Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V09_5/V9_595.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V9 #595

SPACE Digest                                      Volume 9 : Issue 595

Today's Topics:
              Re: S-Band Beacon on Moon
              Re: Neil Armstrong
            Re: Questions about Apollo 11
                 Re: Modules
           Re: Don't Mess with NASA (afterburners)
              Ground the DC-10!?
         Re: Request for more info on ozone depletion
               Moon instruments
           Re: The now defunct Moon beacon
                 Re: Modules
            Re: Questions about Apollo 11
          Re: Does This Proposal Make Sense
              Re: Neil Armstrong
        Civilian Astronauts (was: Re: Neil Armstrong)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 27 Jul 89 20:00:15 GMT
From: jupiter![e-mail]  (Phil R. Karn)
Subject: Re: S-Band Beacon on Moon

>Didn't someone purchase one of the lunar rovers for an incredibly cheap
>price? Maybe I can buy this experiment for $10 and persuade NASA to turn
>it back on for use as an amateur beacon.

Sorry, but the lunar rovers were powered with primary chemical batteries
(Silver-Zinc, I believe) unlike the later ALSEP packages which were
powered by radioisotope thermal generators. Those chemical batteries
are long dead.

Phil

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

Date: 27 Jul 89 19:25:48 GMT
From: asuvax!enuxha![e-mail]  (Norman C. Kluksdahl)
Subject: Re: Neil Armstrong

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (John Obendorfer) writes:
> instances, but I believe one of the two moonwalkers on Apollo 17 was
> a civilian geologist
>
Does the name Harrison Schmidt ring a bell?  It should.  He was the geologist
on Apollo 17.  (BTW, there is an interesting sidelight on geology in Collins'
book 'Carrying the Fire'.  It was believed by some in the astronaut corps that
proficiency in geology would improve the chance of being first.  Naturally,
there was some desire to be good in geology.)

**********************************************************************
Norman Kluksdahl              Arizona State University
            ..ncar!noao!asuvax!enuxha!kluksdah
alternate:   [e-mail]

standard disclaimer implied

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

Date: 26 Jul 89 11:52:21 GMT
From: mcvax!ukc!mucs![e-mail]
Subject: Re: Questions about Apollo 11

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Bob Gray) writes:
[concerning footage shown on a BBC programme]
> The view was back along the body of the saturn V third stage
> in Earth orbit. The Earth can be seen going past on the left
> of the picture. The third stage is ignited, and the Earth
> starts to pass by faster and faster.
>
> My question. Was this speeded up motion.
>
> I suspect so, I don't think that the change in velocity
> would have been quite as obvious as all that.
>
> The velocity change was from 28,100 Km/hr to 39,000 Km/hr,
> how long was the TLI (Trans-Lunar Injection) burn for.

This gives me a good chance to get a plug in for an excellent book on
the Apollo program:
    Project Apollo: The Way to the Moon
    P.J. Booker, G.C. Frewer and G.K.C. Pardoe
    Chatto & Windus, London, 1971.
Lots of technical detail, no cheer-leader stuff.
It took me all of 45 seconds to find that on a "typical" Saturn V
lift-off the duration of S-IVB stage ignition would be 5mins, 13secs.
This gives an average acceleration of 9.7 ms^-2, or close to one G.
The TLI burn for Apollo 11 was 5:47 (according to Collins, "Carrying
the Fire", p.370)...I guess they vary a bit from mission to mission.
This does indeed suggest that the film was speeded up.

Even more amazing than the footage of TLI was the shot of the moon
sometime later.  I can't remember whether it was the LM descent engine
or the CM engine firing for LOI or TEI, but the lunar surface seemed
to light up.  Must watch the video again...

Mario Wolczko
   ______      Dept. of Computer Science    Internet:   [e-mail]
 /~      ~\    The University               USENET: mcvax!ukc!man.cs.ux!mario
(    __    )   Manchester M13 9PL           JANET:      [e-mail]
 `-':  :`-'    U.K.                         Tel: [phone]  (FAX: 6280)
____;  ;_____________the mushroom project____________________________________

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

Date: 27 Jul 89 19:20:09 GMT
From: asuvax!enuxha![e-mail]  (Norman C. Kluksdahl)
Subject: Re: Modules

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Christopher Davis) writes:
> Anyone have a complete list of the callsigns (codenames?) for the Apollo
> LMs and CSMs?  Bonus points for the Gemini & Mercury capsules...

Wouldn't you know I left my reference at home so I can't win the prize :-)

Of the Gemini series, only GT3 had a callsign.  'Molly Brown', with reference
to the movie and Gus Grissom's Mercury Redstone flight.  After that, higher-
ups nixed the practice of naming capsules until Apollo 9-17.

**********************************************************************
Norman Kluksdahl              Arizona State University
            ..ncar!noao!asuvax!enuxha!kluksdah
alternate:   [e-mail]

standard disclaimer implied

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

Date: 26 Jul 89 23:12:25 GMT
From: mailrus!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!attcan!ncrcan!ziebmef![e-mail]  (Matthew Francey)
Subject: Re: Don't Mess with NASA (afterburners)

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (david s. channin) writes:
>  Let's say you just happen to have hit the PA state lottery last April, and
> walked away with $115 Million. You will receive 5.75 M for 20 years. You save
> diligently for 6 -7 years.

  Egad!  Don't waste it on a silly airplane!  Proceed immediately to the
russians and book a flight on Mir.  Although with $115e6 to spend, you *could*
do both and have some change...
--
Name: Matthew Francey             Address: N43o34'13.5" W79o34'33.3" 86m
[e-mail]          uunet!utgpu!{ontmoh!moore,ncrcan}!ziebmef!mdf

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

Date: 27 Jul 89 19:16:52 GMT
From: pikes!udenva!isis!scicom![e-mail]  (Bruce Watson)
Subject: Ground the DC-10!?


Why not?  There were civilians aboard.

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

Date: 27 Jul 89 23:27:19 GMT
From: visdc![e-mail]  (John E Van Deusen III)
Subject: Re: Request for more info on ozone depletion

I read today in my home-town paper that "scientists" had presented
"evidence" that the antarctic ozone hole might be "related to" increased
incidence of skin cancer in southern Australia and New Zealand.  Does
anyone know anything about this "study"?  It defies logic for a number
of reasons and is apparently the "first" study to make such a claim.
--
John E Van Deusen III, PO Box 9283, Boise, ID  83707, [phone]

uunet!visdc!jiii

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

Date: 27 Jul 89 18:08:19 GMT
From: [e-mail]  (David Palmer)
Subject: Moon instruments

During the replay of the Apollo 11 landing (THE UNIVERSE CAN BE YOURS, THROUGH
THE MAGIC OF RE-RUNS!!!) they mentioned two passive experiments, the
retro-reflector (much discussed here) and the 'passive seismometer'.

What do they mean by passive?  All the passive techniques I can think of
for seismometry are relatively insensitive.  Does passive just mean
'solar powered' or something like that?

        David Palmer
        [e-mail]
        ...rutgers!cit-vax!tybalt.caltech.edu!palmer
    "Only 10% of the 4000 mile long coastline was affected."
        -Exxon's version of the oil spill as reported to stockholders

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

Date: 27 Jul 89 07:42:28 GMT
From: att!tsdiag!ka2qhd![e-mail]  (Thomas A Moulton RATS Clifton NJ)
Subject: Re: The now defunct Moon beacon



It is very likely that either the power system is shutdown (or dead) OR
that they turned off any receivers that could be commanded to start the
transmitter again... and even if the receiver was working it would
cost too much to get the equipment and codings for the commands to
get anyone to move on it...

If anyone can Prove me wrong and get it turned it on, Knock your Socks off!
Go for it!... hihi
--
Life is too short to be mad about things.
Thomas A. Moulton, W2VY          Packet: w2vy@kd6th  Voice: 145.190 (r)
[phone]                   uucp: rutgers!petsd!tsdiag!ka2qhd!w2vy

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

Date: 28 Jul 89 12:40:12 GMT
From: frooz!cfa250![e-mail]  (Jonathan McDowell)
Subject: Re: Modules

From article <[e-mail]>, by [e-mail] (Tom Neff):
>>MPTA-098 Main Propulsion Test Article
>
>     what was this?  I would like more info.

It was a mockup of the aft thrust structure used to static
test the SSME's, I believe at NSTL (now Stennis Space Center),
but it might have been MSFC. I included it because it got
given a serial number.

-JCM

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

Date: 25 Jul 89 19:21:44 GMT
From: mitel!sce!nrcaer!dciem![e-mail]  (Brian P. Dickson)
Subject: Re: Questions about Apollo 11

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Henry Spencer) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Mike Smithwick) writes:
>>
>>Most of the footage of staging is from the unmanned missions, I don't
>>think that any of the manned boosters had the cameras on board.
>
>I'm not sure about that; remember that there were only two unmanned
>Saturn V launches.  I wouldn't be surprised if one or two of the early
>manned ones had camera pods aboard, especially given that the second
>unmanned flight hit problems.  (It took considerable boldness and a
>lot of confidence in the engineers to fly Apollo 8 on the third one.)

In the motion picture _Koyaniskaaski_ (sp?), there is a five minute
sequence at the end, where what appears to be a Saturn V is launched,
and in one continuous shot, explodes, with the camera following one
of the enormous engines for a very long time. Does anyone (Henry?) know
which vehicle this was, and why it detonated? (BTW, IMHO a great movie.)
--
Brian Dickson, NTT Systems Inc.
(*SPOILER* quote follows:)

"Launder it." - Bad Guy killed by a Felix lighter.

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

Date: 28 Jul 89 18:17:23 GMT
From: [e-mail]  (Dan Pezely)
Subject: Re: Does This Proposal Make Sense

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Karl Redell ) writes:
>Despite the strong desires of many to experience space travel,
>
>ONLY A SELECT FEW WILL EVER MAKE IT INTO SPACE.
>
>Due to the extreme costs involved, no group of individuals,
>or even a group of companies, can shoulder the expense.  It takes
>GOVERNMENT FUNDING!  Only a government can tax millions of people
>to generate the billions of dollars required.

Details, details.  If we don't do anything, then yes, "Only a select few
will ever make it into space."

I saw an advertisement a year or so ago from one of the space
contractors involved in the space station.  They stated that if every
American contributed less than 2 cents a day, then there would be more
then enough to pay for the space station.  (I know what you're thinking;
read on.)

I'm sure that not EVERY American cares about space, nor are they willing
to pay anything.  However, if the administrative corporation sells
preferred stock, then people willing to INVEST hundreds or thousands of
dollars would definitely come forward.

Also, for the corporation to have the benefit of preferred stock
without having to pay dividends they could sell certificates for
individual sponcerships of their favorite part of the space program.

There are ways to achieve our goals.  Nothing will discourage us --
Nothing!

- Daniel

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

Date: 28 Jul 89 23:21:39 GMT
From: cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!dell![e-mail]  (Mike Hammel)
Subject: Re: Neil Armstrong

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jay C. Smith) writes:
>
>How many astronauts, other than shuttle mission or payload specialists, have
>there been who were never in the military?  I am using the strict definition
>of astronaut = someone who has been in space on a NASA mission.
Harrison Schmidt was a geologist, wasn't he?  I don't know if he was in the
military before that.  I'm not even sure I spelled his name right. :-)

Michael J. Hammel   | UUCP(preferred): ...!cs.utexas.edu!dell!Kepler!mjhammel
Dell Computer Corp. | Also: ...!dell!dell!mikeh  or [e-mail]
Austin, TX        | Phone: [phone] ext 7169
                | "I know engineers, they looooove to change things"
Disclaimer:        |:
    These are my views, not necessarily those of the nice folks I work for.

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

Date: 28 Jul 89 12:34:31 GMT
From: vax5![e-mail]
Subject: Civilian Astronauts (was: Re: Neil Armstrong)

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (John Obendorfer) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Mary Shafer) writes:
>>
>>How many astronauts, other than shuttle mission or payload specialists, have
>>there been who were never in the military?  I am using the strict definition
>>of astronaut = someone who has been in space on a NASA mission.
>
>   This is strictly from memory, so I could be mistaken in one of these
>instances, but I believe one of the two moonwalkers on Apollo 17 was
>a civilian geologist and that on at least one of the Skylab missions
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    It was Harrison Schmitt, who did his undergraduate work
    at RPI and his graduate work at some TECH school in CALifornia.

>a civilian physicist was in the crew.  These were, of course, the
>pre-shuttle equivalent of mission specialists -- they did not fly
>any of the vehicles involved.  Sorry, but names don't come to mind.
>
>   John

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

End of SPACE Digest V9 #595
*******************