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Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #302

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 13 : Issue 302

Today's Topics:
              Re: Refuting Jules Verne?
             Shuttle Status for 03/18/91
            OSF News Briefing (Forwarded)
           Re: space news from Feb 4 AW&ST
             Genome Project talk
           Safety Panel Reports to NASA (Forwarded)
              Ulysses Update - 03/22/91
              Japan Moon Probes article

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

Date: 19 Mar 91 01:04:27 GMT
From: voder!pyramid!ctnews!unix386![e-mail]  (Ward Griffiths)
Subject: Re: Refuting Jules Verne?

[e-mail] writes:

>Does anyone know of a solid (read not UFO-logy) work done on the physics
>of Jules Verne's man-launching cannon?  I'm interested in the "g"s that
>the original crew would have experienced and just how far off the target
>the old boy was.
>    I've guessed that the required initial thrust would have been way too
>much for a human to survive?

Well, it's been a while since I read the book.  Like somewhere
around twenty years.  So it's possible that the one figure I
remember, the depth of the cannon, is incorrect.  Fine, take
it from me that an order of magnitude probably wouldn't make
enough difference to matter.

Depth of cannon: 900 feet.  I'll round this up to 275 meters.
Desired velocity: Close enough to 25,000 miles/hour as makes
little difference.  Round that down to 11,000 meters/second.

Using the standard formulae of V=AT and D=.5AT^2, the back
of my envelope gives an average acceleration prior to muzzle
ejection at 220,000 meters/seconds^2, with a total time in
the cannon of .05 seconds.  This gives an acceleration on the
order of 22,000 times the surface gravitational acceleration
that makes my chiropractor able to afford more Los Angeles
County real estate than I can.  I doubt that any of the
various high-gee tricks found in modern speculation, such as
immersion in oxygenated water, would mitigate this enough to
let an astronaut survive.

It's very possible I slipped a decimal somewhere, but this
should be within an order of magnitude or so.  I did round
earth gravitational acceleration to 10 m/sec^2, since I
really hate arithmetic.

--
          Ward Griffiths, Unisys NCG aka Convergent Technologies                The people that make Unisys' official opinions get paid more.  A LOT more.
===========================================================================          To Hell with "Only One Earth"!  Try "At Least One Solar System"!

"... the device every conqueror, yes every altruistic liberator should be    required to wear on his shield ... is a little girl and her kitten, at        ground    zero."                Captain Sir Dominic Flandry

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

Date: 18 Mar 91 23:37:52 GMT
From: agate!bionet!uwm.edu!caen!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Shuttle Status for 03/18/91


          KSC SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT - MONDAY, MAR. 18, 1991 - 10  a.m.

             STS-37/GAMMA RAY OBSERVATORY - ATLANTIS (OV 104) - PAD 39-A
                                   LAUNCH - APRIL

          WORK IN PROGRESS:
          - Helium signature test of three main engines and main propulsion
          system.
          - Preparations for the Countdown Demonstration Test.

          WORK COMPLETED:
          -  Installation  of  the  Gamma  Ray  Observatory  payload   into
          Atlantis's payload bay on Sunday.
          - Gimbal test of the right orbital maneuvering system engine.
          - Hot fire of the no. 3 auxiliary power unit.

          WORK SCHEDULED:
          - Countdown Demonstration Test March 19-20.
          - Launch Readiness Review March 21.

                     STS-39/DoD - DISCOVERY (OV 103) - OPF BAY 2
                           LAUNCH - LATE APRIL, EARLY MAY

          WORK IN PROGRESS:
          -  Replacement  of  the  external  tank  door hinge housings with
          modified beefed up housings from Columbia.
          - Thermal protection system operations.

          WORK COMPLETED:
          - Removal of the external tank door hinge housings on Saturday.


           STS-40/SPACELAB LIFE SCIENCES 1 - COLUMBIA (OV 102) - OPF BAY 1
                                    LAUNCH - MAY

          WORK IN PROGRESS:
          - Tests of the power reactant storage and distribution system.
          - Potable water servicing.
          - Auxiliary power unit water servicing.
          - Orbital maneuvering system pod functional tests.
          - Water spray boiler leak and functional test.
          - Thermal protection system operations.

          WORK SCHEDULED:
          - Installation of the three main engines pending weather.

          WORK COMPLETED:
          - Connection of the no. 2 auxiliary power unit fuel line.
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Jet Propulsion Lab |
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   M/S 301-355        | Change is constant.
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  Pasadena, CA 91109 |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                      |

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

Date: 18 Mar 91 23:40:55 GMT
From: agate!bionet!uwm.edu!caen!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: OSF News Briefing (Forwarded)

N91-18

MONTHLY SPACE FLIGHT BRIEFING SET FOR MARCH 20

        The Office of Space Flight monthly press briefing will take place
Wednesday, March 20, from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. EST.  The briefing will be
held in Room 425, NASA building 10-B, 600 Independence Ave., S.W.

        Participating in the briefing will be Dr. William Lenoir, Associate
Administrator for Space Flight; Robert Crippen, Director, Space Shuttle; and
Richard Kohrs, Director, Space Station Freedom.
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Jet Propulsion Lab |
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   M/S 301-355        | Change is constant.
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  Pasadena, CA 91109 |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                      |

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

Date: 14 Mar 91 07:00:00 GMT
From: agate!linus!philabs!ttidca!quad1!bohica!mcws!p0.f851.n102.z1.fidonet.org![e-mail]  (Greg Titus)
Subject: Re: space news from Feb 4 AW&ST

From: [e-mail] (Greg Titus)
Path: wciu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!timbuk!sequoia!gbt
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: space news from Feb 4 AW&ST
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 13 Mar 91 23:00:21 GMT
In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Fraering Philip) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Henry Spencer) writes:
>
>>Martin Marietta and Bechtel are scrambling to get pad 40 at the Cape
>>rebuilt in time for the Mars Observer launch in Sept 1992.
>
>What sort of other work does Bechtel do in the aerospace field?  ...
>... Do they mainly do launch complex
                              ^^^^^^^
>construction, or what?
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^
>

Missed it by one word.  ;-)   They do complex construction.

greg
--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Greg Titus ([e-mail])             Compiler Group (Ada)
Cray Research, Inc.                               Santa Fe, NM
Opinions expressed herein (such as they are) are purely my own.


--
: Greg Titus - via FidoNet node 1:102/851 [phone]
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------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Mar 91 19:05:39 EST
From: John Roberts <[e-mail]>
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of the sender
    and do not reflect NIST policy or agreement.
Subject: Genome Project talk



[The following is space-related only in the context that recent discussions
have implied that the DOE labs must be considered useless for anything except
nuclear physics and plasma dynamics, so items like LLNL's Great Exploration
proposal can be dismissed out of hand. Critics have similarly argued that
LANL doesn't know anything about biology, and thus should keep out of the
human genome project. I happen to feel that astonishingly enough, talented
people often have or can develop talent in more than one area, and that we
should take breakthroughs where we can find them, and not be so sensitive
about "traditional" roles. Genome mapping is also of potential use for space
medicine, Keith Henson's medical nanomachines, etc. - JWR]

............................................................................

NIST COLLOQUIUM SERIES

Rapid DNA Sequencing by Single Molecule Detection

Richard A. Keller
Los Alamos National Laboratory

Friday, March 22, 1991, 10:30 a.m.
Green Auditorium, Administration Building
(NIST, Gaithersburg, MD)

Sequencing the human genome requires listing in order the four different
bases that make up DNA, all 3 billion of them. The ability to sequence
large fragments of the DNA molecule... is a major need in DNA mapping.
Dr. Keller, a senior scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, is
developing a rapid technique to sequence 40kb or larger fragments of DNA at
a rate of 100 to 1000 bases per second. The approach relies on fluorescent
labeling of the bases in a single fragment of DNA and detection by
fluorescence. Dr. Keller will describe this new technique and give an overview
of the genome project from the DOE perspective.

[Note: increased security measures still in effect, so presumably no admission
without prior approval.]
     John Roberts
     [e-mail]

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

Date: 20 Mar 91 01:14:49 GMT
From: elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Safety Panel Reports to NASA (Forwarded)

Dwayne C. Brown
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                                                         March 20, 1991
(Phone:  [phone])

N91-19

AEROSPACE SAFETY ADVISORY PANEL TO PRESENT REPORT TO NASA

        The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) will present its annual
report to NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly on March 22, 1991, in room 7002,
NASA Headquarters, 400 Maryland Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. at 1:30 p.m. EST.

        The ASAP was established in the aftermath of the Apollo Command and
Service Module spacecraft fire, Jan. 27, 1967.  Shortly thereafter, Congress
enacted legislation to establish the ASAP as a senior advisory committee to
NASA.

        The panel reviews, evaluates and advises the NASA Administrator on
present and future NASA programs and activities.  Priority is given to programs
that involve the safety of manned flight.

        Copies of the ASAP report will be distributed at the meeting and will
be available in the NASA Headquarters Newsroom (202/453-8400).
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Jet Propulsion Lab |
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   M/S 301-355        | Change is constant.
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  Pasadena, CA 91109 |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                      |

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

Date: 22 Mar 91 17:33:23 GMT
From: magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Ulysses Update - 03/22/91


                     ULYSSES STATUS REPORT
                         March 22, 1991

     Today, the Ulysses spacecraft is approximately 306 million kilometers (190
million miles) from Earth, traveling at a heliocentric velocity of 90,000
kilometers per hour (55,800 miles per hour).  By April 14, the spacecraft will
have completed half of its journey to Jupiter.  Ulysses is approximately
429 million kilometers (267 million miles) away from the giant planet.

     Ulysses continued on a smooth course through the ecliptic plane this week
with routine spacecraft operations and science observations.  Mission
controllers performed a routine precession maneuver yesterday to improve the
Earth-pointing of the spacecraft's High Gain Antenna.  The spacecraft remains
in good condition.  No recurrence of the wobble that was caused by uneven solar
heating of the axial boom has been detected.  Controllers do not expect a
recurrence of the motion until 1994, when the spacecraft is in the region of
the sun's south pole.
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Jet Propulsion Lab |
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   M/S 301-355        | Change is constant.
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  Pasadena, CA 91109 |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                      |

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

Date: 22 Mar 91 07:29:49 GMT
From: magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Japan Moon Probes article

Washington Times -- 3/21/91
"Japan To Send Probes to Surface of Moon"

"Japan endorsed yesterday plans to send a satellite into orbit
around the moon and drop probes to study the genesis of 'moon
quakes.'"

The Times says the $100 million mission would make the
Japanese the third group to land a probe on the moon, after the
U.S. and the Soviet Union.  The story says the probes will be
ready in Spring, 1996.
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Jet Propulsion Lab |
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   M/S 301-355        | Change is constant.
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  Pasadena, CA 91109 |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                      |

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

End of SPACE Digest V13 #302
*******************