Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V12_6/V12_683.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V12 #683

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 12 : Issue 683

Today's Topics:
             Re: A human being in vacuum
            Re: Galileo Update - 12/12/90
           Re: atmospheric pressure on Mars
           Re: space news from Nov 12 AW&ST
           Re: space news from Nov 5 AW&ST
        JPL Report on Galileo Earth Flyby (Forwarded)
            Image processing (hello JPL!)
             Interstellar travel
             Galileo Update #3 - 12/07/90
              Re: SPACE Digest V12 #649
         NASA Headline News for 12/13/90 (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: 12 Dec 90 23:38:47 GMT
From: sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!physics.utoronto.ca![e-mail]  (Christopher Neufeld)
Subject: Re: A human being in vacuum

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (james d. Del Vecchio) writes:
>Followups To: sci.space
>
>Someone posted that vacuum was an isulator.
>
>    [e-mail] (Douglas S. Rand) writes:
>
>>Radiational cooling is pretty effective,  especially when
>>the surrounding black body temperature is 3 or 4 degrees K.  If the
>>person in the vacuum is in shadow they could probably freeze in just
>>a few minutes.  If they're in direct sunlight then they might boil on
>>one side and freeze on the other (lots of fun).
>        --------
>I don't have a clear idea of how that would work.  If the heat in your
>body isn't going _into_ something (like air), then where is it going?
>
   A black body radiates power at a rate of eps * sigma * T^4 where
epsilon is the emissivity, sigma is a constant, 5.67E-8 W/(K^4 m^2),
and T is the temperature in degrees kelvin. For a body temperature of
37 degrees celcius, and an emissivity of 1, a body would radiate about
500 watts per square metre of surface. A human body at rest at room
temperature generates about 100 watts of heat. The energy isn't being
lost by conduction, but by infrared energy radiation.
   A person in vacuum isn't going to worry about that radiation loss at
first. Water evaporation heat losses would be high.
   I'd be curious to know what is the rate of heat loss which a human
body experiences in 15 degree water or zero degree air, both of which
are surviveable with no special equipment, if not particularly
comfortable.


--
 Christopher Neufeld....Just a graduate student  |
 [e-mail]    Ad astra! |  S = k log W
 cneufeld@{pnet91,pro-micol}.cts.com             |    Boltzmann's epitaph
 "Don't edit reality for the sake of simplicity" |

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

Date: 13 Dec 90 02:11:55 GMT
From: usc!cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!riverdale.toronto.edu![e-mail]  (Mark Gabriele )
Subject: Re: Galileo Update - 12/12/90

[e-mail] (Ron Baalke) writes:


>                       GALILEO STATUS REPORT
>                         December 12, 1990
>
>     The Galileo spacecraft completed sending back the images for the Earth
>spin movie were earlier today.  All but 22 (10 contiguous in one segment,
>12 contiguous in another) of the 1500 images were successfully retrieved.
>This loss was expected due to DSS (Deep Space Station) view period
>constraints...

This implies that the data are permanently lost.  Can't the mission
controllers just rewind the tape (or whatever Galileo uses) and play
back the data that DSN didn't get?

=Mark ([e-mail])

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

Date: 13 Dec 90 04:41:44 GMT
From: att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utzoo![e-mail]  (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: atmospheric pressure on Mars

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Prof Arrrrrgh!) writes:
>I'm not sure about the actual values for the atmospheric pressure
>(the consensus seems to be about 7mbar), but even if it did take
>minutes for your body to BANG, you would get the bends real quick
>(and that's not the car, mind you).  And before the bends
>killed you, you'd probably die of nitrogen poisoning your brain.
>Also, your blood vessels would balloon, your eyeballs would explode
>(the fluid in there is under pressure in a sense), the airsacks in your
>lungs would explode.  Basically, if you're out there for more than a few
>seconds, you're toast even before you explode (bring your butter).

The Summary line on your message said "Study biology".  Studying space
medicine would be more appropriate, and would give better results.  The
experiment has been tried on animals.  None of these dire things happen,
except possibly for mild cases of the bends, on the time scale mentioned.
It takes minutes, not seconds, before you're in serious trouble.  This
is experimental fact, not theoretical pontification.
--
"The average pointer, statistically,    |Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
points somewhere in X." -Hugh Redelmeier| [e-mail]   utzoo!henry

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

Date: 12 Dec 90 20:38:55 GMT
From: panews.awdpa.ibm.com!slo.awdpa.ibm.com![e-mail]
Subject: Re: space news from Nov 12 AW&ST

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Henry Spencer) writes:
>Aerospatiale study confirms that Hermes would be feasible as a space-station
>lifeboat.  ESA is building two for its own use, and the station would need
>two more for lifeboat use at a total cost of about $800M.  They would go up
>on Ariane 5s and would share Hermes infrastructure for operations.  The
>payload area would be fitted with six rear-facing seats in addition to
>the two for the pilots.  The major design change needed would be better
>protection against micrometeorites and space debris for the long stay
>in orbit.

Would it be possible to work something like LLNL's kevlar coccoon around
the "spaceboat" while it's up that would rip off, or could be blown away,
when the spaceboat is used?  This would eliminate need to redesign Hermes
and would still provide the protection needed with little additional weight.

In fact, Hermes could bring the "space-shroud" up with it.

>"The average pointer, statistically,    |Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
>points somewhere in X." -Hugh Redelmeier| [e-mail]   utzoo!henry

jim/jsalter  IBM AWD, Palo Alto  T465/[phone]   VNET: JSALTER at AUSVMQ
Internet: [e-mail]         UUCP: ..!uunet!ibmsupt!jsalter
  PS/2 it, or DIE!  :-)  The ramblings above have nothing to do with Big Blue.

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

Date: 13 Dec 90 04:26:31 GMT
From: zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!sequent!crg5![e-mail]  (Nick Szabo)
Subject: Re: space news from Nov 5 AW&ST

In article <FGF^?1|@rpi.edu> [e-mail] (Michael V. Kent) writes:
>
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Nick Szabo) writes:
>>large public and private markets.  Unlike the larger aerospace companies,
>>they are not afraid to trade short-term profits on government contracts
>>for longer-term market potential.
>
>Do you have a particular gripe in mind, or is this just another pot shot at
>the large aerospace firms?
>

OSC and Hercules are the only U.S. aerospace companies since the
Shuttle to development a totally new, successful orbital launcher.
They did it for 1/50th (2%) of what it cost to develop the first Shuttle.
Unlike the major Shuttle contractors, they have carried a loss on the
project (in other words risked their own money) eying future commercial
markets.  These are encouraging facts not gripes.   Sorry I sounded like
such a sourpuss over such a happy event.  :-)


--
Nick Szabo            [e-mail]
"For historical reasons, this feature is unintelligible"
The above opinions are my own and not related to those of any
organization I may be affiliated with.

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

Date: 13 Dec 90 16:15:49 GMT
From: snorkelwacker.mit.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: JPL Report on Galileo Earth Flyby (Forwarded)


              JPL REPORT ON GALILEO FLYBY OF EARTH

     Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,
Calif., will participate in a Blue Room Report on the Galileo
spacecraft flyby of planet Earth which took place at 3:35 p.m.
EST on Dec. 8.

     The report will originate from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
at 1 p.m. EST and will be carried live on NASA Select TV, Satcom
F2R, 72 degrees West Longitude, Transponder 13, frequency 3960.0
MHz, audio 6.8 MHz.

     Media representatives are invited to monitor the report in
the NASA Headquarters 6th floor auditorium, 400 Maryland Ave.,
S.W., Washington, D.C. or from participating NASA field centers.

     The Earth flyby was successfully undertaken to provide
gravitational assist to the Galileo spacecraft increasing its
flight velocity on its journey to Jupiter.

[Note: There was no date associated with when the report will be aired
       on NASA Select, but I believe it was meant for today, December 13.
                                             Ron Baalke                 ]
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   Jet Propulsion Lab | [e-mail]
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  M/S 301-355        |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/   Pasadena, CA 91109 |

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

Date: 12 Dec 90 13:19:12 GMT
From: mcsun!ukc!icdoc!cc.ic.ac.uk![e-mail]  (M.S.Bennett Supvs= Prof Pendry)
Subject: Image processing (hello JPL!)

I have a sequence of video images from which I wish to extract a uniform identification
number. I was woundering if there where any standard packages I might use??

Thank you in advance.

M. Sean Bennett

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

Date: Thu, 13 Dec 90 09:04:09 PST
From: [e-mail] (Tony Hamilton, WF1-81, x48142)
To: "[e-mail]"@HERMES.intel.com, [e-mail]
Subject: Interstellar travel

Could anyone tell me what the latest designs are for interstellar starships?
I had done some real 'light' reading on the subject, and could glean that the
two most feasible designs were the Air Force's Orion starship (was that given
up?), and the Bussard(sp?) Ramjet. Most of what I've heard of these two
designs varies much, and I would like to know MUCH more about them if possible.

Tony Hamilton
[e-mail]

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

Date: 13 Dec 90 06:38:01 GMT
From: mintaka!think.com!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Galileo Update #3 - 12/07/90


                        GALILEO STATUS REPORT
                          December 7, 1990

     As of 9AM (PST), December 7, the Galileo spacecraft is 560,309 miles
from Earth as it make its approach for an Earth gravity assist.  At 8AM,
the VE-11 (Venus-Earth 11) store sequence went active.  The EPD (Energetic
Particles Dectector) instrument started collecting data from the Earth's
magnetotail, magnetosphere, magnetopause, and shock boundaries, and from the
solar wind in the close vicinity of the Earth.

     The PWS (Plasma Wave) instrument investigated the magnetotail using
the 1 and 10 kHz wideband modes to observe plasma waves and radio emissions.
This included low frequency auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) wave activity
associated with trapped and escaping continuum radiation, Langmuir waves,
and whistler mode waves.  Also investigated by the PWS was the upper hybrid
resonance bands and the electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic bands.

     At 12PM (PST), the MAG (Magnetometer) started taking high rate data
(30 vectors/sec) using the snapshot mode.  This data will be used for
MAG calibrations and to search for high frequency features in the solar
wind.  In addition, this sampling frequency can be correlated to the low
frequency end of the PWS search coil.  While in the Earth's magnetosphere,
the MAG can be absolutely calibrated with respect to the Earth's known
magnetic field.

     At 7:19 PM, the PPR (Photopolarimeter Radiometer) instrument started
observations to map the lunar disk while the instrument is configured to
make polarization measurements.  Phase measurement were made at
approximately every 30 degrees, starting at 150 degrees and stopping at 20
degrees.

     The NIMS (Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) took dark level
calibrations used for Earth 1 lunar observations prior to closest approach.
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   Jet Propulsion Lab | [e-mail]
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  M/S 301-355        |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/   Pasadena, CA 91109 |

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

Date: Thu, 13 Dec 90 13:22 EST
From: "JOHN E. PERRY" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: SPACE Digest V12 #649
X-Envelope-To: [e-mail]

Nick Szabo writes:

>What is left?  What vapor customers can be conjured up now?  The long
>search for the mythological Space Station Application is over.

>Fred is dead.  Let the Space Age begin.

I don't know about organizations, but I see a space station (not Fred, of
course) as a requirement for real space exploration--along with real space-
going vehicles and propulsion systems, like a nuclear rocket. I noticed a few
years ago a paper that analyzed a number of propulsion systems, and concluded
that NERVA as it was when it was abandoned to provide money for the Apollo
Boondoggle was a more efficient extra-atmospheric transfer vehicle than any
current concept.

I think we had the best possible space exploration plan in the fifties before
it was trashed to pay for Kennedy's Folly.
        --John Perry    [e-mail]

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

Date: 13 Dec 90 18:11:38 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: NASA Headline News for 12/13/90 (Forwarded)


             Headline News
Internal Communications Branch (P-2) NASA
Headquarters

  Thursday, December 13, 1990    Audio Service: 202 / 755-1788

This is NASA Headline News for Thursday, December 13, 1990

At the Dryden Flight Research Facility, the shuttle turnaround crew is
making good progress in preparing Columbia for its return flight aboard
the 747 carrier aircraft to Kennedy Space Center.  Columbia's beryllium
brakes have been removed and are in good condition.  The removal of the
Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope film will not be performed until this
evening, at the earliest.

Pending good weather, Columbia is scheduled for departure from Edwards
early Sunday morning.  The 747 will make several refueling stops and
one overnight stop in San Antonio on the way back.  Anticipated arrival
time at KSC is Monday night.  Columbia will spend the next month in the
Vehicle Assembly Building awaiting Discovery's rollout from the Orbiter
Processing Facility.

Meanwhile, in OPF Bay 1, Discovery continues to advance towards its
rollout at the end of January.  Workers installed the fourth oxygen
tank for the power reactant storage and distribution system yesterday,
and continue with main propulsion system checks.  A nose-wheel steering
system test is scheduled for today, and a brake anti-skid test is
scheduled for tomorrow.  Discovery's hydraulic system will be provided
with ground system hydraulic power for these tests.  Over the weekend,
Discovery's main engine hydraulic actuators and valves will also be
tested

Technicians continue to disassemble Atlantis as part of the postflight
sub-assembly testing and maintenance.  Atlantis' forward reaction
control system was removed yesterday for transfer to the Hypergolic
Maintenance Facility.  The left orbital maneuvering system pod was
removed last weekend, and is in the HMF now for its post-mission
testing.  Work on the vehicle today includes removal of the main
engines.

And, in Houston today, the STS-35 crew will hold their postflight press
briefing.  Commander Vance Brand, and his fellow Astro-1 colleagues,
will narrate slides and film from the mission and answer questions from
the media.  The briefing will be at 2:00 pm EST and will be carried
live on NASA Select TV.

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

Jet Propulsion Laboratory Magellan flight controllers report that the
spacecraft is in good health and performing normally.  The radar sensor
performance has been characterized as excellent, however recent data
indicates that tracks 1 and 3 on the A-side data recorder are
deteriorating.  A technical discussion of the A-side data recorder
problem is scheduled for today.  A new mapping sequence was uplinked to
Magellan two days ago.  Beginning tomorrow, through the end of January,
Magellan will not be able to complete the full data transmission on
each of its orbital passes because Venus will occult the Earth during a
portion of the pass.  The new mapping sequence was written for this
occultation period.

Center Point
FOCUS ON: Ames Research Center

    Ames Research Center educational staff and center officials
made quite an impact last month in the Pacific region.  Activities
included hosting students on site and participating in teleconferences
and teacher workshops throughout the region.

    The center hosted a visit from 70 fourth grade students from
Ames' "Adopt-A-School " the Ronald E. McNair Intermediate School in
East Palo Alto, Calif.  Center officials also attended a board meeting
with the principal and staff of the McNair Intermediate School to plan
the year's activities.  And, seven Ames employees participated in the
National Reading Day program at McNair  The center also conducted two
teleconferences with the Lynn Elementary School in Lynn, Utah.

    Ames staff was also on the road and provided workshops for
teachers in Fresno, Los Angeles, Seattle, Long Beach, Palo Alto and Los
Altos.  They also sent representatives to the Puget Sound Science
Teachers meeting.



Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA
Select TV.  All times are Eastern.  **indicates a live program.

Thursday, 12/13/90
    11:30 am    NASA Update will be transmitted.

    12:00 pm    And Then There Was Voyager program.

    1:00 pm    **Galileo at Earth report from Jet Propulsion
        Laboratory.

    1:30 pm    Special Program:  The 75th Anniversary of
        NACA/NASA, a repeat of the program which covers the 75th
        anniversary celebration held recently at the National Air and
        Space Museum.

    2:00 pm    STS-35 post mission crew briefing
        from Johnson Space Center.

All events and times may change without notice.  This report is filed
daily, Monday through Friday, at 12:00 pm, EST.  It is a service of
Internal Communications Branch at NASA Headquarters.  Contact:
CREDMOND on NASAmail or at 202/453-8425.


NASA Select TV:  Satcom F2R, Transponder 13, C-Band, 72
degrees West Longitude, Audio 6.8, Frequency 3960 MHz.

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

End of SPACE Digest V12 #683
*******************