Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V12_6/V12_624.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V12 #624

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 12 : Issue 624

Today's Topics:
            Another Russian first
        Re: Translunar/interplanetary shuttle?
        Re: Translunar/interplanetary shuttle?
               Fueling Columbia
              Re:  Photon engine
              Re: Another Russian first
      Astro-1 Status for 12/04/90 [1521 CST] (Forwarded)
      Astro-1 Status for 12/03/90 [2130 CST] (Forwarded)
      Astro-1 Status for 12/04/90 [0550 CST] (Forwarded)
      Astro-1 Status for 12/05/90 [0500 CST] (Forwarded)

Administrivia:

    Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to
  [e-mail].  Other mail, esp. [un]subscription notices,
  should be sent to [e-mail], or, if urgent, to
             [e-mail]

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

Date: 2 Dec 90 23:15:11 GMT
From: lime![e-mail]  (Frank G. Dahncke)
Subject: Another Russian first

Now the USSR even has had the first paying passenger in a spacecraft.
Actually, I would have expected this feat to be performed by the US.
Are there any other spaceflight "firsts" that the USA has achived exept
for the first man on the moon ?

                              Curious,

                                   Techno

--
| [e-mail] ||| Please do not e-mail from outside Germany ! |
| [e-mail]   / | \ Hardcore ST user !  ====================== |
| Nothing that's real is ever for free, you just have to pay for it sometime. |
|                                        (Al Stewart)                         |

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

Date: 3 Dec 90 12:17:09 GMT
From: pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!sunic!news.funet.fi!ra!abo.fi![e-mail]
Subject: Re: Translunar/interplanetary shuttle?

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Dan Meyer) writes:
> AEGQC@CUNYVM (Audra G.) writes:
>>The latest issue of _Analog_ has an article describing how the shuttle
>>could be adapted as a moon ship.  Apparently if the ship either carried
>>two extra boosters or was refueled in orbit, it would be able to reach
>>and return from lunar orbit, using a LEM-like craft carried in the cargo
>>bay to get people to the surface of the Moon and back.  If this is indeed
>>doable (and the article had a lot of mathematics), I would like to ask if,
>>if still more tanks were added in orbit, the shuttle could be used to reach
>>further celestial bodies as well.  Any thoughts? --Shangti
>
> What about 1/2 the cargo bay for fuel, and half the cargo bay for an LEM ?
> or maybe pick the LEM up in earth orbit, and drag it along behind as sort of a
> "Space Trailer", using all of the cargo bay for fuel. maybe even send the LEM
> to a Lunar Orbit, then making an EVA to it from the shuttle.
>
> Just some dangerous random thoughts

As for the problem with the main engines (we've been told here that they are
not restartable), would it be possible to use the extra fuel for the OMS
engines instead...? (my guess is it won't be, anyway).
BTW, do you think the shuttle would survive the atmospheric re-entry: a
spacecraft returning from the moon is after all moving at higher velocities (11
km/s?) when it hits the upper atmosphere than the shuttle was designed for
(6-7 km/s). Or would it be possible to avoid the problem by first performing an
aerobraking maneuver, the re-enter and land? The soviet Zond 5-8 lunar probes
used this technique in the late sixties.

MARCU$

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

Date: 3 Dec 90 17:58:51 GMT
From: ubc-cs!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!watserv1!maytag!watdragon!watyew![e-mail]  (Brian or James)
Subject: Re: Translunar/interplanetary shuttle?


    It seems a bit inefficient to haul along those parts of the
shuttle that exist to deal with the problem of re-entry. I doubt
that NASA could (for absurd example) disconnect the wings, etc.
in order to only pay the fuel needed to move those parts of the shuttle
*useful* in a Earth-Moon transfer orbit. Anyone out there know how
much of the shuttle is components needed to deal with re-entry?

    I suspect a specialised orbiter would be better, although I doubt
funding could be gotten for same. Why bother using a launcher specialised
for the Earth surface to LEO environment if you don't have to?

                            James Nicoll

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

Date: Tue, 4 Dec 90 10:14 EST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Fueling Columbia
X-Envelope-To: [e-mail]

My girlfriend asked a good question the other day, while we were waiting to
watch the shuttle launch on TV:  Did they fill up Columbia's tanks before
the federal gas tax went up 5 cents/gallon at 1-Dec-1990 00:00?  Think how
much they would save!   :-)  :-)

I though about it, and I don't think so.  I don't think that they can keep the
thing fueled on the pad for that long (>24 hours).  Am I right?

(Please, I know this is silly -- the gas tax is not for non-highway fuel
(i.e., farm use, space, etc.).            :-)   :-)

     Bob Langford, [e-mail]

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

Resent-Date:  Mon, 03 Dec 90 13:29:57 CST
Resent-From: JD <[e-mail]>
Resent-Organization: University of Missouri- Rolla
Resent-Message-Id: <901203.132957.CST.S105646@UMRVMA>
Resent-To: [e-mail]
Date:         Fri, 30 Nov 90 02:14:42 EST
Reply-To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Subject:      Re:  Photon engine
Comments: To: [e-mail]
To: Jeremy Wade <[e-mail]>

>Someone mentioned something about a 'Jell-o' laser. (in reference to the fact
>  that almost anything can lase) I was wondering if anyone had info on this, as
>   I have not heard of this. It sounds quite amusing if it realy works (even at
>   very low power.


I have heard of jello lazing before.  We have talked about in a physics class.
It was a low power laser, but according to the report it lazed quite well in
fact.



JD Wade
University of Missouri-Rolla
(S105646@UMRVMA)
Computer Science, Student

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

Date: 3 Dec 90 19:14:09 GMT
From: rochester!sol![e-mail]  (Brian Yamauchi)
Subject: Re: Another Russian first

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Frank G. Dahncke) writes:

   Now the USSR even has had the first paying passenger in a spacecraft.
   Actually, I would have expected this feat to be performed by the US.
   Are there any other spaceflight "firsts" that the USA has achived exept
   for the first man on the moon ?

Well, what about:

First (successful) planetary probe -- Mariner 2 (Venus)
First (successful) Mars probe -- Mariner 4
First Mars orbiter -- Mariner 9
First Mars lander -- Viking 1
First Mercury probe -- Mariner 10
First Jupiter probe -- Pioneer 10
First Saturn probe -- Pioneer 11
First Uranus probe -- Voyager 2
First Neptune probe -- Voyager 2

For those keeping count, that's every planet in the solar system
except Pluto.

And Galileo will add:

First Jupiter orbiter
First Jupiter atmospheric probe
--
_______________________________________________________________________________

Brian Yamauchi                University of Rochester
[e-mail]        Computer Science Department
_______________________________________________________________________________

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

Date: 5 Dec 90 05:55:43 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Astro-1 Status for 12/04/90 [1521 CST] (Forwarded)


      Astro 1 Mission Report #17
      3:21 p.m. CST, December 4, 1990
      2/14:31 MET
      Spacelab Mission Operations Control
      Marshall Space Flight Center

      The Astro crew continued to find success with the payload's
      tnstrument Pointing System and multiple target acquisitions
      throughout the day as the flow of science continues.

      With the motion compensation system responding to command, the three
      ultraviolet telescopes successfully locked onto the star cluster M92
      and the supergiant star, Alpha Orionis or "Betelgeuse."
      The M92 is a globular cluster which contains 16 known variable
      stars. Scientists with the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope team were
      excited to receive ultraviolet data and spectra from this source.
      Science teams with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope and the
      Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment also received
      positive downlink from these trackings.

      The successful observations of these targets confirm evidence of the
      continuing improvement of the Instrument Pointing System aboard
      Columbia.

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

Date: 5 Dec 90 00:35:47 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Astro-1 Status for 12/03/90 [2130 CST] (Forwarded)


      Astro 1 Shift Summary #06
      9:30 p.m. CST, December 3, 1990
      1/20:40 MET
      Spacelab Mission Operations Control
      Marshall Space Flight Center


      During the past eight to nine hours, Astro-1 payload operations
      aboard Columbia began to settle into the type of routine which had
      been hoped for pre-mission.  Around noon (CST), one of the major
      milestones to date for the mission was passed when a successful
      observation was made on the mission's first target outside the
      Earth's atmosphere.  It occurred when the Hopkins Ultraviolet
      Telescope was able to acquire and observe a distant galaxy
      designated by astronomers as NGC (New General Catalogue) 4151.  The
      brightest Seyfert galaxy known, this object has a number of
      interesting features including emissions of blue and ultraviolet
      light -- characteristics which are unusual for this type of galaxy.
      The Astro-1 crew was able to acquire the target using a manual
      pointing mode of the Instrument Pointing System.  The procedure,
      called "contingency target acquisition," involves using data from a
      star tracker system developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and
      incorporated into Astro-1's Image Motion Compensation System.

      Following the successful galaxy observation, efforts continued to
      obtain full acquisition capabilities with the Instrument Pointing
      System's Optical Sensor Package.  The Optical Sensor Package star
      trackers, along with the Spacelab computer system's stellar
      software, provides the normal mode of automatically acquiring and
      locking onto desired celestial objects.  With engineering support
      from both Houston and Huntsville, successive refinements over a
      several-hour period were made to the Optical Sensor Package pointing
      geometry.

      The efforts culminated around 7:30 p.m. CST when Payload Specialist
      Sam Durrance reported accomplishing the first successful IDOP, or
      operational identification, of a desired target.  The target
      acquired with this pointing was a magnetic white dwarf designated as
      G70D8427, one which is of interest in the Astro-1 observational
      program because it has been studied quite thoroughly in visible and
      near ultraviolet light, but not in the far ultraviolet region.

      Another key milestone during the period was bringing all three
      ultraviolet telescopes into observe mode simultaneously at
      approximately 4:30 p.m. CST.  Successful acquisition of scientific
      data was reported by principal investigators for both the Hopkin
      and Wisconsin instruments, and a photographic exposure was made by
      the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope.

      During the period, ground controllers for the Broad Band X-ray
      Telescope continued working procedures to bring their instrument
      into precise alignment with its Two-Axis Pointing System, which is
      separate from the Instrument Pointing System used by the ultraviolet
      telescopes.  The BBXRT team reported progress and, as of late
      evening, was optimistic about reaching full operating status soon.
      The X-ray telescope did demonstrate successful acquisition of X-ray
      photons during the period, while aimed at the Crab Nebula.

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

Date: 5 Dec 90 00:40:08 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Astro-1 Status for 12/04/90 [0550 CST] (Forwarded)


      Astro 1 Mission Report #15
      05:50 a.m. CST, December 4, 1990
      2/05:00 MET
      Spacelab Mission Operations Control
      Marshall Space Flight Center


      "Intensive efforts continue in trying to get good optical holds with
      the Instrument Pointing System in order to obtain the desired
      science targets that we have selected," said Astro-1 Assistant
      Mission Manager Stu Clifton, from Huntsville's Spacelab Mission
      Operations Control.  "Following the sub-system computer crash
      earlier this evening, one of the star trackers on the optical sensor
      package failed to return to operating condition.  This has made it
      much more difficult to acquire the targets we've scheduled.

      "Efforts are under way to recycle the star tracker to bring it back
      to full operating condition," said Clifton.  "It is in these
      situations that one can see the value of the many simulations that
      we've held on Astro.  We have simulated many failures, and having
      done so, the procedures for resolving these failures have been
      developed.  And this has certainly facilitated our ability to
      resolve the problems that we get on a real mission."

      Mission Scientist Gene Urban made these comments regarding the
      status of the mission:  "Before the sub-system computer crash, we
      got some beautiful data.  We got some extremely good spectra.  The
      Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope has been operating well, and we're
      waiting to get the X-ray telescope realigned."  UIT's first science
      data was received at approximately 11:13 CST.  And the Broad Band
      X-ray Telescope is still performing tests during night passes to
      coalign the telescope with its Two Axis Pointing System.

      Attempts to automatically acquire scheduled science targets
      including Supernova 1987A were not successful.  Though the targets
      are often apparently in the field of view, the crew was unsuccessful
      in locking onto guide stars.  Therefore, Mission Specialist Bob
      Parker, using a joy stick, called a paddle, and Payload Specialist
      Ron Parise, typing on a keyboard, attempted to locate targets
      manually to acquire science data.  "Give me a paddle and a telescope
      and I can move the universe!" said Parker.

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

Date: 5 Dec 90 18:18:09 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Astro-1 Status for 12/05/90 [0500 CST] (Forwarded)


      Astro 1 Mission Report #19
      05:00 a.m. CST, December 5, 1990
      3/04:10 MET
      Spacelab Mission Operations Control
      Marshall Space Flight Center


      "Science? -- we expect it to be very exciting!"  That's the word
      from Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope Replanner Bill Blair regarding a
      target acquired around 9 p.m. last night, referred to as G191B2B.

      This hot white dwarf star was used as a calibration target during
      the first part of their observation, then the HUT team switched over
      to a mode that cut out the longer wavelength light, so they could
      acquire science in just the extreme ultraviolet light.

      "It is the first spectra we have obtained in the extreme
      ultraviolet.  The payload specialist said it was well detected, and
      we have good signal in the extreme ultraviolet.  It is very
      exciting.  Target 2509 was one of our highest objectives for the
      mission."

      Regarding the status of HUT's portion of the mission, Blair said:
      "We are still regrouping from the slow start, and we certainly are
      concerned about the shorter observations we have scheduled right
      now, because acquisition is taking so long.  We have a lot of
      replanning of high priority targets that have been missed, but we
      are very hopeful.  The mood is swinging up rapidly."

      Antonio Magalhaes, project scientist for the Wisconsin Ultraviolet
      Telescope, was proud to share one of his team's accomplishments:
      "We have the first observation of a star (Alpha Camelopardalis)
      which is polarized by the dust in the interstellar medium, that is,
      dust clouds in the plane of the galaxy.  This is the first time such
      observations are being done in the ultraviolet with such resolution
      and sensitivity."  This target was acquired around 1:45 p.m.
      yesterday.

       Data from this target star will provide scientists with new
      knowledge about the nature of interstellar grains or dust -- the
      place where stars are born.

      "The Wisconsin ultraviolet telescope is doing fine, in fact, great,"
      said an enthusiastic Magalhaes.  "The next seven days promise to be
      very exciting."

      According to Broad Band X-ray Telescope Co-Investigator Francis
      Marshall:  "We have resolved the coalignment problem, and the Two
      Axis Pointing System successfully realigned at 12:38 p.m. CST.
      Since then we have observed clusters of glaxies: Abell 754, SNR Crab
      Nebula, Star AR Lac, nearby galaxy M81 and SNR CAS A.  Everything is
      working very well."

      Astromomer Wayne Landsman, UIT team member, was happy to report a
      great observation on one of their most important targets, the
      Perseus Cluster.  "We know from X-ray observations with the BBXRT
      that there is gas that flows into the center of all the Perseus
      Cluster of galaxies.  No one knows what happens to all this.  Does
      it go into making stars?  Does it collapse into dark matter?

      "The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope is searching for star formation
      in the Perseus Cluster.  We can test if star formation is occuring
      at very low levels, and these observations with Perseus Cluster are
      very good science."

      UIT Co-investigator Andrew Smith talked about several targets that
      the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope will be observing later in the
      mission, such as edge-on galaxies.  "We will be looking for
      phenomena occuring above and below the planes of these galaxies,
      which we are seeing edge-on.  We might expect to see emission from
      hot gas that is above or below the plane or even scattering from
      dust that's been lifted above the plane by radiation from hot stars
      in the disk of the galaxy.  We will also be looking for star
      formation in the arms of spiral galaxies, as ultraviolet light is a
      very good signature for this occurence."

      "There are certain descrepancies now in cosmology, where the ages of
      globular clusters are older than what people predict for the
      universe.  So by studying ultraviolet luminosities of the stars in
      these clusters, we can better determine if there is a real
      descrepancy with the models of the universe and with new data on
      these very old assemblies of stars," Landsman said.

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

End of SPACE Digest V12 #624
*******************