Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V15_5/V15NO506.TXT

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Date: Sat,  5 Dec 92 18:00:49
From: Space Digest maintainer <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Space Digest V15 #506
To: Space Digest Readers
Precedence: bulk


Space Digest                Sat,  5 Dec 92       Volume 15 : Issue 506

Today's Topics:
                           Air pressure...
                      Galileo Update - 12/04/92
                  NASA employement outlook (2 msgs)
   NASA has 5 hand grenades still on the moon from Apollo missions
                     Pioneer and Voyager messages
                             Pop in space
                               Rush...
                        Rush Limbaugh says ...
    Rush Limbaugh says problems with HST are a DoD hoax! (6 msgs)
                         Rush Limbaugh sez...
                         Space suit research?
         Voyager's "message"... What did it *say*?!? (2 msgs)

    Welcome to the Space Digest!!  Please send your messages to
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 4 Dec 92 11:02:07 -0600
From: [e-mail] (Phil G. Fraering)
Subject: Air pressure...

\Pilots are required to use supplemental oxygen if exceeding 12,500 ft.
/for more than 30 minutes.  Planes going above 10,000 ft. are required
\to provide supplemental oxygen to passengers if no cabin
/pressurisation.  Personal observation as a pilot : I lose colour
\vision above 11000 feet amsl at night; at 17,000 feet my fingernails
/turn blue,

How can you tell? You lost your color vision 6000 feet earlier...

Sorry, couldn't resist...

 and at 21,000 feet I get euphoric w/o the oxygen mask. I
\live at 700 ft amsl, BTW.

--
Phil Fraering
"...drag them, kicking and screaming, into the Century of the Fruitbat."
<<- Terry Pratchett, _Reaper Man_
PGP key available if and when I ever get around to compiling PGP...

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

Date: 5 Dec 92 02:23:04 GMT
From: Ron Baalke <[e-mail]>
Subject: Galileo Update - 12/04/92
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro,alt.sci.planetary

Forwarded from Neal Ausman, Galileo Mission Director

                                   GALILEO
                       MISSION DIRECTOR STATUS REPORT
                                 POST-LAUNCH
                       November 26 - December 3, 1992

SPACECRAFT

1.  During the reporting period, numerous science instrument
calibration/characterization activities were performed to take advantage of
the high telemetry data rates while close to the Earth.  Activities included
Magnetometer (MAG) external calibration coil, Scan Actuator Subassembly (SAS)
friction test, Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) and Ultraviolet
Spectrometer (UVS) star calibrations, MAG slew test, MAG gradiometer tests,
Radiometric calibration, Solid State Imaging (SSI) star calibrations, and a
MAG scan platform interference calibration.  All calibration/characterization
activities were performed nominally and data analysis is in progress.

2.  On November 26, a periodic RPM (Retro-Propulsion Module) 10-Newton thruster
maintenance activity was performed; 10 of the 12 thrusters were "flushed"
during the activity.  The P-thrusters were not flushed because they were used
to perform SITURN activities on November 30.  Spacecraft performance throughout
the activity was normal.

3.  On November 27, Trajectory Correction Maneuver, TCM-17, memory load was
uplinked to the spacecraft without incident.  The Energetic Particle Detector
(EPD) instrument was stepped to Sector O which is the predicted least
contaminated position in preparation for the execution of TCM-17 and returned
to Sector 4 after completion of the maneuver.

4.  On November 28, real-time commands were sent to change the System Fault
Protection (SFP) AACS-INIT (Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem)
pointing slot from the Earth to the Sun prior to the TCM-17 activities.  This
change allows the spacecraft to return to a sun-pointed attitude if an AACS
Power-on Reset (POR) occurs.

5.  On November 28, TCM-17 was performed on the spacecraft.  The maneuver
consisted of one axial and one lateral segment imparting a predicted total
delta velocity of 0.03 m/sec.  This maneuver was executed at 7.68 kbps
(7680 bits/second) with the spacecraft pointed approximately 8 degrees off
the sun.

     The spacecraftUs performance throughout the activity was nominal.  All
RPM pressures and temperatures and attitude control indicators were near
predicted levels.  After the axial and lateral burn segments, the sequence
planned spin corrections and pointing corrections were not needed.
Preliminary radio navigation data indicates a 0.7 percent overburn for the
axial segment and a 0.4 percent overburn for the lateral segment.

6.  On November 28, the Plasma Detector (PLS) regulator temperature monitor
exceeded its preset limit of 35 degrees C by 0.33 degree.  This initiated an
internal PLS alarm which automatically requested the CDS (Command Data
Subsystem - Galileo's main computer) to turn off the PLS supplemental heater.
The heater was already off to permit Earth science data collection and remain
within safe thermal limits.  After consultation with the PLS science team, it
was determined that the instrument was thermally safe even though the limit
was exceeded.  PLS instrument temperature monitoring is continuing.

7.  On November 30 and December 1, 2, and 3rd, NO-OP commands were sent to
reset the command loss timer to 72 hours, its planned value during this
mission phase.

8.  On November 30, the spacecraft performed a 11.5 degree SITURN.  The
purpose of the SITURN was to maintain the spacecraft within plus or minus 10
degrees of the sun at the current solar distance.

9.  On November 30, the Relay Radio Hardware (RRH) oscillators No. 1 and 2
were powered on in preparation for the Probe Abbreviated System Functional Test
(ASFT) scheduled for December 2, 1992.  Shortly after turn on the oscillator
temperatures increased to expected values.  Also, on December 1, Delayed Action
Commands (DACs) were sent to optimize the telecommunications performance for
the Probe ASFT.

10. On December 1, a routine sun vector update was performed.  This sun vector
is valid through December 6, 1992.

11. On December 2, the Probe Abbreviated System Functional Test (ASFT) was
performed which consisted of a standard power up and power down with an
11 minute 54 second test to check the battery voltages and to pump out any
unwanted argon gas in the Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS) instrument.  The
ASFT sequence was performed nominally.  Detailed analysis and test results
from Ames and Hughes are forthcoming.

12. On December 3, real-time commands were sent to reconfigure the Energetic
Particle Detector (EPD) Composition Measurement System (CMS) telescope to its
original pre-calibration state in preparation for the Earth 2 encounter.

13. The AC/DC bus imbalance measurements exhibited some change. The AC
measurement has ranged from 16DN to 17DN and now reads 17DN (3.9 volts).
The DC measurement has ranged from 138DN (16.2 volts) to 148DN (17.4 volts)
and now reads 145DN (17.1 volts).  These measurement variations are consistent
with the model developed by the AC/DC special anomaly team.

14. The Spacecraft status as of December 3, 1992, is as follows:

       a)  System Power Margin -  68 watts
       b)  Spin Configuration - Dual-Spin
       c)  Spin Rate/Sensor - 3.15 rpm/Star Scanner
       d)  Spacecraft Attitude is approximately 1 degree
           off-sun (lagging) and 28 degrees off-earth (lagging)
       e)  Downlink telemetry rate/antenna-115.2kbps (coded)/LGA-1
       f)  General Thermal Control - all temperatures within
           acceptable range
       g)  RPM Tank Pressures - all within acceptable range
       h)  Orbiter Science- PWS, PLS, UVS, EPD, MAG, SSI, PPR,
           NIMS, HIC and DDS are powered on
       i)  Probe/RRH - powered off, temperatures within
           acceptable range
       j)  CMD Loss Timer Setting - 72 hours
           Time To Initiation - 70 hours


UPLINK GENERATION/COMMAND REVIEW AND APPROVAL:

1.  The Dual Drive Actuator (DDA-5) sequence memory load was approved for
generation by the Project on December 1, 1992.  This sequence covers High Gain
Antenna (HGA) motor hammering activities from December 28, 1992 through
January 19, 1993.

2.  The EE-11 (Earth-Earth 11) Final Sequence and Command Generation package
was approved by the Project on December 1, 1992.  This sequence covers
spacecraft activities from December 7, 1992 to December 28, 1992 and includes
the Earth 2 closest approach on December 8.  Part 1 of the EE-11 sequence
memory load is scheduled to be uplinked on December 4, 1992, and Part 2 on
December 7, 1992.


TRAJECTORY

     As of noon Thursday, December 3, 1992, the Galileo Spacecraft trajectory
status was as follows:

    Distance from Earth         3,838,200 km (.03 AU)
    Distance from Sun           150,792,300 km (1.01 AU)
    Heliocentric Speed          124,800 km per hour
    Distance from Jupiter       877,097,100 km
    Round Trip Light Time       0 minutes, 24 seconds


SPECIAL TOPIC

1.  As of December 3, 1992, a total of 8712 real-time commands have been
transmitted to Galileo since Launch.  Of these, 3681  were initiated in the
sequence design process and 5031 initiated in the real-time command process.
In the past week, 13 real time commands were transmitted: 6 were initiated in
the sequence design process and 7 initiated in the real time command process.
Major command activities this week included commands to uplink the TCM-17
stored sequence memory load, update SFP pointing slot, reset the command Loss
timer, turn ranging off, and reconfigure the EPD.

2.  Training for the Earth 2 closest approach operations was successfully
completed with a "walkthrough" of the final SOE on December 1.
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | The 3 things that children
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | find the most fascinating:
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     | space, dinosaurs and ghosts.

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

Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1992 15:52:34 GMT
From: Mary Shafer <[e-mail]>
Subject: NASA employement outlook
Newsgroups: sci.space

On 4 Dec 92 10:21:43 GMT, [e-mail] said:

C> Is there everyone who knows the conditions under which a belgian aeronautic
C> engineer can aplicate to NASA ?
C> What jobs can he involve?

There are absolutely no conditions under which a foreign national can
work for NASA or any agency of the US gov't.  A green card is the
absolute minimum and even then, it's not straightforward.  Quite a bit
of our work, particularly on joint programs with the Department of
Defense, is NOFORN, for example.  (NOFORN = no foreign access).

Besides, we're in a hiring freeze right now.

However, foreign national, particularly students, can be affiliated
with NASA through various research institutes.  This includes the NSF.
--
Mary Shafer  DoD #0362 KotFR NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
[e-mail]                    Of course I don't speak for NASA
 "A MiG at your six is better than no MiG at all."  Unknown US fighter pilot

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

Date: 4 Dec 92 17:00:26 GMT
From: "Peter J. Scott" <[e-mail]>
Subject: NASA employement outlook
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Mary Shafer) writes:
> On 4 Dec 92 10:21:43 GMT, [e-mail] said:
>
> C> Is there everyone who knows the conditions under which a belgian aeronautic
> C> engineer can aplicate to NASA ?
> C> What jobs can he involve?
>
> There are absolutely no conditions under which a foreign national can
> work for NASA or any agency of the US gov't.  A green card is the
> absolute minimum and even then, it's not straightforward.  Quite a bit
> of our work, particularly on joint programs with the Department of
> Defense, is NOFORN, for example.  (NOFORN = no foreign access).
>
> Besides, we're in a hiring freeze right now.
>
> However, foreign national, particularly students, can be affiliated
> with NASA through various research institutes.  This includes the NSF.

JPL is one of these exceptions (no doubt because we're Caltech, not NASA).
We might well be in a hiring freeze also for all I know.  Anyone who wants
an application form for employment can request one from the recruitment
office here at 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA  91109 (NOT me).

--
This is news.  This is your       |    Peter Scott, NASA/JPL/Caltech
brain on news.  Any questions?    |    ([e-mail])

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

Date: Fri, 4 Dec 92 18:22:45 EST
From: John Roberts <[e-mail]>
Subject: NASA has 5 hand grenades still on the moon from Apollo missions

-From: [e-mail] (Gary Coffman)
-Subject: Re: NASA has 5 hand grenades still on the moon from Apollo missions
-Date: 3 Dec 92 00:07:01 GMT
-Organization: Gannett Technologies Group

-In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
->
->Ordinary firearms wouldn't work in a vacuum anyhow.
->The gunpowder couldn't burn.

-Oh please. The KNO3 in black powder is the oxidizer. Smokeless
-powders use nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin, or both (called double
-base). They dissociate exothermally without external oxygen. If you
-examine a cartridge, even casually, you'll note that there is no
-opening for oxygen to enter.

True. However, to amplify on my earlier post concerning powder ignition
*in vacuum*, here's an actual reference:

...........
"...a mixture of sulphur and saltpetre only ignites at 470 degrees, whereas
one of charcoal and saltpetre ignites with some difficulty at 320 degrees.
The triple mixture of saltpetre, sulphur and charcoal, however, ignites at
290 to 300 degrees, and when burning once starts it increases rapidly and
assumes explosive violence. Hofmann ascribes this to a complicated series
of chemical changes taking place in the gaseous phase due to the transient
formation of nitric oxide and sulphuretted hydrogen. Sulphur, in fact, acts
as a chemical catalyst, the following being some of the reactions:-

2KNO3 + S = K2SO4 + 2NO
4K2SO4 + 7C = 2K2CO3 + 2K2S2 + 5C02
4K2CO3 + 7S = K2SO4 + 3K2S2 + 4CO2

The potassium sulphide is partly oxidized to sulphate regenerating some
sulphur. The important part played by the gas phase in the ignition is
proved by the fact that *in vacuo* it is almost impossible to fire gunpowder."
                        ----------------------------------------------------

  - "Explosives: Their History, Manufacture, Properties and Tests", by
    Arthur Marshall (formerly Chemical Inspector, Indian Ordnance Department),
    J. & A. Churchill, London, 1932, Second edition, Volume III, p. 13.
...........

I can't find a similar statement concerning smokeless powders, but there is
a graph for several of the smokeless powders of the day, showing combustion
rate as a function of ambient pressure, and it appears to show combustion
rate approaching zero as ambient pressure approaches zero.

And of course none of this means that a modern gun won't fire in vacuum,
since the powder is confined. (And the primer charge is sufficient to
initiate combustion.)

-In fact, most firearms work underwater
-if they have a sufficiently strong firing pin spring. Glock will
-supply such a spring on request.

I imagine they'll also sell new metal parts if the user forgets to
dry and oil the gun after such use. :-)

What are the characteristics of a handgun fired underwater? How far does
the bullet go? And how long does it take for water to get into the
cartridges (say at a meter or two depth)?

John Roberts
[e-mail]

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

Date: 04 Dec 1992 15:15:09 -0600 (CST)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Pioneer and Voyager messages

  For folks interested in trying to deciper the Pioneer plaques and the
Voyager records, check your library or used book store for "Murmurs of
Earth" by Carl Sagan et al.  Essentially it's a first-hand account of the
designing of these messages, plus the bureaucratic hassles they went through
to get them onto the spacecraft.   **Ad Astra Per Bureaucracia**

  On a related note, Dave Barry once pointed out in a column (since reprinted
in his book "Bad Habits") that the most likely lifeform to ever find these
messages would be the interstellar equivalent of some back-country highway
patrol officers.  He envisions one of them saying: "Looks like what we have
here is a hydrogen-sniffin' perverted species who force their women to run
around nekkid and probably say 'billions' a lot.  Whadda say we go wipe 'em
out and then ooze over to the diner for some lunch?"

Marc Hairston--Center for Space Science--Univ of Texas at Dallas

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

Date: 4 Dec 92 16:44:14 GMT
From: "Peter J. Scott" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Pop in space
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Tor Houghton) writes:
> I don't know - didn't Coke or Pepsi device special cans for the Space
> Shuttle crew? :)

Yes, and you can see the Coke device in the Coca-Cola museum in
Atlanta, GA.  I know it's a tad far for you to go, but some of
our other readers might be nearby.

--
This is news.  This is your       |    Peter Scott, NASA/JPL/Caltech
brain on news.  Any questions?    |    ([e-mail])

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

Date: Fri, 4 Dec 92 11:04:09 -0600
From: [e-mail] (Phil G. Fraering)
Subject: Rush...

\Because nobody takes him seriously.  He's just a nut mouthing off.

Actually I think he was joking...
--
Phil Fraering
"...drag them, kicking and screaming, into the Century of the Fruitbat."
<<- Terry Pratchett, _Reaper Man_
PGP key available if and when I ever get around to compiling PGP...

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

Date: 4 Dec 92 15:07:35 GMT
From: Thomas Clarke <[e-mail]>
Subject: Rush Limbaugh says ...
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>   > The popular American radio personality Rush Limbaugh stated today that
>   > the problems with HSTs mirror are a Department of Defense hoax.  He says
>   > that the DoD took over control of the HST program ...
>
Rush Blimpbaugh has been listening to his friend Dan Quayle too much!
--
Thomas Clarke
Institute for Simulation and Training, University of Central FL
12424 Research Parkway, Suite 300, Orlando, FL 32826
[phone], FAX: [phone], [e-mail]

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

Date: Fri, 4 Dec 92 14:27:21 GMT
From: Dean Adams <[e-mail]>
Subject: Rush Limbaugh says problems with HST are a DoD hoax!
Newsgroups: sci.space

 >The popular American radio personality Rush Limbaugh
"popular"?  That doesn't say too much for the population...  :->

 >stated today that the problems with HSTs mirror are a Department of
 >Defense hoax.
Oh, brother!  What a load of bull...

 >He says that the DoD took over control of the HST program
Hmmm... I guess the folks at STSI were a little miffed about that, eh?  :->
I wonder just WHO has been discovering these black holes and other things
recently?  DoD must have some pretty good astronomers working for 'em (NOT).

 >so they could study a strange radio source that could possibly be another
 >civilization's radio emmisions. And that the DoD cooked up the story of
 >the faulted mirror to cover up there actions.

Pretty silly.  It also shows how totally ignorant this guy is if he thinks
that HST can study "radio emissions".  Not even an unflawed mirror would do
any good for that purpose.  Besides, if there was an unusual radio source
that someone wanted checked out at optical wavelengths, it would certainly
not require DoD to "take over control" to do it.

 >Rush has over 13 million listeners and has may connections into the
 >goings ons of many behind-the-scenes happenings.
Apparently not.

 >I don't think that he would make such a statment without a
 >reason to believe it is true.
This guy is a lunatic!  He "believes" all kinds of ridiculous nonsense.

 >This is a rather radical statement.
Considering the *source*, i'd say that is a perfect description.  :->

 >there is a repair mission due next year and an instrument will be
 >replaced with COSTAR to correct the mirrir flaw. And what about the
 >investigations into the contractor who made the mirror? Was NASA wsting
 >it's time!? This can't be and with 13 million listeners how come nobody
 >else said anything about this??

Because nobody takes him seriously.  He's just a nut mouthing off.

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

Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1992 16:40:01 GMT
From: Nick Haines <[e-mail]>
Subject: Rush Limbaugh says problems with HST are a DoD hoax!
Newsgroups: sci.space

To summarize the dozens of future postings I expect on this subject:

(a) HST is a visible and near-visible platform. I don't think it has
any radio-frequency instruments. Whatever the DoD might want to look
at with Hubble, it won't be a `radar source'. It might be whatever is
associated with such a source at visible frequencies.

(b) HST is being used constantly by scientists. One can book time on
it, and its time is fully (and publicly) booked. OK, so the pictures
aren't perfect, but if the rumour were true why would the DoD make up
a cover story like "the mirror's imperfect but useable" (which would
not enable them to get any time on HST but only better resolution than
the astronomers) rather than "the mirror's completely broken" (which
would enable them to have HST entirely to themselves)?

So (from (a) and (b)), if this rumour is true, the DoD are studying at
visible frequencies something from which they detected ET radio
signals, and which civilian astronomers are also studying at visible
frequencies... any candidate objects? And a further kicker is this:

(c) Could the DoD successfully keep the lid on a `signals from ET'
story? As far as we know they don't have a SETI of their own (why
would they have a `black' SETI?), so any such signal would first pass
through the hands of a bunch of civilian astronomers, and I think it
would leak.

This rumour was clearly made up by somebody who knows almost nothing
about HST or astronomy, who is confusing the `HST mirror' story with
the `NASA SETI' story, and mixing in a bit of the `DoD aliens
cover-up' story. They probably also believe in Majestic-12, alien
cattle mutilations, and alien corpses in deep-freezes at
Wright-Patterson AFB. In short, it's complete bullshit.

Nick Haines [e-mail]

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

Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1992 16:23:52 GMT
From: Brad Whitehurst <[e-mail]>
Subject: Rush Limbaugh says problems with HST are a DoD hoax!
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Ryan Korniloff) writes:
>
>
>The popular American radio personality Rush Limbaugh stated today that the
>problems with HSTs mirror are a Department of Defense hoax. He says that
>the DoD took over control of the HST program so they could study a strange
>radio source that could possibly be another civilization's radio
>emmisions. And that the DoD cooked up the story of the faulted mirror to
>cover up there actions.
>Rush has over 13 million listeners and has may connections into the goings
>ons of many behind-the-scenes happenings. I don't think that he would make
>such a statment without a reason to believe it is true.
>Could some NASA insiders shed some light on this!? This is a rather
>radical statement. I have followed the developments closely enough to know
>that there is a repair mission due next year and an instrument will be
>replaced with COSTAR to correct the mirrir flaw. And what about the
>investigations into the contractor who made the mirror? Was NASA wsting
>it's time!? This can't be and with 13 million listeners how come nobody
>else said anything about this??
>
>        -- Ryan Korniloff

    Because a) Limbaugh is a publicity hound of the first order,
and b) AT A MINIMUM there are at least 13 million fools in this
country!  His listenership in the scientifically educated population
is likely significantly lower than in the non- !  Besides, everybody
likes a good conspiracy theory...NOT!

--

Brad Whitehurst    |   Aerospace Research Lab
[e-mail] |   We like it hot...and fast.

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

Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1992 17:17:36 GMT
From: James Davis Nicoll <[e-mail]>
Subject: Rush Limbaugh says problems with HST are a DoD hoax!
Newsgroups: sci.space

    I wonder if  Linbaugh's little pronouncement bears
more   similarity to Adamski's  saucers  or  Menken's  bathtub?

                        James Nicoll

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

Date: Fri, 04 Dec 92 07:56:24 PST
From: Jim Bowery <[e-mail]>
Subject: Rush Limbaugh says problems with HST are a DoD hoax!
Newsgroups: sci.space

[e-mail] (Ryan Korniloff) writes:

> The popular American radio personality Rush Limbaugh stated today that the
> problems with HSTs mirror are a Department of Defense hoax. He says that
> the DoD took over control of the HST program so they could study a strange
> radio source that could possibly be another civilization's radio
> emmisions. And that the DoD cooked up the story of the faulted mirror to
> cover up there actions.
> Rush has over 13 million listeners and has may connections into the goings
> ons of many behind-the-scenes happenings. I don't think that he would make
> such a statment without a reason to believe it is true.
> Could some NASA insiders shed some light on this!? This is a rather
> radical statement. I have followed the developments closely enough to know
This is consistent with other information pulses that have come out of
"spooky" sources in the past.  Sometimes "radical" information will come
out of a very credible/influential source and provide a discontinuity
which propogates through the culture.  By watching how it propogates,
it is possible to learn a lot about how critical information flows or
is ignored/suppressed in the culture.  That this sort of metainformation
would be of interest to certain groups should be obvious.

However, the frequency with which some of these sources (such as
 the NYT's Howard Blum) have recently begun using the "extraterrestrial"
angle on these pulses is consistent with some sort of conditioning.  As I
said in here about a year ago -- don't be surprised if some sort of
"extraterrestrial" encounter occurs very publically during a time of
crisis -- and retain skeptical posture if it does.

--
INTERNET:  [e-mail] (Jim Bowery)
UUCP:   ...!ryptyde!netlink!jim
NetLink Online Communications * Public Access in San Diego, CA [phone]

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

Date: 4 Dec 92 16:40:10 GMT
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Rush Limbaugh says problems with HST are a DoD hoax!
Newsgroups: sci.space

[e-mail] (Ryan Korniloff) writes:
>The popular American radio personality Rush Limbaugh stated today that the
>problems with HSTs mirror are a Department of Defense hoax. He says that
>the DoD took over control of the HST program so they could study a strange
>radio source that could possibly be another civilization's radio
>emmisions. And that the DoD cooked up the story of the faulted mirror to
>cover up there actions.
>Rush has over 13 million listeners and has may connections into the goings
>ons of many behind-the-scenes happenings. I don't think that he would make
>such a statment without a reason to believe it is true.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

This has to be the funniest article I have read on USENET in years.

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

Date: Fri, 04 Dec 92 17:24:03 EST
From: Tom <[e-mail]>
Subject: Rush Limbaugh sez...

>> Rush Limbaugh said [Dod using hubble to image radio-emitting ET's]

>There is no law against telling a lie on radio, television, or in the news-
>papers.  That's called freedom of the press.  But there ARE laws against
>calling someone a liar in public.  That's called libel or slander.

Yes, this was the source for the rumor I'd heard. For the record, Limbaugh
had neither a reference or a judgement regarding the truth of this
rumor.  He didn't say it was so, he identified it as a rumor.  I'd
like to learn where he heard it, though.  How does that person know?

>Not that I know anything specific about this, but how in the world
>would you use a _light_ telescope to look at _radio_ waves?
...
>There's no way that the frequencies of interest could be imaged with
>a telescope--visible light and radio have vastly different ranges.
...
>You can't see radio waves, can you?  How would Hubble do so?

No, you can't see radio waves, but maybe you can see the thing that
is emitting radio waves.

Many traditional radio astronomy sources would have been pretty
confusing if they didn't have an optical/IR/UV or some other component.
The Crab Pulsar and active galctic nuclei come to mind...

-Tommy Mac
-----------------------------============================================
Tom McWilliams              | What a tangled web we weave, when at   ". |
[e-mail]      |              ,  .first we .practice .*'  .|
[phone] -or- 353-2986|            '. '  . . to decieve    ,      |
a scrub Astronomy undergrad | After that, the  ,          +             |
at Michigan State University| improvement is tremendous! '.  , .'       |
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Date: 3 Dec 1992 09:55:34 GMT
From: "Dr.Savory" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Space suit research?
Newsgroups: sci.space

Pilots are required to use supplemental oxygen if exceeding 12,500 ft.  for
more  than  30  minutes.  Planes  going  above  10,000  ft. are required to
provide supplemental oxygen  to  passengers  if  no  cabin  pressurisation.
Personal  observation  as  a pilot :  I lose colour vision above 11000 feet
amsl at night; at 17,000 feet my fingernails turn blue, and at 21,000  feet
I get euphoric w/o the oxygen mask. I live at 700 ft amsl, BTW.

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Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1992 15:48:25 GMT
From: Edmund Hack <arabia!hack>
Subject: Voyager's "message"... What did it *say*?!?
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space

[e-mail] (Rick Miller, Linux Device Registrar) writes:
>
>Does anyone know (or know who knows, or where to find out) what the heck
>the "message" on Voyager's gold plate was supposed to 'mean'?  In case I'm
>naming the wrong vehicle, I'm talking about a rectangular plate on which
>is inscribed a man, a woman, a simplification of the vehicle itself, a
>chart of our solar system showing the vehicle's flight-plan, and a couple
>other things.

Johnny Carson reported a while after the probes went out (with the
records (and a cartridge to play themone each probe)) that an answer had c
ome back from space:

"Send more Chuck Berry!"
--
Edmund Hack - Lockheed Engineering & Sciences Co. - Houston, TX
[e-mail] - I speak only for myself, unless blah, blah..
"You know, I think we're all Bozos on this bus."
"Detail Dress Circuits" "Belt: Above A, Below B" "Close B ClothesMode"

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Date: 4 Dec 92 18:49:02 GMT
From: Mary Shafer <[e-mail]>
Subject: Voyager's "message"... What did it *say*?!?
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space

On Fri, 4 Dec 1992 15:48:25 GMT, [e-mail] (Edmund Hack) said:

EH> Johnny Carson reported a while after the probes went out (with the
EH> records (and a cartridge to play themone each probe)) that an answer had c
EH> ome back from space:

EH> "Send more Chuck Berry!"

It wasn't Johnny Carson, it was Saturday Night Live (Dan Ackroyd,
I think.)  I don't watch Johnny, but I do watch SNL.

--
Mary Shafer  DoD #0362 KotFR NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
[e-mail]                    Of course I don't speak for NASA
 "A MiG at your six is better than no MiG at all."  Unknown US fighter pilot

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End of Space Digest Volume 15 : Issue 506
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