Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V11_4/V11_481.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V11 #481

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 11 : Issue 481

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Today's Topics:
              Re: SPACE Digest V11 #418
               RE: Soviet Network links
       Ulysses plutonium essay in *The Nation*, 14 May
    Does DoD Want Hawaii? (was: Re: Hawaii and Launching rockets)
              Re: SPACE Digest V11 #418
         Interview with Aerospace Engineer Requested
      Seeking U.S. Naval Ordinance "Rocket", april 1945
                Re: HST future
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 2 Jun 90 07:22:52 GMT
From: agate!helios.ee.lbl.gov!hellgate.utah.edu!albion.utah.edu![e-mail]  (Scott Mcgee)
Subject: Re: SPACE Digest V11 #418

In article <21MAY90.08381270.0008.MUSIC@SDSUMUS> [e-mail] (Andy Edeburn) writes:
>> Cape York is going to be THE spaceport of the 21st Century.  I hope the United
>> States does not miss out on the action there because of as myopic viewpoint
>> now.  In fact, I would like to see a Shuttle launch pad installed at Cape York
>> as the start of a CANZUS Space Alliance.  (CANZUS = Canada, Australia, New
>> Zealand and United States).
>
>Um, I hate to break this to ya gang, but I believe ex-president Ronny
>blew this alliance all to hell in 1982. I might be wrong, but I don't
>think I am.

Toto, I don't think we're in CANZUS anymore!

Scott

Buttered bread always lands   *   Scott McGee
butter side down! (Unless     *   email : [e-mail]
it sticks to the ceiling!)    *
      Would YOU mistake these opinions as anyone's but my own?

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

Date: Sat, 2 Jun 90 11:09:29 EDT
From: Thomas Lapp <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: Soviet Network links

> Date: 1 Jun 90 07:39:16 GMT
> From: mcsun!hp4nl!nikhefh![e-mail]  (Greg Retzlaff)
>
> In article <1990May31.040347.29182@uunet!unhd> [e-mail] (Robert M. Kenney) writes:
> >
> >  What ever happened to the idea of a network link to the USSR?  Seems
> >
> I am collaborating with some Russian scientists at this time.  They
> indeed have a way to log into a computer here to get and send computer
> mail.  However, a group of about 5 is limited to about 2 hours of connect
> time per MONTH out of the USSR.  Many other groups cannot send or

The other way that Soviets have to interface with us electronically is by
obtaining accounts on USA commercial systems .. ie. CompuServe and the like.
Of course, it is a pretty long-distance call to log in, but it can (and is)
done.  This is not to say that this is their only means of electronic
communication, but it is one of them.
                         - tom

--
internet     : mvac23![e-mail]  or  [e-mail]
uucp         : {ucbvax,mcvax,psuvax1,uunet}!udel!mvac23!thomas
Europe Bitnet: THOMAS1@GRATHUN1         Location: Newark, DE, USA
Quote   : The only way to win thermonuclear war is not to play.

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

Date:     Sat,  2 Jun 90 03:51 CST
From: Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey <[e-mail]>
Subject:  Ulysses plutonium essay in *The Nation*, 14 May
Original_To:  SPACE


Perhaps the first shot in the next battle over plutonium-powered spacecraft has
been fired.

Karl Grossman and Judith Long have written "NASA Nonsense," a brief essay in
*The Nation*, May 14 1990, pages 656-657.

Last year NASA launched the Galileo probe with 49 pounds of plutonium aboard to
power its "radioisotope thermal generators" (NOT reactors).  These device
provide electrical power to the spacecraft.   Next October they plan to launch
the Ulysses solar probe, with similar RTG's carrying 24 pounds of plutonium,
which Grossman and Long describe as "the most toxic substance known." Ulysses
is a project of the European Space Agency.

The authors document that NASA has given contradictory answers to the question
of why Galileo and Ulysses couldn't have been powered by solar energy.  At the
time of the Galileo launch, NASA claimed that the probe operated too far from
the Sun to use solar panels (though one NASA study concluded that it's a
possibility).  Now the authors cite a letter from a NASA staffer to a senator
which says that Ulysses "will be operating too close to the Sun for solar
panels to function properly."  The spacecraft never comes closer than 1 AU to
the Sun.

"Groups that see solar-powered space missions as the best alternative to those
scenarios have filed a lawsuit to block the Ulysses launch and to abort the
Galileo mission before its plutonium probe makes two flybys of the Earth, the
first this December, passing 625 miles above the Earth, and the second, in
December 1992, 185 miles overhead."

"A significant new challenge to the Ulysses mission comes from Europe, still
reeling from Chernobyl, where West German Greens oppose the mission." Previous
ESA spacecraft have all been solar-powered, say the authors.  They quote Inge
Lindemann, chair of the Green antinuclear forum: `It's very simple... We don't
want to see nuclear-powered space flights because of the danger of radioactive
contamination.'"

They cite their previous article in the November 20, 1989 *The Nation*, which I
haven't seen.  I know Prof. Grossman, who teaches journalism at the State
University of New York at Old Westbury, was commended a few years ago for
digging up one of "the most under-reported stories of the year" (1987? 1988?).
This story was the fact that Galileo and Ulysses carried plutonium.  I don't
remember where I read about this award-- possibly *Utne Reader*-- and I don't
know where Grossman published his original story.

That's a summary of one article.  I have more information on the Ulysses
question, which I will post in later messages.

                      ______meson   Bill Higgins
                   _-~
     ____________-~______neutrino   Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
   -   -         ~-_
 /       \          ~----- proton   Bitnet: [e-mail]
 |       |
 \       /                          SPAN/Hepnet/Physnet: 43011::HIGGINS
   -   -
     ~                              Internet: [e-mail]

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

Date:     Sat,  2 Jun 90 12:12 CST
From: Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey <[e-mail]>
Subject:  Does DoD Want Hawaii? (was: Re: Hawaii and Launching rockets)
Original_To:  SPACE,uucp%"[e-mail]"


After an interesting and thoughtful discussion of the problem of siting a
Hawaiian launch facility, David Conrad [[e-mail]] wrote:

>But I suppose all this is beside the point, since the DOD has decided
>it wants an SDI launch facility on the big island.

It seems important to point out that we have NO evidence from any reliable
source that the Department of Defense has made such a decision.  The only
statement to this effect comes from the original, rather hysterical-sounding,
posting of Jay Hanson
[usc!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!bionet!arisia!cdp![e-mail]] (You remember--
the one that linked aluminum from solid-strapon exhaust to Alzheimer's
disease.)  The sensible Mr. Conrad should not become befogged.

In my opinion, Mr. Hanson is confused by the very real efforts of Hawaiian
entrepeneurs to attract a *commercial* spaceport to the islands, and has
somehow decided that SDI is involved.  I have not seen any such report in
*Aviation Week* or *Space News*, or elsewhere.  He also seems to think that SDI
is destined to fling large amounts of hardware into the sky.  In truth it is
still an R&D program, admittedly a large one, and many years from producing
operational weapon systems.  Furthermore, its growth has been sharply reined in
by Congressional opposition, its size is nowhere near what its proponents would
have liked, and it's clear that any attempt to fund operational Star Wars
systems would face a fierce uphill [(-:] fight.

(Note that I'm not afraid to call it "Star Wars."  But will somebody please
tell George Lucas that it's a crummy name for a movie?)

Hawaii *has* recently been mentioned in connection with Star Wars. The
(SDI-funded) Sandia coilgun people, having built a fine little catapult, have
taken the opportunity to do a bit of harmless press-release-mongering.  They
suggested a long coilgun be sited in Hawaii to launch payloads into orbit.
This was interesting enough that *Scientific American* and *Aerospace America*,
among others, gave 'em ink.  But the idea is nothing more than lines on a map,
so far as I know.  Drawn, at that, by a bunch of guys sitting in a desert and
probably yearning for more scenic climes.  (-: Not a single Hawaiian Coot,
Black-necked Stilt, or Dark-Rumped Petrel has had a feather ruffled.

Since I am not infinitely well-informed, I could be wrong about this.  Please
enlighten me if you have evidence that DoD really has plans to launch from
Hawaii.  And please CITE YOUR SOURCES.

Also, Mr. Hanson, as Dean Kling has pointed out, uses environmental-impact
regulations to press an unrelated political agenda.  This leaves a bad taste in
my mouth.   Surely the case against Star Wars is not yet so weak that the only
desperate tactic left is to shed crocodile tears over sea turtles.  There are
issues of technical merit, cost-effectiveness, and arms-race stability on which
the SDI program may be questioned.  If one opposes SDI, why not address these?
Legislators are far more likely to listen with respect to such arguments.

Furthermore, the tone of the posting implies that a Star Wars system would be
just a fine thing-- as long as it didn't launch from Hawaii.  Is that the
impression Mr. Hanson wished to leave?

                        ///        Bill Higgins
   E                   ///
  |8D:O:          occc))))<))      Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
   E                 ///
                    ///            Bitnet: [e-mail]

Bumper sticker seen on a Soyuz:    SPAN/Hepnet/Physnet: 43011::HIGGINS

 MY OTHER SPACESHIP IS A BURAN     Internet: [e-mail]

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

Date: 2 Jun 90 07:27:46 GMT
From: pasteur!helios.ee.lbl.gov!hellgate.utah.edu!albion.utah.edu![e-mail]  (Scott Mcgee)
Subject: Re: SPACE Digest V11 #418

In article <21MAY90.08381270.0008.MUSIC@SDSUMUS> [e-mail] (Andy Edeburn) writes:
>> Cape York is going to be THE spaceport of the 21st Century.  I hope the United
>> States does not miss out on the action there because of as myopic viewpoint
>> now.  In fact, I would like to see a Shuttle launch pad installed at Cape York
>> as the start of a CANZUS Space Alliance.  (CANZUS = Canada, Australia, New
>> Zealand and United States).
>
>Um, I hate to break this to ya gang, but I believe ex-president Ronny
>blew this alliance all to hell in 1982. I might be wrong, but I don't
>think I am.

Toto, I don't think we're in CANZUS anymore!

Scott

Buttered bread always lands   *   Scott McGee
butter side down! (Unless     *   email : [e-mail]
it sticks to the ceiling!)    *
      Would YOU mistake these opinions as anyone's but my own?

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

Date: 2 Jun 90 23:54:40 GMT
From: psuvm![e-mail]  (Timothy Pickenheim)
Subject: Interview with Aerospace Engineer Requested

Currently, I am taking a technical writing course that requires me to write
to someone in my future field of work and set up an interview with this person.
This interview involves the type of work and the amount of writing that a
person does in my field.   I am studying to be an Aerospace Engineer at Penn
State.  This class does not allow me to interview anyone at Penn State.
Therefore, I am forced to search elsewhere  for an Aerospace Engineer in the
space aspect of my major.
  What I need is names and addresses of Aerospace Engineers involved in the
space program or working for companies that are involved with the space
program.  I will sent a formal letter of inquiry requesting an interview with
these individuals.
  This interview will involve no more than twenty minutes of any individual's
time.
  I am also limited to within 500 miles of Pennsylvania to conduct this
interview.

  Any information that would be helpful should be sent to this account.

  Thank you.
                                 Signed,

                                      Timothy Pickenheim

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

Date: Sat, 2 Jun 90 11:24 EST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Seeking U.S. Naval Ordinance "Rocket", april 1945

A friend of mine is desperately seeking a copy of U.S. Naval Ordinance
Publication "Rocket" from April 1945.

He has seen this document referenced in several places, so it does exist,
but he cannot find it.  So far he has tried among others the Library
of Congress, NASALIB, Naval Architecture Library, Pentagon Library,
Naval Ord. Lab China Lake, N.T.I.S. &Etc.  Obviously this is not an
easy document to find.  If you have this document, or know where it can
be found please send me E-Mail.

Chris Eliot
Umass/Amherst
[e-mail]

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

Date: 2 Jun 90 03:57:03 GMT
From: mnetor!utzoo![e-mail]  (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: HST future

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>Is it expected that the Hubble Space Telescope will eventually perform as
>originally designed in spite of the initial problems?

Last I heard, the only thing expected to remain an ongoing nuisance is
the slight restriction on antenna movement imposed by that misplaced
loop of cable.  Otherwise, they seemed confident of eventually being
able to deal with everything else.  The little shiver from the solar
arrays during night->day transition would worry me, but apparently
that has already been dealt with to some extent and a complete fix
is expected.

My information isn't necessarily right up to the minute, though.
--
As a user I'll take speed over|     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
features any day. -A.Tanenbaum| uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry [e-mail]

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

End of SPACE Digest V11 #481
*******************