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Subject: SPACE Digest V11 #307

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 11 : Issue 307

Today's Topics:
              Galileo Update - 04/17/90
               Other Big Bangs
                  Our galaxy
              Galileo Update - 04/23/90
     Re: Funding space travel with tourists and business travel?
              Re: Dyson spheres?
            SPACE Digest V11 #287
              Re: Fermi paradox
            Re: Vandeburg Launch Schedules
  Re: NASA to brief media on Hubble Space Telescope instrument test
              Re: Dyson spheres?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 23 Apr 90 16:34:26 GMT
From: sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Galileo Update - 04/17/90



                   GALILEO MISSION STATUS
                       April 17, 1990


          The Galileo spacecraft is 87,395,218 miles from
Earth today traveling at 75,200 miles per hour relative to
the sun. It takes a radio signal more than 15.5 minutes to
make the trip to the spacecraft and back to Earth. Galileo
has traveled more than 323 million miles since its launch
from Earth toward Venus in October last year. It is on a
trajectory back toward Earth for a gravity assist on its long
journey to Jupiter.

          The spacecraft continues in excellent condition.
The first four-day portion of a complicated trajectory
correction maneuver was completed April 12, which reduced the
spacecraft's velocity by about 55 miles per hour. The second
part of the maneuver, expected to require two days, will be
in mid-May. The maneuver recently completed and the upcoming
maneuver in May make up the
first of several maneuvers planned this year to shape the flight
path for the flyby of Earth in December.

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

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

Date: 23 Apr 90 19:19:34 GMT
From: sam.cs.cmu.edu![e-mail]  (Vincent Cate)
Subject: Other Big Bangs


I predict that within 10 years we will have solid evidence of other big
bangs.  The space telescope may provide this evidence or it could come from
other telescopes (space based or ground based, optical, radio, ... ).
The evidence will reliably show that there are stars expanding from a few
other points in similar numbers to what we see expanding away from the
location of our big bang.

This will invalidate all theories which claim "time started" or "the laws
of physics were determined" at the time of our big bang.  I predict that we
will then conclude that black holes collect low grade energy and mater and
concentrate it (violating our current "laws" of thermodynamics).  They then
release this concentrated energy/mater in a big bang after getting to some
very large "critical mass".  In other words, the only thing special about
our big bang is that it is ours (just the same as we found out about
our planet and our star).

I think the theories about curved space will be dropped as it will become
clear that space is "flat" and truly infinite - not of finite volume as
some have hypothesized.


A prediction for the record,

   -- Vince

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

Date:     Mon, 23 Apr 90 8:17:12 CDT
From: Will Martin <[e-mail]>
Subject:  Our galaxy

The radio program "Stardate" that was aired on Sunday, April 22, described
our galaxy as a spiral like Andromeda. I had thought I had heard some
recent news items reporting that new discoveries or interpretations have
provided evidence that our galaxy is instead a barred spiral. Were there
indeed such news reports, and were they accurate? If they were, was what
they were reporting more speculation than definite findings? Or was this
"Stardate" based on obsolete data?

In a related topic, is there any "better" name for our galaxy than "the
Milky Way"? Something that sounds more like a proper name and is more
dignified? I would think there is some astronomic term, perhaps a
designation like "number 1 in the local group" or the like? Or perhaps
a Latinized name like we use "Terra" instead of "Earth"? [Since, actually,
both of those words can be translated to "dirt", they really are not
very dignified names for the home planet. I suppose every intelligent
extraterrestrial species has a name for their home planet that means
"dirt"... Is there *any* Earth language that has a name for the planet
that is different from the word for "dirt" or "soil" or "ground"?]

Regards, Will
[e-mail] OR [e-mail]

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

Date: 23 Apr 90 20:33:32 GMT
From: usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Galileo Update - 04/23/90



                              GALILEO
                       MISSION STATUS REPORT
                          April 23, 1990

     The Galileo spacecraft is now 88,910,660 miles from the Earth,
16,274,760 miles from Venus and traveling at a heliocentric velocity of
73,980 miles per hour.  Round trip light time is 15 minutes, 52 seconds.
The spacecraft is in cruise dual spin mode with a spin rate of 3.15 rmp.
The spacecraft attitude sun point angle is at 2.1 degrees and the
telemetry rate is 40 bps

     Two SITURNS to lead the sun were successfully performed on April 16
and April 19.  The spacecraft performance for these activities was as
expected and without incident.

     Cruise Science Memory Readouts (MROs) were successfully completed for
the Magnetometer (MAG), Dust Detector Subsystem (DDS), and Extreme Ultraviolet
(EUV) instruments on April 16, 17, and 20.

     The Venus-Earth (VE-3) sequence memory load was successfully transmitted
and received without incident on April 20. The VE-3 sequence controls
spacecraft activities from April 23 to June 11.  Major activities include nine
SITURNS, three RPM flushing events, fourteen cruise science MROs and four time
windows for the Trajectory Course Maneuver (TCM-4B) planned between May 11 and
May 14.

     Real Time transmission of a Delay Action Command (DAC) occurred on April
17 for spacecraft execution on April 19.  The DAC was required to change the
scan platform control mode from Scan Type 4 to 6, i.e., from celestial-based
position control to encoder-based position control for the Scan Actuator
Subassembly (SAS).  This control mode change precludes unwanted SAS motions
resulting from software commanded peak torques which are likely in Scan Mode
4 when the spacecraft is also in the inertial mode.  Operation in inertial
mode with scan Type 4 was planned as a part of the VE-2 sequence on April 19.

     The DC imbalance measurement fluctuated about 3.3 volts from about 17
volts to 20 volts.  During this same period the AC imbalance measurement
remained fairly stable changing just over 1 volt from 46.5 to 47.7.  Some
small time correlation between these measurements was observed; investigation
into any spacecraft event correlation is in process.

     Deep Space Network (DSN) reports that the Mission Readiness Tests (MRT)
at the 34 meter antenna in Spain (DSS-65) have been completed qualifying
that station for Galileo support when X-band becomes available in April 1991.
This completes the MRTs for the 34-meter High Efficiency (HEF) antennas at all
sites.

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

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

Date: 23 Apr 90 03:51:35 GMT
From: munnari.oz.au!ditmela!yarra!melba.bby.oz.au![e-mail]  (Gregory N. Bond)
Subject: Re: Funding space travel with tourists and business travel?

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Brad Templeton) writes:

    [re: 1000KM long mass driver, for US->Far East commuting etc]

Hell, it's 1000KM long already.  Why not just build a bridge?
--
Gregory Bond, Burdett Buckeridge & Young Ltd, Melbourne, Australia
Internet: [e-mail]    non-MX: [e-mail]
Uucp: {uunet,pyramid,ubc-cs,ukc,mcvax,prlb2,nttlab...}!munnari!melba.bby.oz!gnb

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

Date: 24 Apr 90 00:52:33 GMT
From: oliveb!tymix!hobbes![e-mail]  (Phil Nelson)
Subject: Re: Dyson spheres?

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Tom Neff) writes:
>One Dyson sphere might radiate visible infrared, but build enough
>concentric Dyson spheres and little waste might escape.


Define enough.


>--
>Perestroika: could   \O\     Tom Neff
> it happen here?      \O\    uunet.uu.net!bfmny0!tneff


Phil Nelson . uunet!pyramid!oliveb!tymix!hobbes!pnelson . Voice:408-922-7508

    When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
           but he who restrains his lips is prudent.         -Proverbs 10:19

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

Date:        Mon, 23 Apr 90 07:50:15 CST
From: Andy Edeburn <[e-mail]>
To: <[e-mail]>
Subject: SPACE Digest V11 #287

>
> > Grissom was not just a Gemini astronaut, but one of the original seven
>
>
> What?  I thought Grissom flew in the first Gemini?  What gives?

 He did. The Unsinkable Molly Brown. It was Gemini 3, I believe. The
pilot was John Young.

> Bob

|  Andy Edeburn  {CC62@SDSUMUS}    | "Is this a paycheck or is this  |
|  University Computing Services   |  how you people insult someone  |
|  South Dakota State University   |    in America?"   -Anonymous    |

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

Date: Mon, 23 Apr 90 17:59:36 SET
From: [e-mail]
Comment: CROSSNET mail via MAILER@CMUCCVMA
Comment: File SPACE MESSAGE A
Subject: Re: Fermi paradox

Subject: Re: Fermi paradox

In several postings the following possible solution to the
Fermi paradox was given: we don't see any other civilization
because we're in some sort of a reservation or otherwise
fenced-off area. At first, my opinion on this was that it didn't
seem very likely. If we take a look at the earth: what
percentage of our planet is a reservation, or in any way protected?
Sure, maybe this statistic cannot be applied to the super-space-aliens,
who may be very wise beings, and have none of the human shortcomings.

But then I reconsidered: because the fence is there, all around
us, even though we cannot see it. I mean: what *is* stopping us
from travelling to another galaxy, or in fact anything more than a
few light years away? How unthinkable is it that the
speed limit of roughly 173 AU/day was put there around us by
highly-advanced beings, preventing us from going out,
and, why not, others from making the jump in.   :-) ??

Rene Zandbergen
------------------------------------------------------------------
Because these are just my opinions, and only mine, there is no
purpose in telling whom I work for.
------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: 23 Apr 90 22:48:02 GMT
From: manta![e-mail]  (Michael A. Simpkins)
Subject: Re: Vandeburg Launch Schedules

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Paul Carroll) writes:
>
>    I went to the launch of the Delta with the COBE satellite
>    back in December.  Since I didn't know anyone on the base
>    and I wasn't a VIP, I was directed to the public viewing area,
>    which is by the weather station just to the north-east of the
>    main gate.  Watching a Delta is quite the experience, what with
>    the strap-ons falling off during launch.  However, an Atlas
>    launch would probably be even better.
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    That is a pretty good place to watch as long as they are launching
    from North Vandenberg (Delta, Minuteman, Amroc, maybe the Atlas).
    The place we used to watch from, when I was a wee lad, is Surf Park
    located about 10 miles west of Lompoc. This is a state park that lies
    right on the border between north and south Vandenberg. Although not
    as good an elevation as the first sight, it is south east of the pad
    so the bird almost soars right overhead! Occasionally they will close
    the beach for certain launches, but more often than not that's where
    us locals went. This is also a very good place to watch the BIG BOYS
    go up from the south base (Titan, Shuttle.....IT COULD HAPPEN!) :-)
    They are much more likely to close this park during Titan launches
    I think because security is higher as a rule during these launches.             The best place to watch events from the south base is at Jalama Beach
    State Park (about 10 miles south of Lompoc, that's lom-poke, on highway         1. Take the Jalama Beach turn off and about 15 miles of TIGHT road and
    you are there. you can camp too.). This beach is about 10 miles south-
    east of SLC-6 and the Titan pads so they practically fly overhead aiso.       Note that this is a very mountainous area so it is practically
    impossible to see the vehicles on the pad from any of these areas.
    If you have a boat you could get a real good view, but I don't know
    what the Coast Guard would have to say about that. Also it is almost
    always overcast on this part of the coast with many days of fog thru
    the entire year (that's why I left).

        Hope this helps.

                    -simpkins-

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

Date: 23 Apr 90 22:49:11 GMT
From: swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!motpe![e-mail]  (Michael Collins)
Subject: Re: NASA to brief media on Hubble Space Telescope instrument test


  To head off the inevitable questions, according to the 1987 Observer's
Handbook of the RASC (most recent edition at my desk), NGC 3532 is an open
cluster at RA 11h 05.5m, Dec -58d 33m (1980).  Apparent integrated
photographic magnitude 3.4, diameter 55 arc-minutes, distance 1400 l.y.,
spectral class B8.  The constellation in which this cluster is located is
not listed, though, of course, it much too far south to be see from North
America or Europe.

                    -- MC --

--
Michael P. Collins                  | [e-mail]
Motorola Microcomputer Division     | {noao|asuvax}!mcdphx!mikec
2900 S. Diablo Way                  | These are not Motorola's official
Tempe, AZ  85282     [phone] | views or policies.

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

Date: 23 Apr 90 19:55:52 GMT
From: convex![e-mail]  (Edward V. Wright)
Subject: Re: Dyson spheres?

>    Dyson suggested that at some point in
>    the advancement  of some civilizations,  they  would  develop  the
>    ability to  transform all of the matter of their solar system into
>    a very thin  layered  hollow sphere  centered  on  their star.  In
>    this way  they could fully utilize the total stellar energy output
>    as well as the maximum surface area on the interior of the sphere.
>    Dyson  recognized that an Earth-based observer would  see  a  very
>    bright infared source with no visible component.
>

Actually, Dyson did not propose a solid shell, but a swarm of
orbiting habitats and spacecraft, which would have the same
appearance to an outside observer.  The idea of a solid Dyson
sphere, which would require unreasonably strong materials (by
our current understanding of physics) was proposed by others
later on.

Larry Niven wrote a very good article on Dyson spheres, Ringworlds,
Alderson disks, etc. that appeared in Analog.  The article is still
available in one of Niven's short story collections.  (Sorry, I forget
which one.)

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

End of SPACE Digest V11 #307
*******************