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Date: Wed, 13 Jun 1990 01:28:48 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: SPACE Digest V11 #522

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 11 : Issue 522

Today's Topics:
           Payload Summary for 06/11/90 (Forwarded)
          Re: HAWAII/ROCKET very long - 61k
                Shuttle models
              Re: How about a hst group
             Re: Lichens on Mars?
           Payload Status for 06/12/90 (Forwarded)
Re: Public Perception Of Space (was Re: US/Soviet Planetary Activity)
                <None>
               units of measure

Administrivia:

    Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to
  [e-mail].  Other mail, esp. [un]subscription notices,
  should be sent to [e-mail], or, if urgent, to
             [e-mail]

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

Date: 12 Jun 90 16:37:01 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Payload Summary for 06/11/90 (Forwarded)


                                   Payload Status Report
                                   Kennedy Space Center
                                   Monday, June 11, 1990



          George H. Diller
          407/867-2468
          FTS 823-2468


          ULYSSES

               A Command and Data Flow Test was run Thursday and Friday,
          June 7-8, between the spacecraft in Hangar AO and the Jet
          Propulsion Laboratory via the MIL-71 Deep Space Network interface
          at KSC.  This test verified that JPL can send commands to and
          receive data from Ulysses.

               Spacecraft subsystem integrated testing has been completed.
          The tests of the spacecraft experiments are to begin this week.

               The Inertial Upper Stage for the mission is now scheduled to
          be delivered to the Vertical Processing Facility for storage the
          third week of June, slightly behind the original schedule.  As a
          precaution, selected avionics boxes which are from a component
          lot that did not pass tests at the Boeing IUS plant in Seattle
          are being changed out.

               The Payload Assist Module (PAM-S) spin balance has been
          completed and a total of 11 pounds of weights were added.




          GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY

               Preparations for a spacecraft pressurization demonstration
          test were completed early last week.

               An 84-hour end-to-end test was also performed last week
          between spacecraft and the GRO control center at Goddard Space
          Flight Center via the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-
          East).  Controllers verified their ability to load the spacecraft
          computers and to record and dump data.

               Preliminary orbit attitude control system tests are
          scheduled for today.

               On Wednesday there will be a pressurization test of the
          orbit attitude thrusters (OAT) which will be taken to 10% above
          flight level.  Then on Friday, June 15, there will be a partial
          loading of hydrazine attitude control propellant to wet the seals
          in the  thrusters which will allow these seals to seat.  This
          could reduce or eliminate a small amount of leakage in one of the
          thrusters which was detected in early testing.





          AC-69/CRRES

               The CRRES satellite is being mated to the payload adapter
          and placed on the ground transporter this week in preparation for
          encapsulation in the nose fairing on June 25.  The trip to Pad
          36-B is scheduled for the following day.  Satellite test
          equipment and ground telemetry equipment will be moved from the
          clean room to the blockhouse at Launch Complex 36 this week to
          prepare for launch pad testing and flight.

               The repair weld required for the Centaur #1 engine bell is
          complete.  This work was done as a result of damage inflicted by
          a mishap on May 30, resulting in a loose pressurized uncontrolled
          helium line.  It occurred during the helium pressurization for
          the countdown dress rehearsal at T-82 minutes, prior to loading
          the cryogenic propellants.  Other Centaur repairs and component
          replacement as a result of the mishap continue in work.  Repairs
          to the two holes in the interstage adapter began today.  The
          recovery work is on schedule.

               The Atlas Centaur will undergo a second Simulated Flight
          Test on Wednesday, June 13, which will exercise the launch
          vehicle components as they will be operating during ascent.  The
          countdown dress rehearsal re-test is scheduled for Tuesday, June
          19.  The vehicle will be fully fueled and all pre-launch
          countdown events are scheduled to occur up until ignition of the
          main engines.

               The launch of AC-69/CRRES is now targeted for July 9.

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

Date: 12 Jun 90 18:58:56 GMT
From: skipper![e-mail]  (Al Bowers)
Subject: Re: HAWAII/ROCKET very long - 61k

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Henry Spencer) writes:

>In article <1050400021@cdp> [e-mail] writes:
>>...Many of you
>>are currently working on projects that will indirectly kill
>>plants, animals and humans...

>Almost all of us indirectly kill both plants and animals whenever we sit
>down to dinner, get dressed, buy a new house, etc.  And anyone who uses
>major bridges or tall buildings in any way indirectly contributes to
>human deaths as well.  (Those things cost lives, not just money, to build
>and maintain.)

>Details matter.

Driving in your car, using any machine made product, the clothes you
wear, etc.  Henry got this one right on the head.  Everything costs,
what are you willing to pay?  Even `green' activities like rock
climbing, or hang gliding, or sailing, or...

Another opinion...

--
Albion H. Bowers  [e-mail]  ames!elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov!bowers

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

Date: 11 Jun 90 12:50:33 GMT
From: shlump.nac.dec.com!ryn.esg.dec.com!decvax.dec.com!jfcl.dec.com!imokay.dec.com![e-mail]  (Doug Borsom)
Subject: Shuttle models


A while back someone posted a question about shuttle models.

The June issue of "NASA Tech Briefs" carries an add for a 1/72 scale
space shuttle Discovery model ("... huge 13" wingspan and engraved
tile detail, movable rudder and flap, authentic NASA decals,
adjustable manipulator arm, opening cargo bay doors, and detailed
Spacelab payload. Molded in white.")

$22.95 + 3.50 postage and handling (NY residents add sales tax.)
Send check/money order to

               NASA Tech Briefs, Dept. F,
               41 East 42 Street
               New York, NY 10017

Credit card orders, call [phone]  (NY state: 212-490-3999)

I don't have any idea how good or not these models are, and I
have absolutely no connection with the vendors.

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

Date: 11 Jun 90 23:00:49 GMT
From: cs.utexas.edu!texbell!sugar!ficc![e-mail]  (jeff daiell)
Subject: Re: How about a hst group

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Dave Armbrust) writes:
> How about forming a new group for the Hubble Space Telescope.
>

We should definitely look into it.


Jeff


--

        " ... I have been guilty of several monographs."

                               --- Sherlock Holmes

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

Date: 12 Jun 90 13:00:44 GMT
From: mcsun!ukc!edcastle![e-mail]  (A J Cunningham)
Subject: Re: Lichens on Mars?

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Christopher Neufeld) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]> "Arnold G. Gill" <[e-mail]> writes:
>>In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Mark
>>SOKOLOWSKI) says:
>   The critical temperature of water is 374.1 degrees celcius. No liquid
>water can exist above this temperature.
>   Mark, am I missing something?

    Yes, pressure. Liquid water can be found at temperatures above
100 celcius if pressure is increased above atmospheric pressure.
        Tony
sorry
we
have
one
of
those
stupid
inews
things

--
Tony Cunningham, Edinburgh University Computing Service. [e-mail]

    Yuppies think I'm a wino 'cos I seem to have no class,
    Girls think I'm perverted 'cos I watch them as they pass.

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

Date: 12 Jun 90 16:38:06 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Payload Status for 06/12/90 (Forwarded)


    Daily Status/KSC Payload Management and Operations 06-12-90.


    - STS-35 ASTRO-1/BBXRT (at Pad-A) -

    Rollback support continues.


    - STS-40 SLS-1 (at O&C) -

    Electrical, mechanical and fluid preps for CITE testing
    continues.


    - STS-41 Ulysses (at ESA 60) -

    CITE MUE validation at the VPF and goal software debug at
    the O&C will be active today.


    - STS-42 IML-1 (at O&C) -

    Rack, floor, and module staging is continuing.


    - STS-45 Atlas-1 (at O&C) -

    Pallet cables, and plumbing will be installed today.


    - STS-46 TSS-1 (at O&C) -

    Removal of avionics components continues.


    - STS-47 Spacelab-J (at O&C) -

    Rack 11 staging continues.


    - STS- 55 SL-D2 (at O&C) -

    Rack 12 was installed in its shipping container on Monday
    for transport to Germany.  The actual shipment date is TBD.


    - STS-LON-3 HST M&R (at O&C) -

    MLI installation will be active today along with ORUC
    interface testing.

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

Date: 12 Jun 90 22:52:09 GMT
From: att!cbnewsh![e-mail]  (lawrence.m.geary)
Subject: Re: Public Perception Of Space (was Re: US/Soviet Planetary Activity)

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jon Bloom) writes:
>
>Mostly that's because the press presents it that way.  The media get the
>same info you enjoy reading (or more), but then they feel they have to
>make the information understandable to an eighth grader (the approximate
>reading level newspapers are pitched to).  The result is easy to read but
>with a near-zero information content.

True. But it's also probably accurate to say that most members of the press
have an understanding of science corresponding to eighth grade level, if that.
They studied journalism in college, not physics.

>To be fair, newspapers and electronic media are giving the public what
>they want.  Nobody cares if a new galaxy is discovered or high-resolution
>photos of the Jovian moons are obtained.

These things *are* reported, but they sound like this:

"Scientists report the discovery of a new galaxy in the Milky Way. It is
the largest object of its type ever found. The new galaxy is more than
six billion miles away." (End of report)

To say this has "near zero information content" is kind. CNN in fact has
a weekly series, "Science and Technology Today", consisting of a rundown
of the week's stories in these areas. But it tends to be superficial, full
of file film of researchers looking at "ls -l" listings, and a lot of the
filler material sounds like the sample I gave above. Ted Turner does seem
to have an interest in science, especially when it has international aspects,
and he and his network(s) would probably be the right vehicle for the kind
of program we would all like to see. But it takes more work than just
suggesting it or writing Ted a letter. You need a plan, a host, and most
important of all, a commercial sponsor.

--

Larry Geary: [e-mail] | Dislexics of the world, untie!
         [e-mail]         |

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

Date: 12 Jun 90 17:29:21 GMT
From: sdd.hp.com!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dali.cs.montana.edu!rpi!uupsi!pbs![e-mail]
Subject: <None>

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (David Anderman) writes:
> How many times is Spacecause going to ask us to support full funding for
> NASA projects? Isn't it about time for you people to face reality - that
> is: the way this country was developed (and is being developed)  is
> largely due to private companies making a profit? And as long as NASA
> remains a large bureaucracy, it will continue to stifle private
> investment.

Name one private company cabable of undertaking a manned mission to the moon,
let alone Mars, within the next few decades.  Most private investment schemes I
have heard about lately center around near Earth orbit projects such a remote
sensing satellites and Pegasus air-launched rockets to LEO.

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

Date: 12 Jun 90 04:53:22 GMT
From: sparkyfs!hercules!fernwood!portal!cup.portal.com![e-mail]  (John Paul Serafin)
Subject: units of measure

> >I'm not sure about new programs in general, but the official units for
> >the space station are imperial units, because of fears that astronauts
> >might forget how long a centimeter is in a crisis.


>   The official units may be imperial (or should that be American) but the
>writing is on the wall for this ridiculous system.  I just got a demonstration
>disk for Orbital Workbench and OrbitView PC orbit determination and display
>programs, and was happy to note that they were using SI units.  For anyone
>interested in these programs, contact Cygnus Engineering, 918 Leighton Way,
>Sunnyvale CA 94087 for information and a demonstration disk.
>--
>Bruce Dunn   Vancouver, Canada    [e-mail]

   The decision to use metric units in Orbital Workbench and OrbitView
was made after considerable debate and was initially favored in inverse
proportion to the amount of formal training and experience in aerospace
engineering.   It is also necesary to point out that we use metric units
rather than strict SI, e.g kilometers rather than meters.   It has always
been our intent to allow user settable units.   The realities of priority
and schedule did not allow this for the first release.   We did receive
criticism from a major aerospace company for not using the "English system",
"(ft, lbs, etc)" and that converting units was too difficult.   Since we
would probably have used nautical miles and slugs, they (& we) would have
still been out of luck.

   John Serafin                             Cygnus Engineering
   [e-mail]                     918 Leighton Way
                                            Sunnyvale, CA 94087-4911  USA
                                            [phone]

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

End of SPACE Digest V11 #522
*******************