Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V11_2/V11_243.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V11 #243

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 11 : Issue 243

Today's Topics:
         NASA Headline News for 04/06/90 (Forwarded)
            Re: orbit definitions
              Re:  SPACE Digest V11 #236
             Re: Discovery's Spin in 2010
    Re: Pegasus Stats Repost and reason for FAST launches.
         NASA Headline News for 04/09/90 (Forwarded)
                  Re: Skylab
         Pegsat Update (Forwarded) - 04/09/90
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 9 Apr 90 22:03:44 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: NASA Headline News for 04/06/90 (Forwarded)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, April 6, 1990                 Audio Service: 202/755-1788
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This is NASA Headline News for Friday, April 6.....

Preparations for the launch of the Space Shuttle carrying the
Hubble Space Telescope are moving ahead smoothly.  Charging of
the telescope's batteries has resumed and will continue through
Sunday.  With the pad cleared yesterday, Kennedy Space Center
workers completed ordnance activities and loaded liquid hydrogen
and oxygen into Discovery's storage tanks.

The launch countdown begins at 3:00 p.m., EDT, Saturday.  The
STS-31 crew is scheduled to arrive at the Cape at 2:00 p.m., the
same day.

Sunday, A series of news briefings will be conducted and on
Monday there will be a pre-launch news conference.  NASA Select
TV will cover those events.  Launch coverage begins at 4:00 a.m.,
EDT, Tuesday.

                         *           *

The air launch of the Pegasus booster rocket was successful
yesterday. The 49-foot long three-stage booster roared away and
headed for a near-polar orbit after it was dropped from the wing
of a NASA B-52 over the Pacific Ocean.  Officials from the
Defense Advanced Research Agency, NASA and Orbital Sciences Corp.
of Fairfax, Virginia, were elated at the success of the flight.

The three-element payload, called Pegsat, functioned as planned.
A small Navy communications satellite was deployed shortly after
orbit was achieved.  A barium cloud experiment is scheduled to
occur the last two weeks of this month.

                          *           *

Aerospace Daily reports House Budget Committee members are
considering so-called "option packages" of tax and spending
proposals that include cuts of up to $1.1 billion to NASA's $15.1
billion request.  Citing congressional sources, the publication
quoted Budget Committee Chairman Leon Panetta, of California, as
saying, "All kinds of numbers are being batted around" (and the
$1.1 billion cut) "is in the ballpark".


News reports from the Soviet Union indicate that all's not well
with that nation's manned space program.  A Tass News Agency
dispatch indicates a significant reduction in the Glavkosmos
budget for the next year.  A Soviet space agency official says it
puts Glavkosmos in an awkward position.  Two more manned flights
to the Mir station are scheduled for this year.

                       ****************


-----------------------------------------------------------------
Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA
Select TV.  All times are EDT.


Sunday, April 8......  From Kennedy Space Center

      9:00 A.M.        STS-31 Launch status report.

      9:30 A.M.        Start of a series of Hubble Space
                       Telescope briefings through noontime.

      1:00 P.M.        Secondary payload briefings


Monday, April 9....    From KSC

       9:00 A.M.       Launch status report

      11:00 A.M.       Pre-launch news conference


Tuesday, April 10.....

        4:00 A.M.      NASA Select TV coverage of the STS-31
                       mission begins.  Near continuous coverage
                       of mission activities will run through
                       scheduled landing on April 15.

All events and times are subject to change without notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
These reports are filed daily, Monday through Friday, at 12 noon,
EDT.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A service of the Internal Communications Branch, NASA HQ.

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

Date: 9 Apr 90 23:14:22 GMT
From: uhccux!munnari.oz.au!metro!cluster!softway![e-mail]  (Greg Rose)
Subject: Re: orbit definitions

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Tom Neff) writes:
>[ Talking about nonzero inclination geosynch orbits, so that the ground
>track is a figure 8 centered on the equator ]
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Henry Spencer) writes:
>>Unfortunately, this destroys the major advantage of Clarke orbit:  the
>>ability to point an antenna at the satellite *once* and just leave it
>>pointed there.
>You lose that, but you gain something new: the ability to reach higher
>latitudes (N and S) with a reasonable apparent altitude above the
>horizon -- and using a usably narrow beam -- on a predictable daily
>basis.  Geostationary coverage in the Arctic and Antarctic, for
>instance, is very difficult: the dishes have to aim horizontally
>through all kinds of clutter and most transponders aren't aimed up
>there.  One strategy is to use an inclined Clarke orbit for a
>once-daily downlink at the "end of the 8."  You can get maybe an hour
>or two of coverage this way.

You can even have some of the best of both worlds. If you want to have
continuous coverage of the higher latitudes (Terra del Fuego, say),
you can have a number of satellites all in the same orbit, separated
in phase by angles which are not 180 degrees. Say 5 of them, with 72 degree
phase shift in the same orbit. Five times in 24 hours you would have one
sitting right where you expected it, and there would always be one fairly
high in both north and south latitudes. And they'd all follow the leader,
missing each other at the equator.

This idea isn't mine, by the way, it's prompted by a science fiction
story called "Riding the Epicycle" by P.J.Plauger, in an old Fantasy
and Science Fiction. If you orient the motion vertically instead of
n-s you get an apparent circular motion called an epicycle. I don't
know if the figure of eight has a name, but it is a manifestation of the
same sort of effect.
--
Greg Rose - assistant test pilot - Softway Pty Ltd
PHONE: [phone] FAX: [phone] NET: [e-mail]

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

From: [e-mail]
Date:     Mon, 09 Apr 90  13:41:42 EDT
Subject:  Re:  SPACE Digest V11 #236

> Date: 6 Apr 90 18:09:33 GMT
> From: newstop!jethro!norge.Sun.COM![e-mail]  (John McKernan)
> Subject: Re: THREAT OF PEACE
>
> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
>  (Doug Martin) writes:
> >    Recently I read an article in the september issue of
> >IEEE's Spectrum titled The Threat Of Peace.  The article was
> >very interesting to me because, as an EE major attending CSUS
> >, the cuts in defense spending could greatly decrease the
> >number of available jobs for EEs.  I plan to give a speech on
> >the subject, and would appreciate any information relating to
> >the following questions:
>
Please rest easy, John. President Bush, through White House spokes-
persons, and through the Budget Director, and through the Department
of Defense, has assured the American people that in spite of the
virtual disappearance of the communist threat from the Earth, and
despite the legitimate removal of the Sandanista regime by democratic
election, and despite the impending peaceful reunification of the
two Germanies, THERE WILL BE NO PEACE DIVIDEND WHATSOEVER. THERE
WILL BE NO PEACE MONETARY BENEFIT OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE. IN FACT, PRESIDENT BUSH'S NEW BUDGET CALLS FOR AN
INCREASE, AND A SUBSTANTIAL ONE, IN THE U.S.' MILITARY SPENDING,
AGAIN AT THE EXPENSE OF EDUCATION AND SOCIAL ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS.
So as I say, John, rest assured that there will be plenty of jobs
of the sort you are looking for waiting for you upon graduation.

                                        Derdin Valpar
                                   aka  Marc Arlen
                                        AZM@NIHCU

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

Date: 8 Apr 90 09:12:05 GMT
From: usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!zardoz.cpd.com!dhw68k!ofa123![e-mail]  (Mark Perew)
Subject: Re: Discovery's Spin in 2010

I have enjoyed all of this discussion about spin and torque, etc.

However, this discussion of where the carousel was located seems
to be missing one major element, to wit:  reality.  _2001_ was *ONLY*
a movie.  Yes, Clarke is an excellent author and he usually gets
his facts straight, but he is allowed some literay license.

If you don't agree with this, then please explain to me why there
was gravity in the pod bay?  <SMIRK>



--
Mark Perew
...!{dhw68k,zardoz,lawnet,conexch}!ofa123!Mark.Perew                             [e-mail]
714 544-0934 2400/1200/300

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

Date: 9 Apr 90 18:18:04 GMT
From: usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dali!milton!maven![e-mail]
Subject: Re: Pegasus Stats Repost and reason for FAST launches.

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Joe Pantuso) writes:

> ... can anyone think of an emergency situation where
> you have to get somone *up* to the shuttle/freedom station?
>
> --
> Joe Pantuso        [e-mail]
> Home(414)259-1897

World News :  Meteorite holes Space Station Freedom.  Only Air left for
20 Hours.  Due to cutbacks in the space station program, the emergency
evacuation module has never been installed in the space station.


OSC to the rescue.  Pegasus launches enough air tanks to replenish the station,
and misc parts for some of the necessary repairs.

NASA whines that they are not correctly spec'd for the station.


    Well, for what its worth.
            John.

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

Date: 9 Apr 90 22:14:54 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: NASA Headline News for 04/09/90 (Forwarded)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, April 9, 1990                 Audio Service: 202/755-1788
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This is NASA Headline News for Monday, April 9......

Activities at the Kennedy Space Center continue on schedule for
launch of the Hubble Space Telescope Tuesday, April 10.  The
flight crew prepares for countdown this afternoon with a status
briefing on the Space Shuttle Discovery and the Hubble
Space Telescope along with tomorrow's weather forecast.  It
appears a 50 percent chance of ceilings below 8,000 feet at the
launch time set for 8:43 a.m. decrease to 20 percent by the end
of the period at 2:31 P.M.

Engineers are examining a heater cable short located on the aft
strut connecting external fuel tank with the orbiter.  However, a
possible failure of this heater does not effect the launch
schedule.

Also planned for this afternoon-the inertial measurement units
will be activated and food, along with other items needed by the
crew, will be placed on board.  Loading of cryogenic liquid
hydroden and liquid oxygen was completed last night.  Propellant
loading of the external tank will begin tomorrow morning.

The 12-ton Hubble Space Telescope is in flight ready status now
securely placed in the Discovery payload bay.  The bay doors
are closed and the telescope receivers will be powered on Tuesday
morning.

Astronomer Edwin Hubble's relatives celebrated a reunion at the
Cape on Sunday.  Over 150 of the Hubble family gathered to honor
the one-time champion boxer, Rhodes scholar and Kentucky lawyer
who revolutionized modern astronomy by proving the existence of
galaxies and the expansion of the universe with crucial evidence
of the "Big Bang" theory.

The Israeli's plan to launch one satellite every 19 months from
now on.  Aviation Week says officials expect future satellites
will remain in orbit for as long as 10 years.  The recent 160
kilogram satellite launched April 3 is expected to operate for
about two months.

Lunar astronaut, Ronald Evans, died of a heart attack at his home
in Phoenix on Saturday.  The 56 year-old Navy captain and command
module pilot for the last manned mission to the moon said he felt
fortunate to have the opportunity to get within 80,000 feet of
the moon.  Evans retired from NASA in 1977.

                       *        *        *










-----------------------------------------------------------------
Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA
Select TV.  All times are Eastern.


Tuesday, April 10......

         4:00 A.M.      STS-31 Launch and mission coverage begin.
                        Liftoff is scheduled for 8:47 A.M.

         3:30 P.M.      STS-31 Launch replays.

Wednesday, April 11....

         1:52 A.M.      Crew Wakeup

         3:32 P.M.      HST Deploy Operations


Please Note:  NASA Update will not be transmitted this week due
to launch scheduled activites and will resume next week.
All events and times are subject to change without notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
These reports are filed daily, Monday through Friday, at 12 Noon,
EDT.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A service of the Internal Communications Branch, NASA HQ.

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

Date: 9 Apr 90 17:16:48 GMT
From: snorkelwacker!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!pequod.cso.uiuc.edu![e-mail]  (Andrew Higgins)
Subject: Re: Skylab

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>
>        was there ever any real chance of saving Skylab?  I read once taht
>if the space shuttle had been a bit more advanced a little sooner, then
>they would have gone up to repair Skylab.  Wouldn't it have been worth it?
>        Jeffrey

If you ever take of tour of Martin Marietta's Denver facilities, you'll no
doubt be shown their small museum of space oddities.  One of the items on
display is a full scale, complete engineering mockup of the rocket that
would have been used to boost Skylab into a higher orbit.  It was build to
be compatible with the payload bay of the first orbiter in the fleet.

The booster rocket was ready in time.  The Shuttle wasn't.
--
 Andrew J. Higgins              |     Illini Space Development Society
 [e-mail]              |     a chapter of the National Space Society
 phone: [phone]-0321   |     at the University of Illinois
          P.O. Box 2255 - Station A, Champaign, IL  61825
"The ability of man to walk and actually live on other worlds has virtually
 assured mankind immortality."            - Wernher von Braun

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

Date: 9 Apr 90 23:18:27 GMT
From: sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Pegsat Update (Forwarded) - 04/09/90


                           Pegsat Update
                           April 9, 1990

PEGSAT UPDATE:  Pegsat is now orbiting the Earth at an inclination
of 94.15 degrees, within planned limits.  Orbit apogee is 687 km,
perigee is 508 km, and both are within planned limits.  Attempts
to communicate with the spacecraft as it passed over Goddard Space
Flight Center (GSFC) last night were successful the first time it
came into view.  Data on spin rate and internal temperatures is now
being analyzed.  The two chemical release events will occur over
Northern Canada between April 14-28, local weather permitting.

 Ron Baalke                       |    [e-mail]
 Jet Propulsion Lab  M/S 301-355  |    [e-mail]
 4800 Oak Grove Dr.               |
 Pasadena, CA 91109               |

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

End of SPACE Digest V11 #243
*******************