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Return-path: <ota+space.mail-errors@andrew.cmu.edu> X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson Received: from corsica.andrew.cmu.edu via trymail for +dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr1/ota/space/space.dl@andrew.cmu.edu (->+dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr1/ota/space/space.dl) (->ota+space.digests) ID </afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr1/ota/Mailbox/IYuvVLS00UkVQ1mU4B>; Fri, 18 Aug 89 03:18:47 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <MYuvVE-00UkVQ1kk4s@andrew.cmu.edu> Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Fri, 18 Aug 89 03:18:40 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SPACE Digest V9 #609 SPACE Digest Volume 9 : Issue 609 Today's Topics: Additions/corrections to planetary probe list. Re: Satellites Voyager Status for 08/01/89 (Forwarded) Re: Satellites ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 3 Aug 89 16:34:38 GMT From: wrksys.dec.com!klaes@decwrl.dec.com (CUP/ASG, MLO5-2/G1 6A, 223-3283) Subject: Additions/corrections to planetary probe list. In regards to Peter Yee's recent posting of planetary probes, my friend, Drew LePage, and I went through our references on lunar and planetary probes and found a number of probes missing from the list of such spacecraft, as well as some incorrect information. The updates are as follows: Probes not included in original list: Launch Date Name Weight Country Mission/Status (Kg) Nov 1, 1962 Mars 1 893 USSR Mars probe; failed en route Nov 30, 1964 Zond 2 890? USSR Venus probe; failed en route Jul 1, 1966 Explorer 33 93 US Lunar orbiter; failed to enter lunar orbit. Now in Earth orbit Jul 19, 1967 Explorer 35 104 US Lunar orbiter. Took field and particle data Mar 2, 1968 Zond 4 5600? USSR Zond test flight in cislunar space. Now in solar orbit(?) Aug 17, 1970 Venera 7 1180 USSR Successfully landed on Venus Corrections to original list: "Luna 4" The "Luna 4" listed launched on April 12, 1960 was a Luna launch failure and received no "Luna" designation. Luna 4 Unsuccessful lunar landing attempt. Now in solar orbit. Venera 4,5,6 Atmospheric probes returned data until crushed by pressure. Luna 15 Unsuccessful sample return attempt. Crashed during landing. Mars 2 Lander crashed. Orbiter returned data until Aug 1972. Mars 3 Lander successfully landed but only returned data for 90 seconds. Orbiter returned data until Aug 1972. Luna 18 Unsuccessful sample return attempt. Crashed during landing. Mars 4 Failed to enter Mars orbit. Now in solar orbit. Mars 6 Lander failed during descent. Carrier in solar orbit. Mars 7 Lander missed Mars. Carrier and lander in solar orbit. Luna 22 Weight estimated as 5600 Kg. Successfully entered lunar orbit. Venera 9 Weight announced as 4936 Kg. Venera 10 Weight announced as 5033 Kg. Venera 13-16, Vega 1 and 2, Phobos 1 and 2 - Weights estimated at 5000 Kg. Magellan Weighed 3545 Kg. I should note that I found several variations in the probe weights in the list. Most amounted to only a couple of kilograms. In the case of the Surveyor lunar landers, the weight given is that of the lander alone. Their launch weight (which is what is given in the rest of the list) was typically about 900 kilograms. To make this list totally complete, I am listing below all the known *failures* of lunar and planetary probes. Known Lunar and Planetary Probe Failures Launch Date Name Weight Country Mission/Status (Kg) May 1, 1958? Unannounced 350? USSR Lunar probe; launch failure Jun 25, 1958? Unannounced 350? USSR Lunar probe; launch failure Aug 17, 1958 Project Able 1 38 US Lunar orbiter; launch failure Sep 24, 1958? Unannounced 350? USSR Lunar probe; launch failure Oct 11, 1958 Pioneer 1 38 US Lunar orbiter attempt; reached altitude of 70,700 miles Nov 8, 1958 Pioneer 2 39 US Lunar orbiter attempt; reached altitude of 965 miles Nov 15, 1958? Unannounced 350? USSR Lunar probe; launch failure Dec 6, 1958 Pioneer 3 6 US Lunar fly-by attempt; reached altitude of 63,580 miles Jan 9, 1959? Unannounced 375? USSR Lunar probe; launch failure Jun 16, 1959? Unannounced 375? USSR Lunar probe; launch failure Nov 26, 1959 Atlas Able IV 169 US Lunar orbiter; launch failure Apr 12, 1960? Unannounced 375? USSR Lunar probe; launch failure Sep 25, 1960 Atlas Able 5A 176 US Lunar orbiter; launch failure Oct 10, 1960 Unannounced 640? USSR Mars probe; launch failure Oct 14, 1960 Unannounced 640? USSR Mars probe; launch failure Dec 15, 1960 Atlas Able 5B 176 US Lunar orbiter; launch failure Feb 4, 1961 Sputnik 7 640? USSR Venus probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Jul 22, 1962 Mariner 1 202 US Venus fly-by; launch failure Aug 25, 1962 Unannounced 890? USSR Venus probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Sep 1, 1962 Unannounced 890? USSR Venus probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Sep 12, 1962 Unannounced 890? USSR Venus probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Oct 24, 1962 Unannounced 890? USSR Mars probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Nov 4, 1962 Unannounced 890? USSR Mars probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Jan 4, 1963 Unannounced 1400? USSR Lunar lander; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Feb 3, 1963? Unannounced 1400? USSR Lunar lander; launch failure Nov 11, 1963 Kosmos 21 950? USSR Venus probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Feb 27, 1964 Unannounced 950? USSR Venus probe; launch failure Mar 4, 1964 Unannounced 950? USSR Venus probe; launch failure Mar 26, 1964 Kosmos 27 950? USSR Venus probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Apr 9, 1964 Unannounced 1425? USSR Lunar lander; launch failure Mar 12, 1965 Kosmos 60 1470? USSR Lunar lander; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Nov 23, 1965 Kosmos 96 960? USSR Venus probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Mar 1, 1966 Kosmos 111 1600? USSR Lunar orbiter; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Mar 10, 1967 Kosmos 146 5600? USSR Circumlunar probe; failed to leave Earth oparking orbit Mar 27, 1967 Unannounced 950? USSR Mars probe; launch failure Apr 8, 1967 Kosmos 154 5600? USSR Circumlunar probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Jun 17, 1967 Kosmos 167 1100? USSR Venus probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Nov 22, 1967 Unannounced 5600? USSR Circumlunar probe; launch failure Apr 22, 1968 Unannounced 5600? USSR Circumlunar probe; launch failure Jan 5, 1969? Unannounced 5600? USSR Circumlunar probe; launch failure Mar 27, 1969 Unannounced 3200? USSR Mars probe; launch failure Apr 15, 1969 Unannounced 5600? USSR Lunar sample return; launch failure Jun 12, 1969 Unannounced 5600? USSR Lunar sample return; launch failure Aug 27, 1969 Pioneer E 67 US Solar probe; launch failure Sep 23, 1969 Kosmos 300 5600? USSR Lunar sample return; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Oct 22, 1969 Kosmos 305 5600? USSR Lunar sample return; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Feb 19, 1970? Unannounced 5600? USSR Lunar sample return; launch failure Dec 2, 1970 Kosmos 382 5600? USSR Circumlunar probe(?); failed to leave Earth parking orbit May 8, 1971 Mariner 8 1031 US Mars orbiter; launch failure May 10, 1971 Kosmos 419 4650? USSR Mars orbiter/lander; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Mar 31, 1972 Kosmos 482 1180? USSR Venus probe; failed to leave Earth parking orbit Oct 13, 1975? Unannounced 5600? USSR Lunar sample return; launch failure References: "STL Space Log" September, 1961 "Robot Explorers" (1972) by Kenneth Gatland "Handbook of Soviet Lunar and Planetary Exploration" (1979) by Nicholas L. Johnson "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Space Technology" (1981) by Kenneth Gatland "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Universe" (1983) by Richard S. Lewis "Nauka I Chelovechestvo 1985: Skvos Oblaka Venera" (1985) "Soviet Space Program 1980-1985" (1987) by Nicholas L. Johnson "The Manned Soviet Space Program" (1988) by Pillip Clark Here are some other Soviet planetary missions not listed: Another Mars probe mission in 1960 was not admitted officially by the Soviets to have existed until 1989, even though increasing rumors had been spread about it during the intervening decades. This probe not only failed to reach Earth orbit, it caused death and serious destruction on the ground. According to a press release by the Soviet weekly magazine OGONYOK in April of 1989, a third Mars probe was to be launched on October 24 when trouble with the rocket booster occurred: An electrical defect in the rocket had created a fuel leak. The Soviet official in charge of the Mars project, Field Marshall Mitrofan Nedelin, Commander in Chief of the Strategic Rocket Forces, no doubt under considerable stress from Kruschev and the rapidly closing launch "window" (a launch window is the period of time when Earth and Mars are so aligned in their solar orbits that a relatively large payload can be sent using the least amount of rocket energy, saving both time and fuel), hurriedly attempted to solve the problem and went out with rocket technicians onto the launch pad without emptying the rocket of fuel first, a standard safety precaution. As the workers were installing an electrical distributor, the action somehow gave a command to ignite the rocket's second stage. The rocket flames burned through to the first stage, which ignited the rocket fuel and created a tremendous explosion, killing Nedelin and dozens (possibly hundreds) of technicians and other personnel, also destroying the launch pad. The OGONYOK article essentially confirmed what had been reported about the incident over the past years. In 1969, two (and possibly three) spacecraft of the new Soviet Mars exploration series were launched. Weighing far more than any earlier Mars craft (approximately 3,500 kilograms/7,700 pounds), they were sent aloft on the powerful D-1-e (PROTON) rocket booster. These probes most likely consisted of a flyby bus which would drop a lander on the Martian surface as the bus headed on into solar orbit. Unfortunately these latest spacecraft were plagued by old technical problems: MARS 1969A, launched March 27, was destroyed on its way into an Earth parking orbit when the PROTON booster exploded in mid-flight. MARS 1969B, launched on April 14, may have been destroyed in the same manner as its sister probe, as it too never achieved Earth orbit. A third member of this set, MARS 1969C, reportedly never even left the launch pad at Tyuratam, for reasons which are still unknown. The following year, the Soviets began conducting tests in space in an attempt to avoid the problems of their past Mars missions. In November and December of 1970, COSMOS 379 and 382 conducted a series of various maneuvers in Earth orbit which would later be learned by the West as being tests of an improved rocket insertion system, designed to place the new Mars probes on course to their target planet. These tests were apparently successful in accomplishing their tasks. Some other books dealing with planetary probes: Hart, Douglas, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SOVIET SPACECRAFT, Exeter Books, New York, 1987. ISBN 0-671-08932-3. Miles, Frank, and Nicholas Booth, RACE TO MARS: THE MARS FLIGHT ATLAS, Harper and Row, Publishers, New York, 1988. ISBN 0-06-016005-5. Oberg, James E., UNCOVERING SOVIET DISASTERS: EXPLORING THE LIMITS OF GLASNOST, Random House, Inc., New York, 1988. ISBN 0-394-56095-7. Smith, Arthur, PLANETARY EXPLORATION: THIRTY YEARS OF UNMANNED SPACE PROBES, Patrick Stephens Limited, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England, 1988. ISBN 0-85059-915-6. Wilson, Andrew, SOLAR SYSTEM LOG, Jane's Publishing, Inc., New York, 1987. ISBN 0-7106-0444-0. Some more information on the 1967 Soviet Mars probe attempts, from Drew: I double-checked on the 1967 Mars probe failure. I got that information from the "Handbook". There was an unconfirmed rumor that the Soviets attempted to launch a second generation Mars probe (similar to MARS 2-7) on the then new Proton booster. The launch, like so many early Proton launches, ended in failure. There are additional rumors (although I did not include it in my list) that there was a previous attempt in late February or early March of 1967 that also ended in failure. These alleged attempts could be just rumors but knowing the track record of the Proton booster's Block D escape stage in the late 1960s, they could very well be true. Larry Klaes klaes@renoir.dec.com or - ...!decwrl!renoir.dec.com!klaes or - klaes%renoir.dec@decwrl.dec.com N = R*fgfpneflfifaL ------------------------------ Date: 3 Aug 89 15:55:43 GMT From: beta!jwa@lanl.gov (Wayne Anderson) Subject: Re: Satellites >>Why do you not think he is seeing satellites? They would be especially bright >>just after dawn and just before sunrise. Pulsations could come from tumbling >>objects, the periods of which should be very regular (though the best angles >>might only occur temporarily -- so it might appeare erratic.) >The satellites just aren't bright enough. You can spot Mir easily enough, if >you know where to look (it's no brighter than 4th magnitude), and the old >Echo's were pretty easy, but for something like a spysat, spent booster etc, >you need magnification. >ami silberman, janitor of lunacy That may be true where you live but not here. Last night my wife and I were sitting out on our deck just after dark and we spotted 11 satellites (or orbiting junk) in less than 45 minutes, including one which was tumbling and gave the appearance of pulsating. The elevation here, by the way, is around 7000'. Wayne ------------------------------ Date: 3 Aug 89 20:03:13 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: Voyager Status for 08/01/89 (Forwarded) Voyager Status Report August 1, 1989 Voyager 2 began executing a maneuver today that, when completed, will give the one-ton spacecraft a 2.1 mile per hour boost in velocity and move the spacecraft slightly sideways toward its target area at Neptune. The change in velocity and direction will put the spacecraft closer to its scheduled flyby of Neptune on Aug. 24 at 9 p.m. PDT when Voyager streaks just 3,000 miles over the planet's northern polar region. Two more trajectory corrections are scheduled before Voyager's closest approach. Data from the spacecraft confirmed the beginning of a sequence that will result in a 7.5-minute burn of Voyager's hydrazine thrusters, scheduled to begin at 9:56 a.m. PDT. The actual burn had started 4 hours and 2 minutes before, but Voyager's radio signal takes that long to reach Earth. The burn was timed to end at 10:03 a.m. PDT, but mission controllers would not be able to confirm the success of the maneuver until about 1:15 p.m. today after reviewing telemetry from the spacecraft. Neptune this week provided Voyager flight engineers with one more clue as to its whereabouts. Data from the spacecraft now show a slight but detectable accelerating effect Neptune's gravity is exerting on Voyager. The minute acceleration "tells more about the planet's mass and more about where the planet is," said Dr. Lanny Miller, manager of the Voyager flight engineering office. The point at which the spacecraft began to feel Neptune's tug, he said, "is hard to pin down. [The spacecraft] is always under the influence of the planet's gravity, but you don't see it in the data until you're real close. We didn't really sense it until the last week." This is the last week of Voyager's observatory phase. On Saturday, Aug. 5, Voyager will embark on the "far encounter" phase of its Neptune mission, marked by focused observations of specific facets of the Neptunian system such as the large dark spot and smaller spots in the atmosphere. Searches for moons and ring arcs will continue. DISTANCE TO EARTH: 2,705,447,000 miles DISTANCE TO NEPTUNE: 21,215,000 miles HELIOCENTRIC VELOCITY: 42,187 mph ------------------------------ Date: 3 Aug 89 17:27:54 GMT From: bfmny0!tneff@uunet.uu.net (Tom Neff) Subject: Re: Satellites Many satellites aren't bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, but you can see some amazing things with a wide field scope shortly after sunset if you sweep and browse the WSW sky (here in north temperate latitudes). I have seen three objects at once, two tumbling, in my field of view. LEO is getting CROWDED! -- "We walked on the moon -- (( Tom Neff you be polite" )) tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V9 #609 *******************