting head of Legislative Affairs, has been named that office's Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs. Lawrence last served on Capitol Hill as Legislative Director for former Rep. Bill Green of New York. In that capacity, he was Rep. Green's chief staff member on the House Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Veterans, HUD and Independent Agencies, which has authority over NASA's budget. Rep. Green was the ranking minority member of the subcommittee. Currently, Lawrence is at The George Washington University as Special Assistant to the President for Federal Affairs. In that position, he serves as an advisor to the president, faculty and administration on issues before Congress that are important to the university and its research needs. Lawrence has substantial experience in developing legislative strategies and drafting specific pieces of legislation and amendments to implement them. He traveled extensively for the subcommittee to oversee NASA's programs. Working with the staffs of the full appropriations committee and the subcommittee, Lawrence helped develop appropriations bills, supplemental proposals and conference reports and assisted the congressman in managing these matters on the House floor. Prior to joining Rep. Green in 1983, Lawrence was a Legislative Assistant to Sen. Daniel K. Akaka of Hawaii, when he was a member of the House, and to former Rep. Norman E. D'Amours of New Hampshire. In these positions he advised the members on environmental, energy and agricultural issues. A 1972 graduate of Colby College, Waterville, Me., Lawrence taught English and history and coached track in Kittery, Me. In 1990 and 1992, he received awards from the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities for service to low-income housing and its residents. In 1987, he was selected to participate in an exchange program between the U.S. Congress and the West German Bundestag. - end - Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930420.REL 4/20/93: NASA SR-71 NOW A FLYING OBSERVATORY Drucella Andersen Headquarters, Washington, D.C. April 20, 1993 Don Nolan Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif. RELEASE: 93-071 NASA has modified a former Air Force reconnaissance aircraft to conduct high- altitude astronomy studies at three times the speed of sound. The SR-71A "Blackbird," based at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif., made its first science flight on March 9. In the plane's nose bay was an ultraviolet video camera that studied stars and comets. Future flights will carry a variety of instruments, including a fiber optics device and an ultraviolet spectrometer. "This really is a case of turning swords into plowshares," said Jacklyn Green, Project Scientist for the SR-71 science research platform project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., which developed the experiments. "We are taking what was once a spy plane and transforming it into a useful, cost-effective science platform. This opens up a new ultraviolet window for research." During its first mission, the SR-71 climbed to just above 83,000 feet (25.3 kilometers), where scientists can observe stars and planets at ultraviolet wavelengths that are blocked to ground- based astronomers. The SR-71 could perform several other experiments now in the planning stage, such as infrared studies of the Aurora Borealis by the University of California, Los Angeles Physics Department and atmospheric science studies of specific pollutants in the stratosphere. "It's significant to the SR-71 program that the unique capabilities of the aircraft are being viewed by the science community as a platform for gathering data at high speeds and altitudes. The SR-71 is the only aircraft that can meet their needs," said Dave Lux, SR-71 Project Manager at Dryden. NASA's three Blackbirds also may serve as platforms for aeronautics studies in NASA's High-Speed Research Program. "Boeing is investigating the possibility of using the SR-71 for inlet testing with a subscale engine and supersonic riblet testing, and McDonnell Douglas is interested in conducting sonic boom studies," said Neil Matheny, Dryden point of contact for the program. The High Speed Research program is researching and developing technology for a future environmentally friendly, economically feasible high-speed civil transport. The program is a joint NASA- industry effort led by NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. - end - Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930420A.REL 4/20/93: NASA TO HOLD ASTRONOMY, OZONE-RESULTS BRIEFINGS Paula Cleggett-Haleim Headquarters, Washington, D.C. April 20, 1993 Brian Dunbar Headquarters, Washington, D.C. Randee Exler Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. EDITORS NOTE: N93-20 NASA will hold two press briefings on Thursday, April 22, to highlight findings from the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and the Mission to Planet Earth Program. The first press conference, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. EDT at the Visitor's Center of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, Md., will discuss record low global ozone levels observed in 1992. Information presented in this briefing is embargoed until 6 p.m. Thursday, April 22. Dr. James Gleason of Universities Space Research Association (USRA) will discuss the results, scheduled to appear in the journal Science on Friday, April 23. Also on the panel will be Dr. Rich McPeters, Nimbus-7 Project Scientist, of GSFC; Dr. Richard Stolarski of GSFC; and Dr. Jim Miller of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The second press conference, at 1 p.m. in the NASA Headquarters Auditorium, Washington, D.C., will highlight new findings from NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. The new findings, including the highest energy gamma-rays ever recorded from a burst, challenge long-standing theories about these bewildering bursts and question their origins. Presenting the discoveries will be Dr. Brenda Dingus, USRA, Greenbelt, Md., and Dr. Chryssa Kouveliotou, USRA, Huntsville, Ala. Commenting on the significance of these discoveries will be Dr. Stan Woosley, Lick Observatory, Santa Cruz, Calif.; Dr. Bruce Margon, University of Washington, Seattle, and Dr. Steve Maran, GSFC. This event will be carried live on NASA Select television, Satcom F-2R, Transponder 13, located at 72 degrees West Longitude, frequency 3960.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. Questions will be taken from other NASA centers. - end - Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930422.REL 4/22/93: NASA ENGINEER RECEIVES TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AWARD Charles Redmond Headquarters, Washington, D.C. Apri RELEASE: 93-73 A senior design engineer at NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, was awarded the Federal Laboratory Consortium Award of Excellence in Technology Transfer for 1993. Richard T. Barrett, an engineer in Lewis' Structural Systems Division, was one of 28 government employees who was awarded the plaque in ceremonies in Pittsburgh yesterday. The Federal Laboratory Consortium awards recognize U.S. federal laboratory employees who have done an outstanding job of transferring technology developed in their government laboratory to outside users such as other government agencies or the private industry sector. Barrett's recognition is based on his preparation of the first comprehensive fastener design manual, created for use by design engineers in the aerospace and construction industries. In the last 3 years, more than 5,000 copies of this document have been placed in engineering offices. Fasteners, such as screws, nuts, and bolts, are some of the most important features in the design of all hardware. On a typical desktop computer there are as many as 30 fasteners that attach peripheral devices to the computer motherboard and to the case. With proper selection of a fastener, a technician can assemble the computer in 30 minutes. With an improper selection, the assembly process can take as long as several hours. Barrett's manual assists the designer in selecting the proper fastener by providing correct configuration data on fastener sizes, types, materials, reliability and performance. -end- Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930422A.REL 4/22/93: NASA SATELLITE DATA SHAKE THEORIES ON GAMMA-RAY BURSTS Paula Cleggett-Haleim Headquarters, Washington, D.C. April 22, 1993 Michael Finneran Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Jim Sahli Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. RELEASE: 93-72 New findings from a NASA satellite indicate that powerful gamma-ray bursts, one of the great mysteries of astronomy, may be more energetic than previously thought and appear to originate far beyond the Milky Way galaxy. The new data from the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory raise the possibility that the bursts of high energy radiation may be caused by unknown objects or phenomena in the universe, scientists said at a press conference today at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. "These results eliminate some theoretical models entirely and produce severe constraints on other possible theories" about the source of the gamma-ray bursts, said Dr. Carl E. Fichtel of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. He is the co-principal investigator for one of the satellite's instruments, the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET). The critical new data include observations of the highest energy gamma-rays ever recorded in a burst. A 2-year mapping survey by another satellite instrument, the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), show that the bursts are evenly distributed in space. BATSE has seen an average of one gamma-ray burst a day since the observatory was launched on April 5, 1991. As of March 23, 1993, 591 bursts have been recorded. The pattern of the bursts on the sky has shown them to be distributed like no other known objects in the Milky Way, indicating that they may originate outside the galaxy, said Dr. Chryssa Kouveliotou, a BATSE team member who works for Universities Space Research Association, a contractor at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. Super Bowl Burst An important clue to the puzzle was obtained on Jan. 31, 1993, when EGRET recorded a gamma-ray burst that was 10 times higher in energy than any previously observed since the launch of Compton. The burst -- dubbed the "Super Bowl Burst" because it was seen on Super Bowl Sunday -- was more than 100 times brighter at its peak than the brightest steady source of gamma rays in the Milky Way galaxy and more than 1,000 times brighter than any other known sources outside the Milky Way. Aside from its extreme brightness, this event is similar in most other respects to the other bursts recorded by Compton and earlier satellites. Because bursts this bright are relatively rare and the EGRET experiment views only a small portion of the sky at a particular time, astronomers were incredibly lucky to have this event occur when EGRET was pointed in that general direction. The nature of the burst indicates that many more may be occurring than scientists detect. "The EGRET observation of the highest-energy gamma rays suggests they may be emitted in a small beam, like a spotlight, to escape the source," said Dr. Brenda Dingus, an EGRET team member who works for Universities Space Research Association at Goddard. "However, to observe such a small beam, it must be pointed at us. So there may be many more objects emitting gamma-ray bursts that we do not see because their beams point elsewhere." Both the BATSE and EGRET results undercut the two most widely accepted models that attempted to explain gamma-ray bursts prior to Compton's launch. One model says the bursts are energy releases from neutron stars and are confined to the Milky Way galaxy and a region, or "halo," surrounding it. A neutron star is the small, extremely dense remnant core of a star that has exploded in a supernova. Since the Earth is in the outer suburbs of the Milky Way, more bursts should be seen toward the more densely populated center of the galaxy than elsewhere, according to this model. "But that hasn't turned out to be the case. Gamma-ray bursts do not seem to cluster in a preferred region of the sky," said Kouveliotou. "These bursts are emitted from all directions and vary greatly in intensity and time structure." Colliding Black Holes Another model suggests that gamma-ray bursts emanate from the distant reaches of the universe, possibly the result of stars exploding or neutron stars or black holes colliding. Black holes are believed to be stars that have collapsed to such high density that light cannot escape their resulting super-gravity. Many of these models predict that the gamma rays are the thermal energy from the hot, glowing body produced in these explosions or collisions. But the gamma rays seen by EGRET from the Super Bowl Burst are not of the thermal type. "This begs the question -- If these collisions or explosions are not the source of gamma-ray bursts, what are? We don't know yet," said Marshall's Dr. Gerald Fishman, the BATSE Principal Investigator. "It is possible that some new object or phenomenon is producing these bursts." Fishman said the Compton data will be studied by scientists from around the world who are seeking to unravel the puzzle of gamma-ray bursts. "It's difficult to say exactly where this new information will lead," said Fishman, "but it's probably safe to assume that we'll have to rewrite the textbook on gamma-ray bursts." The Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory is managed by Goddard Space Flight Center for the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. BATSE was developed by Marshall Space Flight Center. EGRET was developed by Goddard. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930422B.REL 4/22/93: 1992-93 GLOBAL OZONE LEVELS LOWER THAN ANY PREVIOUS YEAR Brian Dunbar NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. Em Allen Kenitzer Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. RELEASE: 93-74 In the second half of 1992, global ozone levels were 2 to 3 percent lower than any previous year and 4 percent lower than normal, based on extensive data analysis from NASA's Nimbus-7 satellite. "We are seeing lower global ozone values than we've ever seen before," said James F. Gleason, Ph.D., an atmospheric scientist with the University Space Research Association working at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "We predicted lower ozone in 1992, but nothing like the values we actually observed." The very lowest levels were observed in December 1992 when the global average was approximately 280 Dobson units. By comparison, a normal December value is about 293 Dobson units. Previously, the lowest level of 286 Dobson units was observed in December 1987. Ozone, a molecule made up of three atoms of oxygen, is located primarily in the upper atmosphere, where it absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. A Dobson unit is the physical thickness of the ozone layer if it were brought to the Earth's surface (300 Dobson units equals 1/10th of an inch or 3 millimeters). Extensive analysis of independent data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA-11) Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet spectrometer (SBUV/2) and the Russian Meteor-3 Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument confirm the Nimbus-7 TOMS data. Comparison of all systems with the ground-based World Standard Dobson Instrument and the Dobson network indicates that the satellite instrument measurements are consistent during the period. Northern Hemisphere Mid-Latitudes The 1992 ozone levels were especially low in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere. The December 1992 mid-latitude ozone levels were 9 percent below normal. The low mid-latitude ozone values continue into 1993. The January 1993 ozone levels were 13-14 percent below normal. Preliminary observations of March 1993 mid-latitude ozone show that the levels continue to be 11 to 12 percent below normal. Preliminary results from the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV) instrument, flown as part of the recent ATLAS 2 mission, also observed low springtime, northern hemisphere ozone levels in agreement with Nimbus-7 TOMS. Only in the equatorial region were ozone values well within the range of the previous year's data. Scientists say they can only speculate on the cause of the 1992 low ozone values. While the exact cause is unknown, the low ozone may be related to the continuing presence of particles produced in the upper atmosphere following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in June 1991. The results of this ozone data analysis will be published in Science magazine. The Nimbus-7/TOMS has measured ozone levels since November 1978 and continues to be the primary monitor of global ozone levels. The NASA TOMS instrument on the Russian Meteor-3 satellite was launched in August 1991. The NOAA-11 SBUV/2 has measured ozone since January 1989. The SSBUV has flown annually on the Space Shuttle since 1989. The TOMS instruments, the Nimbus-7 satellite and the SSBUV project are managed by the Goddard Space Flight Center for NASA's Office of Mission to Planet Earth, Washington, D.C. Mission to Planet Earth is NASA's long term, coordinated research effort to study the Earth as a global environmental system. It is comprised of satellites such as Nimbus-7 and UARS, Space Shuttle missions such as this month's flight of ATLAS-2 and airborne and ground-based studies. The NOAA-11 SBUV/2 instrument was launched in December 1988 and is one of a sequence of operational ozone measuring instruments on board the NOAA operational spacecraft series. The spacecraft and instruments are managed by NOAA/National Environmen Service. The data processing and evaluation is a cooperative NOAA-NASA effort. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930422C.REL 4/22/93: NASA F-15 MAKES FIRST ENGINE-CONTROLLED TOUCHDOWN Drucella Andersen Headquarters, Washington, D.C. Don Nolan Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif. RELEASE: 93-75 With its flight controls deliberately locked, a NASA F-15 research aircraft yesterday touchdown using only engine power for control at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif. The milestone flight was part of a NASA project to develop a computer- assisted engine control system that lets a plane land safely with only engine power if its normal control surfaces such as elevators, rudders or ailerons are disabled. "After several incidents where hydraulic failures caused aircraft to lose part or all of their flight controls, including the crash of a United Airlines DC-10 at Sioux City, Iowa in 1989, we started work on developing this automatic engines- only control system. Within a few months, I was pretty sure we could make it work, but I wasn't sure we would get a chance to fly it," said Bill Burcham, Chief of Dryden's Propulsion and Performance Branch. "Now that the technology is proven, I hope to see it incorporated into future aircraft designs," Burcham added. "I also hope it never has to be used." Changes to the NASA F-15's digital flight control system include a cockpit panel with two thumb-wheel controls, one for pitch (nose up and down) and the other for banking (turn) commands. The system converts the pilot's thumb-wheel inputs into engine throttle commands. The flight control system automatically programs the engines to turn the aircraft, climb, descend and eventually land safely by varying the speed of the engines one at a time or together. The first flights of the system in February 1993 tested the engine control program as the F-15 performed pitch and bank maneuvers and did checks of the safety features at 5000 feet (1524 meters). Later flights made progressively lower approaches to a runway. The landing mission, flown by NASA research pilot and former astronaut Gordon Fullerton, was the high point of almost 2 years of studies that resulted from incidents in which the hydraulic control systems on large aircraft failed during flight. The pilots in those cases were left with little or no ability to land normally using their control surfaces. "Having the capability to control and land an aircraft without the use of the flight control system, nor the movement of the aircraft control surfaces, is a real breakthrough in technology for improving the safety of future aircraft, both civil and military," said Dr. James Stewart, NASA Project Manager. In the initial Dryden studies, an engineer-pilot research team used simulators to check the handling and control of a four-engine transport and the F- 15. They "flew" the simulated plane in both the computer-assisted mode and with manual engine control using hand throttles. The study showed both aircraft could be controlled somewhat with manual engine inputs during level flight and easy maneuvers, but they would be extremely difficult to land successfully. When the control system was optimized for engine control, simulated safe flight and landings were possible even in air turbulence and crosswinds. The propulsion control software on the F-15 is a research concept only. In the future, this type of technology could be applied operationally to multi-engine aircraft with electronic engine and flight control systems. McDonnell Douglas Aerospace (MDA), St. Louis, is the main contractor for the propulsion-only control system. MDA did engineering analyses, integrated the software into the F-15's flight control system and supported the test flights. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930423.REL 4/23/93: NASA STATEMENT ON ADVI80RY COMMITTEE MEETING Jeff Vincent Headquarters, Washington, D.C. April 22, 1993 NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin today announced that Bryan O'Connor, Deputy Director of the Space Station Redesign Team, will manage the effort so that a request by Dr. Joseph F. Shea, the team's leader, to reduce his workload can be accommodated. In a letter to Goldin today, Shea submitted his resignation as Assistant Deputy Administrator for Space Station Analysis. He will transition to a role as Special Advisor to the Administrator and advisor to O'Connor. "I greatly appreciate Joe's help and willingness to continue to contribute to an effort that is critical to this nation's future in space," Goldin said. The Advisory Committee on the Redesign of the Space Station, chaired by Dr. Charles M. Vest, held its first public meeting today in Arlington, Va. They received a comprehensive status report from the NASA Redesign Team, including an introductory presentation from Shea. Briefings also were presented on space station missions and requirements; science, technology and engineering research; current option development and plans; and by the international partners on redesign considerations to date. "Today's meeting of the Advisory Committee was extremely productive," Goldin said. "The redesign effort is on track, and I am especially gratified by the terrific job being done by Bryan O'Connor and the rest of the NASA Redesign Team." Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930423A.REL 4/23/93: HUBBLE TELESCOPE SERVICING MISSION SCHEDULED FOR ELEVEN DAYS Ed Campion Headquarters, Washington, D.C. Ap Kyle Herring Johnson Space Center, Houston RELEASE: 93-76 The December flight of Endeavour on Space Shuttle mission STS-61 to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has been scheduled as an 11 day mission designed to accommodate a record five spacewalks with the capability for an additional two, if needed. The decision to schedule five extravehicular activities, or EVAs, was reached following extensive evaluations of underwater training, maneuver times required using the Shuttle's robot arm based on software simulations and actual EVA tasks on previous missions. "Basically what we've done by going to five EVAs rather than three is to repackage our margin so that we have the capability to respond to the dynamics, or unknowns, of spacewalks," Mission Director Randy Brinkley said. "It improves the probabilities for mission success while providing added flexibility and adaptability for reacting to real-time situations." In laying out the specific tasks to be completed on each of the spacewalks, officials have determined that changing out the gyros, solar arrays and the Wide Field/Planetary Camera (WF/PC) and installing the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) are priority objectives during the mission. "When we looked at accomplishing all of the tasks, highest through lowest priority, and recognizing that the major tasks -- gyros, solar arrays, WF/PC and COSTAR -- would consume most of the time set aside for each spacewalk, five EVAs were deemed appropriate," said Milt Heflin, Lead Flight Director for the mission. While the five spacewalks will be unprecedented, the use of two alternating spacewalk teams will alleviate placing more stress on the crew than previous missions requiring two, three or four EVAs. "We have paid close attention to lessons learned during previous spacewalks and factored these into our timeline estimates for five EVAs," Heflin said. "In planning for all Space Shuttle missions, it is necessary to formulate a work schedule that represents as realistic a timeline as possible to accomplish the mission objectives." Planning currently calls for at least five water tank training sessions that include support from the Mission Control Center, called joint integrated simulations, lasting between 10 and 36 hours. In addition, many stand alone underwater training "runs" will practice individual tasks in each spacewalk. Various refinements to the specific tasks on each spacewalk will be made based on actual training experience during the months prior to the mission. Also, lessons learned from other spacewalks leading up to the flight will be valuable in assisting the STS-61 crew in its training techniques. Endeavour's June flight and Discovery's July mission both will include spacewalks to evaluate some of the unique tools to be used on the HST mission. The evaluations will help in better understanding the differences between the actual weightlessness of space and the ground training in the water tanks at the Johnson Space Center, Houston, and the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. Also, the inflight spacewalking experiences will assist in gaining further insight into the time required for the various tasks and expand the experience levels among the astronaut corps, the flight controllers and trainers. Designed to be serviced by a Space Shuttle crew, Hubble was built with grapple fixtures and handholds to assist in the capture and repair procedures. The telescope was launched aboard Discovery in April 1990. At that time the NASA mixed fleet manifest showed the first revisit mission to HST in 1993 to change out science instruments and make any repairs that may have become necessary. - end - Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930426.REL 4/26/93: STATEMENT BY NASA ADMINISTRATOR DANIEL S. GOLDIN Allen Clark Headquarters, Washington, D.C. April 26, 1993 Today's launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia carries with it a clear signal that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is deeply committed to the safety and success of our missions. Given the options of assuring success or launching on any given date, there is little question that mission success has, is and always will be our priority. The Space Shuttle's record speaks for itself and is unrivaled in history. I also must commend and thank our German partners for their patience, professionalism and their commitment to the success of this important scientific endeavor. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930428.SHU KSC SHUTTLE STATUS 4-28-93 KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT Wednesday, April 28, 1993 KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham Mission: STS-55/SL-D2 Orbital Altitude: 184 miles Vehicle: Columbia/OV-102 Inclination: 28.45 degrees Mission Duration: 8 days/22 hours Crew Size: 7 Launch Date/Time: April 26 at 10:50 a.m. Scheduled KSC Landing Date and Time: May 5 at 8:53 a.m. NOTE: The Shuttle Columbia remains on orbit. Landing is set for about 8:53 a.m. on Wednesday, May 5, at KSC. If sufficient on- board cryogenic fuels are available, the mission may be extended one day. The SRB's are back at Hanger AF and are on the stands. Initial inspections are in work and washdown is set for tomorrow. Both boosters look good with nothing out of the ordinary to report. CREW FOR MISSION STS-55 Commander: Steve Nagel Pilot: Tom Henricks Mission Specialists: Jerry Ross, Charles Precourt, Bernard Harris Payload Specialists: Ulrich Walter, Hans Schlegel Blue Team: Nagel, Henricks, Ross, Walter Red Team: Precourt, Harris, Schlegel ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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: 7 days/23 hours Target KSC Landing: June 11 Target Launch Date/Time: June 3, 6:13 p.m. IN WORK TODAY: * Rollout to pad 39-B. First motion occurred at 7:22 a.m. today. The vehicle was hard down on the pad at about 2:00 p.m. * Launch pad validations WORK SCHEDULED: * Rotate service structure * Open payload bay doors * Inertial measurement unit calibrations ----------------------------------------------------------------- Mission: STS-51/ACTS-TOS/ORFEUS-SPAS Orbital Alt.: 184 miles Vehicle: Discovery/OV-103 Inclination: 28 degrees Location: OPF bay 3 Crew Size: 5 Mission Duration: 9 days/22 hours Target Launch Period: mid-July IN WORK TODAY: * Structural inspections * Deservice hypergolic fuels * Auxiliary power unit controller modifications WORK SCHEDULED: * Transfer FRCS to hypergolic maintenance facility * Remove and service main engines * Remove fuel cell * Extend nose cap for thermal system repairs WORK COMPLETED: * Removal of forward reaction and control system * Drag chute removal * Replace MADS recorder * Remove main engine carrier panels and heat shields * Open payload bay doors * Payload bay door latch and functional tests * Removed ATLAS, Spartan and SUVE payloads Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930428.SKD DAILY NEWS/TV SKED 4/28/93 Daily News Wednesday, April 28, 1993 Two Independence Square, Washington, D.C. Audio Service: 202/358-3014 % Columbia's crew experience unexpected plumbing problem; % Work continues on Endeavour Columbia's crew continue their science work on schedule in spite of an unexpected plumbing problem aboard the spacecraft. The crew quickly solved the wastewater problem by hooking up a contingency water collection bag in place of the tank. Flight controllers believed a stuck accordion-shaped bellows in the shuttle's wastewater tank caused a pressure build-up which led to a nitrogen leak from the tank. In spite of the problem with the wastewater, science activities aboard the spacelab are continuing as planned. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Work continues as technicians prepare Space Shuttle Endeavour for the upcoming STS-57 mission. Technicians at the Kennedy Space Center secured the main engine and aft compartment for rollout. Rollout to launch pad 39-B is scheduled for today.. Targeted for an early June launch, Space Shuttle Endeavour will carry the Spacehab payload. The 7-day mission will also retrieve the EURECA satellite. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 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 is covering the STS-55 mission from lift- off to landing 2:00 pm STS-55 Mission Update 9:00 pm Replay Flight Day Activities 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:3_6_4.TXT **** PREVIOUS SCOUT VEHICLE FLIGHTS **** PROGRAM INITIATION DATE: 1959 LAUNCHES TO DATE: 114 FIRST FLIGHT: 1960 LAUNCH VEHICLE SUCCESSES: 100 LAST 20 FLIGHTS FINAL PAYLOAD LAUNCH DATE LAUNCH VEHICLE SPACECRAFT ORBIT ACHIEVED NOTES 18-JUN-76 S-193 GP-A PROBE SUCCESS 1-SEP-76 S-197 NAVY LEO SUCCESS 27-OCT-77 S-200 NAVY LEO SUCCESS 26-APR-78 S-201 HCMM LEO SUCCESS 18-FEB-79 S-202 SAGE LEO SUCCESS 2-JUN-79 S-198 UK-6 LEO SUCCESS 30-OCT-79 S-203 MAGSAT LEO SUCCESS 14-MAY-81 S-192 NOVA I LEO SUCCESS 27-JUN-83 S-205 HILAT LEO SUCCESS 11-OCT-84 S-208 NOVA-III LEO SUCCESS 2-AUG-85 S-209 SOOS-I LEO SUCCESS 12-DEC-85 S-207 AFITV LEO SUCCESS 13-NOV-86 S-199 AF POLAR BEAR LEO SUCCESS 16-SEP-87 S-204 SOOS-2 LEO SUCCESS 25-MAR-88 S-206 SAN MARCO-DL LEO SUCCESS 25-APR-88 S-211 SOOS-III LEO SUCCESS 15-JUN-88 S-213 NOVA-II LEO SUCCESS 25-AUG-88 S-214 SOOS-IV LEO SUCCESS 9-MAY-90 S-212 MACSAT LEO SUCCESS 29-JUN-91 S-216 REX LEO SUCCESS **** PREVIOUS DELTA VEHICLE FLIGHTS **** PROGRAM INITIATION DATE: 1959 LAUNCHES TO DATE: 206 FIRST FLIGHT: 1960 LAUNCH VEHICLE SUCCESSES: 194 LAST 20 FLIGHTS FINAL PAYLOAD LAUNCH DATE LAUNCH VEHICLE SPACECRAFT ORBIT ACHIEVED NOTES 27-AUG-89 187 BSB-R1 GSO SUCCESS 21-OCT-89 188 NAVSTAR-4 GSO SUCCESS 18-NOV-89 189 COBE LEO SUCCESS 12-DEC-89 190 NAVSTAR-5 GSO SUCCESS 24-JAN-90 191 NAVSTAR-6 GSO SUCCESS 14-FEB-90 192 LACE/RME LEO SUCCESS 25-MAR-90 193 NAVSTAR-7 GSO SUCCESS 13-APR-90 194 PALAPA B2-R GSO SUCCESS 1-JUN-90 195 ROSAT LEO SUCCESS 12-JUN-90 196 INSAT 1-D GSO SUCCESS 2-AUG-90 197 NAVSTAR-8 GSO SUCCESS 17-AUG-90 198 BSB-R2 GSO SUCCESS 1-OCT-90 199 NAVSTAR-9 GSO SUCCESS 30-OCT-90 200 INMARSAT-2/F1 GSO SUCCESS 26-NOV-90 201 NAVSTAR-10 GSO SUCCESS 7-JAN-91 202 NATO-IVA GSO SUCCESS 8-MAR-91 203 INMARSAT-2/F2 GSO SUCCESS 12-APR-91 204 ASC-2/CONTEL GSO SUCCESS 29-MAY-91 205 AURORA II GSO SUCCESS 3-JUL-91 206 NAVSTAR-11 GSO SUCCESS **** PREVIOUS ATLAS CENTAUR VEHICLE FLIGHTS PROGRAM INITIATION DATE: 1958 LAUNCHES TO DATE: 71 FIRST FLIGHT: 1962 LAUNCH VEHICLE SUCCESSES: 59 LAST 20 FLIGHTS FINAL PAYLOAD LAUNCH DATE LAUNCH VEHICLE SPACECRAFT ORBIT ACHIEVED NOTES 17-JAN-80 AC-49 FLTSATCOM-3 GSO SUCCESS 30-OCT-80 AC-57 FLTSATCOM-4 GSO SUCCESS 6-DEC-80 AC-54 INTELSAT V GSO SUCCESS 21-FEB-81 AC-42 COMSTAR D-4 GSO SUCCESS 23-MAY-81 AC-56 INTELSAT V GSO SUCCESS 6-AUG-81 AC-59 FLTSATCOM-5 GSO SUCCESS 15-DEC-81 AC-55 INTELSAT V GSO SUCCESS 4-MAR-82 AC-58 INTELSAT V GSO SUCCESS 28-SEP-82 AC-60 INTELSAT V GSO SUCCESS 19-MAY-83 AC-61 INTELSAT V GSO SUCCESS 9-JUN-84 AC-62 INTELSAT V FAILURE 22-MAR-85 AC-63 INTELSAT VA GSO SUCCESS 29-JUN-85 AC-64 INTELSAT VA GSO SUCCESS 28-SEP-85 AC-65 INTELSAT VA GSO SUCCESS 4-DEC-86 AC-66 FLTSATCOM-7 GSO SUCCESS 26-MAR-87 AC-67 FLTSATCOM-6 FAILURE 25-SEP-89 AC-68 FLTSATCOM-8 GSO SUCCESS 25-JUL-90 AC-69 CRRES GTO SUCCESS 18-APR-91 AC-70 BS-3H FAILURE 7-DEC-91 AC-102 EUTELSAT II F3 GSO SUCCESS Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_12_7.TXT Mir element set #38 (27-Apr-93) Mir 1 16609U 86 17 A 93117.47291920 .00012905 00000-0 17225-3 0 380 2 16609 51.6198 114.1749 0000500 154.8113 205.3297 15.58454719411226 Satellite: Mir Catalog number: 16609 Epoch time: 93117.47291920 Element set: 38 Inclination: 51.6198 deg RA of node: 114.1749 deg Semi-major axis: 3655.6280 n.mi. Eccentricity: 0.0000500 Apogee altitude: 211.8767 n.mi. Arg of perigee: 154.8113 deg Perigee altitude: 211.5111 n.mi. Mean anomaly: 205.3297 deg Altitude decay: 0.0202 n.mi./day Mean motion: 15.58454719 rev/day Apsidal rotation: 3.7446 deg/day Decay rate: 1.2905E-04 rev/day~2 Nodal regression: -5.0136 deg/day Epoch rev: 41122 Nodal period: 92.3376 min G.L.CARMAN 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 {29679 bytes} for inclusion in this collection. The first line of the file: - Current Two-Line Element Sets #182 - Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_2_43_12_10.TXT Mission Control Status #8 MISSION CONTROL CENTER STS-55 Status Report #8 Wednesday, April 28, 1993, 5:30 p.m. CDT The STS-55 crew is closing the books on the waste water tank anomaly today as they perform a procedure to isolate the suspect tank from the pressurization system for Columbia's supply water tanks. The procedure which got underway at about 5:15 p.m. Central, required the crew to install a quick disconnect device to the waste tank's nitrogen line. Once the quick disconnect is in place, crew members will be able to pressurize the supply water tanks normally, returning the Urine Monitoring System, the Personal Hygiene System and the galley to their normal operating modes. Earlier today, the crew and flight control team members verified the contingency waste collection bag installation by performing a short waste water dump. All systems worked as expected as more than 20 pounds of waste liquid was expelled from the orbiter. Payload activities also went well today as Mission Specialist Jerry Ross and Payload Specialist Ulrich Walter performed materials science and biological science experiments. In one experiment, Walter used the fluid physics module to vibrate columns of water so that pressure sensors could determine their dynamics. In the meantime, Ross worked with experiments that looked at the diffusion rates of molten salts and used the Holographic Optics Laboratory for investigations of heat mass and particle transport. Walter and Ross also joined Commander Steve Nagel and Pilot Tom Henricks for an in-flight press interview with two German television stations. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_2_43_12_7.TXT Mission Control Center Status #5 MISSION CONTROL CENTER STS-55 Status Report #5 Tuesday, April 27, 1993, 10 p.m. CDT Columbia's crew continued their science work on schedule in tandem with an impromptu plumbing job aboard the spacecraft. Flight controllers believe a stuck accordion-shaped bellows in the shuttle's wastewater tank caused a pressure build-up that led to a nitrogen leak from the tank. Fluid and nitrogen are separated in the tank by the bellows device, with fluid inside the bellows and nitrogen outside. Nitrogen pumped into the tank's exterior compartment causes the bellows to contract and thus pressurizes the fluid so that it can be expelled overboard from the shuttle via an exterior vent. The crew quickly solved the wastewater problem by hooking up a contingency water collection bag in place of the tank. The tank will not be used for the remainder of the flight. The bag will hold all wastewater onboard, fed from the toilet and the dehumidifiers, and let operations of those devices proceed as normal. The only difference will be a simple procedure to dump the bag's contents overboard from Columbia every few days. The crew also removed several floorboards from Columbia's lower deck to visually inspect the waste tank and verified the damage to it. The crew confirmed that no fluid leaked from the tank and that the leak was of nitrogen only. Flight controllers immediately turned off the nitrogen supply to the tank when the leak was spotted. However, turning nitrogen off to the waste tank also cut off the pressure to the four drinking water tanks onboard. The pressure on the drinking water tanks now is only about half of normal, a change that poses no problems except that water comes out from the galley slower and dumps overboard a bit slower. Still, a procedure that would allow the drinking water tanks to be put back to full pressure by capping the line leading to the now unused waste tank may be performed by the crew tomorrow. The problems with the waste tank did not interrupt any science activities onboard, and with with the back-up collection bag in place, the toilet onboard performs exactly as normal. Columbia is in a 161 by 160 nautical mile orbit. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_2_43_12_8.TXT Mission Control Center Status Report #06 MISSION CONTROL CENTER STS-55 Status Report #6 Wednesday, April 28, 1993, 10 a.m. CDT Columbia's Blue Team took over science investigations and Orbiter operations today about 7 a.m. CDT. The Red Team begins its sleep period at 9:30 a.m. CDT. Overnight, the contingency water collection bag has operated well as a replacement for the waste water tank which has been shut down due to a nitrogen leak. No fluid leaked from the tank. The nitrogen supply to the waste water and drinking water tanks remains turned off. Flight controllers are consulting on a repair procedure that would cap the nitrogen line leading to the now-unused waste tank, allowing flight controllers to turn back on the nitrogen supply and fully pressurize the drinking water tanks. The drinking water tanks are currently pressurized to about half the normal level. The supply water flows into the galley and out through the dump nozzle at a slower rate, but is still usable. The Blue Team Orbiter crew, Steve Nagel and Tom Henricks, may be asked to perform that task during the early part of their shift today. The in-flight maintenance team also is reviewing a possible procedure to bring back on line the primary Orbiter refrigerator/freezer. The backup OR/F unit was turned on Monday when the primary unit would not cool to the proper temperature for preserving blood, urine and saliva samples being gathered throughout the flight for the biological investigations. Further evaluation must be completed before the OR/F procedure can be scheduled. Flight controllers are working on an additional list of instruments and systems that might be powered down when not in use. Mission managers want to conserve the hydrogen and oxygen used by Columbia's fuel cells to generate electricity for operating the vehicle's systems and the Spacelab experiments. If conservation measures are successful, an additional day of science operations could be added to the end of the mission while still preserving the two weather contingency days already held in reserve. At 8:59 this morning, Pilot Tom Henricks sent a greeting to participants and sponsors in the "Take Our Daughters to Work" event being held at JSC today. Fifty JSC women engineers, scientists, computer experts and an astronaut will present information about their work, participate in a special facilities tour with the girls they are sponsoring, then take the girls to their workplaces for an afternoon of observing the sponsors in their regular duties. The program is sponsored by JSC's Federal Women's Council and was initiated by the Ms. Foundation, a national multi-issue public women's fund that supports efforts of women and girls to govern their own lives. Columbia travels around the Earth every 90 minutes in a circular orbit of 162 nautical miles. Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_2_43_7.TXT STS-55 Keplerian Elements/State Vector STS-55 element set GSFC-006 (orbit 22) STS-55 1 22640U 93 27 A 93117.92338628 0.00044808 00000-0 13489-3 0 68 2 22640 28.4614 259.2927 0005168 259.6927 100.3101 15.90674402 225 Satellite: STS-55 Catalog number: 22640 Epoch time: 93117.92338628 (27 APR 93 22:09:40.58 UTC) Element set: GSFC-006 Inclination: 28.4614 deg RA of node: 259.2927 deg Space Shuttle Flight STS-55 Eccentricity: 0.0005168 Keplerian Elements Arg of perigee: 259.6927 deg Mean anomaly: 100.3101 deg Mean motion: 15.90674402 rev/day Semi-major Axis: 6678.5267 Km Decay rate: 0.45E-03 rev/day*2 Apogee Alt: 303.59 Km Epoch rev: 22 Perigee Alt: 296.69 Km NOTE - This element set is based on NORAD element set # 006. 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-55 FLIGHT DAY 1 STATE VECTOR ON ORBIT OPERATIONS Posted 04/27/93 by Roger Simpson) The following vector for the flight of STS-55 is provided by NASA Johnson Space Center, Flight Design and Dynamics Division for use in ground track plotting programs. The vector represents the trajectory of Columbia during on orbit operations, after the OMS-2 maneuver. The vector assumes an on time launch. Questions regarding these postings may be addressed to Roger Simpson, Mail Code DM4, L. B. J. Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058. Lift off Time : 1993/116/14:49:59.981 Lift off Date : 04/26/93 Vector Time (GMT) : 117/21:45:00.000 Vector Time (MET) : 001/06:55:00.020 Orbit Count : 21 Weight : 243363.0 LBS Drag Coefficient : 2.00 Drag Area : 1208.5 SQ FT M50 Elements Keplerian Elements ----------------------- -------------------------- X = -18128590.7 FT A = 3607.2724 NM Y = 6791448.5 FT E = 0.000700 Z = -10245409.7 FT I (M50) = 28.20593 DEG Xdot = -8020.695997 FT/S Wp (M50) = 256.33419 DEG Ydot = -23996.633259 FT/S RAAN (M50) = 258.79283 DEG Zdot = -1718.306504 FT/S / N (True) = 5.42741 DEG Anomalies \ M (Mean) = 5.41982 DEG Ha = 160.999 NM Hp = 160.492 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 Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_2_43_8.TXT NOTE: This file is too large {17931 bytes} for inclusion in this collection. The first line of the file: STS-55 TV SKED REV F Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61 =--=--=-END-=--=--= =--=END OF COLLECTION---COLLECTED 26 FILES---COMPLETED 21:49:32=--=