Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V13_0/V13_033.TXT

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Date: Wed,  9 Jan 1991 02:52:39 -0500 (EST)
Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #033

SPACE Digest                                      Volume 13 : Issue 33

Today's Topics:
        Re: Summary  ...  of Augustine Report
              Re: Interplanetary travel
         Re: I called the Mir 900 number ...
    Finarelli named head of external relations (Forwarded)
             Pioneer 10 Update - 01/04/91
                Pluto article

Administrivia:

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

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

Date:         Mon, 07 Jan 91 00:52:45 EST
From: Richard Ristow <[e-mail]>
Subject:      Re: Summary  ...  of Augustine Report

It was noted that
>     ... continuing changes in project budgets, sometimes
>exacerbated by actions needed to extricate projects from
>technical difficulties, result in management inefficiencies.
>These demolarize and frustrate the individuals pursuing those
>projects -- as well as those who must pay the bills.

 I'd heard it was like pulling teeth to change anything -- guess so.

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

Date: 7 Jan 91 03:12:51 GMT
From: usc!cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!cunews!cognos!geovision![e-mail]  (Gord Deinstadt)
Subject: Re: Interplanetary travel

[e-mail] (John Roberts) writes:
>[I said]
> Since the ideal reaction mass is 4 times the (payload+
>       ------------------------------------------------
>>structure) mass, there is no point in having a higher-density fuel.
> ---------------
[Mr. Roberts asks]
>I don't understand why that should be considered an ideal ratio. By the
>classic equations, this should allow a total change in velocity of about
>1.6 times the exhaust velocity, but why is that a particularly good number?

Alas, although I read about this a year or two ago, I have not seen
anything which actually gives the derivation.  It was
new at the time.  As I understand it this is the ratio that gives the
minimum energy requirement for a given delta-vee.  If you increase
exhaust velocity to decrease the reaction mass, the energy
required goes up (in the limiting case the exhaust is photons and we
know how bad that gets).  If you decrease the exhaust velocity, the
savings per unit of reaction mass is more than eaten up by the increase
in reaction mass you have to carry.  Apparently the minimum falls at
the point where the reaction mass is 4 times the mass of everything
else.

Perhaps someone who knows more about it would be kind enough to
post the math?  On the space-tech mailing list, perhaps.
--
Gord Deinstadt  [e-mail]

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

Date: 7 Jan 91 19:42:58 GMT
From: usc!samsung!noose.ecn.purdue.edu!mentor.cc.purdue.edu!mace.cc.purdue.edu![e-mail]  (Perry G Ramsey)
Subject: Re: I called the Mir 900 number ...

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] ("1st Lt. Henry S. Cobb") writes:
>
> After a pause, the same woman delivers about a two-minute spiel on
> the design and construction of the Mir space station, at the same
>
> I assume there's a law to the effect that 900 numbers must offer
> "information," not sweepstakes entries (or lascivious dialogue).  I
> remember some controversy when 900 numbers were first introduced
> there, but I don't specifically recall the law.
>
> Summary:  You apparently don't need to call their 900 number.
> Instead, you can write to the address above.  What does a lottery
> entry consist of?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Call the number if

The legalities on all of this are that it's a lottery if you
a have to pay anything to enter.  That can include anything,
even just the price of a can of Coke.  Have you ever wondered
why there's always an address on all of these games telling you
where to write for a free game piece?  Or why you can walk into
McD's and pick up one of their game pieces without buying anything?
Why they always say "No Purchase Necessary"?
That's to skirt the lottery laws.  Most state laws permit it if
there's an opportunity to enter for the price of postage.  I've seen game
pieces in Canada (they apparently have enven tougher regulations)
with a simple minded math problem on the back of the game piece,
so the contest involves at least some skill.  The people running
the game, of course, hope you will spend the three clams and call,
but you're legally entitled to enter the contest without spending
anything beyond the stamp.
--
Perry G. Ramsey           Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
[e-mail]   Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN USA
[e-mail]
 Why waste time learning when ignorance is instantaneous?  -- Hobbes

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

Date: 7 Jan 91 22:51:53 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Finarelli named head of external relations (Forwarded)

Donald L. Savage
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                    January 7, 1991
(Phone:  [phone])


RELEASE:  91-3

FINARELLI NAMED HEAD OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS


     NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly has named Margaret G.
Finarelli as Associate Administrator for External Relations.
Truly also announced the appointment of John D. Schumacher as
Deputy Associate Administrator for External Relations.

     Finarelli, who has served as Acting Associate Administrator
for External Relations since August, is responsible for the
agency's interagency, international and industry relations,
relations with state and local governments and educational
activities.

     Finarelli joined NASA in 1981 as Chief of the International
Planning and Programs Office.  From 1986 until December 1988, she
was Director of the Policy Division in the Office of Space
Station.  She was NASA's chief negotiator for the international
agreements which govern U.S. cooperation with Europe, Japan and
Canada in the Space Station Freedom program.  In December 1988
until August 1989, she served as Deputy Associate Administrator
for External Relations.

     Prior to joining NASA, Finarelli served in a number of
positions in other U.S. government agencies including Senior
Policy Analyst for International Science and Technology at the
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Technical
Advisor at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.

     She graduated Magna Cum Laude with Distinction in chemistry
from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and received a
master's degree in physical chemistry from Drexel University,
Philadelphia.  She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and has served
on the Board of Directors of the International Space University
and the Executive Council of the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics National Capitol Section.

     In 1985, Finarelli was awarded NASA's Exceptional Service
Medal.  In 1988 she was selected for the Presidential Meritorious
Rank Award, which recognizes outstanding service by members of
the U.S. Senior Executive Service.  And in 1989, she received the
Women in Aerospace Outstanding Achievement Award.

     Schumacher, who has served as Acting Deputy Associate
Administrator for External Relations since August, joined NASA in
June 1989 as Advisor to the Administrator.

     Schumacher came to NASA from the law firm of Rogers and
Wells in New York City where he was engaged in a general
corporate practice.  Prior to that, he served in the U.S. Navy,
including duty as Personal Aide and Administrative Assistant to
the Director, Navy Space, Command and Control; White House Social
Aide; Flagship Commnunications Officer and Officer of the Deck
for General Quarters aboard the USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7).

     Schumacher graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval
Academy, earning a B.S. in Oceanography/General Engineering in
1976.  He earned an M.A. in Government with a Certificate in
National Security Studies from Georgetown University in 1984.  He
earned a J.D. from the Columbia School of Law and a Certificate
with Honors in International Law from the university's Parker
School of International and Foreign Law in 1987.  He is a member
of the Bar in New York and New Jersey.

     Schumacher's awards include the Joint Service Commendation
Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals, the Navy Achievement Medal,
the Navy Expeditionary Medal, two Meritorious Unit Commendations,
and the Battle Efficiency "E".  He was selected as one of the
Outstanding Young Men of America in 1987, and named in Who's Who
Among Rising Young Americans in 1990.

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

Date: 7 Jan 91 23:45:08 GMT
From: swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Pioneer 10 Update - 01/04/91


                        PIONEER 10 STATUS REPORT
                            January 4, 1991

     On December 29, there was an uncommanded status change to the ARC/PA
instrument on the Pioneer 10 spacecraft.  The instrument was returned to
the proper configuration following notification of the investigator.

     On December 30, predicted RFI at the 70 meter station in Spain caused a
23 minute loss of telemetry, and 32 minutes of degraded telemetry.  On
January 1, subreflector problems at the Goldstone 70 meter station caused a 1
hour loss of telemetry data.  On January 2, predicted RFI caused another 1 hour
loss of telemetry.
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   Jet Propulsion Lab | [e-mail]
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  M/S 301-355        |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/   Pasadena, CA 91109 |

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

Date: 8 Jan 91 00:04:00 GMT
From: sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Pluto article

Washington Times -- 1/7/91
"Weird Wonders Await Us if Pluto Lovers
Convince NASA to Visit Planet 9 From Outer Space"
By A. R. Hogan

"To the best of our knowledge, no people live on Pluto.  But at
least a few "Pluto people" live right here on Earth.  And they
want to see us get closer to the far planet."

The Times reports that one of these "Pluto people" is New
Mexico State University astronomer Clyde Tombaugh who
discovered the long-sought missing planet 60 years ago while
working at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff.

The Times reports that in the late 1960s and early 1970s NASA
had mapped out plans to take advantage of a once-in-179-year
alignment which would let scientists use planetary flybys to
send a Mariner spacecraft out as far as Pluto.  However, the
Times reports that in the post-Apollo budget slashing which
took place, the only mission to the outer planets was the
two-spacecraft Voyager mission to Jupiter and Saturn.

The story says that undaunted astronomers continued to
explore the 9th planet from ground-based telescopes and in
1976 astronomers from Kitt Peak detected a methane-ice
surface on Pluto and later in 1978 Naval Observatory
astronomers discovered Pluto to be, in actuality, Pluto and its
near-twin-sized moon -- Charon.

The paper says that, for the past five years, the dance of the
planet and its moon have presented astronomers with a series
of eclipses which have revealed more about both objects'
composition and size.

The story says that very recently astronomers at the Space
Telescope Science Institute have applied image analysis to the
photographs of the pair and deduced that Pluto is 1,450 miles in
diameter, has a surface temperature averaging minus 390 and
has white polar caps which are three to four times as bright as
its slightly reddish equatorial region.

The story says that following the 1993 Hubble repair mission,
that the space telescope should provide images which will
enable a better analysis of Charon, as well.

The story continues with information provided by Tombaugh
as to why a visit to Pluto would be even more beneficial and
cites work performed by Goddard Space Flight Center
trajectory designer Robert Farquhar which indicates a mission
to Pluto could be performed with a Delta-class vehicle and a lot
of gravitational assist from the other planets.

The story concludes by noting that the world's 40 to 50 serious
Pluto people are planning for a 1992 Pluto conference to be held
in Flagstaff and that there is a growing groundswell for a
Pluto mission.
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   Jet Propulsion Lab | [e-mail]
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  M/S 301-355        |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/   Pasadena, CA 91109 |

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

End of SPACE Digest V13 #033
*******************