Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V12_6/V12_614.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V12 #614

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 12 : Issue 614

Today's Topics:
           Re: Booster news from 19 November AW&ST
        HST images via anonFTP and SPAN/HEPnet
           Payload Summary for 11/29/90 (Forwarded)
               Re: Total Solar Eclipses
             Re: A philosophical question
              Enough for a big party...
             Pioneer 11 Update - 11/30/90
                 Re: Astro-2
      Review of U.S./Japan space cooperation (Forwarded)

Administrivia:

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

Date: 30 Nov 90 01:41:04 GMT
From: ksr![e-mail]  (Chris Jones)
Subject: Re: Booster news from 19 November AW&ST

In article <[e-mail]>, GIPP@gecrdvm1 writes:
>In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Chris Jones) says:
>>              the Soviets have conducted extensive design work on an
>>unmanned flyback booster with a payload capacity 50% greater than that of the
>>Energia.
>You left out the best part: claims of reduction of launch costs by
>megaamounts (sorry can't remember exact figures-suffice it sounded an
>awful lot like early seventies promises about the US shuttle).

I see no specific claims in the article: "If developed, the vehicle could
significantly reduce recurring launch costs." is the only reference to costs I
can find.

>On  a technical note:  are the energia engines currently reuseable, or
>reasonably convertable to reuseability?  Or is a whole new set of engines
>in store for this paper dream?  I'm assuming the boosters are a whole new
>ball of wax altogether for them.

The RD-170 engines on the Energia (the engines of the strap-ons) are designed
to be reused up to 10 times.  They have never been reused, I believe (it's also
the engine on the first stage of the Tsyklon launcher).  "A parachute recovery
system is under design for the current Energia strap-on boosters, but Gubanov
[Energia's chief designer] was not optimistic the system would be
cost-effective." The engines on the core of the Energia are not reusable, and
the core is not designed to be recovered.
--
Chris Jones    [e-mail]    {world,uunet,harvard}!ksr!clj

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

Date: 30 Nov 90 18:24:20 GMT
From: uvaarpa!murdoch!murdoch.acc.virginia.edu![e-mail]  (Don Wells)
Subject: HST images via anonFTP and SPAN/HEPnet

In article <[e-mail]> on sci.space, subject "Re: HST images",
[e-mail] (Jay Travisano) writes:

JT> There have been a number of requests for Internet access to HST images.
JT> It should be noted that all data from HST is proprietary for up to one
JT> year, property of the scientists who propose the given observations.  In
JT> the current phase of Science Verification, most of these scientists have
JT> been involved in the development of HST and/or its instruments.  Unless
JT> these folks (probably with NASA's approval) have decided to make their
JT> data public prematurely, you are out of luck as far as getting actual
JT> HST images (as opposed to just press-release photos).
JT> --
JT> Jay Travisano
JT> Space Telescope Science Institute     Baltimore, Maryland
JT> [e-mail]
JT> UUCP:  ...!noao!stsci!jay        SPAN:  scivax::travisano

There is a significant fact that Jay omitted to say: an interesting
set of HST test images *have* been made publicly available, via
anonFTP, and they are still available (I verified this just a moment
ago).  The image data were acquired in August and September in order
to demonstrate the imaging capability of HST, and in order to have a
representative set of authentic data for image restoration research
workers to utilize. This fact was first mentioned in a message posted
to sci.astro on 19-October:

ACB> Newsgroups: sci.astro
ACB> Keywords: HST, Hubble,images
ACB> Organization: Phys. Sci.,Flinders University, S.A., Australia
ACB> From: [e-mail] (<A.C.Beresford>)
ACB> Subject: HST images
ACB> Date: 19 Oct 90 12:08:32 GMT
ACB>
ACB> Just seen that the proper images of some of the
ACB> released Hubble photos have been put up for
ACB> anonymous FTP at NSSDCA ( nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov)
ACB> be warned they are about 5Megabytes each, in the
ACB> FITS format i imagine). Too much for me to even
ACB> get 1. Apart from bandwidth use, i dont have
ACB> enough disk space . They are in directory
ACB> HST . Most of the released pictures. Can also
ACB> be had on mag tape from NSSDCA

As ACB says, these data (they are dated 12-October) are in the "hst"
subdirectory of anonymous-FTP on nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov [128.183.10.4],
and are therefore freely available to the Internet.  The same data are
available to the DECnet internet as well, in the same directory on
SPAN node NSSDCA [6277]:

$ dir 6277::anon_dir:[000000.hst]
Directory 6277::ANON_DIR:[000000.HST]
HST_COVER_LETTER.TXT;1                  README.FIRST;1      W0BS0102T_CVT.C0H;1
W0BU0101T_CVT.C0H;1 W0BU0102T_CVT.C0H;1 W0BV0102T_CVT.C0H;1 W0BW0103T_CVT.C0H;1
W0CG0108T_CVT.C0H;1 W0CK0101T_CVT.C0H;1 X0BQ0102T_CVT.C0H;1 X0BQ0102T_CVT.C1H;1
X0BQ0102T_CVT.D0H;1 X0BQ0102T_CVT.SHH;1 X0C80106T_CVT.C0H;1 X0C80106T_CVT.C1H;1
X0C80106T_CVT.D0H;1 X0C80106T_CVT.SHH;1 X0C90101T_CVT.C0H;1 X0C90101T_CVT.C1H;1
X0C90101T_CVT.D0H;1 X0C90101T_CVT.SHH;1 X0CJ010BT_CVT.C0H;1 X0CJ010BT_CVT.C1H;1
X0CJ010BT_CVT.D0H;1 X0CJ010BT_CVT.SHH;1 X0CJ010CT_CVT.C0H;1 X0CJ010CT_CVT.C1H;1
X0CJ010CT_CVT.D0H;1 X0CJ010CT_CVT.SHH;1
Total of 29 files.

The files are in FITS format, with full, informative headers. The HST
image files which I discussed in my recent posting about image
compression and coding were taken from this set of 27 HST data files.

--

Donald C. Wells, Assoc. Scientist  |        [e-mail]
Nat. Radio Astronomy Observatory   |         6654::DWELLS
Edgemont Road                      | [phone]      38:02.2N
Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475 USA | [phone](Fax) 78:31.1W

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

Date: 30 Nov 90 07:36:59 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Payload Summary for 11/29/90 (Forwarded)


                                   Payload Status Report
                                   Kennedy Space Center
                                   November 29, 1990

          George Diller
          407/867-2468
          FTS 823-2468


          GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY (STS-37/Atlantis)

               The final spacecraft functional test begins today at KSC and
          will last approximately 10 days.

               The subsystem tests will be performed first which includes
          testing the attitude control system, propulsion system,
          electrical system, and thermal control system.  This will be
          followed by testing each of the four science instruments, the
          Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), the Imaging
          Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment
          Telescope (EGRET), and the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer
          Experiment (OSSE).

               On the EGRET, neon gas used by the experiment during
          previous tests is being purged, and the flight load of neon is
          scheduled to be loaded aboard next week.

               The high gain antenna was installed on Nov 14 and the
          functional testing has been completed.

               At this time, GRO is scheduled to be moved to the Vertical
          Processing Facility on Feb. 4.

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

Date: 30 Nov 90 17:39:31 GMT
From: hub.ucsb.edu!ucsbuxa![e-mail]  (Charles Frank Radley)
Subject: Re: Total Solar Eclipses

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Matthew DeLuca) writes:

>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Henry Spencer) writes:

>>Beware that accommodations and such are already *very* heavily booked.
>>Don't just go, in hopes that you can find a place to stay; there won't
>>be any vacancies.

>I don't know about South America, but July in Baja California is pretty
>nice; just pitch a tent!


>--
>Matthew DeLuca
>Georgia Institute of Technology      Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards,
>Office of Information Technology     for they are subtle, and quick to anger.
>Internet: [e-mail]
Hewnry is right.
A major concern I have is possible shortages of food and fuel under
the unprecented onslaught of visitors to Baja.
The Baja ministry of toursim estimates  150,000
I think that is about double the local population.
They are after all a third world country.....

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

Date: 30 Nov 90 02:37:51 GMT
From: world!ksr![e-mail]  (Chris Jones)
Subject: Re: A philosophical question

In article <[e-mail]>, burger@oldcolo (Keith Hamburger) writes:
>
>The Earth is the cradle of mankind, but man cannot live in the cradle
>forever.              Robert Heinlein
>
Aarrgghh.  This was first said by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, considered by many to
be the father of space flight.

File pub/SPACE/7.4.4 on ames.arc.nasa.gov says, in part:

  In Russia, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky left a legacy of significant writing in the
field of rocketry.  Although Tsiolkovsky did not construct any working rockets,
his numerous essays and books helped point the way to practical and successful
space travel.  Tsiolkovsky spent most of his life as an unknown mathematics
teacher in the Russian provinces, where he made some pioneering studies in
liquid chemical rocket concepts and recommended liquid oxygen and liquid
hydrogen as the optimum propellants.  In the 1920s, Tsiolkovsky analyzed and
mathematically formulated the technique of staging vehicles to reach escape
velocities from Earth.

--
Chris Jones    [e-mail]    {world,uunet,harvard}!ksr!clj

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

Date: 1 Dec 90 00:36:15 GMT
From: usc!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu![e-mail]  (Steve "il-Manhous" Norton)
Subject: Enough for a big party...

Correct me if I've got this wrong, but
  Assuming STS-35 launches this Sunday, with 7 crew
  Assuming MIR stays in orbit, with 2 crew
  Assuming Soyuz TM-11 gets launched to MIR, with 3 crew
    (Two new cosmonauts, 1 Japaneese Tourist)

-> 12 people in orbit at one time

This _has_ to be some kind of record!

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

Date: 30 Nov 90 16:50:01 GMT
From: wuarchive!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Pioneer 11 Update - 11/30/90


                       PIONEER 11 STATUS REPORT
                          November 30, 1990

     Stored repetitive 5-minute command sequences to switch receivers on the
Pioneer 11 spacecraft were confirmed.  The commands were transmitted on
November 22 and 23.  However the receiver switch did not occur.  The
sequences will be repeated as often as possible.

     On November 26, the high gain main feed was offset for 1 hour, and AGC
(Automatic Gain Control) data was collected.  The data are being analyzed to
look for some periodicity, indicating the spacecraft spin rate.  It is hoped
that these data, in conjunction with the Sun pulse, will generate a spacecraft
attitude.  CONSCAN measurements have been unable to be performed with the
medium gain antenna.

     A scheduled 70 meter Goldstone track on November 27 was cancelled due to
a cracked subreflector brace.

     A precession maneuver is scheduled for November 30.  Nine quadrature
pulses will be fired.  This maneuver is being executed without accurate
knowledge of the previous attitude because of the inability to perform CONSCAN
measurements with the medium gain antenna.
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   Jet Propulsion Lab | [e-mail]
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  M/S 301-355        |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/   Pasadena, CA 91109 |

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

Date: 30 Nov 90 04:44:03 GMT
From: news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo![e-mail]  (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Astro-2

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Stephen Strazdus) writes:
>Is there an Astro-2 flight in the works for the Space Shuttle? ...

Both Astro 2 and Astro 3 were in the plans at one point, but I believe they've
been postponed indefinitely.
--
"The average pointer, statistically,    |Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
points somewhere in X." -Hugh Redelmeier| [e-mail]   utzoo!henry

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

Date: 30 Nov 90 07:44:57 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Review of U.S./Japan space cooperation (Forwarded)

Debra J. Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                  November 29, 1990
(Phone:  [phone])


RELEASE:  90-156

REVIEW OF U.S./JAPAN SPACE COOPERATION

     NASA and the Space Activities Commission of Japan (SAC) held
a series of meetings in Arlington, Va., during the week of Nov.
26, culminating in the fourth meeting of the NASA/SAC Cooperative
Space Activities Planning Group on Nov. 29.

     The Cooperative Space Activities Planning Group meets
annually to review ongoing space cooperation between the U.S. and
Japan.  Discussions focused on a number of collaborative projects
in the fields of astrophysics, solar system science, microgravity
science, life science and Earth observation.  The meeting was co-
chaired by Dr. Lennard Fisk, NASA Associate Administrator for
Space Science and Applications, and Mr. Katsuhisa Ida, Director-
General, Research and Development Bureau, Science and Technology
Agency (STA) of Japan.

     During the week, Ida met with senior NASA officials,
including Richard H. Truly, NASA Administrator.  During these
meetings, the following cooperative proposals were discussed:

    o  NASA Associate Administrator for Space Flight Dr. William
B. Lenoir affirmed to Ida that two Japanese candidates are
invited to join the next NASA Mission Specialist training class,
beginning in July 1992.  The Japanese Mission Specialist
candidates will participate in training on the same basis as U.S.
Mission Specialist candidates at NASA's Johnson Space Center,
Houston.  It is NASA's intent to offer a Space Shuttle flight
assignment to one or both of the Japanese Mission Specialist
candidates in the years following the successful completion of
the training program.

    o  NASA and STA are actively reviewing options for flying
Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) hardware on a Space Shuttle
mission in the mid-1990s.  The JEM is Japan's contribution to the
Space Station Freedom program.  The purpose of such a Shuttle
flight would be to demonstrate in space a key element of the JEM.

    o  NASA also offered Japan an opportunity to send Japanese
engineers to work and train in the Mission Operations Directorate
at the Johnson Space Center during mission preparation and
operations activities for the Spacelab-J mission.  This will
enable Japan to obtain additional flight operations experience
prior to the Space Station era.

     The next meeting of the Cooperative Space Activities
Planning Group will be next fall in Japan.

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

End of SPACE Digest V12 #614
*******************