Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V16_5/V16NO533.TXT

Internet Message Format | 1993-07-13 | 36KB

Date: Thu,  6 May 93 05:00:06
From: Space Digest maintainer <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Space Digest V16 #533
To: Space Digest Readers
Precedence: bulk


Space Digest                Thu,  6 May 93       Volume 16 : Issue 533

Today's Topics:
                            BBS in Space?
 Coriolis (was Re: ASTRONAUTS---What does weightlessness feel like?)
             HST Servicing Mission Scheduled for 11 Days
                         Info about JSC tours
                               Level 5?
                        P-Quest, Lunar Plaque
               Philosophy Quest.  How Boldly? (2 msgs)
                 Space Camps at Huntsville & Montreal
                             Space Debris
                              SSTO Alert
              Star Fleet Academy Space Science Education
                         Vandalizing the sky

    Welcome to the Space Digest!!  Please send your messages to
    "[e-mail]", and (un)subscription requests of the form
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    (THENET), or [e-mail] (Internet).
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 29 Apr 93 17:10:18 GMT
From: Ralph Buttigieg <[e-mail]>
Subject: BBS in Space?
Newsgroups: sci.space

G'day All

This is just an idea that has occurred to me. We can make telephone calls to
international aircraft via the imarasat satellite system. Can such calls be
made to an orbiting space craft? If it is possible perhaps we should see
what would be involved in setting up a BBS on Mir or an eventual
international Space Station. Reckon having a space station as part of fido
or Internet would be neat.

ta

Ralph

--- GoldED 2.41+
 * Origin: VULCAN'S WORLD - Sydney Australia [phone]  3:713/6
(3:713/635)

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

Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 15:46:10 GMT
From: Henry Spencer <[e-mail]>
Subject: Coriolis (was Re: ASTRONAUTS---What does weightlessness feel like?)
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.physics

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Craig "Powderkeg" DeForest) writes:
>I first experienced this in the `Shuttle ride' centrifuge at the
>Huntsville Space Museum, in Alabama -- it's a very good ride, as they've
>carefully removed all visible non-rotating reference points, and
>the bearings are quite smooth.  The only clue that you're rotating
>is the coriolis force.

The Huntsville ride is definitely pretty good.  Anybody know offhand what
the peak acceleration is?
--
SVR4 resembles a high-speed collision   | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
between SVR3 and SunOS.    - Dick Dunn  |  [e-mail]  utzoo!henry

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

Date: 3 May 93 16:29:04 GMT
From: Dani Eder <[e-mail]>
Subject: HST Servicing Mission Scheduled for 11 Days
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle,sci.astro

In the interest of spreading useful knowledge, the following data
about the HST repair mission are provided.  My source is the
"Shuttle Systems Weight and Performance" Status Report, 21 Jan 92.

The mission was known as "L33", and was listed as 5 crew for 8 days.
The altitude was 330 NM, and the inclination 28.45 degrees.

Listed Payload:            HST M&R
Payload weight            14001 lb
Lift Capability            27212
OMS propellant            25064
     (this is the largest value for any mission in the report)
MECO Targets
  - Alt                57 NM
  - Vel                26148 fps
  - Flight path angle        1.48 deg
Payload Components:
  - Fuselage Support Station    4183 lb
  - Repair Unit            9818 lb

(The first seems to be the workstand the HST will rest on while
 being repaired.  It has tilt and rotation capability, and can
 be used to lower the HST into the cargo bay if needed.  The
 second is probably the replacement parts for the HST, the tools
 needed, and carriers to hold all the stuff in the Shuttle
 cargo bay)

Other items of note carried:

Payload Bay keel camera        90 lb
Airlock Stowed Items        290

Dani Eder

--
Dani Eder/Meridian Investment Company/[phone](w)/232-7467(h)/
Rt.1, Box 188-2, Athens AL 35611/Location: 34deg 37' N 86deg 43' W +100m alt.

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

Date: 04 May 93 23:10 PDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Info about JSC tours
Newsgroups: sci.space

yes, nasa is slowly moving into the 20th century with handicapped access.
it's been many years since i visited jsc but some older nasa buildings
don't have elevators or ramps.
tom

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

Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 15:36:36 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Level 5?
Newsgroups: sci.space

: In <[e-mail]> Andrew Folkins writes:
: >A good description is chapter 4 of "Decline & Fall of the American
: >Programmer" by Edward Yourdon (ISBN 0-13-203670-3).  Basically, level 1 is
: >code hacking.  You don't know how long it will take, how much it will cost,
: >or how well it will work.   At level 2, you can create and usually meet
: >budgets and schedules, mostly though capable project management.  In level
: >3, the development process has been defined, formalized and written down,
: >process improvment is now possible.  Level 4 adds quantitative metrics to
: >measure the process.  Level 5 uses those statistics to optimize the
: >process.

Greg Stewart-Nicholls ([e-mail]) wrote:
:  How does this structure deal with those capable of producing working
: software on time, within budget, but don't have a 'process' ????

(I know I shouldn't laugh, but picture that: somebody from Big Blue
talking about "producing working software on time, within budget"!)

To answer Greg's question, if you don't have a process, you're hacking
at Level 1.  In our MIS shop, we're barely at Level 2 for some of our
projects, while we're at Level 1 for most.  We have one system which is
at Level 3.  (But that's OK -- it's just MIS, not flight software.  We
don't care if we waste the taxpayers' money here.)

One of the most difficult parts of implementing any kind of rational
software management approach in the space business is that rocket
scientists seem to think that bug-free code is developed by magic or by
hacking (which is amazingly similar to magic).  Many of our software
developers have the mind-set Greg demonstrates: "Why should we have a
'process' if we are capable of producing working software on time,
within budget?"

Of course, this applies to hardware development, too.  Why would a
machine shop need to document every step they perform during flight
hardware fabrication?  The answer to both questions is the same:
space flight requires very high reliability and tracability.  To
insure both, we must document the manufacturing process which leads
to the end products.

Picture this (this actually happened): a piece of flight hardware is
manufactured by process X, which leaves a little chemical residue.  The
part fails during the flight, and post-flight analysis reveals that the
chemical residue caused a problem in the space environment.  Without
documentation of the flight hardware production processes, it would be
impossible to go back and look at all flight hardware which was
manufactured using process X to insure that the problem won't happen
again.

Now picture a similar situation in software.  If we configure the
software to use a particular command sequence, and testing in the
Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) reveals problems with
the code, we need documentation of the flight software production
process to go back and look at all flight software which uses that
command sequence.

Nobody pretends that a high level of software engineering expertise is
not needed in flight software, but we have a thousand hackers
pretending to be software engineers who pretend that we don't need any
kind of process for software we use on the ground for simulations,
planning, communication, and program management.  The worst part is
the ignorance that such processes even exist.

Most of the programmers I know in the NASA community (and I know
literally thousands of them; it's my job) are hackers at heart and
don't know and/or don't care about using software engineering to create
code.  I don't imagine this is limited to NASA and its prime
contractors.  Software engineering is perceived as "too complicated"
and "too much overhead" and "too much work" to be useful in daily
hacking.

The Carnegie Mellon folks would do the software world a great service
if they could convince people that software manufacturing needs the
same level of professionalism and craftsmanship that high-rise
construction or high-precision tool-and-die manufacturing requires.
Possibly because of the BASIC programming language, and the evils of CS
101, almost every engineer thinks he can program, at least a little,
and thinks that's all there is to programming.  Most engineers and
managers have no clue what a true software professional does, and the
managers are unwilling to embrace -- and fund -- the unknown.

-- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
      [e-mail]  [phone]

     "NASA turns dreams into realities and makes science fiction
      into fact" -- Daniel S. Goldin, NASA Administrator

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

Date: Wed, 5 May 93 20:20:04 EET
From: [e-mail] (F.Baube[tm])
Subject: P-Quest, Lunar Plaque

From: Michael Nielsen <[e-mail]>
> Subject: Philosophy Quest.  How Boldly?
>
> I will argue the fact that every encounter between cultures
> on earth there has been one which is  more "powerful" than the
> other and it has been used to destroy the weaker culture, rather
> than co-existing with it. [..] I cannot recall a single instance
> in history where this has not happened.

Marco Polo, but only because he couldn't fit an army in his bags ?

From: [e-mail]
> Subject: Info about JSC tours
>
>                   "HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH
>                     FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON
>                            JULY 1969, A.D.
>                   WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND."

This is probably an old question, but I take it there was a
"contingency" plaque in case the launch was delayed into August ?

--
* Fred Baube (tm)         *  In times of intellectual ferment,
* [e-mail]       * advantage to him with the intellect
* #include <disclaimer.h> * most fermented !
* How is Frank Zappa doing ?
* May '68, Paris: It's Retrospective Time !!

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

Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 13:47:07 GMT
From: Doug Loss <[e-mail]>
Subject: Philosophy Quest.  How Boldly?
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Michael Nielsen) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (steve hix) writes:
>>[...]
>>
>>An alien culture stumbling over us will also have an immense impact on us, one
>>that might even destroy our culture, intentionally or not.
>>
>>It's not necessary that we force our culture on the others at all.
>
>    Yes however I will argue the fact that every encounter between
>cultures on earth there has been one which is  more "powerful" than the
>other and it has been used to destroy the weaker culture, rather than
>co-existing with it. (And it has been a choice to destroy the other
>culture in all the cases known to me), I cannot recall a single instance in
>history where this has not happened. (of course I am not a historian)
>
   What about the great Chinese trading expedition of the middle ages?
I'm a bit hazy on the details, but I think the Emperor commanded a
sailing expediton of hundreds of ships to travel east across the Indian
Ocean to explore.  It contacted African and Arabian civilizations (and
probably Indian too), then sailed home.  The decision from the Emperor
(or the bureaucracy) was that there was nothing to be gained from
continuing this venture.  China then went into a period of isolation
that wasn't broken till Europeans visited _them_, in the 18th century.
As I say, I'm hazy on the details, and would welcome corrections, but my
general point is that the more powerful Chinese culture neither
destroyed or coexisted with the contactees (I know the term has been
coopted by the UFO folks, but it's the correct one here), but ignored
them.  I suppose the argument could be made that the contact did change
the Chinese culture by making it isolationist.  That would then be an
effect of the "weaker" culture on the "stronger" one.  Interesting
thought.

Doug Loss
[e-mail]

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

Date: Wed, 05 May 1993 16:28:52 GMT
From: Randy King <[e-mail]>
Subject: Philosophy Quest.  How Boldly?
Newsgroups: sci.space

I have been loosely following this thread.  Everyone seems to presume that we will be
in control of the situation.  It is feasable that the aliens we encounter will want to
force their philosophies and religions on us.  Or perhaps they will want to assimilate
ours.  What if Columbus had decided to stay in America and live a simple existence with
the natives?  What if the American indians had discovered Europe first?

---------
I like what-if scenarios.  They can be so meaningless.

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

Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 13:08:14 GMT
From: Doug Dillhoff <[e-mail]>
Subject: Space Camps at Huntsville & Montreal
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Claudio Oliveira Egalon) writes:
>I am aware that the Space Camp in Huntsville has
>a 1-800 phone number.

Call 1-800-633-7280. I believe you select item 2 on the touch-tone list.

doug
--
Doug Dillhoff            Any opinions expressed are strictly my own.

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

Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 16:35:13 GMT
From: Farmer Ted <[e-mail]>
Subject: Space Debris
Newsgroups: sci.space

Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for info in space debris.

Rich

"The earth is a cradle of the mind. But, we cannot live forever in a cradle"
                K.E. Tsiolkovski
                Father of Russian Astronautics

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

Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 12:46:22 GMT
From: "Allen W. Sherzer" <[e-mail]>
Subject: SSTO Alert
Newsgroups: sci.space,talk.politics.space

An important vote on the future of SSTO is scheduled for May 19. The
House Armed Services Research and Technology subcommittee will be
marking up their authorization. Language supporting SSTO will be
proposed for the report.

Currently the situation is very fluid and the politics are not totally
worked out. However, we do need letters, phone calls, and faxes to the
Subcommittee chair (Rep. Schroeder). Please ask her to support the SSTO
language in the Authorization Bill. Her address is:

Patricia Schroeder (D-CO)
2208 RH
Washington DC 20515

Phone: [phone]
Fax:   [phone]

I'll post more details and another list of targets soon. Please be ready
to support this as well. Your efforts saved DC-X last year and the odds
of some sort of DC-X followon being built are good *IF* we lobby these
people equally hard.

  Allen

--
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Lady Astor:   "Sir, if you were my husband I would poison your coffee!"   |
| W. Churchill: "Madam, if you were my wife, I would drink it."             |
+----------------------42 DAYS TO FIRST FLIGHT OF DCX-----------------------+

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

Date: Wed, 5 May 1993 16:06:31 GMT
From: Jack Sarfatti <[e-mail]>
Subject: Star Fleet Academy Space Science Education
Newsgroups: sci.space

Followup information on Star Fleet Proposal for Presidio from
Jack Sarfatti
[phone]
e-mail: sarfatti@ well.sf.ca.us
2000 Broadway, #406
San Francisco, CA 94115

This proposal is being considered by Paramount Pictures and has been read by
editors at New York Times.  Your comments endoresments etc. would be most
welcome.

From moon!virtent.nbn.com!fox Sun Feb  7 18:22:57 1993
To: Starfleet
Subject: Starfleet Academy Proposal [part 1 of 1]
From: [e-mail] (David Fox)
Date: Sun, 07 Feb 93 18:00:30 -0800
X-Attached-File: Starfleet Academy.1 txt

---
David Fox                                  415 485-0882
Electric Eggplant Entertainment   Virtual Entertainment
[e-mail]                   [e-mail]


Starfleet Academy               February 7, 1993

) 1993 David Fox, Jack Sarfatti         page 1

) 1993 David Fox, Jack Sarfatti         page 1

Starfleet Academy               January 5, 1993

) 1993 David Fox and Jack Sarfatti              page 1

Virtual Entertainment
        11 Indian Rock Road
        San Anselmo, CA 94960
        Phone [phone]
        FAX [phone]

Starfleet Academy
David Fox
Jack Sarfatti
February 7, 1993

The Mission

The education America's youth receives through its public school system
has steadily eroded over the past several decades.  Various strategies have
been implemented to re-capture the students' imaginations and stimulate
their desire to learn.  These programs have enjoyed various levels of
success, but most are available only to a very few.  Things look
particularly bleak in mathematics and the "hard sciences."  Many people view
these subjects as "way too difficult to understand" and "just plain boring."

In addition to the inability of most instructors to inspire students'
success in the traditional curriculum areas, there are currently many "21st
Century" sciences being developed which will further tax their teaching
skills.  For example, theoretical physicists are seriously examining
problems previously considered to fall within the realm of Science Fiction.
This "New Physics" involves an exploration of time travel, faster than light
travel and communication, and telepathy.  Obviously, none of these subject
areas is being taught in even the most "forward thinking" educational
environments, and yet, research breakthroughs in any of these areas will
totally change the world as we know it.

We propose a new program be created to reach all students and provide
them with an entertaining and accessible way to learn about these fields.
This will be accomplished by creating an actual Starfleet Academy: a school,
or series of schools, where students can not only study subjects related to
space exploration, but also be immersed in the positive life lessons
featured in the Star Trek universe.  We will also create a multimedia
curriculum which can be used on home computers as well as at the Academy.

The Experience

Starfleet Academy is a 21st century version of the Boy or Girl Scouts
merged with a fully involving experience such as NASA's Space Camp.  Instead
of earning scout merit badges for starting fires and surviving in the
wilderness, Starfleet Cadets will earn insignias for mastering basic skills
in mathematics and physical science using programmed interactive multimedia
instruction and virtual reality simulations.  Whereas Space Camp is focused
on today's exploration of space, Starfleet will embrace science and the
future of science in general.

Although Starfleet Academy will start out small, after several years it
could very likely expand to many "campuses" throughout the world.  By
locating these campuses adjacent to Star Trek Virtual Reality Centers, a
wonderful synergy could be created.  In this way Cadets could practice what
they have learned at the Academy while participating in the VR simulation
games.  For example, a Cadet who has successfully completed Astro Navigation
courses could become the Enterprise's navigator and command the helm at a
much higher game level than someone coming in off the street.

The Cadets progress at their own speed in pursuit of promotions and
receive certifications as Science Officer, Medical Assistant, Android
Robotics Technician, Warp Drive Engineer, Holodeck Experience Designer,
Navigator, Pilot, Star Ship Command, Star Ship Design Engineer, Sub-Space
Communications Engineer, Inter-Species Negotiations, Galactic Ethics
Counselor, etc., all with increasing levels of difficulty (with benchmarks
appropriate to the age level of the participants).

Using Today's Technology

Starfleet Academy will be equipped with the latest in multimedia
workstations, virtual reality systems, science labs, video production
equipment as well as lecture/meeting rooms, and a theater.  As new Academies
spring up around the planet, they will be linked by high speed communication
equipment, thus facilitating multi-center simulation experiences.

But being in possession of the latest technology is not enough to insure
success.  Starfleet Academy will incorporate essential lessons learned from
the entertainment industry, especially computer games and participatory
theater.  For example, rather than lecturing a Cadet on theories of
direction vectors and gravitational effects, the Cadet would actually fly a
computer simulated starship.  Lessons on basic thrust and direction vectors,
electromagnetic and gravitational effects, and other factors have to
mastered for the Cadet to fly the ship successfully.  Interspersed with the
simulation will be pointers (in the form of animated demonstrations) on how
these various forces can be manipulated.  In other words, the Cadet has to
master the principles of physics in order to succeed.

We will be combining absolute state-of-the-art in graphic and audio
realism (or hyper-realism as the case may be), with the state-of-the-art in
our empirical and theoretical knowledge of the physical world.  It's a
revolutionary kind of "classroom" and it all boils down to this:  if a Cadet
wants to play these games successfully, he or she is really going to have to
learn something.  Not just pop some facts into short term memory so that
they can be regurgitated for an exam (as is so often the modus operandi in
traditional education) but to understand new information so that knowledge
is retained and able to be put into practical application).

It should be noted that Starfleet is not just about math and science.
Just as important are interpersonal skills.  Theater games and role playing
will be used to teach proficiency in communication, leadership, and
negotiation prowess.  Cadets will be presented with ethical dilemmas, not
unlike Captain Picard trying to enforce The Prime Directive, even if it
means the inevitable suffering of millions of people.  In order for these
ethical dilemmas to be elevated from mere mental exercises, Cadets will be
given roles to play and encouraged to improvise their solutions in dramatic
settings.  After choices have been made and the drama played out, Cadets
will discuss what happened, how they felt about the consequences of their
actions, and what other courses of action might have been available.  For
example, in the simulation, "Federation Foreign Service" -- you might be
assigned the role of Federation Ambassador, somewhere out in the far reaches
of the galaxy.  Before you embark on your mission, you must undergo an
intensive study of alien biology, psychology, sociology, language, religion,
and history, etc.  The other Cadets are assigned to be the citizens of the
alien race.  Any number of various "missions" are possible, as are a myriad
of "situations" within each mission.  As in life, each party has its own
agenda, with the role of the Ambassador dedicated to following the course of
action which best represents the greater interests of the Federation while
following The Prime Directive.

Use of the Facilities

During the weekday hours of 9 to 3, Starfleet Academy will only be open
to school field trips.  Visiting students will be presented with special
demonstrations and given access to the many computer and VR simulations.
After 3 o'clock and on weekends, Starfleet will be open to the general
public for drop-in visits and ongoing classes.

The "curriculum" for this after school usage might include guest
lecturers, film and video documentaries, hands-on computer and A/V
production training, "science projects," etc.  As always, however, the
emphasis would be on educational fun.  Field trips to a variety of corporate
and educational research facilities would be a regular part of the program.
During school holidays and summer vacations, extended programs will be
offered.  These may include day camps as well as resident camps.  It would
be interesting also, through user feedback, to encourage the kids to assist
in the development and evolution of Starfleet Academy's curriculum.

Curriculum

These are some examples of what could be included:

Computer science -- computer game design and programming, Virtual Reality
worldmaking, 3D modeling, ray tracing, computer animation, movie special
effects.

Fractals and chaos theory -- with applications to ecology, weather
prediction, behavior of financial markets, chaotic behavior of heart and
brain.

Classical mechanics -- emphasis on robotics, rocket propulsion and orbital
mechanics of space-flight in the solar system.

Sub-nuclear physics -- anti-matter propulsion of star ships of the
Galactic Class, "zero point quantum energy propulsion."

Astronomy -- planetary physics of the solar system and astrophysics of
stars, galaxies, clusters, dark matter.

Einstein's theories of curved spacetime -- including the big bang
creation of the universe, black holes, and wormhole time machines for
travel to past and future, alternate time probabilities.

Mind-matter interaction -- how we see, hear and think including evidence
for telepathy, precognition, psychokinesis; science, good, bad, or
bogus?

Other life forms -- terran animal intelligence, extra-terrestrial
intelligence, UFO research.

The New Physics

The last few years have seen several breakthroughs in physics that are
helping to make Star Trek real:

1.      Breakthrough in Einstein's general theory of relativity that
permits, in principle, time travel from present to future, and more
astounding, from future back to present or past, using "traversable
wormholes."  Time travel back in time can be done in a consistent way and
forms the basis for "warp drive."  There are a growing number of
publications in time travel physics in professional journals.

2.      Breakthrough in quantum physics showing a faster-than-light
connectedness. This quantum connection may be the link between mind and
matter.  Some physicists believe that the quantum connection may have
important practical applications which might eventually lead to "subspace
communication" and "beam transporter technology."

3.      Breakthrough in the understanding of randomness.  The new
mathematics of fractals shows hidden order in seemingly random processes
that are important in complex systems like the weather, the stock market,
the human brain and the human heart.

4.      Breakthroughs in high energy physics and cosmology suggest the
possibility of a new super-efficient rocket fuel using "dark matter."  This
application would permit the "impulse engines" of Starfleet.  Dark matter
would also be used to make the traversable wormholes of warp drive.

Source of Funding

Starfleet Academy could be set up as either "for profit" or as a non-
profit educational organization.   In either case, Cadets will pay to
participate, but the goal will be to turn no one away because of financial
hardship.  The Starfleet Academy would charge a nominal membership fee which
will entitle the Cadet to discounted use of its facilities as well as
reduced class fees.  Scholarships will be made available for the more
comprehensive programs, and rates will be on a sliding scale.  Additional
funding will be sought from technology-oriented companies.

Initial funding may be provided by Paramount in partnership with the
same technology companies.

Home Software

Another source of income will be the sale of home versions of Starfleet
Academy's software to the public.  Besides producing CD-ROM based multimedia
programs, we could create networkable programs that allow people at home to
participate in simulations taking place at their local Academy.

Project Phases

As we see it, these are the Starfleet Academy project's developmental
phases:

Phase I:  Research -- A one year research phase will be launched in which
we will:

1.      Become familiar with Paramount's organization, plans, and
capabilities, with the objective of integrating our expertise so as to
enhance our mutual objectives.

2.      Identify educational software already "in the can" that can be used
as is or further developed; visit innovative science and technology
museums, schools;  interview physicists, scientists, involved in
pertinent research.

3.      Identify technical and managerial talent to join our creative team
to design details of Starfleet Academy.

By the end of this period, we will have developed detailed plans for the
following successive phases.

Phase II:  Multimedia/home entertainment titles -- a production group
will be created to begin the creation of several titles for PC and
Macintosh.  Production will continue over several years, turning out 2-3
titles per year.

Phase III:  Pilot programs in a school -- concurrent with Phase II, an
in-school program will be developed teaching one or two subjects using the
ideas researched in Phase I.  These will be gradually increased both in
number of subjects covered, and the depth to which each is explored.
Multimedia software from Phase II will be used in this program.

Phase IV:  Virtual Reality projects -- we will work with the Star Trek
VR centers to develop educationally oriented simulations.

Phase V:  Short sessions  -- when we have developed enough of a
curriculum from the above phases, we can begin to have short, 1-2 week
sessions during school breaks and summer vacation.  These will be
equivalent to day camps.

Phase VI:  Establishment of a permanent facility -- this Phase could
be implemented 2-3 years from the inception of the program.

Chief Personnel

The following people will be involved in creating Starfleet Academy.
Each brings his expertise from many divergent fields.

Jack Sarfatti

Jack Sarfatti has a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of
California (Riverside 1969), an M.S. in physics also from the University of
California (San Diego, 1967) and a B.A. in physics from Cornell University
(1960).  He was an assistant professor of physics at San Diego State
University.  He was an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck College of the
University of London, a visiting scientist at UNESCO International Centre
for Theoretical Physics in Trieste Italy, and a visiting professor at the
Institute of Mathematics of UNICAMP in Brazil.

Jack has taught physics and math for the U.S. Navy and has recently
taught physics and math to 11th and 12th graders at a private high school.

Jack was the first director of the Esalen Physics Seminars in Big Sur in
the mid-seventies which nurtured the popular physics books, Space-Time and
Beyond, Tao of Physics, and The Dancing Wu Li Masters.

Jack was recently appointed to the Science Board of Academie
Universitaire Libre Mondiale; World University.

Jack is widely known for his visionary research on the outer limits of
the New Physics.

David Fox

David Fox and his wife Annie co-founded the world's first public-access
microcomputer center in 1977.  Marin Computer Center was a prototype for
bringing new technology to the public.  David is the co-author of Computer
Animation Primer, Armchair BASIC, and Pascal Primer.  In 1982 he became one
of the founding members of the Games Division at Lucasfilm Ltd. (now
LucasArts Games).  During his 10 year stay with LucasArts, he was the
designer, project leader, and one of the programmers for the games Rescue on
Fractalus!, Labyrinth, Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders, and Indiana
Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure.  He also worked on Maniac
Mansion as the primary script programmer.  During his last two years at
LucasArts he was the Manager of Entertainment Software on Mirage (a
collaboration between LucasArts and Hughes Aircraft Corporation).  This
multi-player, networked Virtual Reality entertainment system is intended for
theme parks.

David is now independently designing and producing children's CD-ROM
titles, writing books, and consulting with various entertainment companies
on Virtual Reality projects.

Scott Fisher

Scott Fisher attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where
he held a research fellowship at the Center for Advanced Visual Studies from
1974 to 1976 and was a member of the Architecture Machine Group from 1978 to
1982.  There he participated in development of the "Aspen Movie Map"
surrogate travel videodisk project and several stereoscopic display systems
for teleconferencing and telepresence applications.  He received the Master
of Science degree in Media Technology from MIT in 1981.  His research
interests focus primarily in stereoscopic imaging technologies, interactive
display environments and the development of media technology for
representing "first-person" sensory experience

From 1985 to 1990, Scott was Founder and Director of the Virtual
Environment Workstation Project (VIEW) at NASA's Ames Research Center in
which the objective was to develop a multisensory "virtual environment"
workstation for use in Space Station teleoperation, telepresence, and
automation activities.  Most recently, he has co-founded Telepresence
Research to continue research on first-person media, and to develop Virtual
Environment and Remote Presence systems and applications.  Prior to the Ames
Research Center, Scott has served as Research Scientist with Atari
Corporation's Sunnyvale Research Laboratory and has provided consulting
services for several other corporations in the areas of spatial imaging and
interactive display technology.  His work has been recognized
internationally in numerous invited presentations, professional publications
and by the popular media.  In addition, his stereoscopic imagery and artwork
has been exhibited in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

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

Date: Wed, 05 May 93 17:23:09 EDT
From: Tom <[e-mail]>
Subject: Vandalizing the sky

I wrote
>>I would guess that the best legal and moral basis for protest would
>>be violation of private property.  "I bought this house, out in
>>the boondocks, specifically to enjoy my hobby, amateur astronomy.  Now
>>this billboard has made that investment worthless, so I want the
>>price of the property, in damages."  It wouldn't take too many
>>succesful cases like that to make bill-sats prohibitively expensive.

Fred responds:
>Except for one small detail:  I thought it had already been
>established that this would interfere minimally, if at all, with even
>*professional* astronomers, much less with amateurs.  Damned difficult
>to win a case where you can't demonstrate damages, and I don't think
>complaining that your sky has been 'besmirched by vile mankind' is
>going to get you real far.

I don't recall the establishment of the lack of potential interference, but
if there is none, I'd agree there would be no point in pursuing compensation
for it.   I had no idea that you feel people are vile, Fred ;-)

-Tommy Mac
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Tom McWilliams 517-355-2178 wk   \ They communicated with the communists,
[e-mail] 336-9591 hm \ and pacified the pacifists. -TimBuk3
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End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 533
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