Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V13_0/V13_042.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #042

SPACE Digest                                      Volume 13 : Issue 42

Today's Topics:
                 "UFO" Alert
          [l/m 7/5] Reminders for Old Farts
           Re: Rotating Joints for Habitat
              Magellan Update - 01/09/91
         [l/m 7/11] Frequently asked SPACE questions
               Re: MIR Vacation
         Mir cosmonauts do 5 hour space walk
           Re: Humankind's Second Off-world Colony
           Re: Humankind's Second Off-world Colony
             Rotating Joints for Habitat
              shuttle was answer

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: 10 Jan 91 16:07:00 GMT
From: swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!pikes!aspen.craycos.com![e-mail]  (James Davies)
Subject: "UFO" Alert

I just heard an interesting report on NPR.  Apparently there is an
experimental satellite, launched by NASA last summer, that is going to be
releasing clouds of barium or lithium 7 times in the next few weeks.
These will make little glowing clouds up to the size of the moon, visible
from all of North and South America (except for Alaska) and possibly
from western Europe.  The first release is scheduled tonight (Thursday 1/10)
at 8:43 pm Eastern time.  Then next (and larger) is up for Sunday at 2:05
a.m. Eastern.  The clouds will appear in the south (presumably as viewed from
the US) about 50 degrees above the horizon and will be visible for about
10 minutes.  Dark skies are recommended.

So, expect a bit of UFO panic in the near future as millions of people see
these things and don't know what they are.  Does anyone know the
schedule of the remaining releases?

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

Date: 9 Jan 91 12:01:03 GMT
From: eagle!data.nas.nasa.gov!amelia![e-mail]  (Eugene N. Miya)
Subject: [l/m 7/5] Reminders for Old Farts

Hints for old users (subtle reminders) You'll know these.

Minimize cross references, [Do you REALLY NEED to?]
Edit "Subject:" lines especially if you are taking a tangent.
Send mail instead, avoid posting follow ups. [1 mail message worth 100 posts.]
Internet mail readers: send requests to add/drop to SPACE-REQUEST not SPACE.
Read all available articles before posting a follow-up. [Check all references.]
Cut down attributed articles.  Summarize!
Put a return address in the body (signature) of your message (mail or
article), state institution, etc. don't assume mail works.
Use absolute dates.  Post in a timely way.  Don't post what everyone will
get on TV anyway.
Some editors and window systems do character count line wrapping:
please keep lines under 80 characters for those using ASCII terms (use <CR>).

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

Date: Thu, 10 Jan 91 21:48:28 -0500
From: "Allen W. Sherzer" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Rotating Joints for Habitat
Newsgroups: sci.space
Cc:

In article <[e-mail]> you write:
>I'm working on a design for a space biosphere. The entire settlement...

>One of the key problems is designing the joints between rotating and
>non-rotating (or counter rotating) portions of the habitat.

Two possible sources who may have solutions:

1. Space Studies Institute. I don't know of anything specific they have
   done but it seems an area they would be interested in. (Besides, it
   is a worthwhile organization and deserves a plug now and then).

2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Their Earth Station component of the
   Great Exploration program has just such a joint between its rotating
   and 0G modules. I have been given a description of how it works over
   the phone but frankly couldn't follow it (needed a drawing). It uses
   mercury or some other metel in a liquid state to form the seal. I
   don't know how they prevent evaporation.

  Hope this helps
   Allen
--
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Allen W. Sherzer | America does best when it accepts a challenging mission. |
|   [e-mail]   | We invent well under pressure. Conversely, we stagnate   |
|                 | when caution prevails.   -- Buzz Aldrin                  |

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

Date: 9 Jan 91 22:09:28 GMT
From: swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Magellan Update - 01/09/91


                          MAGELLAN STATUS REPORT
                            January 9, 1991

     The Magellan spacecraft is performing nominally.  All STARCALS (star
calibrations) and DESATS (desaturations) during the past 24 hours were
successful.

     Magellan has now passed over more than 50% of the Venus surface since
radar mapping began on September 15, but due to the Superior Conjunction gap
and other small losses we are still approaching the point where 50% of the
surface has been imaged.

     Yesterday controllers sent up the weekly "tweak," an update of the radar
mapping control parameters.  As reported earlier, the single tape recorder
strategy currently being used results in three small gaps as the recorder
switches tape tracks during mapping.  Due to variation in the orbital velocity
of the spacecraft, the first and third gaps are about 20 km long, while the
gap nearest to periapsis is about 40 km long.  To put this in perspective, the
gaps represent less than .6% of each image swath -- about 80 km out of 13500 km
of each swath.

     The gaps do not appear at the same latitude on adjacent swaths because
the start of mapping is delayed by six minutes on all odd numbered orbits.
This offsets the gaps in adjacent swaths by about 2500 km.
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   Jet Propulsion Lab | [e-mail]
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  M/S 301-355        |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/   Pasadena, CA 91109 |

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

Date: 10 Jan 91 12:01:03 GMT
From: data.nas.nasa.gov!amelia![e-mail]  (Eugene N. Miya)
Subject: [l/m 7/11] Frequently asked SPACE questions

This list does change.  Slowly.  It only changes when the members
of s.s. have something to add, correct, etc.  I no longer have time to
read s.s., and the SNR is too low.  So if this
does not change it is more a reflection of the other people
you are reading, and not me.  Think about that for a moment.
You make the difference.
    "It's not a message.  I think it's a warning." -- Ripley

This is a list of frequently asked questions on SPACE (which goes back
before 1980).  It is developing.  Good summaries will be accepted
in place of the answers given here.  The point of this is to circulate
existing information, and avoid rehashing old answers.  Better to
build on top than start again.  Nothing more depressing than rehashing
old topics for the 100th time.  References are provided because they
give more complete information than any short generalization.

Questions fall into three basic types:
1) Where do I find some information about space?
Try you local public library first.  You do know how to use a library, don't
you?  Can't tell these days.  The net is not a good place to ask for
general information.  Ask INDIVIDUALS if you must.  There are other sources,
use them, too.  The net is a place for open ended discussion.

2) I have an idea which would improve space flight?
Hope you aren't surprised but 9,999 out of 10,000 have usually been
thought of before.  Again, contact a direct individual source for
evaluation.  NASA fields thousands of these each day.

3) Miscellanous queries.  Sorry, have to take them case by case.

Initially, this message will be automatically posted once per month
and hopefully, we can cut it back to quarterly.  In time questions and
good answers will be added (and maybe removed, nah).

1) What happen to Saturn V plans? What about reviving the Saturn V
as a heavy-lift launcher?

Possible but very expensive -- tools, subcontractors, plans, facilities
are gone or converted for the shuttle, and would need rebuilding,
re-testing, or even total redesign.

2) Where can I learn about space computers: shuttle, programming,
core memories?

%J Communications of the ACM
%V 27
%N 9
%D September 1984
%K Special issue on space [shuttle] computers

%A Myron Kayton
%T Avionics for Manned Spacecraft
%J IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems
%V 25
%N 6
%D November 1989
%P 786-827

Other various AIAA and IEEE publications.

Computers in Spaceflight: The NASA Experience
James E.  Tomayko
1988?

3) SETI computation articles?

%A D. K. Cullers
%A Ivan R. Linscott
%A Bernard M. Oliver
%T Signal Processing in SETI
%J Communications of the ACM
%V 28
%N 11
%D November 1984
%P 1151-1163
%K CR Categories and Subject Descriptors: D.4.1 [Operating Systems]:
Process Management - concurrency; I.5.4 [Pattern Recognition]:
Applications - signal processing; J.2 [Phsyical Sciences and Engineering]:
astronomy
General Terms: Design
Additional Key Words and Phrases: digital Fourier transforms,
finite impulse-response filters, interstellar communications,
Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence, signal detection,
spectrum analysis

You can make it change.  Just discuss the changes on the net, then mail the
resolution to me.

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

Date: 9 Jan 91 17:48:08 GMT
From: usc!cs.utexas.edu!titan![e-mail]  (Donald Heskett)
Subject: Re: MIR Vacation


Alan Hepburn writes:

>With all this hearty discussion about the MIR Sweepstakes, one
>question hasn't come up yet.  Are there any viewports (aka windows)
>on MIR?  When I get up there with my rolls and rolls of film, will
>I be able to take any photos at all?

All the Soviet space stations have had viewports; I'm sure Mir must
have a number of them.

>Don't tell me that my camera won't work up there;  I have the same camera
>that NASA chose for their flights.  The Hasselblad was chosen because
>it was the only camera that required NO modification for 0G operation.

I don't know any aspect of camera operation that relies on gravity;
they should all work as well in zero-gravity as they do in 1-g.
Loading film might be somewhat more problematic than it is on the
ground, however.

The Hasselblad uses removable backs that are pre-loaded with film.
This makes it easy to switch film types easily when lighting
conditions change and to load film quickly when the film runs out
while photographing interesting transient phenomena. Also, the
Hasselblad's film cartridges made it possible for an astronaut to
change backs, and thus load film, even while suited up, which was
important during excursions on the lunar surface; loading most other
cameras would have been very difficult or impossible under those
conditions.

As far as the history of use of cameras in orbit, I'm pretty sure the
shuttle astronauts usually use 35mm cameras these days, ditto the
Soviets.  I seem to remember seeing a Nikon or two on the shuttle.

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

From: [e-mail]
Date:  9 Jan 91 10:48 -0800
To: [e-mail], [e-mail],
        [e-mail], [e-mail],
        [e-mail], [e-mail],
        [e-mail]
Subject: Mir cosmonauts do 5 hour space walk

     On board the USSR's Mir space complex the two cosmonauts, Musa
Manarov, Vikor Afanasyev, held a spacewalk yesterday (Jan. 7th) of 5 hours
duration.  The task was to repair the hatch on the large airlock of the
Kvant 2 module.  Kvant is a 20 Tonne expansion that is docked perpendicular
to the front ball section of the main Mir section. One door hinge was
damaged when, on July 17 '90, Anatoll Solovyov and Alexander Balandin were
doing a space walk to repair the loose thermal blanket on their Soyuz TM-9
capsule. The large hatch flew open when the cosmonauts failed to let the
air pressure drop fully to zero before unlocking it (and had removed the
stops designed to prevent it opening). The pressure forced the hatch open
with a 4000 Newton (880 lbs.) force jamming one hinge, and making it
difficult to move the door (note that the main Mir section itself has its
own airlock). It is not clear whether the repair was successful as the
first reports on Radio Moscow simply stated "the cosmonaut have spent
several hours in space on a spacewalk to repair the airlock." Manarov and
Afanasyev, who were launched on Dec. 2 on Soyuz TM-11, have been in orbit
for 37 days now (Manarov has 402 days total experience when combined with
his Soyuz TM-4 flight in Dec. '87). Even Afanasyev now exceeds the most
experience active US astronaut.  They are remaining as the Mir mission
until May '91 when the British/Soviet Juno mission will fly.
     In addition Radio Moscow has announced that the next Progress cargo
craft will be launched next Monday Dec. 14th.  It will carry about 2.3
Tonnes of food, fuel, air and water to resupply the Mir.  Note that 21
Progress tankers have visited the Mir space station, while only 12 supplied
each of the previous complexes: Salyut 6 (1977-81) and Salyut 7 (1981-86).
     Sorry about the delay on posting this but the weather has closed down
the university for two days now.

                                        Glenn Chapman
                                        School of Engineering Science
                                        Simon Fraser Univ.
                                        Burnaby, B.C. Canada
                                        [e-mail]
                                        or [e-mail]

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

Date: 8 Jan 91 22:57:55 GMT
From: elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink![e-mail]  (Nick Janow)
Subject: Re: Humankind's Second Off-world Colony


Isn't Ganymede in Jupiter's radiation belt?  I don't have any data on the
radiation belt handy; which moons might be affected and how affected would they
be?  Which moons of Saturn might also be off-limits?

Those radiation belts might be a problem for human habitation in those regions;
maybe even for unmanned activity.

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

Date: 10 Jan 91 02:13:34 GMT
From: usc!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!exodus!norge.Eng.Sun.COM![e-mail]  (John McKernan)
Subject: Re: Humankind's Second Off-world Colony

[e-mail] (Jon Monsarrat x6227) writes:
>Where should Man's first colony after a moon colony be?
> OUR GUESS: Ganymede because of its water supply and proximity to Jupiter
>  which is a good source of gases possibly used in fusion. Also I read
>  about it in a very old Heinlein book! :)

In my opinion the first colony after the moon wouldn't be on a planetary
body at all, but in open space. In fact such a space colony might be the
first true colony, if you define a colony as a permanent settlement with
a self sustaining economy as opposed to the government research lab
that's likely to be on the moon. Advantages of a colony in space include
avoiding cost of entering and leaving a gravity well, and ready access
to 0g manufacturing.

John L. McKernan.                                                  [e-mail]
Disclaimer: These are my opinions but, shockingly enough, not necessarily Sun's
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: 10 Jan 91 21:43:24 GMT
From: data.nas.nasa.gov!data![e-mail]  (Al Globus)
Subject: Rotating Joints for Habitat

I'm working on a design for a space biosphere. The entire settlement
is more or less cylindrical with a 250 meter radius and a
1000 meter length.  One of the key
problems is designing the joints between rotating and
non-rotating (or counter rotating) portions of the habitat.  There
are three main joints of this nature in the facility. One is between the
two pressurized sections. One section rotates (habitat and agricultural areas)
and the other doesn't (construction area).
The second and third joints are for the transfer of fluid from each of the
pressurized areas to the radiators.  The radiators and shielding counter rotate
at about 0.05 rmp.  If anyone has a good idea
of how to construct such joints without losing a lot of
air or cooling fluid, please let me know ... I'm not a structural
engineer.  Thanx in advance.

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

Date: 9 Jan 91 12:53:15 GMT
From: julius.cs.uiuc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!crdgw1!gecrdvm1![e-mail]
Subject: shuttle was answer

Henry Spencer quips:

-if the space shuttle was the answer, what was the question-

How about:

what is a bargain compared to many of the other Gov't "spending"
programs including, but not limited to:
-Stealth bomber
-war on drugs (lots of bucks on trying not to get high vs lots of bucks
trying to get high-on shuttle that is)
-s&l bailout (placed in development at about the same time as shuttle! and
still going-maybe its like a certain battery:-) )
-numerous weapons programs which never saw the light of day, but still
consumed billions
-number one gov't spending program: spend trillions driving the Soviets to
their knees, and now want to spend lots more getting them back on their feet.
-operation desert shield

Let's face it, the US gov't is in the business of spending money, and they
succeed quite admirably. At least the space shuttle flys, unlike many of
the spending schemes dreamed up by our boys (er...folks) in Washington.
Call me stupid, but I'd rather waste money on another shuttle system than
on some friggin missile/anti missile system that may/may not work and
may/may not get funded once it does work.
Pete

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

End of SPACE Digest V13 #042
*******************