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Subject: SPACE Digest V9 #516

SPACE Digest                                      Volume 9 : Issue 516

Today's Topics:
    Commercial launch services symposium held (Forwarded)
           Re: Satellite Images - at home!
              Re: Don't mess with NASA?
           Re: Satellite Images - at home!
           Re: Satellite Images - at home!
           Re: HST update - from the horse's mouth
           Magellan Status for 06/26/89 (Forwarded)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 25 Jun 89 01:05:05 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Commercial launch services symposium held (Forwarded)

Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                      June 23, 1989


RELEASE:  89-102

COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SERVICES SYMPOSIUM HELD


     On June 19, NASA hosted a commercial launch services
symposium in Washington, D.C., in an effort to better understand
specific industry concerns about the agency's procurement
practices and procedures relating to commercial launch
services.

     Two-thirds of the potential domestic commercial launch
services companies accepted NASA's invitation to address
government-wide officials on current developments in the
fledgling commercial expendable launch vehicle (ELV) industry
itself; on policies and procedures considered to be objectionable
in recent NASA commercial ELV solicitations; on ways to
streamline or tailor individual solicitation requirements to
specific needs while adequately safeguarding the government's
interests; and on identifying specific legislation needed to
procure ELV services on terms and conditions more suitable to the
industry.

     During the all-day session, presenting companies included:
Space Services, Inc.; McDonnell Douglas Astronautics; Conatec;
Martin Marietta Aerospace, CTI; E'Prime Aerospace; LTV; General
Dynamics, Space Systems Division; and American Rocket Company.

     During the next symposium, yet to be scheduled, the
government will respond to the myriad comments and suggestions
received during the June 19 session.

     Reference points for industry comments were NASA's first two
commercial ELV procurement actions:  the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's series of Geostationary Operational
Environmental Satellites commercial launches, awarded to General
Dynamics in 1988; and NASA's latest competition, last May, for
commercial medium performance class launch services for up to 15
missions.  Proposals received under the latter solicitation are
presently being evaluated.

     As a matter of policy, NASA is purchasing future ELV launch
services directly from commercial operators, whenever possible,
to support its scientific and applications mission that are not
assigned to fly on the Space Shuttle.  Missions that do not
require the unique capabilties of the Shuttle are being placed on
ELVs so that a mixed fleet of shuttles and ELVs will be available
to assure access to space for NASA programs.


    BACKGROUND INFORMATION
    COMMERCIAL LAUNCH SERVICES SYMPOSIUM

     "If you contract with me to deliver a piece of furniture
from coast to coast, it's not necessary for you to design and
micro-oversee my transportation system for me.  My job is to get
that piece of furniture to its exact destination safely and on
time.  If I don't do a good job, I won't be in business very
long.  That same simplicity should guide your future commercial
launch services procurements!"  (Anonymous entreprenuerial launch
service spokesman.)

     "It is important to note that launch services requirements
posed by NASA differ significantly from what could be called
"routine," non-NASA commercial launches such as a communications
satellite.  NASA spacecraft are vital and represent a national
resource.  They are usually one-of-a-kind, complex machines that
represent not only a large investment from our Treasury, but a
large investment from the best of our national scientific and
engineering community.  Indeed some spacecraft investigators have
their entire career riding on your vehicle."  (Anonymous NASA
program manager.)

     And so the discussion continued on June 19, 1989.  Over the
past few months there has been increasing communications between
private industry and NASA regarding to commercial launch service
procurement policies and practices.  In an attempt to better
understand industry's viewpoint, NASA sponsored a Launch Service
Procurement Symposium in Washington, D.C. on June 19, 1989, and
invited the expendable launch vehicle (ELV) industry to
publically express not only their general concerns with NASA's
procurement practices but also identify specific provisions and
regulations they perceived as most onerous and provide the Agency
with recommended solutions and/or modified provisions.

     During the all-day session, representatives from eight of
the potential 12 domestic launch vehicle companies interested in
providing commercial launch services accepted NASA's invitation
to present their company's perspective on NASA's current ELV
launch service procurement strategy.  The full spectrum of
potential commercial ELV manufacturers were equally
represented.  All of the established firms participated including
Martin Marietta Aerospace, McDonnell Douglas Space Systems, LTV
Corporation and General

     A number of new entrants into the industry also participated
including E'Prime Aerospace, American Rocket Company, Space
Services Inc. and Conatec.  Presentations and recommendations
were as varied as the nature of each company's product line and
perspective.

     Given the wide experience diversity within the ELV industry,
ranging from firms who have extensive years of flight experience
to firms who are in the design phase, it has proven a challenging
task for NASA to structure solicitations which give every
domestic launch service company a full opportunity to compete.

     To futher complicate the process, NASA has been working to
develop a procurement strategy for commercial launch services
that not only allows all potential domestic firms to compete, but
also balances requisite agency oversight, federal procurement
laws, national space policy objectives and commercially
reasonable practices.

     The fact that NASA has indeed taken positive steps toward
balancing this often conflicting set of objectives while learning
to procure launch services rather than launch vehicles was
acknowledged throughout the day.

     NASA's effort to bring together the diverse group of
interested parties in government and industry was a success,
since some 100 representatives of the ELV industry, NASA field
center and headquarters program and procurement offices, the
Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Transportation, the OMB and
congressional staffers participated in the symposium.

     In support of the mixed fleet strategy, NASA is purchasing
requisite ELV launch services directly from commercial operators,
whenever possible, to support scientific and applications
missions that do not require the Space Shuttle's unique
capabilities.  The NASA mixed fleet strategy has evolved in
concert with national policy directives to utilize both the Space
Shuttle and ELV's to assure access to space for civilian
government missions.

     NASA was responsible for awarding the first U.S. Government
commercial launch service contract in support of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary
Operational Environmental Satellite spacecraft in May 1988.

     NASA's second competitive solicitation for medium
performance, launch services, to support three firm and
potentially 12 additional NASA scientific missions, was released
in May and served as the catalyst for industry desires that NASA
procure services in a "commercially reasonable manner".

     One industry representative stated at the symposium, "NASA
should treat a launch vehicle failure as a source of learning",
likewise, industry should treat NASA's second attempt at
procuring launch services as learning rather than a failure.

     The process to procure commercially is indeed an
evolutionary rather than an overnight occurrence.  The June 19
symposium was not a one time event, but a step toward opening
communication lines between NASA and industry to work together to
develop a system that balances the concerns and needs of both.

     A follow-up symposium will be held later this summer where
NASA's procurement policies, plans and practices will be
clarified in response to concerns raised by industry.

------------------------------

Date: 24 Jun 89 16:08:06 GMT
From: ames.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Mike Smithwick)
Subject: Re: Satellite Images - at home!

In article <53*[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Kerry Stevenson) writes:
>Recently, I read a book about amateur radio which told me all about radio, and
>mentioned briefly the concept of listening in on signals transmitted from
>various type of earth orbiting satellites.  Although this in itself is not too
>difficult, the book mentioned that some individuals have managed to capture
>video signals, from weather satellites for example, and using their home
>computer systems have actually printed out images.  Also, a recent article in
>Spaceflight detailed the impressive setup owned by a Briton, who had managed
>to print out oceanic images from the Soviet Okean satellite.  This topic is
>of some interest to me and I have the following questions:
>
>- Is this a common activity, or is it done by just a few deranged people?
>- What types of satellites are popular for capturing images?
>- What equipment (other than computing hardware) is required?
>- Are there legalities involved? e.g. are SPOT images encoded?
>- Most importantly, are there any referenes, official or otherwise which
>  can be used to find out more detail?
>
>Thanx in advance,
>Kerry S.

Yes, alot of amateurs do their own weather satellite monitoring. Many of the
satellites were designed to be accessable to users with small setups, so
for instance, someone in a small village in India would be able to pick
up the images.



Hams have been picking up satellite pictures for 20 years or more, at one
time using surplus fax machines. Unfortunately, from what I understand, the
it is very difficult to receive the "direct" signals from the birds. That is,
a satellite will send a picture using a low power transmitter to a specific
receiving station. The station will then add in the country boarders and any
other extra information and send the picture back up to the satellite, which
then relays it on a high power signal down to the normal users.

So for most cases, you won't be receiving the "live" data, but that which
had already been processed.

If you pick up any ham radio magazine, you'll probably find some ads for
weather satellite gear.



          *** mike (still looking for a publisher) smithwick ***

"Los Angeles : Where neon goes to die"
[disclaimer : nope, I don't work for NASA, I take full blame for my ideas]

------------------------------

Date: 24 Jun 89 20:41:50 GMT
From: jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo![e-mail]  (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Don't mess with NASA?

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jonathan Patrick Leech) writes:
>>EMBARASSING!! EMBARASSING!!!  There is such class to crawling into
>>a DC-3 at an airport that there is not even any word for such mega-
>>class.  The only thing better than a DC-3 is TWO DC-3s.
>
>    Are you sure you're not really Henry "Version 7" Spencer posting
>under an alias?

He definitely isn't.  I consider the DC-3 a charming historical relic,
period.  If you want class when climbing into an aircraft, it has to have
afterburners.

(Alas, I haven't had a chance at this yet...)
--
NASA is to spaceflight as the  |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
US government is to freedom.   | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 25 Jun 89 21:00:03 GMT
From: mcvax![e-mail]  (Frank Rahmani)
Subject: Re: Satellite Images - at home!

> mentioned briefly the concept of listening in on signals transmitted from
> various type of earth orbiting satellites.
> - Is this a common activity, or is it done by just a few deranged people?
I just don't like the way you pose your question. Of course its no
'common activity' but why do you call people doing it deranged??
> - What equipment (other than computing hardware) is required?
Something to receive the signal (antenna and receiver, perhaps downconverter)
some kind of signal converter between receiver and computer and of course
computer software.
> - Are there legalities involved? e.g. are SPOT images encoded?
Depends on which satellite you want to receive
> - Most importantly, are there any referenes, official or otherwise which
>   can be used to find out more detail?
There was a posting very recently on the net (schematics and software)
that used an average Atari computer to receive satpics.
[e-mail]
--
It is better never to have been born. But who among us has such luck?
Maintainer's Motto:
    If we can't fix it, it ain't broke.
These opinions are solely mine and in no way reflect those of my employer.

------------------------------

Date: 25 Jun 89 07:48:46 GMT
From: uc!nic.MR.NET!srcsip!tcnet!nis!datapg!ann![e-mail]  (Thomas S. Greenwalt)
Subject: Re: Satellite Images - at home!

In article <53*[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Kerry Stevenson) writes:
>- Is this a common activity, or is it done by just a few deranged people?
>- What types of satellites are popular for capturing images?
>- What equipment (other than computing hardware) is required?
>- Are there legalities involved? e.g. are SPOT images encoded?
>- Most importantly, are there any referenes, official or otherwise which
>  can be used to find out more detail?
>

There was an Amateur Scientist article in Scientific American around 1974
that had plans for building such a device.  It would create a black and
white photo from the signal sent by the NOAA-2 on the frequency 137.5 megahertz.
I have no idea if this satellite is still transmitting.  The operator would
record the signal and play it back to a imaging device that basicly was a
rotating drum with light sensitive paper wrapped around it and a lamp to expose
the paper.  Really a very simple device.

--
Thomas S. Greenwalt                      {amdahl|hpda}!bungia!datapg!ann!tomg
A.N.N. Systems        [phone]      [e-mail]    tomg@ann!uunet
------------------ Patience is a Vice, Tolerance is a Virtue ------------------

------------------------------

Date: 25 Jun 89 20:36:44 GMT
From: stsci![e-mail]  (Jim Sims)
Subject: Re: HST update - from the horse's mouth

> Does this mean that after something goes wrong, the orbit decays, and we
> launch a shuttle to fix it, we can't reboost it to the original high
> orbit?
>
 well, it's gets more complicated - first of all, you have to pay fuel to make
the rendeveous, not to mention a _very_ narrow launch window each day you want
to try to go snag it. Then, the solar panel sprobably won't stand the reboost
in the deployed position, so you lose them. And now, you back to where you
started on the original deployment mission, except you've spent all that extra
fuel to get here, are at a lower altitude than before, _and_ have a mandatory
EVA if you want to reboost (to replace the solar panels). ugly. THIS is just
ONE good reason we need a space station - drop by _anytime_ & fix the sucker..

--
    Jim Sims      Space Telescope Science Institute      Baltimore, MD
             UUCP:  {arizona,decvax,hao,ihnp4}!noao!stsci!sims
    ARPA:  [e-mail]                           SPAM:  STOSC::SIMS

------------------------------

Date: 26 Jun 89 23:53:54 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Magellan Status for 06/26/89 (Forwarded)


                     MAGELLAN WEEKLY STATUS
                          June 26, 1989


     This is a weekly status report. The Magellan spacecraft
went through successful momentum wheel desaturations on a daily
basis.

     Of the seven star scans to update the attitude from Friday
June 16 to Thursday June 22, four were fully successful on both
stars and three were partially successful, rejecting one of two
stars in each case. On each of three days the star scanner
detected a spurious pulse from one of the two stars. The flight
software correctly rejected the pulse, but also rejected the
measurement because the timing was then off. Only a two-axis
attitude update was obtained in each case. The problem appears to
be related to spacecraft attitude, since these events occurred
after the turn to alternate medium-gain antenna attitude June
12.

     A second star calibration was performed Saturday to get
acceptable magnitude thresholds for two new stars, Alpha
Centauri and Sirius. The selected magnitudes were acceptable, but
Sirius may be too bright and too blue to be a reliable guide
star, and data analysis is continuing.

     The good news concerning star scans is that the on-board
bias estimation process was enabled last Monday and after two
consecutive good scans the following two days, the process was
verified as functioning perfectly. It is so stable, mission
operators said, that they could miss every other star scan, or
even several in a row, and not lose track of Magellan's
attitude. Further adjustments are being considered to make the
flight system even more immune to interruption by spurious
pulses.

     The spacecraft's current attitude is keeping the Solid
Rocket Motor (SRM) and the Rocket Engine Modules (REMs) cool. But
they are expected to warm up again when the High-Gain antenna is
again turned toward Earth on day 181. Tests are in progress at
Morton Thiokol on SRM fuel samples to determine the actual upper
temperature limits and tests results are expected by July 7.
Also, Martin Marietta in Denver is working with JPL on tests to
determine upper temperature limits of the flight REMs.

     The final command sequence of Cruise 5 was completed and
sent to the systems verification lab for testing. An error was
found in the flight software and corrected with a one-word patch
and the sequence was uploaded last Saturday.



     SPACECRAFT
     Distance From Earth (mi)                    7,039,205

     Velocity Geocentric                         5,393 mph
              Heliocentric                      63,381 mph

     One Way Light Time                           37.8 sec

------------------------------

End of SPACE Digest V9 #516
*******************