Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V10_0/V10_097.TXT

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Date: Mon,  2 Oct 89 01:53:31 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: SPACE Digest V10 #97

SPACE Digest                                      Volume 10 : Issue 97

Today's Topics:
             space news from Aug 21 AW&ST
         Re: What's Wrong With HR2674. (long)
         NASA Headline News for 09/25/89 (Forwarded)
                  e
         NSS invitations to witness a shuttle launch
       Re: NSS invitations to witness a shuttle launch
               Re: Pluto meets Neptune
               Re: Pluto meets Neptune
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 2 Oct 89 01:11:00 GMT
From: mailrus!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo![e-mail]  (Henry Spencer)
Subject: space news from Aug 21 AW&ST

[Aviation Week & Space Technology subscription address is 1221 Ave. of
the Americas, New York NY 10020 USA.  Rates depend on whether you're
"qualified" or not, which basically means whether you look at the ads
for cruise missiles out of curiosity, or out of genuine commercial or
military interest.  Best write for a "qualification card" and try to get
the cheap rate.  US rate is $64 qualified, higher for unqualified.
It's weekly, it's thicker than Time or Newsweek, and most of it has nothing
to do with space, so consider whether the price is worth it to you.]

There is talk of switching the last two shuttle missions this year, for
fear that LDEF will be too low for successful retrieval in December.
Unusually-high solar activity has increased atmospheric drag.  LDEF has
always been planned for retrieval, so it has no transmitters and losing
it would mean complete loss of all its data.  Current plans are that
STS-33 in November will carry a USAF payload and STS-32 in December will
retrieve LDEF.  Given the tendency of launch dates to slip, using the
November slot would give much more margin for successful LDEF retrieval.
(The October launch is Galileo, whose launch window does not permit it
to be rescheduled.)  Current guess is that LDEF will stay up until about
the end of January, but there is a lot of uncertainty.  Truly would have
to make the switch decision, although he would undoubtedly want USAF
consent [since in a pinch the USAF has final say, by presidential order].
Almost certainly the switch of missions would mean switching orbiters
too, since there is felt to be little change of having Columbia ready
for November (indeed, having it ready for December is rather dicey).
This means a decision would have to be made soon, so Discovery can be
prepared for the retrieval.

NASA appoints four special investigating groups, in addition to the
experiment sponsors, to examine LDEF and its payloads after 5.5 years
in space.  The groups are meteoroids/debris, materials/coatings,
systems (covering assorted support subsystems which weren't originally
thought of as experiments), and radiation effects.

Voyager Aug 15 course correction cancelled as unnecessary.

Hughes signs with General Dynamics for commercial launch of Navy's first
"UHF follow-on" comsat, and options for nine more launches to cover the
nine later satellites in the series (so far the Navy has ordered one plus
long-lead parts for the others).  In principle some of these could go up
on the shuttle, but in practice nobody considers that very likely.

Columbia arrives back at KSC.

GAO says USAF's new satellite control system is five years behind schedule
and badly over budget because of USAF over-optimism about cost and schedule.
The USAF started modernizing its ground-control facilities in 1981, and the
update was supposed to be finished in 1988.

Fourth attempt to light Hipparcos's apogee motor fails; one more will be
tried [it failed] and then contigency plans for operation from the lower
orbit will be pursued.

Astrotech's payload processing facilities in Titusville are finally
in the black, as shuttle activity resumes and more expendable users
use commercial processing.

Morsviazsputnik, the Soviet comsat administration [well, one of several
actually, although the others are military] signs agreement with Inmarsat
to provide technical data on the Glonass navsats.  Inmarsat is studying
the idea of a Clarke-orbit system to complement the Navstar and Glonass
systems by providing running reports on the health and accuracy of the
navsat systems (something neither system really has provisions for, and
which aviation users in particular badly want).

[From Flight International, 15 July:]

Igor Volk, Soviet shuttle test pilot, says that Buran's on-board systems
are still so crude that there was no possibility of flying it manned for
its first flight, and much work will be needed before manned flights are
practical.
--
"Where is D.D. Harriman now,   |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
when we really *need* him?"    | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry [e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 25 Sep 89 09:58:10 PDT
From: mordor!lll-tis!oodis01!riacs!rutgers!pnet01.cts.com![e-mail] (Jim Bowery)
To: ucsd!nosc!crash![e-mail]
Subject: Re: What's Wrong With HR2674. (long)

Henry Spencer writes:
> Despite Kieran's modest lingering connection with U of T, he is employed
> full-time by a small, struggling Canadian aerospace company these days.
That explains why he is so upset about the trade-restriction section of
HR2674 that he wants to reduce its chances for passage.  I guess I was
closer to the mark than I realized when I told him if he wanted to get
lots of money from the US government he should become a lobbyist for
McDonell Douglas.

> Did you notice that HR2674's distant ancestor, the Commercial Space
> Incentives Act, had a clause in it specifically limiting OCST authority
> to safety considerations?  There was a reason for that.)
Yes, and the reason for it isn't sufficient.  While regulatory powers can,
are and will be abused, it isn't reasonable to simply eliminate regulation.
The first time one of Jerry Pournelle's buddies builds a bomb thinly disguised
as a rocket and insists that the government blow it up on a government owned
launch pad, you can bet any anti-regulatory clauses in any legislation would
be removed prior to detonation.  Talk to the guys down in the Tuscon Space
Society who tried to get that legislation passed if you want some real
insight into the problems with it.

> Don't kid yourself; the *really*
> private launch industry in the US is very young and small and fragile, and
> the government could easily step on it "in the national interest".
I agree, and therefore it is critical that HR2674 be passed as soon as
possible.

Contact your Congressmen today.  Dial 202/225-3121, tell them you want to
speak to your representative even if you don't know who your representative
is.  They can find out and put you through to his/her office.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Bowery    Phone: [phone]
PO Box 1981                  Join the Mark Hopkins Society!
La Jolla, CA 92038   (A member of the Mark Hopkins family of organizations.)

UUCP: {cbosgd, hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, nosc}!crash!pnet01!jim
ARPA: crash!pnet01![e-mail]
INET: [e-mail]

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

Date: 25 Sep 89 16:25:30 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: NASA Headline News for 09/25/89 (Forwarded)


                           NASA Headline News
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, Sept. 25, 1989                        Audio: 202/453-1788
-----------------------------------------------------------------

This is NASA Headline News for Monday, September 25.....


An Atlas-Centaur rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral early
today with a U.S. Navy FltSatCom aboard.  The lift off...at 4:56
A.M., Eastern time...was the final NASA managed Atlas-Centaur
launch from the Cape.  Henceforth, General Dynamics will assume
responsibilities for Atlas-Centaur launch activities.

The Atlas-Centaur program dates back to 1962.  The rocket
launched Ranger and Surveyor probes to the moon, Mariner flights
to Mars, Venus and Mercury and numerous military and domestic
communications satellites into geosynchronous orbit.


An investigation board has been established to look into the
inadvertent water dousing of the Columbia in the Orbiter
Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday.  The
spacecraft was in High Bay 2.  The vehicle was not powered up and
the payload bay doors were closed.


Processing for the launch of the Atlantis next month continues at
Kennedy Space Center.  KSC officials have determined they can
still meet the opening of the launch window on October 12 for the
lift off of the Galileo-carrying shuttle.

In Washington, the Christic Institute, which opposes the launch
of the Galileo spacecraft because it is powered by Radioisotope
Thermoelectric Generators, told United Press International they
will seek an injunction against the launch by filing suit in
district court in Washington, D.C. about October 3.  The
anti-nuclear activists says NASA has underestimated the danger of
the launch.   The protesters also vow to trespass at KSC and
disrupt the launch countdown.


The Washington Times says Vice President Dan Quayle and Japanese
Prime Minister Kaifu officially okayed a U.S-Japan space project
this weekend.  It's called Project Geotail.  Under terms of the
agreement, Japan will provide the satellite and scientific
instruments, while the U.S. will also supply spacecraft
experiments and the launch vehicle.  The Times says there is some
concern in Japan over the possibility of congressional budget
cuts that could impact the joint venture.

            *          *            *             *




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

Here's the broadcast schedule for public affairs events on NASA
Select tv.  All times are Eastern.





Thursday, September 28....

     11:30 A.M.      NASA Update will be transmitted.

      1:00 P.M.      Galileo probe briefing from Ames Research
                     Center.

      3:30 P.M.      Amroc launch carrying MIT/Air Force
                     experiment from Vandenberg Air Force Base.
                     Launch window opens at 4:30 P.M.


All events and times are subject to change without notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
These reports are filed daily, Monday through Friday, at 12 noon,
Eastern time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A service of the Internal Communications Branch (LPC), NASA
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

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

Date: Mon, 25 Sep 89 11:43 EST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: e

>>Subj:    SPACE Digest V10 #63
>>Date: Fri, 22 Sep 89 17:22:10 -0400 (EDT)
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
        |||||||||||||| <--------------------------- DATE SENT BY SPACE.NET
>>SPACE Digest                                      Volume 10 : Issue 63

>>Date: 10 Sep 89 12:01:51 GMT
        ^^^^^^^^^
        ||||||||| <-------------------------------- DATE SENT BY AUTHOR
>>From: cdp![e-mail]
>>Subject: Phone Tree Alert!!!

>>The budget for the Office of Commecial Space Transportation in the
>>Department of Transportation is due for markup in the Senate Thursday,
>>September 7.
  ^^^^^^^^^^^
  ||||||||||| < ----------------------------------- DATE FOR HELPFUL ACTION
>>
>>Calls by September 7th are the most important, but calls after that until
>>about September 14th would still be helpful assuming the bill goes to conf...
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
        |||||||||||||| <--------------------------- DATE FOR HELPFUL ACTION
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>>Date: Fri, 22 Sep 89 17:25:57 -0400 (EDT)
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
        ||||||||||||||<---------------------------- DATE SENT BY SPACE.NET
>>SPACE Digest                                      Volume 10 : Issue 64
>>
>>Date: 10 Sep 89 12:00:26 GMT
        ^^^^^^^^^
        |||||||||<--------------------------------- DATE SENT BY AUTHOR
>>From: cdp![e-mail]
>>Subject: .
>>
>>NASA's request of 13.274 billion has already been cut by 1 billion in the
>>House, resulting in $395 million less for the  space station program.
>>Subcommittee chairman, Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, has scheduled
>>the vote on the NASA budget for next Tuesday, Sept. 12th.
                                                ^^^^^^^^^^
                                                |||||||||| <--- DATE FOR HELPFUL
                                                                ACTION

  Does anything seem odd to the senders, here?  I received this message Friday,
  September 22nd and a vote is scheduled for Sept. 12th.  Should I wish to give
  input on these questions before the House (of misrepresentation), wouldn't it
  be more helpful if these time dependent messages were sent out in a timely
  manner?
         Jim Apsey
         @gmr.com

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

Date: 25 Sep 89 16:29:11 GMT
From: shlump.nac.dec.com!mountn.dec.com!analyz.dec.com![e-mail]
Subject: NSS invitations to witness a shuttle launch

A couple of days ago I got a questionaire from the National Space Society about
various aspects of the space program.

Along with the questionaire was an invitation to join the society.  One of the
benefits they listed was that NSS members are given VIP invitations to witness
shuttle launches.

The subscription is $25/year for which you get a magazine every month.  I would
be willing to join if I got an invitation to witness a launch.

What I want to know is anybody a member of the NSS and if so, has anybody
received an invitation to witness a launch.

Thanks
Sameer Mithal

Formula for success-  German cars, English shoes, Japanese friends.

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

Date: 26 Sep 89 03:33:02 GMT
From: jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo![e-mail]  (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: NSS invitations to witness a shuttle launch

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>What I want to know is anybody a member of the NSS and if so, has anybody
>received an invitation to witness a launch.

Well, "invitation" is a somewhat strong word for it.  NSS runs members-
only shuttle launch tours, including accommodations, transportation,
a KSC tour, a reasonable viewing point, and an interesting talk or two.
(At least, that's the situation as of a few years ago, when I went on
one.)  They are not free, but the price is not outrageous.  The major
chance you take is the possibility of a launch postponement.  On the
whole it's a reasonably good deal, one of the few real benefits of an
NSS membership.
--
"Where is D.D. Harriman now,   |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
when we really *need* him?"    | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry [e-mail]

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

Date: 24 Sep 89 19:46:27 GMT
From: portal!cup.portal.com![e-mail]  (Laurence Larry Sheldon)
Subject: Re: Pluto meets Neptune

Ok--I understand what several of you are saying -- e.g. the coat-hanger
model--nice piece that -- but I guess the piece of the question that has
not been articulated nor answered is:

given and accepted that the orbital disc of Pluto is steeply inclined,
and is very Elliptical relative to Neptune's and thus fits tidily inside
Neptune;s on a no interference basis--


Is it therefore taken as given that there is no relative motion between
the two discs? As in, perhaps, a motion tending to reduce the included
angle between the two discs?

And the shapes are not changing?

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

Date: 25 Sep 89 21:38:02 GMT
From: hplabsb![e-mail]  (David Smith)
Subject: Re: Pluto meets Neptune

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (John Hogg) writes:
>Take two wire coathangers.  Bend one into a circle.  Bend the other one
>into an ellipse with major and minor diameters respectively greater and
>smaller than that of the circle.  Now slide the ellipse (modelling
>Pluto's orbit) at an angle through the circle (modelling Neptune's
>orbit) so that they have a common centre, but do not touch.

The idea is OK, but Pluto's minor axis is greater than Uranus' major axis.
So you slide the circle into the larger ellipse until they appear to overlap
when seen from above.

>Mind you, given the orbital velocities of the two planets, it's not at
>all obvious that a collision would occur over the life of the solar
>system, even if the two orbits did intersect.

The simulations (which someone reported on in this forum recently) show
that the orbits Neptune and Pluto are resonant, so that they will never
come close.
--

            David R. Smith, HP Labs
            [e-mail]
            [phone]

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

End of SPACE Digest V10 #97
*******************