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30-Jul-93 Daily File Collection
These files were added or updated between 29-Jul-93 at 21:00:00 {Central}
and 30-Jul-93 at 21:00:14.
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930730.REL
7/30/93: ARKANSAS, NASA SIGN TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER ACCORD
Charles Redmond
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. July 30, 1993
Ernie Shannon
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
RELEASE: 93-138
In a July 28 ceremony at the State Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., Governor
Jim Guy Tucker and Thomas J. Lee, Director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight
Center, Huntsville, Ala., signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct a
joint effort to transfer NASA-derived and NASA-contractor-derived technologies
to businesses, industries, academic institutions, research facilities and
individuals in the state.
Following the ceremony, Lee said he was pleased to represent NASA in
launching this cooperative effort to increase NASA technology transfer
activities in Arkansas. Arkansas becomes the seventh state with which the
Marshall center has technology transfer understandings. The others are
Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and West Virginia.
"NASA is much more than Space Shuttles and satellites," Lee said.
"Research projects underway at NASA laboratories have a wide range of dual use
applications which could be of great benefit to Arkansas."
Governor Tucker said "we are looking forward to working closely with the
Marshall center's Director of Technology Utilization Ismail Akbay and his
staff."
"A full-time technology-transfer representative from the Marshall center
will be assigned to work exclusively with Arkansas industries, academic
institutions and individuals. When necessary, NASA scientists and engineers
may accompany the representative on his visits.
"The technology transfer agreement we've signed will enable Arkansas firms
and academic institutions to take maximum advantage of the many discoveries and
refinements produced by NASA each year," Tucker added.
Governor Tucker said Arkansas' goal is to develop innovative processes
that will enhance the state's domestic and global competitiveness, create jobs
and attract new industries.
NASA has made numerous advances in the fields of electronics, medicine,
aeronautics, propulsion and a wide range of other disciplines. The program
inaugurated under this agreement consists of a series of business and
industrial outreach workshops which are aimed at making those advances
available in Arkansas.
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930730.SKD
DAILY NEWS/TV SKED 7-30-93
Daily News
Friday, July 30, 1993
Two Independence Square; Washington, D.C.
Audio Service:202/358-3014
% STS-58 status report;
% Allied-Signal to negotiate contract.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Spacelab Life Sciences 2 (SLS-2) laboratory module, the primary payload for
the STS-58 mission, recently passed a processing milestone with the completion
of the Interface Verification Test (IVT) verifying electrical and mechanical
connections between the Spacelab module and the Spacelab tunnel. The tunnel
was installed into Columbia's payload bay July 24-25.
SLS-2 mission main objective is life science research for future health, safety
and productivity of humans in space.
Space Shuttle's Columbia's STS-58 mission is targeted for launch the first part
of September.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
NASA recently selected Allied-Signal Technical Service Corp., Greenbelt, Md.,
to negotiate a cost-plus-award-fee contract which will provide Transportable
Laser Ranging Systems for the Goddard Space Flight Center. The estimated
contract amount is $40.8 million.
The contract will directly support Goddard's Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR)
Mission. The SLR technique measures the round-trip flight time of very short
laser pulses from ground-based stations to retro-reflector- equipped
satellites.
The data provided will enable scientists to measure the distance between
satellite and ground stations. By reviewing this data over several years,
scientists will be able to better understand changes in the Earth's surface,
gravity field and length of day. The NASA satellite Laser Ranging Network
Mission is responsible for the operation of 12 SLR stations in the United
States and elsewhere.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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.
Friday, July 30, 1993
noon NASA Today.
12:15 pm Aeronautics & Space Report.
12:30 pm Flight Without Wings.
1:00 pm ATLAS: Close Encounter With Earth.
1:30 pm "Houston, We Have a Satellite."
2:00 pm Starfinder # 12.
2:30 pm Journey Through the Solar System; Venus.
3:00 pm TQM #12.
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:930730A.REL
7/30/93: JPL Planetary Mission Status
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109.
PLANETARY MISSION STATUS
July 29, 1993
GALILEO: The spacecraft is now one month from its encounter with asteroid Ida,
at 2400 kilometers, on August 28, 1993. Scientific observations will be
recorded for later playback. Galileo will go into Jupiter orbit and operate a
probe in its atmosphere on December 7, 1995. Spacecraft condition is
excellent, except that the high-gain antenna is still only partly deployed;
science and engineering data are being transmitted via the low-gain antenna,
which the mission team is planning to use for the Jupiter mission. Galileo was
launched October 18, 1989, flew by Venus in 1990 and Earth in 1990 and 1992 for
gravity assists, and flew by asteroid Gaspra in October 1991.
MAGELLAN: The aerobraking program, begun May 25, is expected to be complete in
early August, putting the spacecraft in a lower and more circular orbit for
higher-resolution gravity mapping of higher latitudes and the poles. This
procedure, dipping into Venus's upper atmosphere each orbit, has produced new
knowledge of the atmospheric properties. Magellan was launched May 4, 1989.
It radar-mapped more than 98 percent of Venus's surface from September 1990 to
September 1992, and surveyed parts of the gravitational field from its
elliptical orbit for the next 8 months.
MARS OBSERVER: The spacecraft, currently 5.5 million kilometers (3.4 million
miles) from Mars, is being prepared to enter orbit on August 24. Spacecraft
health and performance are normal. It will then be maneuvered into a mapping
orbit; science operations are planned to start in mid-December. Mars Observer
was launched September 25, 1992.
TOPEX/POSEIDON: The satellite is healthy, and all scientific instruments are
performing normally, typically providing three playbacks per day. The mission
is mapping global sea level changes, reflecting seasonal warming and cooling
and winds. So far it has accumulated 7 months of data. TOPEX/Poseidon was
launched August 10, 1992.
ULYSSES: The spacecraft is in a highly inclined solar orbit, now nearly 36
degrees south relative to the Sun's equator, in transit from its Jupiter
gravity assist in February 1992 toward its solar polar passages (about 80
degrees south and north) in 1994 and 1995. Spacecraft condition and
performance are excellent, with Ulysses gathering data on the heliosphere --
the realm dominated by the solar wind. The Ulysses spacecraft was built by the
European Space Agency and launched October 6, 1990.
VOYAGER 1 and 2: The two Voyager spacecraft are continuing their Interstellar
Mission, having remotely detected the heliopause, the boundary between the
solar magnetosphere and interstellar space, for the first time last month.
Voyager 1, launched September 5, 1977, is currently 8 billion kilometers (5
billion miles) from the Sun after flying by Jupiter and Saturn in 1979 and
1980; Voyager 2, launched August 20, 1977, to fly by Jupiter (1979), Saturn
(1981), Uranus (1986) and Neptune (1989), is now more than 6 billion kilometers
(3.9 billion miles) from the Sun.
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:930730B.REL
7/30/93: LAUNCH ADVISORY: STS-51 LAUNCH DATE MOVED TO AUGUST 12
Ed Campion
July 30, 1993
Headquarters, Washington, D.C
James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
Shuttle managers today decided to change the launch date of the STS-51
Space Shuttle Discovery mission to August 12. The decision was made after the
Shuttle team received a briefing and reviewed the latest data on the upcoming
Perseid meteor shower activity in Earth's upper atmosphere which is scheduled
to take place the evening of August 11.
The Perseid event, which happens each August, is one of about a dozen such
occasions each year that are the result of a comet's nucleus shedding debris
along its orbital path as it approaches the Sun. When Earth's orbit passes
through the debris field it causes meteor showers activity or "shooting stars."
The concern with this year's Perseid event is that it is one of the rare times
that the activity is expected to be extremely heavy thus increasing the chances
that a spacecraft in Earth orbit could be damaged by a piece of the debris.
"Our review of the data indicates that the STS-51 mission could be flown
safely during the Perseid event" said Shuttle Director Tom Utsman. "However, we
also recognized that this year's Perseid activity is a unique event that may
not be completely predictable. Therefore, the team felt the best overall
course of action would be to wait until after the comet event to launch
Discovery."
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_2_2_46_5.TXT
7/30/93: LAUNCH ADVISORY: STS-51 LAUNCH DATE MOVED TO AUGUST 12
Ed Campion
July 30, 1993
Headquarters, Washington, D.C
James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
Shuttle managers today decided to change the launch date of the STS-51
Space Shuttle Discovery mission to August 12. The decision was made after the
Shuttle team received a briefing and reviewed the latest data on the upcoming
Perseid meteor shower activity in Earth's upper atmosphere which is scheduled
to take place the evening of August 11.
The Perseid event, which happens each August, is one of about a dozen such
occasions each year that are the result of a comet's nucleus shedding debris
along its orbital path as it approaches the Sun. When Earth's orbit passes
through the debris field it causes meteor showers activity or "shooting stars."
The concern with this year's Perseid event is that it is one of the rare times
that the activity is expected to be extremely heavy thus increasing the chances
that a spacecraft in Earth orbit could be damaged by a piece of the debris.
"Our review of the data indicates that the STS-51 mission could be flown
safely during the Perseid event" said Shuttle Director Tom Utsman. "However, we
also recognized that this year's Perseid activity is a unique event that may
not be completely predictable. Therefore, the team felt the best overall
course of action would be to wait until after the comet event to launch
Discovery."
7/20/93: LAUNCH ADVISORY: JULY 24 NEW DATE FOR STS-51 LAUNCH
Ed Campion
July 20, 1993
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Bruce Buckingham
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
NASA managers today set July 24 as the new launch date for Shuttle Mission
STS-51. The launch window on July 24 opens at 9:27 a.m. EDT and extends for 54
minutes.
The decision to go with July 24 as the new launch date follows the
completion of work to inspect and retest the Pyro Initiator Controller (PIC)
unit on the launch pad. A problem with the unit caused the Kennedy Space
Center launch director to call a scrub during a launch attempt on July 17.
"The July 24 date is the best date all around for the launch of Discovery
on the STS-51 mission" said Shuttle Director Tom Utsman. It gives enough time
for KSC technicians to complete work on the PIC unit, the payload community
time to service the STS-51 experiments and the entire launch team enough time
to put the Shuttle system back into launch configuration. The July 24 date
also is one that the Air Force range safety community can support."
Shuttle Mission STS-51 will see Discovery's five person crew deploy the
Advanced Communciations Technology Satellite which will give industry, academic
and government organizations an opportunity to investigate new ways of
communicating. The crew will also deploy and retrieve the Orbiting and
Retrieveable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS- SPAS).
7/01/93: LAUNCH DATE SET FOR STS-51/DISCOVERY
Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. July 1, 1993
Bruce Buckingham
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
NOTE TO EDITORS: N93-38
Following today's STS-51 Flight Readiness Review at NASA's Kennedy
Space Center, Fla., mission managers targeted July 17 at 9:22 a.m. EDT for
launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery on its 17th flight.
Primary payload activity on the 9-day mission will include deployment
of an Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS), and deployment and
retrieval of the German- built ORFEUS-SPAS astrophysics free-flier. A 6-hour
Extra Vehicular Activity, or space walk, will also be performed by two
astronauts.
Commanding the STS-51 crew is Frank Culbertson who will be making his
second space flight. Pilot Bill Readdy has also flown once in space. Three
mission specialists, each flying for the first time, round out the 5-man crew:
Jim Newman, Dan Bursch and Carl Walz.
- end -
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_6_10_4_18.TXT
TOPEX/POSEIDON Monthly Mission Status Report 7/29/93
The satellite is healthy, and all scientific instruments are performing
normally, typically providing three playbacks per day. The mission is mapping
global sea level changes, reflecting seasonal warming and cooling and winds.
So far it has accumulated 7 months of data. TOPEX/Poseidon was launched August
10, 1992.
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_6_12_10.TXT
Advanced Communications and Technology Satellite (ACTS) and Science
Scientific Research Benefits from 21st Century Satellite Technology
SPACELINK NOTE: ACTS is scheduled for launch aboard STS-51 in July 1993. To
access information about this mission use the GOTO feature and enter STS-51 as
the keyword.
The majority of scientific research is conducted in remote areas that are not
accessible by modern transportation -- much less fiber-optic cable for
communications. This research can be greatly facilitated and augmented by
improved communications capability. Movable -- or "mobile" -- communications
could provide a transportable link back to laboratories or universities.
Research teams have partnered with the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) to test ways in which these mobile communications could
become a reality. The teams will access a new U.S. capability -- the Advanced
Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) -- developed to provide the
telecommunications tools of the 21st century to today's research community.
The ACTS is an experimental test-bed designed to demonstrate pioneering
concepts and technologies that advance more economical, on-demand, flexible
communications. The ACTS's technologies will provide three times the
communications capacity for the same weight as today's satellites; a much
higher rate of communications between users -- 20 times -- that offered by
conventional satellites; greater networking flexibility; and on-demand digital
services. The ACTS is scheduled to be launched by the Space Shuttle Orbiter
Discovery in July 1993.
The ACTS Experiments Program participants -- the teams of U.S. industry,
academia and government testing the ACTS -- are using this important
opportunity to test these new technologies for research applications. With
ACTS-type technologies, researchers could gain access to remote databases that
contain needed information. Researchers would also have the ability to
communicate in real-time with other scientists in the field to obtain results
from experiments or to consult on problems.
Team members are providing their own funding to support their tests of the
ACTS. Enthusiastic demand for satellite time using the ACTS has grown, so NASA
is providing round-the-clock satellite operations to meet the teams' needs.
NASA hopes to extend the current two-year experiments period by two additional
years to maximize the benefits of this unique national resource.
There are currently four teams that will test the ACTS for use in scientific
research. The New Mexico State University will use the ACTS to establish a
high-bandwidth, real-time link to gain access to and control of an astronomy
telescope. The telescope is located at the Apache Point Observatory in
south-central New Mexico, and only accessible through commercial, land-based
telephone lines. The link will be made with remote users within the
continental United States. The user will not have to be on- site during the
observation period.
The National Science Foundation has teamed with the University of
California-Santa Barbara to provide an advanced communications link between
Palmer Station in Antarctica and U.S. laboratories. The link would provide
access to the INTERNET computer network and high quality voice communications,
allow rapid and relatively large transfer of data, and permit access to high
data rate satellite information such as SAR sea- ice images. Other
capabilities include off- station logistics and scientific support, database
management and data analysis. The link would open Palmer Station to as yet
untapped educational opportunities. The ACTS would contribute to increased
researcher productivity thereby decreasing the number of researchers needed
on-site. The ACTS also would provide a greatly needed link to the outside
world from Palmer's remote location.
The ACTS will be used by the George Washington University and a team of
government and industry members to demonstrate the ability of satellites to
support high data rate communications such as distributed supercomputer
applications. The team members include COMSAT Laboratories, Cray Research,
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL). JPL will be able to access GSFC's supercomputer facilities to enable
oceanic/atmospheric modeling. Supercomputers also will be linked to accelerate
weather forecasting. The tests the team will conduct can simulate Earth and
space science processes, create real-time visualization of the data, and
distribute the data through a wideband data communications network.
The State of Hawaii faces unique communications problems caused by distance.
The Pacific Space Center (PacSpace) and the University of Hawaii have teamed
with Argonne National Laboratory and the Hawaii Space Development Authority to
test the ACTS's ability to solve some of these problems. The team will use the
high capacity of an ACTS's ground station and leverage other on- going programs
at the University of Hawaii involving
*image processing and management
*high performance computing and communications
*oceanic research, and
*integration of advanced communications networking.
The team will test the practicality of remote access to large image databases
for scientific, military and educational information. Experiments will also
assess the transfer of scientific research data to central facilities.
From operating remote laboratories to simply transmitting needed information
from far away places, the ACTS can improve the way scientists operate and make
it easier to distribute scientific results. The benefits of improved
scientific research could be realized through revolutionary discoveries by
today's scientists -- expedited by the use of advanced satellite communications
technology.
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_6_12_5.TXT
Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) and Health
Medical Teams Work with a New Satellite to Improve Health Care Delivery
SPACELINK NOTE: ACTS is scheduled for launch aboard STS-51 in July 1993. To
access information about this mission use the GOTO feature and enter STS-51 as
the keyword.
The availability of quality health care is a primary concern to people
everywhere. When a patient is not able to get to health care facilities or
when specialists are not available locally for consultation, precious time is
wasted. A group of medical, scientific and engineering experts believe that
improved and expanded telecommunications can alleviate these difficult health
care delivery problems. A new, unique satellite system can help overcome
distance barriers, expand local facilities and extend medical services to more
people, while maintaining reasonable costs.
Major medical organizations such as the Mayo Foundation, the Georgetown
University School of Medicine and the University of Washington have partnered
with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop new
methods to improve health care services. These teams of experts will access a
new U.S. capability -- the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS)
-- developed to provide the telecommunications tools of the 21st century to
today's medical community.
The ACTS is an experimental test-bed designed to demonstrate pioneering
concepts and technologies that advance more economical, on-demand, flexible
communications. The ACTS's technologies will provide for three times the
communications capacity for the same weight as today's satellites; a much
higher rate of communications between users -- 20 times that offered by
conventional satellites; greater networking flexibility; and on-demand digital
services. The ACTS is scheduled to be launched by the Space Shuttle Orbiter
Discovery in July 1993.
The ACTS Experiments Program participants -- the teams of U.S. industry,
academia and government testing the ACTS -- is providing this important
opportunity for the medical community to test these new technologies. The
assembled medical teams have planned seven tests that they believe will improve
the accessibility of physicians and specialists to patients and the
transmission of medical imagery to improve patient diagnoses. For example,
doctors in remote areas will be able to transmit patient information --
including high-resolution X-rays and magnetic resonance images (MRI's) -- to
specialists in major medical facilities for real-time analysis and diagnosis.
Team members are providing their own funding to support their tests of the
ACTS. Enthusiastic demand for satellite time using the ACTS has grown, so NASA
is providing round-the-clock satellite operations to meet the teams' needs.
NASA hopes to extend the current two-year experiments period an additional two
years to maximize the benefit of this unique national resource.
Three tests will use the ACTS to transmit medical imagery for diagnosis,
science studies and education. The first is by the Mayo Foundation, which will
be using the ACTS to investigate communication techniques which may eventually
allow large medical centers to provide supporting medical services to small-
and medium-sized medical facilities in small towns and rural areas. Mayo and
its team member -- U.S. Army Medical Diagnostic Imaging Support -- will use the
ACTS to transmit in real-time medical imagery and other patient test
information for diagnosis. This team believes that the on-demand flexibility,
wide bandwidth, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and high data rate
capabilities of the ACTS could solve many medical outreach problems.
The second test is by the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Georgetown
will use the ACTS to transmit MRI's and radiological images from Tripler Army
Base in Hawaii to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Tele-education --
or distance learning courses conducted by satellites -- will also be provided
for radiologists and radiologists-in-training. The experiment may be expanded
to include transmission to four South American cities.
The NASA Johnson Space Center, Krug Life Sciences and the University of
Colorado will conduct the third test to transmit medical imagery for diagnosis,
science studies and education. This team will examine the utility of the ACTS
for conducting telemedicine, telescience, video conferencing and high
resolution image transfer. Specifically, the experiment will generate images
of the interior of the eye. The images will then be transmitted to another
location via the ACTS for analysis.
Another test using the ACTS will provide access to medical archives across many
miles. The team members conducting this experiment are the National Institutes
of Health and the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine.
The team currently has access to medical archives at the National Library of
Medicine through INTERNET, however, the transmission rate is such that
real-time interaction and selection of information is not possible. The test
will evaluate prototype systems for the rapid transfer of these medical images
and large volumes of uncompressed digital x-ray image files across
widely-separated geographical areas.
The final three tests of the ACTS by medical teams will use the ACTS Mobile
Terminal (AMT). The AMT project is developing high-gain, steerable K/Ka- band
antenna technology by constructing two satellite-tracking land-mobile vehicle
antennas that are rugged, connect with the ACTS quickly and compensate for
signal outages. This capability is a critical development for mobile satellite
communications at these frequencies.
Potential users of the AMT's capabilities will be able to access uninterrupted
communications while moving over a vast area, going in and out of localized
ground communications systems. Users who have emergency communications needs
also will be able to use the AMT if they are located in isolated areas that do
not maintain permanent communications facilities or are in situations where the
communications facilities may have been destroyed by some disaster. Still
other users will be able to set up camp for a relatively short time to use the
AMT and move on after their tasks have been completed.
The three planned tests using the AMT for medical applications are:
* EMSAT: Advanced Technology for Emergency Medical Services and the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory -- to evaluate the feasibility of mobile satellite
communications for pre-hospital communications.
* University of Washington and GE Medical Systems -- to link a mobile
Computed Tomography (CT) or MRI van to the Department of Radiology at the
University of Washington Medical Center. The mobile van will transmit digital
medical images -- while stationary -- from various locations in the state of
Washington via the ACTS and the AMT.
* University of Washington and Jet Propulsion Laboratory -- to transmit
CT and MRI images to the University of Washington using other aspects of the
ACTS's system: a portable computer with the AMT, the fixed terminal located at
NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) and a telephone line from LeRC to the
University of Washington Medical Center. The images received from the ACTS and
the AMT will be filmed with a laser camera and compared with original films.
The medical teams using the ACTS today will pave the way for regular use of
21st century communications tools to improve health care delivery and the
capabilities of medical institutions. With ACTS-type technology available,
health care services will not be restricted by the boundaries of hospital walls
-- but will be expanded to reach out to those in need everywhere.
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
=--=--=-END-=--=--=
=--=--=START=--=--= NASA Spacelink File Name:6_6_12_6.TXT
Advanced Communications Technolgy Satellite (ACTS) and Disaster Relief
Emergency Satellite Communications Aid National Defense and Disaster Relief
SPACELINK NOTE: ACTS is scheduled for launch aboard STS-51 in July 1993. To
access information about this mission use the GOTO feature and enter STS-51 as
the keyword.
During the Persian Gulf crisis and in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, the
United States reaffirmed the value of advanced military and disaster
communications. Secure and reliable communications provided necessary
advantages to American troops in executing quick and successful air and ground
attacks, while minimizing casualties. In severe contrast, lack of immediate
and adequate communications capability severely hampered the relief efforts in
Florida and Louisiana.
National emergencies requiring dependable and immediate communications
capability will benefit from today's advanced satellite technology. The
National Communications System and the U.S. Army have formed partnerships with
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to test an advanced
communications system. The teams will access a new U.S. capability -- the
Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) -- developed to provide the
telecommunications tools of the 21st century to today's users.
The ACTS is an experimental test-bed designed to demonstrate pioneering
concepts and technologies that advance more economical, on-demand, flexible
communications. The ACTS's technologies will provide three times the
communications capacity for the same weight as today's satellites; a much
higher rate of communications between users -- 20 times that offered by
conventional satellites; greater networking flexibility; and on-demand digital
services. The ACTS is scheduled to be launched by the Space Shuttle Orbiter
Discovery in July 1993.
The ACTS Experiments Program participants -- the teams of U.S. industry,
academia and government testing the ACTS -- are taking this important
opportunity to test the new capability of the ACTS's system for defense and
disaster relief applications. The teams testing the ACTS will gain insight
into improved military and emergency/disaster communications by testing new
communications concepts.
Team members are providing their own funding to support their tests of the
ACTS. Enthusiastic demand for satellite time using the ACTS has grown, so NASA
is providing round-the-clock satellite operations to meet the teams' needs.
NASA hopes to extend the current two-year experiments period for two additional
years to maximize the benefits of this unique national resource.
The ACTS's system includes not only the satellite, but ground-based components
that provide unique connection capabilities. One ground component is the ACTS
Mobile Terminal (AMT). The use of the AMT can restore communications
capability immediately. The AMT project is developing high-gain, steerable
K/Ka-band antenna technology by constructing two satellite-tracking land-mobile
vehicle antennas that are rugged, connect with the ACTS quickly and compensate
for signal outages. This capability is a critical development for mobile
satellite communications at these frequencies.
The users of the AMT will be able to access uninterrupted communications while
moving over a vast area, going in and out of localized ground communications
systems. Those users who have emergency communications needs also will be able
to use the AMT if they are located in isolated areas that do not maintain
permanent communications facilities or are in situations where the
communications facilities may have been destroyed. Still other users will be
able to set up camp for a relatively short time to use the AMT and move on
after their tasks have been completed.
Another ground component of the ACTS system is the T-1 VSATs -- or Very Small
Aperture Terminals. The VSATs are used in conjunction with the high-speed
digital processor on-board the ACTS (the Baseband Processor). The Baseband
Processor efficiently uses transponder capacity by routing individual,
circuit-switched messages to provide a full-mesh network with "single hop"
interconnection. The VSATs are small antenna diameter earth stations that
handle high throughput rates. The VSAT capability can be used to restore
damaged points within the Public Switched Network.
The National Communications System (NCS) has teamed with the MITRE Corporation
to demonstrate the ACTS's capability to restore or augment communication
networks. The NCS will coordinate the planning for and provision of
communications services to a set of National Security/Emergency Preparedness
(NS/EP) users. The team will conduct three tests using the T-1 VSATs to
examine restoration of the Public Switched Network when it is disrupted:
* restoring communications at the point where loss of communications occurs,
* providing point-to-point trunking using the ACTS for NS/EP users when
disruption occurs in the Public Switched Network inter-exchange carrier
switches, and
* communicating with isolated users by restoring communications between
local carriers in the Public Switched Network and inter-exchange carrier
switches.
Another test by the NCS team will utilize the AMT capability to restore
communications in areas affected by disaster.
The U.S. Army has teamed with other military organizations and corporate and
academic partners to conduct several tests of the ACTS's capabilities for
military applications. The U.S. Army Space Command and other Army groups will
use the ACTS to overcome various operational communications shortfalls. A
complete set of tests will be conducted to evaluate the ACTS's technologies and
interactions with ground communication systems. The experiment will explore a
variety of uses including:
*video teleconferencing,
*the transfer of large databases of imagery, geographic/meteorological
information, logistics and medical information,
*remote training,
*the transmission of video, voice and data to the field, and
*the testing of mobile communications.
Rockwell International will work with the U.S. Army Topographic Engineering
Center to test the ACTS using the Global Positioning System (GPS). The GPS
uses satellite signals to calculate a position on Earth; however, it is subject
to several sources of error. These errors remain relatively constant within a
specific region, and a set of corrections can be generated at one location and
applied to another. The ACTS will be used to transfer these corrections to
users in real-time. The team will analyze time delay, transmission quality,
bit error rate, and cost and convenience of terminal location and connection
with the ACTS.
The U.S. Army Research Labs has teamed with Georgia Tech Research Institute to
evaluate the ACTS's ability to provide Integrated Services Digital Network
(ISDN) connectivity among geographically- dispersed users. The test will
provide real-time networking of ISDN users via the ACTS and multimedia desktop
video teleconferencing. The team will compare the ACTS's system to a
ground-based Department of Defense ISDN standard system.
The defense and disaster teams conducting these tests of the ACTS plan to
illustrate the strategic advantages that the ACTS's technologies will provide
to our military forces and how immediate communications restoration will aid
management of disaster relief operations. Ensuring the continued safety of our
nation's people -- from military threat or natural disaster -- is motivating
these team members to invest in testing the capabilities of tomorrow's
telecommunications through the ACTS's system.
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Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) and Business
New Satellite Technology Boosts U.S. Business into the Information Era
SPACELINK NOTE: ACTS is scheduled for launch aboard STS-51 in July 1993. To
access information about this mission use the GOTO feature and enter STS-51 as
the keyword.
Communications is an essential element of any community's infrastructure -- but
in the business community it can be the factor that promotes growth or
accentuates decline. In the 1980's, expanded use of the facsimile machine --
or "fax" -- and computer networks increased communication capabilities around
the globe. These technology advances revolutionized the way the United States
conducts business at home and abroad. The business climate of the 21st century
will require even greater communications capabilities to meet the needs of
business in the "information era."
A new unique partnership of U.S. industry, academia and government is advancing
the state-of-the-art in satellite communications. Several U.S. corporations
from diverse industries have teamed their business savvy with the intellectual
capital of American universities and joined the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) to test cutting edge satellite communication
technologies. This test series is possible today through the new Advanced
Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS).
The ACTS is an experimental test-bed designed to demonstrate pioneering
concepts and technologies that advance more economical, on-demand, flexible
communications. The ACTS's technologies provide three times the communications
capacity for the same weight as today's satellites; a much higher rate of
communications between users -- 20 times that offered by conventional
satellites; greater networking flexibility; and on-demand digital services.
The ACTS Experiments Program participants-- the teams of U.S. industry,
academia and government testing the ACTS -- is providing this important
opportunity for business to test these new technologies. The technologies may
improve business operations by creating new services for customers. The teams
anticipate that the tests of the ACTS's technologies will:
demonstrate how business can increase efficiency and reduce communication costs
by enabling real- time Ka-band communications, using smaller satellite dishes;
and,
augment existing fiber-optic cable networks to extend communications capacity
to remote areas -- thus creating new telecommunications users and enhancing the
famed "information superhighway" with linkages between the Earth and space
satellites. Team members are providing their own funding to support their
tests of the ACTS. Enthusiastic demand for satellite time using the ACTS has
grown, so NASA is providing round-the-clock satellite operations to meet the
teams' needs. NASA hopes to extend the current two-year experiments period by
two additional years to maximize the benefits of this unique national resource.
Businesses that are not traditional communications satellite users and
businesses located in areas without full service of fiber-optic cables will be
able to use future ACTS-type communications systems to access national
communications networks and become new participants in centers of commerce
across the country. Information from our national library network, banking
institutions and marketplaces will be immediately accessible through the ACTS
to remote areas as well as to large cities -- allowing for real-time
transactions and interactions to occur.
The ACTS will be used to demonstrate many valuable business communications
tools, such as:
*low-cost, two-way, interactive and video services;
*restoration of the public switched network to ensure continuous business
operations during a disaster;
*moveable -- or "mobile" -- communications;
*accelerated development of high-speed communications for computers;
*High Definition Television (HDTV) and satellite-delivered Integrated Services
Digital Network (ISDN).
The teams using the ACTS for business experiments are comprised of 31
companies, 18 universities and 23 government organizations. The teams' members
are involved in many aspects of business: banking and finance, television,
personal communications, and national and international business
communications. Some of the team members include:
* American Express
* Southern California Edison with Weber State University and Wasatch Research
* Ohio University with Huntington Bank, SUNGARD Recovery Services, Inc., Unisys
Corporation, and Ascom Timeplex, Inc.
* COMSAT World Systems with INTELSAT
* Jet Propulsion Laboratory with U.S. Air Force Rome Labs, Boeing Defense and
Space Group, GE Electronics Laboratory, and Texas Instruments
* Dataflow Systems with University of California-Berkley and Mississippi State
University s
* PBS
* COMSAT Laboratories
* University of Florida
* NASA Lewis Research Center with a consortium of users and telephony industry,
including Bellcore, Regional Bell Operating Companies, AT&T, etc.
* NBC with Jet Propulsion Laboratory
* IDB Communications Group with Jet Propulsion Laboratory
* Bellcore with Jet Propulsion Laboratory
* Florida Atlantic University
* Martin Marietta Astrospace
The ACTS is clearly a key element in the international competitive future of
the satellite communications industry in the United States. What is becoming
clear to many members of the broader U.S. industrial base is that the ACTS is a
key element to its international competitive future too. The ACTS gives
American business access to the telecommunications tools of the 21st century --
to boost competitiveness and to strengthen the economy.
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Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) and Competition
State of the Art Satellite Technology is Contributing to International
Competitiveness
SPACELINK NOTE: ACTS is scheduled for launch aboard STS-51 in July 1993. To
access information about this mission use the GOTO feature and enter STS-51 as
the keyword.
As the nation moves into the 21st century, new space communications systems
will be required to meet the expanding needs of global telecommunications
customers. In addition, the U.S. share of the communications satellite and
equipment market has been shrinking since 1982 in the face of increased
competition from European and Japanese companies. The Advanced Communications
Technology Satellite (ACTS) Program is NASA's response to these competitive
challenges of the future.
The ACTS will validate new, high-risk technologies to give U.S. industry a
competitive edge and will usher in a new generation of communication
satellites. The ACTS also marks NASA's reentry into the development and flight
testing of communication satellites. The ACTS Program has an important role to
play in our nation's technological and economic future.
The ACTS is an experimental test-bed designed to demonstrate pioneering
concepts and technologies that advance more economical, on-demand, flexible
communications. The ACTS's technologies provide three times the communications
capacity for the same weight as today's satellites; a much higher rate of
communications between users -- 20 times that offered by conventional
satellites; greater networking flexibility; and on-demand digital services.
Because the ACTS will operate at the Ka-band frequency, off-the-shelf Ka-band
components are now available. The spotbeam and onboard switching and
processing technologies developed for the ACTS have already in part been
adapted for use in planned communication systems. U.S. research efforts in
High Definition Television --or "HDTV" -- and in Integrated Services Digital
Networks -- or "ISDN" -- also are being advanced by the ACTS's technology
development. Smaller ground stations that transmit at higher data rates have
been created for use with the ACTS.
The proving ground for all of these technologies is the ACTS Experiments
Program. The ACTS Experiments Program participants -- the teams of U.S.
industry, academia and government testing the ACTS -- are using this important
opportunity to test these new technologies which could yield important results
to impact future communication systems.
Team members are providing their own funding to support their tests of the
ACTS. Enthusiastic demand for satellite time using the ACTS has grown, so NASA
is providing round-the-clock satellite operations to meet the teams' needs.
NASA hopes to extend the current two-year experiments period by two additional
years to maximize the benefits of this unique national resource. These teams
include:
*Advanced Research Projects Agency with Ohio Supercomputer Center, Mayo Clinic,
Public Broadcasting Services, Georgetown University, National Center for
Atmospheric Research, University of Hawaii, U.S. Army Future Battle Lab and
U.S. Army High Performance Computer Research Center
*National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Institute
for Telecommunicat on Sciences
*Motorola, Inc.
*COMSAT Laboratories
*Corporate Computer Systems
*MITRE Corporation
*New Jersey Institute of Technology with Martin Marietta Astrospace
*University of Maryland Center for the Commercial Development of Space with
COMSAT Labs, NTIA, National Information Technology Center and University of
Colorado
*NASA Lewis Research Center
The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) has sponsored the development of
the High Data Rate (HDR) terminal as part of a satellite research test-bed
network using the ACTS. This effort is also in support of the federal High
Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) program. The HPCC is a
multi-agency effort to extend U.S. technological leadership in high performance
computing and computer communications and to provide wide dissemination and
application of these technologies.
The tests of the ACTS by ARPA and its partners will investigate the linking of
satellite and fiber networks, the real-time user interaction with complex
climate models created with supercomputer visualization, military applications
and the distribution of medical imagery.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration Institute for
Telecommunication Sciences (NTIA/ITS) test of the ACTS will measure and
quantify the end-to-end digital communications system performance of the ACTS
from the end user's perspective. This performance data will be used by the
NTIA/ITS to help develop national and international telecommunication standards
that will strengthen the use of advanced communications satellites in
telecommunications networks.
Motorola, Inc., will be conducting a series of tests to technically challenge
the ACTS system. One test will measure the times of data arriving at the
ground station while varying transmit time in order to evaluate the ACTS link
erosion due to orbital variations and clock accuracy's. Another test will
examine Motorola's modem technologies through the ACTS microwave switch matrix
channel which is capable of higher data rates. The final test by Motorola will
investigate the effect of coding on ground station transmissions. Data will be
transmitted in coded and uncoded modes and bit error rates will be measured.
The data will be evaluated to determine the advantage realized by coding
techniques.
COMSAT Laboratories has teamed with INTELSAT to use the ACTS system to overcome
communications problems frequently experienced. The trend toward utilizing
smaller ground station antenna sizes and increasing the use of higher frequency
bands has focused attention on methods for overcoming rain-induced degradation
of the satellite signal.
The COMSAT team will integrate a number of T-1 Very Small Aperture Terminals
(VSATs) through a Metropolitan Area Network into a Wide Area Diversity Network.
The VSATs are used in conjunction with the high-speed digital processor
on-board the ACTS (the Baseband Processor). The Baseband Processor efficiently
uses transponder capacity by routing individual, circuit-switched messages to
provide a full-mesh network with "single hop" interconnection. The VSATs are
small antenna diameter Earth stations that handle high throughput rates.
Two mobile satellite communications tests of the ACTS system are planned by
Corporate Computer Systems with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and CBS Radio.
The tests will use the ACTS Mobile Terminal -- or "AMT" -- to send coded and
uncoded transmissions. The received signals will be monitored and the "amount
of coding" will be varied to ensure the communications link is maintained.
The MITRE Corporation will test the ACTS and evaluate its data communication
protocols to determine the feasibility of a future ACTS-type system for data
distribution. Such distribution would be direct, possibility replacing or
augmenting the current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System method of data
distribution.
The New Jersey Institute of Technology will perform a group of technology
verification experiments of the ACTS. It will test various traffic models for
video teleconferencing data. The test also will investigate the performance of
the ACTS at the Ka-band frequency and will test several coding and channel
equalization methods.
The University of Maryland Center for the Commercial Development of Space and
its partners will use the ACTS to demonstrate fast packet switching
communication using the ACTS T-1 VSAT network as applied to an interconnection
of geographically dispersed Local Area Networks. Applications to be tested
include file transfer, electronic mail and interactive visualization between
the Local Area Networks.
There also will be ten tests of the ACTS by the NASA Lewis Research Center,
running the gamut of the technological capabilities of the ACTS.
The development of the new technologies in the ACTS's system is crucial in
maintaining the competitive position of the United States in satellite
communications. The partnerships of U.S. industry, academia and government in
the ACTS program have produced hardware and tests to prove the technology that
will challenge conventional communications systems and will push the
communications state of the art to new heights.
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
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Advanced Communication Technology Satellite (ACTS) and Education
A New Satellite Brings Students and Educators Together
SPACELINK NOTE: ACTS is scheduled for launch aboard STS-51 in July 1993. To
access information about this mission use the GOTO feature and enter STS-51 as
the keyword.
Education and training are key to increased personal knowledge and national
productivity. In this era of changes in the classroom and the evolution of the
workplace, students and employees will need better access to educational and
training facilities, especially because of their increasingly limited time and
resources. Today's satellite technology is providing improved educational
opportunities for tomorrow's citizens through 21st century education and
training techniques.
Three teams of educational institutions, corporate sponsors and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will use the Advanced
Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) to access the telecommunications
tools of the 21st century. The ACTS is an experimental test-bed designed to
demonstrate pioneering concepts and technologies that advance more economical,
on- demand, flexible communications. The ACTS is scheduled to be launched on
the Orbiter Discovery in July 1993.
The ACTS's technologies will provide for three times the communications
capacity for the same weight as today's satellites; a much higher rate of
communications between users -- 20 times that offered by conventional
satellites; greater networking flexibility; and on-demand digital services.
Advanced satellite communication services will be available to business,
government, academic and medical arenas -- wherever the need exists for
flexible, high-quality and cost- effective information connections. Fully
integrated data, voice and video services will be more available and affordable
even to small users. Data exchanges between computers, two-way voice
connections and video conferencing can occur on the same communications
channel.
The ACTS Experiments Program participants -- the teams of U.S. industry,
academia and government using the ACTS for tests -- will investigate the
ability of long-distance, real-time, interactive communications to educate
people outside of major learning centers. Teachers and students will have much
greater access to each other and to resources such as national and university
library collections of books, artwork, photos, records and films.
The teams will test the capability of the ACTS to deliver instruction to
students in different areas in the United States and South America. One of the
teams will use the ACTS to provide specialized training for corporate
employees. Team members are providing their own funding to support their tests
of the ACTS. Enthusiastic demand for satellite time using the ACTS has grown,
so NASA is providing round-the-clock satellite operations to meet the teams'
needs. NASA hopes to extend the current two-year experiments period for two
additional years to maximize the benefits of this unique national resource.
The Georgetown University team has developed a test called Georgetown Technical
Hemispheric Intercultural Network for Knowledge (G-THINK) with numerous
financial institutions, corporate sponsors and international universities. The
team will investigate the viability of two-way, interactive distance learning
about medical and scientific subjects. They also will demonstrate distance
learning to four South American sites. Other distance learning projects will
be conducted in the United States in medicine, business, teleradiology, library
database access, veterinary medicine and remote sensing.
Corporate employees of Lockheed Space Operations Company will have the
opportunity for long distance learning using the ACTS. Lockheed is
participating on an experiment team with the NASA Kennedy Space Center and the
University of Central Florida to test the ACTS's quality of video and audio
transmissions and the effectiveness of the Ka-band frequency for distance
learning. Ten hours of long-distance training in hazardous materials and
environmental safety will be conducted through lecture, graphics and videotape.
Students at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in
Tallahassee and Miami also will use the ACTS for long distance instruction of
pharmacy students pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.). The ACTS
will link the College of Pharmacy at FAMU in Tallahassee with the FAMU Clinical
Training Unit in Miami for courses via satellite. The experiment will involve
two-way voice and video transmission and will be divided into two 16-week and
one 13-week segments to correspond to the fall, spring and summer semesters.
The experiment will utilize the science faculty in the College of Pharmacy in
Tallahassee to teach basic level courses to pharmacists who enroll in the
program. Clinical courses will be taught by FAMU clinical faculty located at
the Miami site.
It is often said that the future of this world is in the hands of today's
students. This statement is being taken seriously by NASA and its academic and
industry partners through their tests of the ACTS. The teams have made
substantial contributions of resources -- financial, human and physical plant
-- to conduct the tests. These tests of the ACTS's technology are providing
educational opportunities for the future -- to ensure that it is in capable
hands.
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GALILEO MISSION STATUS REPORT 7/29/93
The spacecraft is now one month from its encounter with asteroid Ida,
at 2400 kilometers, on August 28, 1993. Scientific observations will be
recorded for later playback. Galileo will go into Jupiter orbit and operate a
probe in its atmosphere on December 7, 1995. Spacecraft condition is
excellent, except that the high-gain antenna is still only partly deployed;
science and engineering data are being transmitted via the low-gain antenna,
which the mission team is planning to use for the Jupiter mission. Galileo was
launched October 18, 1989, flew by Venus in 1990 and Earth in 1990 and 1992 for
gravity assists, and flew by asteroid Gaspra in October 1991.
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MAGELLAN Monthly Mission Status Report 7/29/93
The aerobraking program, begun May 25, is expected to be complete in
early August, putting the spacecraft in a lower and more circular orbit for
higher-resolution gravity mapping of higher latitudes and the poles. This
procedure, dipping into Venus's upper atmosphere each orbit, has produced new
knowledge of the atmospheric properties. Magellan was launched May 4, 1989.
It radar-mapped more than 98 percent of Venus's surface from September 1990 to
September 1992, and surveyed parts of the gravitational field from its
elliptical orbit for the next 8 months.
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MARS OBSERVER Monthly Mission Status Report 7/29/93
The spacecraft, currently 5.5 million kilometers (3.4 million
miles) from Mars, is being prepared to enter orbit on August 24. Spacecraft
health and performance are normal. It will then be maneuvered into a mapping
orbit; science operations are planned to start in mid-December. Mars Observer
was launched September 25, 1992.
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ULYSSES Monthly Mission Status Report 7/29/93
The spacecraft is in a highly inclined solar orbit, now nearly 36
degrees south relative to the Sun's equator, in transit from its Jupiter
gravity assist in February 1992 toward its solar polar passages (about 80
degrees south and north) in 1994 and 1995. Spacecraft condition and
performance are excellent, with Ulysses gathering data on the heliosphere --
the realm dominated by the solar wind. The Ulysses spacecraft was built by the
European Space Agency and launched October 6, 1990.
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
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VOYAGER 1 and 2 Monthly Mission Status Reports 7/29/93
The two Voyager spacecraft are continuing their Interstellar
Mission, having remotely detected the heliopause, the boundary between the
solar magnetosphere and interstellar space, for the first time last month.
Voyager 1, launched September 5, 1977, is currently 8 billion kilometers (5
billion miles) from the Sun after flying by Jupiter and Saturn in 1979 and
1980; Voyager 2, launched August 20, 1977, to fly by Jupiter (1979), Saturn
(1981), Uranus (1986) and Neptune (1989), is now more than 6 billion kilometers
(3.9 billion miles) from the Sun.
Source:NASA Spacelink Modem:205-895-0028 Internet:192.149.89.61
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