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Date: Fri, 27 Nov 92 05:00:04
From: Space Digest maintainer <digests@isu.isunet.edu>
Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu
Subject: Space Digest V15 #462
To: Space Digest Readers
Precedence: bulk
Space Digest Fri, 27 Nov 92 Volume 15 : Issue 462
Today's Topics:
Astro-FTP list, November issue
Computer synchronisation by GPS
Data on Stars in the vicinity of earth
Environmental group
GE Aerospace status?
Kuiper belt planetesimals and Planet X claim
Large inflatable/foamed space structures
New Gaspra data, Earth pix (was Re: Galileo Update - 11/24/9
Pumpless Liquid Rocket?
Satellite of the Month
Shuttle replacement
Stars listing...
Untested O-Rings
What comes after DC-1 (2 msgs)
Welcome to the Space Digest!! Please send your messages to
"space@isu.isunet.edu", 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 space-REQUEST@isu.isunet.edu (Internet).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 26 Nov 92 10:10:55 GMT
From: M{kel{ Veikko <pvtmakela@hylkn1.Helsinki.FI>
Subject: Astro-FTP list, November issue
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space
#
# A S T R O - F T P L I S T
# Updated 28.10.1992
#
# This is a short description of anonymous-ftp file servers containing
# astronomy and space research related material. I have included only those
# servers where there are special subdirectories for astro stuff or much
# material included into a general directories. This list is not a complete
# data set of possible places, so I would be very happy of all kind of notices
# and information depending on this listing.
#
# The newest version of this file is available via anonymous-ftp as:
#
# nic.funet.fi:/pub/astro/general/astroftp.txt
#
# There are also many mirror (copy) archives for simtel-20.army.mil (PC) and
# sumex-aim.stanford.edu (Mac) which are not included into this list. Only some
# of mirroring sites are listed.
#
#
# Veikko Makela
# Veikko.Makela@Helsinki.FI
# *Computing Centre of Univ. Helsinki*
# *Ursa Astronomical Association*
# Server, IP # Contents
# Directories
akiu.gw.tohoku.ac.jp images
130.34.8.9
/pub/gif/astro
/pub/gif/nasa
ames.arc.nasa.gov spacecraf data and news,images,NASA data,
128.102.18.3 Spacelink texts,VICAR software,FAQ,
/pub/SPACE mandarin.mit.edu c.
atari.archive.umich.edu Atari
141.211.164.8
/atari/applications/astronomy
archive.afit.af.mil Satellite software,documents,elements
129.92.1.66
/pub/space
baboon.cv.nrao.edu AIPS document and patches,radioastronomy
192.33.115.103 image processing,FITS test images
/pub/aips
c.scs.uiuc.edu ROSAT,Starchart(PC)
128.174.90.3
/pub
capella.eetech.mcgill.ca garbo.uwasa.fi c.,archive.umich.edu c.,
132.206.1.17 other mirrors
/wuarchive/mirrors3/
ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz PC
130.216.1.5
/msdos/astronomy (*) overseas connections refused
chara.gsu.edu Electronical Journal of ASA
131.96.5.10
/asa
daisy.learning.cs.cmu.edu Space technology texts
128.2.218.26
/public/space-tech
epona.physics.ucg.ie Some software,predictions,images
140.203.1.3
/pub/astro
/pub/space/pics
fits.cx.nrao.edu FITS propotionals,radio-cdrom,radio images
192.33.115.8
/FITS/doc
ftp.cco.caltech.edu Astronomy magazine index 1991
131.215.48.200
/pub/misc
ftp.cs.tu-berlin.de PC,Amiga,general
130.149.17.7
/pub/astro
ftp.funet.fi PC,Mac,CP/M,Atari,Amiga,databases,Unix,
128.214.6.100 HP48,OS/2,texts,News,solar reports,images,
/pub/astro Satellite elements
ftp.uni-kl.de iauc,Vista image reduction,asteroids
131.246.9.95
/pub/astro
garbo.uwasa.fi PC
128.214.87.1
/pc/astronomy
gipsy.vmars.tuwien.ac.at images
128.130.39.16
/pub/spacegifs
hanauma.stanford.edu Unix,misc
36.51.0.16
/pub/astro
ics.uci.edu images
128.195.1.1
/astro
idlastro.gsfc.nasa.gov IDL routines
128.183.57.82
/
iear.arts.rpi.edu images
128.113.6.10
/pub/graphics/astro
iraf.noao.edu IRAF Software
140.252.1.1
/iraf
iris1.ucis.dal.ca images
129.173.18.107
/pub/gif
julius.cs.qub.ac.uk Space Digest
143.117.5.6
/pub/SpaceDigestArchive
kauri.vuw.ac.nz Astrophysical software
130.195.11.3
/pub/astrophys
kilroy.jpl.nasa.gov Satellite elements,spacecraft info
128.149.1.165
/pub/space
lowell.edu Vista image reduction
192.103.11.2
/pub/vista
mandarin.mit.edu Comets,asteroids,SAC,databases,Ephem,PC
18.82.0.21
/astro
minnehaha.rhrk.uni-kl.de Starchart,iauc index
131.246.9.116
/pub/astro
mcshh.hanse.de PC
192.76.134.1
/pub/msdos/astronom
nachos.ssesco.com Satellite elements
192.55.187.18
/sat_elements
ns3.hq.eso.org Test images
134.171.11.4
/pub/testimages
nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov HST,IUE,Astro-1,NSSDCA info,Spacewarn,
128.183.36.23 FITS standard
/
osgate0.mei.co.jp images
132.182.49.2
/free/others/SPACE
pioneer.unm.edu spacecraf data,catalogs,image processing
129.24.9.217
/
plaza.aarnet.edu.au images,docs,garbo.uwasa.fi c.
139.130.4.6
/graphics/graphics/astro
/micros/pc/garbo/astronomy
pomona.claremont.edu Yale Bright Star Catalog
134.173.4.160
/YALE_BSC
puffin.doc.ic.ac.uk archive.umich.edu c.,other mirrors
146.169.3.7
/mac/umich/graphics/astronomy
ra.nrl.navy.mil Mac
128.60.0.21
/MacSciTech/astro
rascal.ics.utexas.edu Mac
128.83.138.20
/mac
rigel.acs.oakland.edu PC
141.210.10.117
/pub/msdos/astronomy
rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de Atari
129.69.1.12
/soft/atari/applications/astronomy
scavengerhunt.rs.itd.umich.edu Mac
141.211.164.153
/mac/graphics/astronomy
simtel20.army.mil PC,CP/M
192.88.110.20
/msdos/educ
/cpm
sol.deakin.oz.au garbo.uwasa.fi c.
128.184.1.1
/pub/PC/chyde/astronomy
sola.fcit.monash.edu.au HP48
130.194.224.224
/HP48/seq/astronomy
/HP48/seq/misc
solar.stanford.edu Solar reports
36.10.0.4
/pub
solbourne.solbourne.com some PC programs
141.138.2.2
/pub/rp/as-is/astro
stardent.arc.nasa.gov Martian map
128.102.21.44
/pub
stsci.edu HSTMap(Mac),HST info
130.167.1.2
/Software
sumex.stanford.edu Mac
36.44.0.6
/info-mac/app
sun0.urz.uni-heidelberg.de PC,misc
129.206.100.126
/pub/msdos/astronomy
tetra.gsfc.nasa.gov FITSIO subroutines
128.183.8.77
/pub/fitsio
unbmvs1.csd.unb.ca Space geodesy,solar activity info
131.202.1.2
pub.canspace
vab02.larc.nasa.gov images
128.155.23.47
/gifs/space
vmd.cso.uiuc.edu Weather satellite images
128.174.5.98
/wx
xi.uleth.ca Solar reports,auroral activity forecast
142.66.3.29 maps,solar images,x-ray plot,coronal
/pub/solar emission plots
# Some abbreviations:
#
# c = copy (mirror) of other archive
# -----
# My other e-communication projects:
# * E-mail contact addresses of interest groups in amateur astronomy
# * European astronomy and space-related bulletin boards
# * E-mail catalogue of Finnish amateur astronomers
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1992 09:02:49 GMT
From: "David A. Boulton" <boulton@netcom.com>
Subject: Computer synchronisation by GPS
Newsgroups: sci.space
In article <jeuck.38.0@unix.sri.com> jeuck@unix.sri.com (Philip Jeuck) writes:
>
>An interesting footnote to this is GPS time is exactly 8 seconds ahead
>(behind?) UTC time. I have never seen an explanation of why. Most GPS
>clocks correct for this and report UTC time but not all navigation units
>correct for it. So if you have a receiver that was meant for positioning
>you might not want to use it for timing without checking it against WWV or
>some other source of UTC.
>Phil Jeuck
>jeuck@unix.sri.com
GPS is primarily intended as a navigation system, with time transfer
as a useful byproduct. UTC adds leap seconds to maintain sync with the
length of the day . This would be very annoying to a navigation
receiver trying to track satellites. So in GPS time, leap seconds
don't exist. The time difference is the amount of 'leap' that has
accrued since the beginning of the GPS time epoch (back in the late
1970's).
The current delta between UTC and GPS time is sent as part of the GPS data
stream, so any receiver that doesn't show correct UTC is simply too
stupid to live. Complain to your manufacturer.
-- Dave
--
-- David A. Boulton | knowledge is just a polite
-- boulton@netcom.com | term for dead,
-- Peregrine Associates | but not buried imagination.
-- POB 1385 Redwood City, CA 94064 | -- e.e. cummings
------------------------------
Date: 26 Nov 92 10:06:26 GMT
From: M{kel{ Veikko <pvtmakela@hylkn1.Helsinki.FI>
Subject: Data on Stars in the vicinity of earth
Newsgroups: sci.space
In article <ByADqI.2Hz.1@cs.cmu.edu> ganderson@nebula.decnet.lockheed.com
writes:
> My slow brain remembered, after I deleted the message, that a
> person named M. Veikko from Finland posted a message to this
> group about FTP sources of all sorts of information.
You mean my astro-FTP listing... I apologize net people, I have
again forgot to post the list into this newgroups. I'll do that
very soon.
The astro-FTP list, a listing FTP sites with astronomical and space-
related stuff is available via FTP (of course) in:
ftp.funet.fi:pub/astro/general/astroftp.txt
Regars,
Veikko Makela
Computing Centre
Univ. of Helsinki
Finland
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 92 11:24:15 EST
From: John Roberts <roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov>
Subject: Environmental group
-Subject: Re: Environmental group to sue NASA to stop rocket motor fuel testing
-Date: 24 Nov 92 18:06:53 GMT
-Organization: Princeton University
-In article <nasaU2NO6pe@clarinet.com> clarinews@clarinet.com (UPI) writes:
->
-> NEW ORLEANS (UPI) -- Save Our Wetlands Inc. plans to file a lawsuit
-> against NASA Tuesday, saying the space agency's proposed advanced solid
-> rocket motor fuel testing program will release highly toxic substances
-> into Louisiana's delicate wetlands.
-> Officials of the New Orleans-based environmental organization said
-> the legal action will seek to stop NASA from proceeding with its testing
-> at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Miss. They said
-> it would be filed in U.S. District Court at Biloxi, Miss.
-> Under NASA's plans, the testing is scheduled to begin in the next 18
-> to 24 months and will last for 30 years.
NASA and its contractors have been testing SRMs for a long time. I had
presumed that at least some of that was done at Stennis.
(They're not planning to test *beryllium* fuel, are they?)
-> Luke Fontana, founder-director of Save Our Wetlands, said the testing
-> calls for firing the rockets at the rate of two to four annually over
-> the 30-year period.
-> ``Each test, according to NASA, will emit over 350 tons of
-> particulates which release two major gases which we consider highly
-> toxic,'' he said. ``They are hydrogen chloride and aluminum oxide.''
-> Fontana said NASA has claimed these gases will escape into the
-> atmosphere and will not descend to earth.
Sounds like Fontana is misquoting NASA. It all eventually comes down. But
if care is taken to test only under favorable wind and weather conditions,
very little will come down at any particular spot.
->However, he said his group's
-> studies have shown that hydrogen chloride when mixed with water or
-> moisture forms hydrochloric compound which is highly toxic.
Hydrochloric acid? My, what a surprise! :-) Have they figured out yet what
happens when vast quantities of sulfur-laden coal are burned to generate
electrical power? That's demonstrably killing great numbers of trees in the
mountains along the East Coast, and also in eastern Europe. But I think it
will be shown that the magnitude of the coal problem dwarfs the contribution
of SRM testing.
-> Fontana said the lawsuit will show the NASA testing will not only
-> violate a number of the Clean Air Act provisions but also the Endangered
-> Species Act because of its impact on a bald eagle nesting site in the
-> Louisiana wetlands.
They evidently haven't seen the bald eagles at KSC, exposed to ~16 Shuttle
SRBs plus the SRMs from a considerable number of expendable launchers every
year, yet thriving.
-Ironic, that what NASA, NSC, and the Administration failed to do might be
-accomplished by an environmental group. Maybe this will finally get the ASRMs
-of our backs.
-| Carlos G. Niederstrasser | It is difficult to say what |
-| Princeton Planetary Society | is impossible; for the dream of |
-| carlosn@phoenix.princeton.edu |---------------------------------|
-| space@phoenix.princeton.edu | Ad Astra per Ardua Nostra |
Since NASA wouldn't even be conducting the tests without having previously
filed an Environmental Impact Statement and gotten approval, I'd say that
the chances of the protest group winning the suit are pretty slim. It sounds
like the Christic Institute nonsense all over again. (Or maybe they'll win,
and Stennis can be shut down and the land used more productively for
row houses, paper mills, and shopping centers. :-)
By the way, I heard that the ASRM project recently passed some significant
milestone in testing. I don't know the details.
John Roberts
roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov
------------------------------
Date: 25 Nov 92 09:36:56 GMT
From: "Bruce F. Webster" <bwebster@pages.com>
Subject: GE Aerospace status?
Newsgroups: sci.space
In article <Nov.23.10.14.35.1992.3697@paul.rutgers.edu> back@paul.rutgers.edu
(Steven Back) writes:
>
> There have been a large number of rumors running around about a
> change in the status of GE Aerospace.
>
> So what's the real story?
>
Well, according to today's paper, GE sold their entire aerospace division to
Martin-Marietta Corp for $3 billion. The only aerostuff GE will be doing from
now on is selling aircraft engines to the military. The sale is subject to
shareholder approval. ..bruce..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce F. Webster | I love the Constitution of this land,
CTO, Pages Software Inc | but I hate the damned rascals that
bwebster@pages.com | administer it.
#import <pages/disclaimer.h> | -- Brigham Young
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1992 14:08:10 GMT
From: Andrew C Goldish <acgoldis@athena.mit.edu>
Subject: Kuiper belt planetesimals and Planet X claim
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space
Now that objects have been sighted that could possibly prove the existence
of the Kuiper belt, is it possible that the combined gravity of all the
planetesimals (at least those near Neptune) is enough to perturb Neptune's
orbit? The planetesimals may be small, but if there are enough of them out
there, some with possibly the size of Ceres as is the case with the asteroid
belt...This could explain why we have not found any Planet X!
A. Goldish
------------------------------
Date: 26 Nov 92 09:13:27 GMT
From: Chris Welch <me_s420@ceres>
Subject: Large inflatable/foamed space structures
Newsgroups: sci.space
I have some final year degree students who are interested in the
deployment/manufacture of large space structures using either inflatable
technology or some sort of foaming. This is out of my area of expertise, so I
would be grateful if anyone out there could point me/them in the direction
of some suitable papers/reports, or failing that some keywords to speed up
our own line searches ! Email me, rather than post, please, as I life is a
bit too hectic for me to read sci.space at the moment.
Thanks in advance
Chris
--
| Chris Welch - The Urban Spaceman
_______ | | _______ me_s420@uk.ac.kingston
| ooo | /| |\ | ooo |
| ooo | |/ ^ \| | ooo | "Second star on the right, straight on till morning.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1992 11:16:41 GMT
From: David Woodsworth <David_Woodsworth@mindlink.bc.ca>
Subject: New Gaspra data, Earth pix (was Re: Galileo Update - 11/24/9
Newsgroups: sci.space
> Bill Higgins-- Beam Jo writes:
>
> Earth encounter two coming up on 8 December. Hope Galileo doesn't
> smack into Toutatis.
Speaking of which ... Galileo will be passing Earth at about 200 miles up.
What are the odds of it hitting any orbiting space debris?
David.
--
This is terrific, Nelson's Column has gone, McDonald's has gone, all that's
left is me and the words Mostly Harmless. Any second now all that will be
left is Mostly Harmless. And yesterday the planet seemed to be going so
well.
david_woodsworth@mindlink.bc.ca
------------------------------
Date: 26 Nov 1992 11:14:25 GMT
From: Markus Pristovsek <prissi@marie.physik.tu-berlin.de>
Subject: Pumpless Liquid Rocket?
Newsgroups: sci.space
Hello,
such a cheap pumpless rocket was build a time ago, It was planned, to
connect 100s of tubes, each with H2NO3 and a hydrocarbon like propan or
something like this. It was a private german/french and algeric enterprise.
There had been 2 testflight and a film. It has been a rocket of four tubes.
They have been pumped by air-pressure, I think a 25 atm. (I have the magazine
at home, if you're are interested in, I'll look for it.)
Btw: This rocket base on the ancien german wasserfall-projekt.
regards, Markus
email:
prissi@marie.physik.tu-berlin.de
------------------------------
Date: 25 Nov 92 20:52:44 GMT
From: Bruce Watson <wats@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM>
Subject: Satellite of the Month
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro
Artificial earth satellite USA-69 (NORAD #21147, COSPAR 1991-017A) was
launched on a Titan 4 from the Western Space and Missle Center,
Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on 1991 March 8. This satellite
is in an orbit inclined to the earth's equator by 68.0 degrees.
It makes one revolution of the earth every 98.1 minutes and is in
a nearly circular orbit approximately 670 km above the surface of the
earth. It is roughly cylindrical with a 4.5 m diameter and length of
18.0 m. It is thought to be an imaging synthetic aperture radar
surveillance satellite and is designated Lacrosse 2 in Ted Molczan's
list of 700+ two-line elements.
I observed Lacrosse 2 five times in the last two years mainly at
magnitude +1 or +2--last on the evening of 1992 Oct 24-25
While its total brightness is usually steady, there is a pulsing
reddish coloration which is reminicent of a navigation light on a
high flying aircraft. It is continuing a sequence of appearances
in the evening twilight for North American observers.
Lacrosse 2 18.0 4.5 0.0 3.9
1 21147U 91017 A 92315.74773539 .00000700 00000-0 12262-3 0 04
2 21147 67.9509 251.2415 0004688 23.9281 336.0719 14.67698778 06
--
Bruce Watson (wats@scicom) Tumbra, Zorkovick; Sparkula zoom krackadomando.
....alien language from an SF short story on a 78-RPM record I had as a kid.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 92 13:00:48 EST
From: John Roberts <roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov>
Subject: Shuttle replacement
-From: BrianT@cup.portal.com (Brian Stuart Thorn)
-Subject: Re: Shuttle replacement
-Date: 25 Nov 92 05:17:20 GMT
-Organization: The Portal System (TM)
-On a related topic, why on Earth didn't NASA just put those joint heaters
-on the SRB back in '86 and start flying again, fixing the other problems
-one at a time through a reduced flight rate? Ah... politics.
(1) There were many problems that had been building up prior to Challenger,
and that was an excellent opportunity to fix them. (As you said, politics
had to be somewhat of a factor.)
(2) The new joint design did much more than just add heaters. As for going
ahead and flying with components known to be seriously deficient - that's
what they were doing before Challenger. The new joint design was already
in the works before the accident. Even now, there are parts they'd like to
improve (NASA has mentioned the need for better turbopumps several times
recently), but analysis (hopefully more careful, this time) indicates
that the risk is sufficiently low to justify continued flights in the
meantime.
(3) I don't think there were enough parts available to put together a
working Shuttle. One of the things that had gotten out of hand was the
spare parts supply - there was extensive cannibalization of each orbiter
to get the parts to allow the next one to fly. When Challenger went, so did
those parts. Building up the parts supply was one of the top priorities
after Challenger.
John Roberts
roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1992 10:50:13 GMT
From: Gary Williams x3294 <gwilliam@crc.ac.uk>
Subject: Stars listing...
Newsgroups: sci.space
In article <1eukv6INNj4u@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> macbeth@cats.ucsc.edu (Ryan Mercer Davis) writes:
>the problem is, i need some stellar data:
> Stars within 100ly, their luminosity, mass, spectral class
> and motion (either spherical or orthogonal)
There is a list of 70+ star systems within 20 ly in the appendix of the
book
"The Starflight Handbook, A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel"
by Eugene Mallove and Gregory Matloff
Published by Hohn Wiley and Sons Inc
1989
ISBN 0-471-61912-4
It gives names, spectral class, mass, luminosity, motion, x, y, z
coordinates etc.
If anyone knows of lists of stars further out, let us know.
--
GARY WILLIAMS, Computing Services Section, Janet: G.Williams@UK.AC.CRC
MRC-CRC & Human Genome Mapping Centre, Internet: G.Williams@CRC.AC.UK
Watford Rd, HARROW, Middx, HA1 3UJ, UK
Tel 081-869 3294 Fax 081-423 1275
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1992 08:43:18 GMT
From: Nigel Allen <ndallen@r-node.gts.org>
Subject: Untested O-Rings
Newsgroups: sci.space,talk.politics.space,sci.engr,misc.legal
Here is a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Cleveland Firm Will Pay U.S. $200,000 to Settle Dispute
To: National and Business desks
Contact: Joseph Krovisky of the U.S. Department of Justice,
202-514-2007
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 -- The Department of Justice
announced today that Parker Hannifin Corp. of Cleveland will
pay the United States $200,000 to settle charges Parker violated
the False Claims Act by submitting false or fraudulent certifications
to government contractors concerning the testing of small O-rings
used in a variety of applications on U.S. military and space
programs.
Stuart M. Gerson, assistant attorney general in charge of the
Civil Division, said the government alleged that Parker certified
that certain testing procedures had been followed pursuant to
military specifications when, in fact, the testing was not
performed.
Although subsequent testing conducted at government expense
indicated that no defective O-rings had been tendered by Parker,
the United States pursued Parker for statutory penalties available
under the False Claims Act for submitting false claims or using
alse records or statements to get the government to pay
such claims.
The settlement was negotiated by the Commercial Litigation
Banch of the Civil Division and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) with assistance from the U.S.
Attorney's office in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Today's agreement culminated a lengthy investigation by
NASA's Office of the Inspector General and the Defense Criminal
Investigative Service, the Air Force Office of Special
Investigations and the Naval Investigative Service.
-30-
--
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1992 10:09:33 GMT
From: Dave Michelson <davem@ee.ubc.ca>
Subject: What comes after DC-1
Newsgroups: sci.space
In article <HUGH.92Nov26203600@whio.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz> hugh@whio.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz (Hugh Emberson) writes:
>
>The zeroth stage would be like a big SSTO with fuel tanks, lots of
>engines and guidance. It would sit under the SSTO and act like a
>first stage booster for the SSTO. When it was nearly out of fuel it
>would seperate, fly back down and land -- ready for reuse. The book
>says that with this the SSTO could reach GEO.
>
That sounds remarkably like NASA's original shuttle concept from the
late 1960's....
--
Dave Michelson
davem@ee.ubc.ca
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1992 10:56:52 GMT
From: "Herity D." <dherity@cs.tcd.ie>
Subject: What comes after DC-1
Newsgroups: sci.space
deanr@sco.COM (Dean Reece) writes:
>How hard (how many mods) would need to be made to re-fuel a DC-1 on
>orbit? Assume the fuel is there for starters.
Weightless transfer of cryogenic liquids is non-trivial, I expect.
See below for a solution.
>What is the highest (circular) orbit that the DC-1 can attain if it
>doesn't need to worry about fuel for landing? GEO?
LEO with a single re-usable stage is difficult enough.
>Is there any technical reason that a DC-1 couldn't make it to the moon
The delta v needed to leave LEO, land on the moon and return to earth
is slightly less than that needed to reach LEO. So a DC-1 could do that with
a full payload each way and no infrastructure on the Moon.
>Assuming fuel stores (or production) on the moon, could the DC-1 support
>its own weight fully fueled on luna, or would a launch cradle need to be
>constructed there?
Probably, but that could be the first payload.
>Again, assuming high orbit refueling, could DC-1 make Mars? Could it
>return? (a 1 way trip might still be plenty useful if the DC-1 is in
>mass production and fairly cheap, compared to a custom Mars lander)
It could, if it used aerobraking on reaching Mars to either enter low orbit
or land. Since a DC-1 will be _built_ for aerobraking, its an interesting
prospect. By the way, the delta v needed to reach Mars is less than that
for a Moon landing, if you use aerobraking.
A fueled DC-1 in LEO could deliver more than 10 tons to a low orbit around
any planet with an atmosphere, using aerobraking. This only excludes Mercury
and Pluto. Soft landings on some satellites would also be possible.
Better value than the space scuttle, ain't it? :-)
>Could we strap on SRB's to the DC-1 to increase payload (bad joke...
>forget I said it :-)
Hold on there :-). I've been wondering myself ...
Could the DC-1 design allow them to be bolted together either in
parallel or in a staged configuration? This would allow heavy payloads
to be lifted without a new vehicle and it would also allow a fuelled
DC-1 to be delivered to LEO for all the interesting things mentioned above.
I think the main impact at the design stage would be on vehicle
configuration. It would be preferable to have the payload on top if we
want to allow multiple DC-1s under a single payload.
I seem to remember that the payload is to be in the middle of the vehicle.
Is that correct? Is it important?
Problems would include aerodynamics, in flight engine start and
hypersonic stage seperation. None of these seem insuperable.
Of course, I wouldn't propose that this be a core requirement, but it
would be on the top of my list of options.
--
================================================================================
| Dominic Herity, dherity@.cs.tcd.ie, | Something clever |
| Computer Science Dept, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.| coming soon to a |
| Tel : +353-1-6772941 ext 1720 Fax : +353-1-6772204 |signature near you|
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End of Space Digest Volume 15 : Issue 462
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