Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V13_2/V13_283.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #283

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 13 : Issue 283

Today's Topics:
            Re: looking for a NASA report
            Re: Japanese Space Effort, II
                   Re: Gaia
           Re: Pioneer 11 Update - 03/01/91
            Re: cause of shuttle disaster
         Re: New World Profits (was Re: Space Profits
         [l/m 7/11] Frequently asked SPACE questions

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]

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Date: 19 Mar 91 15:57:32 GMT
From: haven!cs.wvu.wvnet.edu![e-mail]  (James D Mooney,205K, 7,2913548)
Subject: Re: looking for a NASA report

From article <[e-mail]>, by [e-mail] (James D Mooney):
> From: [e-mail] (James D Mooney)
> Path: wciu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!uwm.edu!bionet!ames!haven!cs.wvu.wvnet.edu!jdm
> Newsgroups: sci.space
> Subject: looking for a NASA report
> Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
> Date: 11 Mar 91 17:51:36 GMT
->
-> --
-> : James D Mooney - via FidoNet node 1:102/851 [phone]
-> : ARPA/INTERNET: [e-mail]
-> : UUCP: ...!{elroy!bohica,elroy!wciu,cit-vax!wciu}!mcws!851.0!James.D.Mooney
-> : Compu$erve: >internet:[e-mail]

Thanks for the good intentions of whoever reposted this query.  It
certainly came by a strange route -- what *are* some of those nodes ;-)

We have located a copy of the report we need, and it is (I hope) in
the mail to us.  Thanks.
--
Jim Mooney                Dept. of Stat. & Computer Science
[phone]                West Virginia University
                    Morgantown, WV 26506
INTERNET: [e-mail]

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

Date: 11 Mar 91 09:40:00 GMT
From: sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!linus!philabs!ttidca!quad1!bohica!mcws!p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org![e-mail]  (Nick Szabo)
Subject: Re: Japanese Space Effort, II

From: [e-mail] (Nick Szabo)
Path: wciu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!sequent!crg5!szabo
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Japanese Space Effort, II
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 11 Mar 91 01:40:10 GMT
In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Paul Blase) writes:

> BY> If this is the same station mentioned in a recent IEEE Spectrum
> BY> article on Japanese robotics, they really do mean *autonomous*
> BY> -- as in robotic and non-teleoperated...
>
>They're working on both.  There are plans for a manned station.

Here we go again.  By "plan" do you mean somebody mentioned "I
wish we had a manned space station" to a reporter once?

I am sure somebody somewhere in Japan also has "plans" for FTLT
travel and time machines.  Sheesh...




--
Nick Szabo            [e-mail]
"What are the _facts_, and to how many decimal places?"  -- RAH


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

Date: 10 Mar 91 13:57:00 GMT
From: agate!linus!philabs!ttidca!quad1!bohica!mcws!p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org![e-mail]  (Dan Corbett)
Subject: Re: Gaia

From: [e-mail] (Dan Corbett)
Path: wciu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!samsung!uunet!munnari.oz.au!metro!socs.uts.edu.au!dcorbett
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Gaia
Message-ID: <dcorbett.668584648@ultima>
Date: 10 Mar 91 05:57:28 GMT
[e-mail] (Larry Wall) writes:

>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (John Roberts) writes:

>: What part of Gaia is its appendix? :-)

>Hmm, something that uses resources but doesn't contribute to the good of
>the whole, and is, in fact, occasionally destructive?  I'll have to
>think about that one...  :-)



Politicians?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Corbett
Department of Computer Science
University of Technology, Sydney
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


--
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Date: 11 Mar 91 20:04:00 GMT
From: agate!linus!philabs!ttidca!quad1!bohica!mcws!p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org![e-mail]  (Daniel Fischer)
Subject: Re: Pioneer 11 Update - 03/01/91

From: [e-mail] (Daniel Fischer)
Path: wciu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!mcsun!unido!mpirbn!p515dfi
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Pioneer 11 Update - 03/01/91
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 11 Mar 91 12:04:44 GMT
In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Ron Baalke) writes:
>     The IPP (Imaging Photopolarimeter) instrument will be turned on on
>the Pioneer 11 spacecraft on March 1 to allow it to warm up in preparation
>for another scan of Canopus on March 2...

Does this mean that Pioneer 11's RTGs are still powerful enough to support the
use of this instrument as it was used at Jupiter and Saturn? Could it be used
to (very slowly, of course), scan across the solar system and take another
shot of the kind Voyager 1 sent a year ago?


--
: Daniel Fischer - via FidoNet node 1:102/851 [phone]
: ARPA/INTERNET: [e-mail]
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------------------------------

Date: 10 Mar 91 11:09:00 GMT
From: agate!linus!philabs!ttidca!quad1!bohica!mcws!p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org![e-mail]  (Ed Meyer)
Subject: Re: cause of shuttle disaster

From: [e-mail] (Ed Meyer)
Path: wciu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a143
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: cause of shuttle disaster
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 10 Mar 91 03:09:01 GMT
> [e-mail] writes:
>
> Msg-ID: <[e-mail]>
> Posted: 10 Mar 91 15:12:18 GMT
>
> Org.  : Technical University of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS
> Person: Greg Roberts
>
> I have watched this thread of discussion about two 'high level' engineers
>  [...]
> I would like to see the 'evidence' cooked up by these two. Did they appear at
> the Rogers Commission to testify? Do they have any materials testing reports,
> independent photographic analysis, fatigue analysis or the like to support
> their claim? Enquiring, although seriously skeptical minds, want to know.

Greg, the late (and great) Richard Feynman had some significant observations
and conclusions on this topic.  He pointed to the O-rings, etc.  And, at the
end of his report (which was shuffled to an appendix at the back of the overall
report, I believe), Richard Feynman concluded, "For a successful technology
reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be
fooled."

        Ed Meyer


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

Date: 13 Mar 91 11:09:00 GMT
From: swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!linus!philabs!ttidca!quad1!bohica!mcws!p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org![e-mail]  (Dan Tilque)
Subject: Re: New World Profits (was Re: Space Profits

From: [e-mail] (Dan Tilque)
Path: wciu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!zephyr.ens.tek.com!wrgate!mtdoom!dant
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: New World Profits (was Re: Space Profits
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 13 Mar 91 03:09:15 GMT
[e-mail] (Jack Dietz) writes:
>
>In article <[e-mail]> Dan Tilque writes:
>
>>If Columbus had not brought back a few gold nuggets and some relatively
>>worthless plants which he thought were valuable spices, Spanish
>>exploration in the New World would probably have progressed at a much
>>slower rate or even halted altogether.  However, Columbus knew
>>this and kept exploring until he had at least something valuable to
>>show for his trip.
>
>This implies that Columbus was exploring what he thought was unprofitable
>land.  In other words, he was using the money of the Spanish crown in
>order to satisfy his desire to explore, not in the interests of the
>royal pair.

Well, I was only talking about his first voyage.  (I guess I didn't
make that obvious.)  He'd promised that he would find a short way to
the Indies and needed something to show for his efforts.  If not, some
would claim he was a fraud and he might be thrown in prison or worse.
He also was quite confident that he had found the Indies.  It wasn't
his fault that there weren't any spices or gold or even the least sign
of civilization.  All he needed were a few more ships and and another
expedition and he was sure he could find the source of the spices (and
the Chinese mainland).

As far as his motivation, he wasn't just out to "boldly go where no man
has gone before".  He was ambitious -- he wanted control over all the
lands that he discovered.  He was promised that, but such promises are
quickly forgotten by rulers when convenient.

>Interesting.  If only our explorers could pull something like that
>off, leading Congress on while they encourage exploitation...

NASA administrators are good at something like this.  It's a required
ability of higher level bureaucrats.

Dan Tilque    --    [e-mail]

A favorite trick of Ephebian gods, he recalled, was turning into some
animal in order to gain the favours of highly placed Ephebian women.  And
one of them had reputedly turned himself into a golden shower in persuit
of his intended.            -- Terry Pratchett, _Pyramids_


--
: Dan Tilque - via FidoNet node 1:102/851 [phone]
: ARPA/INTERNET: [e-mail]
: UUCP: ...!{elroy!bohica,elroy!wciu,cit-vax!wciu}!mcws!851.0!Dan.Tilque
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------------------------------

Date: 10 Mar 91 20:01:00 GMT
From: agate!linus!philabs!ttidca!quad1!bohica!mcws!p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org![e-mail]  (Eugene N. Miya)
Subject: [l/m 7/11] Frequently asked SPACE questions

From: [e-mail] (Eugene N. Miya)
Path: wciu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!wuarchive!ukma!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eagle!data.nas.nasa.gov!amelia!eugene
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: [l/m 7/11] Frequently asked SPACE questions
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 10 Mar 91 12:01:08 GMT
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.


--
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: ARPA/INTERNET: [e-mail]
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------------------------------

End of SPACE Digest V13 #283
*******************