Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V13_0/V13_038.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #038

SPACE Digest                                      Volume 13 : Issue 38

Today's Topics:
           Condensed Canopus November 1990
        Re: space news from Dec 10 AW&ST (TIRE DAMAGE)
               Re: solar cells
           Re: Does Salyut 7 carry a radio beacon?
         Re: I called the Mir 900 number ...

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Date: Wed, 9 Jan 91 12:54 N
From: "Rob A. Vingerhoeds / Ghent State University" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Condensed Canopus November 1990

Here is the condensed CANOPUS for November 1990. There are four articles
condensed or in full and twenty articles by title only. Some articles are
taken from What's New (Robert L. Park <[e-mail]>, The American
Physical Society). CANOPUS is copyright American Institute of Aeronautics
and Astronautics, but distribution is encouraged. See full copyright
information at end.

-----------CONTENTS --  4 ARTICLES CONDENSED OR IN FULL-----------------

GALILEO: ONE YEAR FROM EARTH, ONE MONTH TO EARTH
can901102.txt - 11/7/90
Nov. 1, 1990

The Galileo spacecraft continues to operate in excellent health as it
heads towards its Dec. 8 flyby of Earth after more than a year in
orbit. On Nov. 1 it was 19.4 million miles from Earth, and more than
107 million miles from the Sun. Its speed in orbit around the Sun is
56,580 mph, and the round-trip communication time to Earth is just
under 3-1/2 minutes.

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

NASA SELECTS INVESTIGATIONS FOR CASSINI SATURN ORBITER MISSION
can901105.txt - 11/16/90
Nov. 13, 1990

NASA has selected the principal investigators and science teams for the
Saturn Orbiter portion of the Cassini mission, scheduled for launch in
1996. Cassini is a joint project of NASA and ESA. The investigators come
from 11 U.S. universities, 3 NASA centers and 3 other U.S. laboratories as
well as 13 foreign countries.

The Saturn Orbiter will include 62 investigations encompassing analysis of
the structure and composition of Saturn's atmosphere, the physical
properties of ring particles, a survey of moonlets within the rings and a
close look at several moons. The Cassini Saturn Orbiter also will deploy
the Huygens Probe, supplied by the European Space Agency (ESA), which will
descend through the atmosphere to the surface of Saturn's moon Titan.

Cassini will stay within the Saturnian system for 4 years and pass within a
few hundred kilometers of several of Saturn's moons. Cassini's onboard
cameras will take detailed pictures of the intensely cratered surfaces of
the icy moons, map their topography with high-resolution radar and
determine the surface composition with spectroscopic instruments. Onboard
radar also will map a large portion of Titan's cloud-shrouded surface.
Instruments on both the Orbiter and the Probe will investigate the chemical
processes that produce the large moon's unique atmosphere. These processes
may resemble the prebiological chemical evolution which took place on the
primitive Earth.

The Huygens Probe will examine the atmosphere and clouds and takes pictures
of the surface during its 3-hour descent. If it survives the landing, the
Huygens Probe will continue to make measurements and relay data to the
Saturn Orbiter until it loses radio contact. One intriguing question that
scientists hope Cassini will answer is whether there are oceans of liquid
hydrocarbons on the moon's surface resulting from photochemical processes
in Titan's upper atmosphere.

Cassini's trajectory to Saturn takes it through the asteroid belt and close
to Jupiter for a gravity-assist flyby. This trajectory will allow
investigators to study an asteroid and make observations of the Jovian
system in addition to its planned study of the Saturnian system,
complementing the missions of two other spacecraft, the Comet Rendezvous
Asteroid Flyby (CRAF) and the Galileo mission to Jupiter.

The CRAF and Cassini missions have been programmatically combined into a
single effort by NASA to enhance their ability to pursue common scientific
objectives and reduce the overall development cost. Both spacecraft are
based on the Mariner Mark II design with much of the flight hardware
identical except for minor modifications for unique science investigations.

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

NASA OFFERS TO TRAIN JAPANESE SPACE CREWS
can901107.txt - 11/30/90
Nov. 29, 1990

NASA has offered to train Japanese astronauts and mission control engineers
in preparation for Spacelab missions and the space station program. The
offers were made during meetings held Nov. 26-29 between the agency and the
Space Activities Commission of Japan (SAC) in Arlington, Va. These
culminated in the fourth meeting of the NASA/SAC Cooperative Space
Activities Planning Group on Nov. 29. 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 Two Japanese candidates are invited to join the next NASA Mission
Specialist training class, beginning in July 1992. They 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 (Science and Technology Agency of Japan) 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.

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

HUBBLE REPAIR JOB IS EXPECTED TO REQUIRE EXTENSIVE SPACEWALKS
Whatsnew - can901110.txt - 11/30/90

NASA must decide between two dozen plans for correcting the flaw in
Hubble's optics, any one of which would involve lengthy EVAs
(Extravehicular Activities). In addition, the astronauts must try to fix
the jitter triggered by the transition from shadow to light. It was thought
the jitter could be corrected by software changes, but Hubble's memory is
just to small to accommodate it.

-----------------20 ARTICLES BY TITLE ONLY-------------------------------

WALTER E. MASSEY HAS RESIGNED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE APS
Whatsnew - can901101.txt - 11/2/90

MASSEY'S FIRST YEAR ON THE JOB WILL NOT BE AN EASY ONE
Whatsnew - can901101.txt - 11/2/90

AND THINGS ARE GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE THEY GET BETTER
Whatsnew - can901101.txt - 11/2/90

CONSIDER AN ALASKA SENATOR'S PROJECT TO HARNESS THE AURORA
Whatsnew - can901101.txt - 11/2/90

GORDON & BREACH CASE DISMISSED BY GERMAN APPEALS COURT
Whatsnew - can901101.txt - 11/2/90

ULYSSES STATUS      Nov. 6, 1990
can901103.txt - 11/8/90

US AND SOVIET UNION JOIN FORCES TO RESIST CO2 EMISSION LIMIT
Whatsnew - can901104.txt - 11/13/90

CONFERENCE ON DOD APPROPRIATIONS BILL TURNED INTO A PIG-OUT
Whatsnew - can901104.txt - 11/13/90

DOE IS DIRECTED TO STUDY USER FEES AT NATIONAL LABORATORIES
Whatsnew - can901104.txt - 11/13/90

COLD FUSION UPDATE: DR. PONS CAME IN FROM THE COLD THIS WEEK
Whatsnew - can901104.txt - 11/13/90

AT CERN, "NOBEL DREAMS" ARE TROUBLED BY MONEY PROBLEMS
Whatsnew - can901106.txt - 11/16/90

THE CONTROVERSY HAS FOCUSED ATTENTION ON CERN'S PENSION FUND
Whatsnew - can901106.txt - 11/16/90

CONGRESS IS CONCERNED ABOUT FOREIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SSC
Whatsnew - can901106.txt - 11/16/90

THE BLOCH LEGACY AT NSF: PHYSICS GETS SHORTCHANGED AGAIN!
Whatsnew - can901106.txt - 11/16/90

NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE RECIPIENTS INCLUDE FIVE APS MEMBERS
Whatsnew - can901106.txt - 11/16/90

SPACE SHUTTLE EXHIBIT "AMBASSADOR" TO BE DISPLAYED
can901108.txt - 11/30/90

GALILEO STATUS      Nov. 15, 1990
can901109.txt - 11/30/90

CHANGES IN THE HOUSE SCIENCE, SPACE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
Whatsnew - can901110.txt - 11/30/90

HEARD ISLAND EXPERIMENT WILL SEARCH FOR THE GREENHOUSE SIGNAL
Whatsnew - can901110.txt - 11/30/90

NEW DARPA DIRECTOR IS EXPECTED TO AVOID COMMERCIAL TAINT
Whatsnew - can901110.txt - 11/30/90


------------------END OF CONDENSED CANOPUS---------------------------

This posting represents my own condensation of CANOPUS. For clarity, I have
not shown ellipses (...), even when the condensation is drastic. New or
significantly rephrased material is in {braces} and is signed {--RV} when
it represents an expression of my own opinion. The unabridged CANOPUS is
available via e-mail from me at any of the addresses below.

Copyright information:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CANOPUS is published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics. Send correspondence about its contents to the executive
editor, William W. L. Taylor ([e-mail]). Send
correspondence about business matters to Mr. John Newbauer, AIAA, 1633
Broadway, NY, NY 10019. Although AIAA has copyrighted CANOPUS and
registered its name, you are encouraged to distribute CANOPUS widely,
either electronically or as printout copies. If you do, however, please
send a brief message to Taylor estimating how many others receive copies.
CANOPUS is partially supported by the National Space Science Data Center.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: 9 Jan 91 16:47:27 GMT
From: swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo![e-mail]  (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: space news from Dec 10 AW&ST (TIRE DAMAGE)

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>> Langley engineers pleased:  Atlantis's tires showed neither a spin-up gouge
>> nor excessive wear after the KSC landing Nov 20...
>
>  why not spin-up the tires (whoops - american spelling) BEFORE landing ...

I suspect the answer is "it's not worth the trouble", now that the problems
with the KSC runway have apparently been resolved.
--
If the Space Shuttle was the answer,   | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
what was the question?                 |  [e-mail]   utzoo!henry

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

Date: Wed, 9 Jan 91 23:44:18 EST
From: John Roberts <[e-mail]>
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of the sender
    and do not reflect NIST policy or agreement.
Subject: Re: solar cells


>From: portal!cup.portal.com![e-mail]  (Charles K Hughes)
>Subject: Re: solar cells

>>    As to chemical poisons being decomposable, that depends on
>>what kind of chemical poison. Heavy metals cannot be chemically
>>decomposed. And some chemical poisons are difficult to decompose, such

>  Heavy metals don't need to be decomposed - they can be refined and reused.

If the concentration is not too low. Both chemical and radioactive wastes
presumably have a concentration range which is too low for practical
refinement, yet too high for acceptable release into the ecosystem at large.
The tradeoffs for proper handling are different for every toxin - there's
not much benefit in generalization.

[RTG-powered spacecraft]
>Deep space satellites are of little concern
>here because once they leave, they're gone for good.

You're just saying that because you're at least reasonably intelligent. :-)
Some of the people who protested the launch of Ulysses argued that we would
be putting all that plutonium "up there", just hanging over our heads and
ready to fall at any moment.

>    And another possible difficulty with solar cells -- how much
>energy does it take to make them? They would not be too good if the
>amount of energy needed to make them was only equal to their output
>for several years of running. Has that question ever been addressed?

>  If the energy is free, who cares how much it took to make them?

Some people have stated that it takes more energy to make a solar cell than
it can be expected to produce over its lifetime. [I hadn't heard that before.
Does anyone have any numbers? Does it apply to all types (amorphous,
concentrator, etc.)? The SPS people wouldn't appear to agree with this premise.]
*If* this is true, then any attempt to use them as a contributor to the
national power production would be bound to fail, except possibly for a
specialized use such as a daytime peak-load balancer for air conditioning.
However, it might very well make sense to make solar cells on earth to power
craft in space, where all forms of power generation are expensive.

>[e-mail]
        John Roberts
        [e-mail]

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

Date: 8 Jan 91 04:19:32 GMT
From: isis!scicom![e-mail]  (Bruce Watson)
Subject: Re: Does Salyut 7 carry a radio beacon?

In article <[e-mail]*, [e-mail] (Mark A. Haun) writes:
* Greetings!
*
* As many of you have probably heard, the Salyut 7 Soviet space
* station is expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere sometime
* around the middle of this month.  The latest elements from TS Kelso
* show the orbital period to be near 90 minutes, and the current
* altitude is somewhere around 270 km.  Anyone happening to be
* looking at the sky when re-entry occurs will undoubtedly be treated
* to a fantastic light show.
*
* I have been tracking Salyut 7 and was hoping to be able to visually
* observe it up to the point of re-entry.  Unfortunately, my
* visibility window will be ending this week, and re-entry will
* probably occur before the next viewing opportunity from my
* location.
*
* Does anyone know if Salyut 7 has an operating radio transmitter, on
* any frequency?  It seems like the Soviets would want to have some
* type of beacon in operation.  If Salyut 7 has any sort of radio
* transmitter, whether it is for beacon or telemetry purposes, it
* would be possible to track it until the very end of its life.
* Any information on this subject would be greatly appreciated!
* I would also like to get in contact with anyone else who is
* observing the spacecraft.  I can be reached at any of the email
* addresses below, but preferably [e-mail].
*
The Cosmos 1686 module attached to Salyut 7 carrys a transmitter
which operated at 19.954 Mhz SSB for many years.  I haven't heard it
lately.  I was hoping to track it that way while it passed over
in daylight or in the earth's shadow.  Gary Emerson tells me
that the transmitter quit functioning some time ago and plans
to actively dump Salyut 7 over an ocean have been abandoned since
there is no control over the satellite.

Sorry to be the bearer of this news.

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

Date: 10 Jan 91 02:41:48 GMT
From: censun1!lescsse![e-mail]  (Gary A. Morris)
Subject: Re: I called the Mir 900 number ...

In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] ("1st Lt. Henry S. Cobb") writes:
>...
>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.

There was an article in the local Times (1990/12/27) that gave lots
of details I haven't seen anywhere else.  Here are the essentials:

The contest is organized by Space Travel Services.  The winner
receives a round trip ticket to low-earth orbit abort the Soviet Mir
space station.

Monthly winners will be randomly chosen between now and November and
the grand prize will be awarded next December.

From the monthly winners, an alternate will be chosen who will
undergo a six-month training period in the USSR along with the grand
prize winner.

The alternate will get to go to Mir if the winner is not medically
fit or chooses the $1.5 million instead.  The week long mission to
Mir will take place in late 1992 or early 1993.

To enter you can mail an entry on a 3-inch by 5-inch piece of paper
printed with your name, address, telephone number and the words
"Space Travel Services Ultimate Adventure". Mail it to P.O. Box
580249, Houston, TX 77258-0249.

The other way to enter to is call 1-900-258-2MIR, which costs $2.99
for the call (which was described in previous postings).

Guess I need to go buy a couple rolls of stamps :-)
--GaryM
--
Gary Morris                    Internet: lescsse![e-mail]
Lockheed, Houston, Texas       UUCP:     lobster!lescsse!gamorris
Space Station Freedom          Internet: [e-mail]
N5QWC/W5RRR                    Phone:    [phone]

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

End of SPACE Digest V13 #038
*******************