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Subject: SPACE Digest V9 #519

SPACE Digest                                      Volume 9 : Issue 519

Today's Topics:
         Apollo program benefits (Forwarded)
           Re: HST update - from the horse's mouth
            Vaguely-space-related queries
             Final Frontier Summary V2,N3
             Final Frontier Summary V2,N1
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 26 Jun 89 23:36:54 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Apollo program benefits (Forwarded)


                                                   June 1989



                     APOLLO PROGRAM BENEFITS



     "We have taken to the moon the wealth of this nation, the
vision of its political leaders, the intelligence of its
scientists, the dedication of its engineers, the careful
craftsmanship of its workers and the enthusiastic support of its
people.

     "We have brought back rocks, and I think its a fair trade.
For just as the Rosetta Stone revealed the language of ancient
Egypt, so may these rocks unlock the mystery of the origin of the
moon and indeed, even of our Earth and solar system."

                   Michael Collins
                   Address to a joint session of Congress
                   Sept. 16, 1969

     Any discussion of the benefits of the Apollo program must be
considered a progress report to be continued in the 21st century.
That is true because the fullest application of scientific
research and technological development usually takes decades to
accomplish.  Nevertheless, in the 16 1/2 years since American
astronauts last walked on the Moon, Apollo's legacy already has
been profound.  That legacy includes both tangible and intangible
benefits for the United States and for all mankind.  Some of the
major areas of benefits are:

Environmental Consciousness

     The first photos of Earth from hundreds of thousands of
miles away were taken by the crew of Apollo 8, the first humans
to orbit the Moon.  Those photos depicted Earth as a bright blue
and white ball floating in a sea of darkness.  They reminded
people the world over of the fragility of planet Earth and of the
need to preserve and protect its resources.

Increased Technological Capability for the United States

     The "within the decade" goal of Apollo forced the advance of
technology at a more rapid rate than normal, some estimate at
twice the normal rate.  The new level of technological capability
resulted in a vast library of technological knowledge and know-
how, and rapid advances in electronic miniaturization,advanced
computers, remote sensing and other technologies.  The visible
spin-offs of Apollo technology already have already found
application in literally thousands of products, processes and
devices.  Indeed, new technology arising from the space program
has helped the United States maintain a lead in the world market
for aeronautic, computer, medical, electronic and other products.

Scientific Benefits

     The Apollo program increased our knowledge of the moon
beyond expectation.  We now know the moon's age, its gross
structure, its internal temperature and a good bit about its
composition.  Apollo provided new knowledge and techniques for
study of both Earth and the sun.  It produced a rich harvest of
knowledge in geology, astronomy, physics, biology and other
scientific fields and has taught us much about the evolution of
our own planet Earth.

National Self Confidence

     Apollo was a response to the Soviet challenge.  The success
of Apollo was viewed worldwide as the success of a democratic
free enterprise system over that of a society with a centrally
directed economic system and a tightly controlled population.  It
also demonstrated the inherent superiority of American
technology.  Thus, Apollo contributed significantly to restoring
American confidence and willingness to accept difficult
challenges.

International Relations

     Apollo continues to contribute greatly to international
cooperation and understanding.  The samples and data returned
from the moon have been shared with many nations and are still
being studied by scientists around the world.  The Apollo 11
landing on the moon had a tremendous psychological impact on
humanity.  It is estimated that billions of people watched by
satellite-relayed television.  This shared experienced, if only
for a relatively brief moment in time, provoked a feeling of
"oneness" of the human race and is a unique achievement of the
Apollo program.  In addition, people in emerging countries, where
forms of government were evolving, saw the American model of
government in a different light - one that could send people to
the moon while simultaneously providing a good life for its
ordinary citizens.

Economic Benefits

     Econometric studies estimate that Apollo returned five to
seven dollars to the United States' economy for every dollar
invested in it.  These returns came in the form of new
industries, new products, new processes and new jobs.

Conclusion

     Apollo did more than reach for the future.  It refreshed our
spirits and heightened the awareness of mankind of the human
potential and of our options as a species.

     For the United States, Apollo provided renewed confidence
that given the resolve, resources and commitment of a free people
the United States can lead mankind in the great human adventure
of space exploration.

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

Date: 26 Jun 89 14:04:44 GMT
From: calvin![e-mail]  (John Sahr)
Subject: Re: HST update - from the horse's mouth

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jim Sims) writes:
[comments on the problems of refurbishing the Hubble Space Telescope]
>                                         ....  And now, you back to where you
>started on the original deployment mission, except you've spent all that extra
>fuel to get here, are at a lower altitude than before, _and_ have a mandatory
>EVA if you want to reboost (to replace the solar panels). ugly. THIS is just
>ONE good reason we need a space station - drop by _anytime_ & fix the sucker..
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>    Jim Sims      Space Telescope Science Institute      Baltimore, MD
>             UUCP:  {arizona,decvax,hao,ihnp4}!noao!stsci!sims
>    ARPA:  [e-mail]                           SPAM:  STOSC::SIMS

In general, this is not such a good reason.  Many scientific satellites are
in polar orbits, and other satellites are in awkward orbits, such as
Molniya (highly elliptic) and geosynchronous (a ways further up the gravity
well, and more exposed to energetic particles in the magnetosphere).  If you
wanted to get something in polar orbit, starting from equatorial orbit, you
would have to change your velocity by at least 40% more than a ground launch.
If you go get a polar satellite, bring it to the space station,
give it a lube job, take it back to polar orbit, and then come back to the
space station, you will have changed enough velocity for 6 ground launches
into space.  If you fix a polar satellite in place, it will still take less
velocity change to get there from the ground than from the Space Station.

Of course, you don't have to fight the atmosphere, and you can use pretty
small engines, but you will spend a lot of fuel or reaction mass.

In fact, satellites seem to be pretty reliable.  Should we bill the Space
Station as a satellite fixer if the only satellite worth fixing was the HST?

(This argument was pointed out here some months back, but not by me)

my own opinions,of course


--
John Sahr,     Dept. of Electrical Eng., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
johns@{alfven,calvin}.ee.cornell.edu,  {rochester,cmcl2}!cornell!calvin!johns

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

Date:     Mon, 26 Jun 89 15:49:12 CDT
From: Will Martin <[e-mail]>
Subject:  Vaguely-space-related queries

There are several questions that have arisen in my mind based on postings in
the Space list over the past, and I solicit answers, comments, or explanations
from those out there who know about such things. They aren't specifically
and uniquely space-related, but the topics have all been mentioned here from
time to time:

1) Regarding X-ray astronomy -- the X-ray detectors must be placed into space,
either into orbit or on brief sounding-rocket flights, because the X-rays are
absorbed by the atmosphere and do not reach the surface. I accept that this is
*a good thing*, otherwise we probably never would have evolved past some sort
of radiation-hardened and -resistant lichen or the like... :-) But WHY are
X-rays absorbed by the atmosphere when they can penetrate materials that are
opaque to visible light? If light can get through the atmosphere and hit
the surface, one would expect X-rays to have even greater pepnetrating
ability. The answer is probably simple, but it is something I never happened
to run across in my reading, and I don't have the physics training to have
learned it in the past.

2) Regarding elementary particles -- one of their characteristics is called
"spin". Is this REALLY "spin" the way a top or gyroscope spins -- that is,
the particle is actually physically rotating in space? Or is it a term that
is convenient and used to describe a quality of the particle, like "charm".
"color", and "strangeness", which does NOT correspond with anything in
normal human experience?

(If "spin" really means that the particle is rotating, what happens when
you squeeze it between other particles? Does "friction" exist at the
subatomic level, and can you slow down the rotation? I thought "spin" existed
only in quantized units, so a particle has "spin" of 0, 1/2, 1, 3/2, etc.
[Or something like that.] Anyway, if you slowed the spin of a particle down
*slightly*, it would no longer have an exact multiple. Does the particle then
vanish in a *poof* of quarks or does the universe come to an end or what? :-)

3) The 11-year (or so) Solar Cycle -- I realize the duration of this cycle
varies, and the one we are in now seems to be a mite shorter than normal.
Do we know what causes this cycling? Is it some sort of resonance effect
from vibrations or "ringing" of the sun? (Like standing waves?) Or is
the mechanism behind these variations unknown?

4) Black hole temperature -- Are medium-sized black holes hot or cold? I have
read that small black holes would be very hot, putting out radiation, due to
the Hawking Effect and the tunnelling of particles through the event
horizon and the business of pairs of virtual particles being formed out
of the vacuum right by the event horizon, and one of the pair maybe being
sucked inside the hole, leaving the unmatched other particle to come out
as radiation. At some size, does this stop and the black hole become
very cold, being an infinite energy sink? [The main problem with a
black-hole-powered refrigerator is carrying it up the stairs... :-) ]

5) Neutronium and similar compressed matter -- is there any theoretical
way to keep compressed matter (the stuff that makes up white dwarfs and
neutron stars) compressed if a chunk of it could be brought away from
the intense gravity field of those bodies? Of would it expand
uncontrollably as the piece moves into regions of lower gravity? If it
could be kept compressed, what would it look like? I envision it as
looking something like lead, but that is just some sort of unreasoning
gut feel, not based on science. Would it actually be a perfect mirror?
If you touched this stuff, what would it feel like? I have an idea that
wouldn't be wise, but I'm not sure just what would happen to your finger...
Would it be a perfect conductor of heat and electricity, or a perfect
insulator? [I lean toward the latter -- electrons couldn't migrate
through it...]

Thanks for any info on the above topics!

Regards, Will Martin
"[e-mail]"

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

Date: 27 Jun 89 01:22:00 GMT
From: beowulf![e-mail]  (Chris Riley)
Subject: Final Frontier Summary V2,N3

Final Frontier, June 1989, Vol 2, No 3.
Final Frontier is published bi-monthly: Address: FF, P.O. Box 20089,
Minneapolis, MN 55420-9829.  $14.95 per year.
[I have no connection with FF except as a reader.]

"The Observator: The Vision Thing" by Congressman Robert S. Walker (R).
Mars, a lunar base, and the Space Station are not visions, but projects. The
U.S. needs to have a vision with projects leading to it.

"Spacefarers: Columbus Days" by Maura J. Mackowski
1992 has been named the International Space Year and the Columbus
Quincentennail.

"The Private Vector"
Pacific American Launch Systems and their Liberty launcher.
NASA wants private help to build a water tank to train astronauts
Turning over NASA field stations to the private sector.
Ariane Supersavers are aimed at mini-satellites.

"The Ultimate Vacation" by Jerome Richard
A complete guide to space tourism and space camps.

"Artificial Gravity" by C.J. Houtchens
Combating the effects of no gravity by various means including generating
your own.

"2015: The Age of Spaceplanes" by T.A. Heppenheimer
The United States, Europe, and Japan all have plans for space planes.

"Unveiling Venus" by Charles R. Pellegrino
Magellan is prepared for launch to Venus.

"STS-29 Mission File" Day by day coverage of the Discovery mission of
March 13 to March 18, 1989.

"Backyard Universe: The Happy Looker" by Blaine P. Friedlander
The Moonwatch 1988 was to use volunteers to detect where the first sliver
of the new moon was visible.

"Earthly Pursuits: Back in Time" by Vincent Kiernan
Airborne heat scanners developed by NASA help to find long lost ruins of
missions in Florida.

"Boundaries: The Case of the Missing Planet" by Beatrice S. Smith.
The case for planet X.

"Global Currents: Other Voices" by Jean Paschke.
Foreign coverage of shuttle launches.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Riley                                       [e-mail]
"From the moment the first flint was flaked, this landing was
 merely a matter of time." --W.H. Auden, "Moon Landing" 1969
-------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: 27 Jun 89 01:20:11 GMT
From: beowulf![e-mail]  (Chris Riley)
Subject: Final Frontier Summary V2,N1

Final Frontier, Feb 1989, Vol 2, No 1.
Final Frontier is published bi-monthly: Address: FF, P.O. Box 20089,
Minneapolis, MN 55420-9829.  $14.95 per year.
[I have no connection with FF except as a reader.]

"The Observatory: Confidence Regained" by Dan Rather.
A reprint of Rather's September 29, 1988 radio broadcast talking about
his reflections on the U.S. space program.

"Boundaries: Lunar Excavations" by Patricia Barnes-Svarney
A discussion of how excavation on the moon should be done.

"Global Currents: Japan's 'Town of the Stars" by Jack D. Kirwan
Usuda Japan wishes to become one of Japan's major space centers.

"Earthly Pursuits: Keeping an Eye on National Treasures" by Robert Moulton.
CCD technology developed at JPL is being used to monitor the health of
national documents.

"The Next Ten Years in Space"
A look at where we may be going.

"Hermes" by Robert M. Powers.
ESA's mini-shuttle will be one of Europes tickets into space.

"Patrick Baudry"
An interview with this French test pilot who flew on shuttle mission 51-G
and is currently heading the development of Hermes.

"We Have Liftoff!" by Dennis Chamberland
Inside launch control for Discovery's flight of September 29, 1988.

"Diary of a Cosmonaut" by Valentin Lebedev
Excerpts from Lebedev's diary from his more than 200 days in orbit on
Salyut 7 that began in May 1982.

Insert detailing space events that are to happen in 1989.


"To Jupiter and Mars, via Iceland" by Ron Miller
Space art.

"Spacefarers: Peace off Earth" by Maura J. Mackowski
An article about the Orbiting Unification Ring Satellite proposed by Arthur
Woods.

"The Private Vector: Banking on Tanks" by Robert Moulton
External tanks may be used by private companies.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Riley                                       [e-mail]
"From the moment the first flint was flaked, this landing was
 merely a matter of time." --W.H. Auden, "Moon Landing" 1969
-------------------------------------------------------------------

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

End of SPACE Digest V9 #519
*******************