Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V16_5/V16NO590.TXT

Internet Message Format | 1993-07-13 | 30KB

Date: Wed, 19 May 93 05:09:29
From: Space Digest maintainer <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Space Digest V16 #590
To: Space Digest Readers
Precedence: bulk


Space Digest                Wed, 19 May 93       Volume 16 : Issue 590

Today's Topics:
                  About the mercury program (2 msgs)
                           Armstrong's line
                               Billsats
                       DC-X Publicity (2 msgs)
                            Down in flames
                Draft of SSTO report language (2 msgs)
           Magellan to Test Aerobraking in Venus Atmosphere
                   Mars Observer Update - 05/18/93
                       murder in space (2 msgs)
        Neil Armstrong's first words (the real ones) (2 msgs)
                     Over zealous shuttle critics
 Space Marketing in SF (was: Space Marketing would not be wonderful!
                     Space Station current events
                        Super ZIp seperators.
  True value of the sky (was Re: Space Marketing would be wonderful
    Why we like DC-X (was Re: Shuttle 0-Defects & Bizarre? DC-X?)

    Welcome to the Space Digest!!  Please send your messages to
    "[e-mail]", and (un)subscription requests of the form
    "Subscribe Space <your name>" to one of these addresses: listserv@uga
    (BITNET), rice::boyle (SPAN/NSInet), utadnx::utspan::rice::boyle
    (THENET), or [e-mail] (Internet).
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 18 May 1993 11:56:08 -0400
From: Pat <[e-mail]>
Subject: About the mercury program
Newsgroups: sci.space

a few questions.

    When Glenn flew in Friendship 7,  he spotted a large
cloud of "fireflies".  What were they?

Also,  I believe he noticed an unusual rotation on his capsule
while in orbit,  was that gravity gradient stabilization?

Von Brauns  original plan was to have the capsule fully automatic,
with the occupants, performing a few bio experiments.  Glenn had some
trouble  with  a bad sensor  indicating a false  landing bag deploy
forcing a manual re-entry.  Cooper also had some electrical
problems and had to fly in by hand.   IF the manual systems
had not been put in at Wally schirra's insistence,  would they
have lost Coopers  flight?

Also there were 7 mercury astronauts, but i believe only
6 flights.  I think slayton didn't fly.  Why was his flight cancelled?

pat

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

Date: 18 May 1993 16:56:37 GMT
From: Pawel Moskalik <[e-mail]>
Subject: About the mercury program
Newsgroups: sci.space

   Slayton's flight has not been canceled. He has been medically
disqualified and replaced by the backup.

The seventh mission was still planned and i think that Sheppard
got a tentative assignment. The mission was later abandoned,
NASA decided that there is no need for it and it is better to
concentrate efforts on Gemini.


Pawel Moskalik

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

Date: Tue, 18 May 93 12:17:00 EDT
From: Tom <[e-mail]>
Subject: Armstrong's line

>> Robin Kenny (quoting N Armstrong), writes;
>>"That's one small step for (a) man, one damn leap for mankind!"

Dave corrects;
>"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind"

Whichever way he actually said it, it always struck me as backwards.  Shouldn't
the giant leap be for the individual, and the small step for the species?

-Tommy Mac
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom McWilliams 517-355-2178 wk   \ They communicated with the communists,
[e-mail] 336-9591 hm \ and pacified the pacifists. -TimBuk3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Tue, 18 May 93 12:27:38 EDT
From: Tom <[e-mail]>
Subject: Billsats

Jeffrey L. Cook sez;
>>This object would not interfere with anyone's enjoyment of the night sky
>>(it would be invisible at night), nor would it have any significant
>>impact on astronomical observations.  I suspect there must be some kind
>>of underlying agenda coming to the surface when, in spite of this, people
>>are so quick to shrilly denounce and condemn something that would so
>>vividly demonstrate the strength of Western capitalism.

Lazlo Nibble sez;
>Buying Lichtenstein and paving it over with ground glass would also
>"demonstrate the strength of Western capitalism", but that doesn't make it
>a particularly attractive idea.  Is that what this country has been reduced
>to?  The planetary equivalent of a guy who gets his penis out at parties?

Actually, paving ground glass over Lichtenstein wouldn't demonstrate the
strength of Western Capitalism, since it's strength depends on use of
the mind and materials in the fulfillment of needs and desires.  Mind you,
I'm not saying *no-one* would benefit from glassed-over land, but I don't
think anyone would actually pay for it, unlike the (potential) billsats.

I don't quite follow you on the part about someone exposing their genitals
at parties, but I got a chuckle from it anyway.  And I thought I had some
strange friends :-)

-Tommy Mac
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom McWilliams 517-355-2178 wk   \ They communicated with the communists,
[e-mail] 336-9591 hm \ and pacified the pacifists. -TimBuk3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: 18 May 1993 10:15:05 -0400
From: Matthew DeLuca <[e-mail]>
Subject: DC-X Publicity
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Steinn Sigurdsson) writes:
>In article <1t48no$[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Pat) writes:

>   Have the DC-X1, make an unscheduled landing at teh 50 yard
>   line during the halftime show of This years Superbowl.

>It is hard to know which would have greater impact on humanity,
>the incineration of the half-time entertainer on live TV (maybe
>pepsi could be a co-sponsor), or the effect of the exhaust footprint
>sweeping across the luxury seats at the 50 yard marker...


I think the most interesting part of the whole stunt would be watching the
DC-X1 burn its way through the covering of the Georgia Dome and maneuvering
to miss the supporting framework. :-)  The effects of the exhaust on the
Astroturf would be something else altogether...
--
Matthew DeLuca
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp:      ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!matthew
Internet: [e-mail]

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

Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 14:24:13 GMT
From: "Matthew R. Feulner" <[e-mail]>
Subject: DC-X Publicity
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Richard A. Schumacher) writes:
|>
|>
|> >   Have the DC-X1, make an unscheduled landing at teh 50 yard
|> >   line during the halftime show of This years Superbowl.
|>
|> Caltech undergrads are no doubt hard at work on this, but with
|> the landing in the Rose Bowl instead. Go Beavers!

They're goimg to have to compete with MIT trying to get it to land during
the Harvard-Yale game.

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

Date: Tue, 18 May 93 11:56:35 EDT
From: Tom <[e-mail]>
Subject: Down in flames

>>Fred responds:
>>>Hey, a gadget designed to make you barf and it's named PAT.  Now,
>>>that's so nigh-on to a perfect straight line that I can't pass up
>>>comment.  ;-)

>>This from the same guy that interprets anyone's jokes as 'flame-bait'.
>>Control your emotions, Fred.

>My emotions are fine, Tommy, but you seem to be having trouble with
>yours...

Not really.  I feel no compulsion to flame or insult people for little or
no reason, ad infinitum.

>[Once again, someone who calls sniping at me 'jokes' and my doing the
>same thing back 'flames'.  Shove it, Tommy.]

I didn't call anything 'jokes'.  You did, when you make comments like the
above, but then you get all bent if someone does the same towards you.
Wintess your referral to what they thought was joking as 'sniping'.  Why
the double standard?

-Tommy Mac
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom McWilliams 517-355-2178 wk   \ They communicated with the communists,
[e-mail] 336-9591 hm \ and pacified the pacifists. -TimBuk3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Tue, 18 May 1993 14:51:39 GMT
From: Keith Mancus <[e-mail]>
Subject: Draft of SSTO report language
Newsgroups: sci.space,talk.politics.space

In article <1t0sue$[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Pat) writes:
> The latest mcDac, brochure,  which by the way, they couldn't keep enough
> of at the AIAA meeting,  lists two different vehicle paths to
> the delta clipper.

> DC-X (which we all know and love by now)
> DC-XA  ( formerly known as the DC-X')  re-usable  sounding rocket.
> DC-1  ( 25,000 lb to LEO  SSRT)

> or
> DC_X
> DC-X2  (  1,000 lbs to LEO)  SSRT demonstrator.
> DC-1  (  as above)

> both have a specced  out now  DC-2,  40,000  lb to LEO
> medium lifter,  and some talk of a DC-3,  100K  heavy lifter.

  So what happened to DC-Y?  Is the DC-X2 just a renamed DC-X2?
Is DC-X2 manned?

--
| Keith Mancus    <[e-mail]>                                  |
| N5WVR                                                                 |
| "Black powder and alcohol, when your states and cities fall,          |
|  when your back's against the wall...." -Leslie Fish                  |

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

Date: 18 May 1993 12:05:41 -0400
From: Pat <[e-mail]>
Subject: Draft of SSTO report language
Newsgroups: sci.space,talk.politics.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Keith Mancus) writes:
|In article <1t0sue$[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Pat) writes:
|> The latest mcDac, brochure,  which by the way, they couldn't keep enough
|> of at the AIAA meeting,  lists two different vehicle paths to
|> the delta clipper.
|
|> DC-X (which we all know and love by now)
|> DC-XA  ( formerly known as the DC-X')  re-usable  sounding rocket.
|> DC-1  ( 25,000 lb to LEO  SSRT)
|
|> or
|> DC_X
|> DC-X2  (  1,000 lbs to LEO)  SSRT demonstrator.
|> DC-1  (  as above)
|
|> both have a specced  out now  DC-2,  40,000  lb to LEO
|> medium lifter,  and some talk of a DC-3,  100K  heavy lifter.
|
|  So what happened to DC-Y?  Is the DC-X2 just a renamed DC-X2?
|Is DC-X2 manned?
|


Ooops.  I think DC-Y is now DC-X2.

They now think that DC-XA  may teach enough lessons that they can
leapfrog the DC-Y,  and the XA  looks cheaper, faster,
and more likely to get funding.

I suspect they may end up going both routes,
get money from  SDI  for tHE XA,  and see about air force money for
the X2.

pat

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

Date: 18 May 1993 15:57 UT
From: Ron Baalke <[e-mail]>
Subject: Magellan to Test Aerobraking in Venus Atmosphere
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro,alt.sci.planetary

Paula Cleggett-Haleim
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone:  [phone])

Franklin O'Donnell
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
(Phone:  [phone])


RELEASE:  93-89

MAGELLAN TO TEST AEROBRAKING MANEUVER IN VENUS ATMOSPHERE

    NASA's Magellan spacecraft will dip into the atmosphere of Venus
beginning May 25 in a first-of-its-kind "aerobraking" maneuver, lowering the
spacecraft's orbit to start a new experiment.

    The aerobraking technique will use the drag created by Venus'
atmosphere to slow the spacecraft and circularize Magellan's orbit.  Currently
Magellan is looping around Venus in a highly elliptical orbit.

    "This aerobraking technique has never been used before on a NASA
planetary mission," said Douglas Griffith, Magellan project manager at NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

    "Magellan has been highly successful in completing all of its primary
mission goals," said Alphonso V. Diaz, Deputy Associate Administrator for
NASA's Office of Space Science.  "The new orbit will enhance the scientific
return from what is already one of NASA's most successful space science
missions."

    According to Griffith, aerobraking is the only way to make such a large
change in Magellan's orbit because the spacecraft does not have enough thruster
fuel onboard for the change.  "Although aerobraking creates some risk of losing
the spacecraft, the scientific benefits make the risk worthwhile," he said.

    The benefit of changing the orbit is to make possible better
measurements of Venus's gravity field, particularly at latitudes near the
planet poles, said Dr. R. Stephen Saunders of JPL, the Magellan Project
Scientist.

    For the past 8 months, Magellan has been collecting data on Venus'
gravity.  However, measurements from the current elliptical orbit are blurred
at high latitudes by the height of the spacecraft above the surface -- about
1,300 miles (2,100 kilometers) near the north pole and 1,700 miles (2,800
kilometers) near the south pole.

    Scientists also hope to study Venus's atmosphere using data collected
during the aerobraking experiment itself.  And another objective is to gain the
engineering experience that may allow future missions to use aerobraking to
enter planetary orbit or to change orbit without using large thrusters.

    Launched in May 1989, Magellan will complete its fourth 243-day orbital
cycle at Venus on May 25.  During each of the 8-month cycles, Magellan orbits
from north to south while the planet turns once underneath the spacecraft.

    During earlier cycles, Magellan used its radar to map Venus's surface
with a resolution as fine as 250 feet (75 meters).  Data was obtained on the
elevation slope, radar reflectivity and radar emissivity over 98 percent of
the planet.

    In the upcoming maneuver, flight controllers hope to lower the
spacecraft from a low point near 100 miles (170 kilometers) and high point of
5,300 miles (8,500 kilometers).  The target orbit is 125 by 375 miles (200 by
600 kilometers).  This would alter orbit time from 3-1/4 hours to 90 minutes.

    The aerobraking experiment will start at 1:30 p.m. EDT May 25, when the
spacecraft makes the first maneuver.  By controlling the orbit altitude, the
drag and heat generated on the spacecraft will be kept within tolerable limits.

    Completing the change will take about 80 days.  The short period of
drag on each orbit, a few minutes at the start to about 20 minutes near the
end, will lower the orbital high point by about 6 miles (10 kilometers) on
every orbit.

    Measuring Venus's gravity field permits scientists to measure the
pattern of heavier and lighter regions under the planet's surface.  It is the
only technique currently possible to look inside Venus and provides
information like that gained using seismometers to probe inside a planet.
Similar measurements on Earth helped reveal plate tectonics, Earth's
fundamental geologic process.

    "Without better measurements from a lower orbit, it would remain very
hard to understand Venus's internal geology and why it is so different from
Earth," said Saunders.

    JPL manages the Magellan mission for NASA's Office of Space Science,
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
-end-
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Never laugh at anyone's
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | dreams.
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     |

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

Date: 18 May 1993 16:39 UT
From: Ron Baalke <[e-mail]>
Subject: Mars Observer Update - 05/18/93
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro,alt.sci.planetary

Forwarded from the Mars Observer Project

                        MARS OBSERVER STATUS REPORT
                               May 18, 1993
                               9:00 AM PDT

Commanding to return the spacecraft to Array Normal Spin state was
completed at 11:43 PM last evening.  After spending several hours working
to clear up a problem with spacecraft receipt of uplinked commands, the
Flight Team successfully uplinked the Starex software fix at 5:21 PM.  The
command to go back to ANS was sent at 7:37 PM, and verification received
at 8:13 PM. ownlink was then set to the 2 kbps Engineering rate (uplink is
at 125 bps) via the HGA (High Gain Antenna).  All subsystems are performing
well.

With ANS verified, commands were sent to enable nominal momentum
unloading, the Starex reset script, and the battery management script.

Attitude Control subsystem and Flight Software engineers believe that the
Starex fix uplinked last night will correct the conditions which had
caused the spacecraft to enter Contingency Mode on several occasions.  The
Flight Team will be closely monitoring performance of celestial sensing
components to verify that desired results have been achieved.  The
Verification Test Laboratory has shown that the change made will produce
more accurate star and solar referencing.
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Never laugh at anyone's
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | dreams.
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     |

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

Date: 18 May 1993 12:38:57 -0400
From: Pat <[e-mail]>
Subject: murder in space
Newsgroups: sci.space

THe US now has Long Arm statutes,  that cover crimes against
Government personnell  anywhere,  anytime  and against
People on  US vessels.  I think it also inludes,  crimes against
US citizens  in International  areas,  including  AIrports.

pat

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

Date: Tue, 18 May 93 11:09:58 PDT
From: Max Nelson <[e-mail]>
Subject: Murder in space

Having had a few courses on space law, I guess I'll play a de facto
"expert:"

There are a few international treaties that address (somewhat) this issue,
and some US laws that do likewise.  The Liability Convention of 1973 states
in Article III that "In the event of damage being caused elsewhere than on
the surface of the Earth to a space object of one launching State or to
persons or property on board such a space object by a space object of
another launching State, the latter shall be liable only if the damage is
due to its fault or the fault of persons for whom it is responsible."
Clearly, murder of a citizen from 1 country by a citizen of another
represents damage caused to persons that is the fault of persons for whom
the first state is responsible.  However, Article IX states that "A claim
for compensation for damage shall be presented to a launching State through
diplomatic channels....It may also present its claim through the Secretary
General of the United Nations."  We are all familiar with the potential
difficulties in filing a claim in a diplomatic or international legal
venue.

Though the liability convention only loosely covers human activity, there
are rudimentary principles concerning human activity.  These include 14
C.F.R. 1214.702 which grants space shuttle commanders legal authority to
maintain order and discipline in flight; 18 U.S.C.A. 451 (West supp. 1988)
which extends U.S. criminal jurisdiction to outer space for some purposes.
The Ofice of Technology Assessment (OTA) issued a study entitled "Space
Stations and the Law: Selected Legal Issues" in 1986 if you are interested
in more information

Hope that helps.

Max Nels

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

Date: 18 May 93 11:49:59
From: Bob McGwier <[e-mail]>
Subject: Neil Armstrong's first words (the real ones)
Newsgroups: sci.space

Dave says Neil said:

"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind"

I agree with Dave.  Arts and Entertainment replied most of the major NBC
coverage in 1989 during the 20-th anniversary.  I have that on videotape.
NO I WILL NOT MAKE YOU A COPY.  I re-listened and agree with Dave.

Bob

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert W. McGwier                  | [e-mail]
Center for Communications Research | Interests: amateur radio, astronomy,golf
Princeton, N.J. 08520              | Asst Scoutmaster Troop 5700, Hightstown

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

Date: Mon, 17 May 1993 16:26:14 GMT
From: "Alan J. Filipski" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Neil Armstrong's first words (the real ones)
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

Here is a transcript (my own) of Neil Armstrong's first words on the
surface of the Moon. Taken from the NASA short film, "For all mankind"
of the Apollo 11:

   I'm gonna step off the LEM now. That's one small step for man, one
   giant leap for mankind."  "There seems to be no difficulty in

did he blow his line? did he really intend to say "one small step for *a*
man"?  It would read much better so, since "man", without the article,
is usually considered synonomous to "mankind".  Did armstrong ever
comment on this?


  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 ( Alan Filipski,  GTX Corp,  2390 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA )
 ( INTERNET: [e-mail]      UUCP: uunet!gtx!al         PHONE: [phone] )
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"One small step for man- no, wait, *a* man- oh shit, let's do another take."

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

Date: 18 May 1993 12:11:26 -0400
From: Pat <[e-mail]>
Subject: Over zealous shuttle critics
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Phil G. Fraering) writes:
>The shuttle will share another with the R-101.

What's teh R-101.

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

Date: 18 May 1993 16:10:41 GMT
From: Terry Morse <[e-mail]>
Subject: Space Marketing in SF (was: Space Marketing would not be wonderful!
Newsgroups: sci.environment,sci.astro,talk.environment,talk.politics.space,sci.space,rec.backcountry

>>This sounds reasonable *but* does anybody really know the intentions of
>>the Space Merchants? (hey, isn't that the name of a sci-fi novel by
>>Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth?)  Is it really their intention to
>>put the billboard into this type of orbit?  Isn't a lot more expensive
>>to put a satellite into a high inclination orbit?

>Since you brought up science fiction, try reading Asimov's "Buy Jupiter."
That>will put things into perspective.
>--
>Josh Hopkins                                          [e-mail]
>                    "Find a way or make one."
>                     -attributed to Hannibal

  As long as we're on the subject of commercialism in science fiction, also
read _The Rakehells of Heaven_, by John Boyd, to put it in even broader
perspective.

Terry Morse
[e-mail]

**************************************************************************

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. -- Emerson

Geez, I gotta have a REASON for everything? -- Calvin, imaginary friend of
     the tiger, Hobbes
**************************************************************************

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

Date: 18 May 1993 14:28:13 GMT
From: Andy Cohen <[e-mail]>
Subject: Space Station current events
Newsgroups: sci.space

News from "Space Station Progress," the newsletter to external groups--
Space Station completed development tests at temperatures as low as -75
degrees F of the system that will attach cryogenic tank modules to the
station.  Tank modules must be replaced as the station's oxygen and
nitrogen supply is depleted.  The attach system is remotely deployed and
the tank modules are installed and removed using robotics, with no need for
astronauts to work outside the station.  After the module is  positioned,
the attach system is remotely commanded to   structurally latch the module
to the station and connect electrical and fluid lines.

 Guidance, navigation, and control engineering made the first delivery of
prototype flight software to IBM, Houston.  MDA's "drop" contained 193 Ada
units with 10,800 source lines of code.  Future drops will provide the
entire guidance, navigation and control prototype code for mission build 2.


 Space Station has created an electronic database system with information
on each individual wire (pin-to-pin data, gauge, color, length, signal,
capacity).   With electronic data transfer, traditional hard mockups to
develop wire harnesses are no longer required.  Using the computer-aided
wire harness acceptance test procedure, electronic transfer of data has
reduced the time to produce test procedures from hours to minutes.

 Loral Vought Systems, Arlington, TX, successfully demonstrated the
deployment of an active thermal control system full-scale radiator unit.
The radiator extends approximately 75 feet behind the Space Station truss;
6 of these radiators are required to radiate the station's waste heat.  The
full-scale radiator unit engineering model, with flight-like scissors and
drive mechanisms, was extended from its collapsed launch configuration (3 x
9 x 11 ft) to its fully deployed, on-orbit configuration (1 in.-thick
panels with accompanying structure, 75 ft x11 ft).

 Visual cue data developed by MDA during robotic testing over the past
year were provided to Rocketdyne, Canoga Park, CA, for use in their
robotically compatible Space Station hardware activities.

 The University of Dayton (OH) Research Institute completed the
medium-velocity (3.5 to 5.5 kilometers per second) test series on the
Nextel ceramic fabric multi-shock shield concept for MDA's meteoroid and
debris shield analysis task.  The series augmented hypervelocity (near 7
kilometer per second) tests completed earlier.

 Martin Marietta, Camden, NJ, started final assembly of the transmitter /
receiver / controller development model.  The system provides up-conversion
and power amplification for the ku-band signal in the station's space-
to-ground subsystem.

 The developmental test model of the tracking receiver module  developed
and built by SPAR Aerospace Limited, Montreal, Canada, is ready for
acceptance test at Martin Marietta.  The tracking receiver is part of the
antenna controller assembly for the space-to-ground, ku-band communications
system.

(For those who don't know.....MDA stands for McDonnell Douglas Aerospace)

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

Date: 18 May 1993 12:34:37 -0400
From: Pat <[e-mail]>
Subject: Super ZIp seperators.
Newsgroups: sci.space

For those who are interested. Lockheed sells their patented
Contamination free  seperator.  Now I know fred's mind is too
small to accept this.  But i've handled the hardware.  It's

essentially 2  clevis  joints,  scored w ith  an acial
sealed tube,  which contains teh explosive.  THe tube expands
and breaks teh clevis's  open along a score line.

No gas products,  no scrap metal.  no contamination.

-----/\------
     @
-----\/-------

The bad ascii  graphic shows the sperator.  The at sign
is the explosive tube.   When the  tube expands it breaks
the scores  shown.  neat, clean, simple.

I realize that at least one person on the net, won't believe
this,  but if anyone else is interested,  I can try to go
into further detail.

pat

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

Date: 18 May 93 15:44:19 GMT
From: Terry Morse <[e-mail]>
Subject: True value of the sky (was Re: Space Marketing would be wonderful
Newsgroups: sci.environment,sci.astro,talk.environment,talk.politics.space,sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes:
>From: [e-mail] (fred j mccall 575-3539)
>Subject: Re: Space Marketing would be wonderfull.
>Date: Mon, 17 May 1993 22:30:00 GMT


>Hey, if you don't like it that much, don't get up until after sunrise
>and eat dinner around sunset.  You'll pretty much miss them entirely.

  Then I'd have to miss sunrise and sunset, some of the most beautiful parts
of the day.  Not a fair trade-off at all.

Terry

**************************************************************************

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. -- Emerson

Geez, I gotta have a REASON for everything? -- Calvin, imaginary friend of
     the tiger, Hobbes
**************************************************************************

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

Date: 18 May 1993 12:19:33 -0400
From: Pat <[e-mail]>
Subject: Why we like DC-X (was Re: Shuttle 0-Defects & Bizarre? DC-X?)
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes:
>
>>Considering the magnitude of loss of life in both the Moro Castle
>>and Titanic disasters,  I can't believe you can be so blithe
>>there fred.
>
>Can be blithe as all get out, Pat, because neither of those sinkings
>killed much in the way of bystanders and if the engines just quit on a
>ship, nothing much bad even happens to the people on it, usually.  Now
>try that with a 747.

Unless,  of course,  the engines quit during  heavy weather.
Don't assume Benign Failure Modes!   And besides  why are you
SO concerned about Bystnaders and not PAssengers  and cargo.
THe point of the ship may be to Haul  a $1G cargo,  don't you think
that if the ship screws up and losses it,  that that may be worth something?

PS  I don't know about 747's  but there have been several cases
of Total  Engine failure  in Passenger Carrying Long Haul jet aircraft.
Results have been mixed.   THere was the Midlands 737?  The Gimli
767,  SOmebody had a DC-9  bulk flame out.  plus at least
60?  incidents of all engines  power loss due to  Volcanic ash
ingestion.  Even a747 has a respectable glide ratio,  unless
it loses power at low altitude,  the pilot retains a fair degree
of control authority.

pat

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End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 590
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