Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/pc/text/spacedig/v09_3/v9_363.txt

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Subject: SPACE Digest V9 #363

SPACE Digest                                      Volume 9 : Issue 363

Today's Topics:
          The Soviet ZOND probes to Venus and Mars.
         Re: more on Liberty Bell 7 (and oth
               AD Astra Delay!
              Aliens and the law
        Cross posting evil ( was Re: Power vs Energy)
               Re: Questions and Henry
             Re: DSN mission launch dates
          Re: QUESTION? ASTRONAUTS AND F-19 STEALTH.
Astronaut Qualification Requirements (was Re: QUESTION? ASTRONAUTS...)
              Space terminology
             Re: Power vs Energy
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 11 Apr 89 21:26:00 GMT
From: renoir.dec.com![e-mail]  (CUP/ML, MLO5-2/G1 8A, 223-3283)
Subject: The Soviet ZOND probes to Venus and Mars.


         I have apparently confused my Soviet ZOND Mars probes (and we
    all know how painful that can be):

         ZOND is the Soviet word for "probe".  Three probes designated
    ZOND were sent to the two planets nearest Earth in the early 1960s.
    ZOND 1 was a failed attempt at a Venus flyby in 1964.  ZOND 2 was
    launched on November 30, 1964, possibly as a flyby photographic
    mission of Mars with a lander capsule.  Contact was lost with ZOND 2
    in April of the following year.  It did pass within 1,500 kilometers
    of the planet on August 6, 1965, less than one month after the
    successful flyby mission of the U.S. MARINER 4 probe, which took
    the first close-up photos (22 in all) of the Martian surface.

         ZOND 3 was launched on July 18, 1965.  Though originally intended
    as a Mars probe, ZOND 3's mission was changed to an "engineering test"
    when the Soviets missed the Mars launch window opportunity.  ZOND 3
    first flew by Earth's Moon, where it took the first photos of the
    lunar farside since LUNA 3 in 1959.  It then headed out into inter-
    planetary space, where it continued to function and communicate out
    to the orbit of Mars, though ZOND 3 was nowhere near the planet at
    the time the probe crossed its orbit.

         The three ZOND probes all bore a great resemblance and had similar
    design functions to the VENERA probes to Venus of that time period.

         Larry Klaes

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

Date: 10 Apr 89 19:10:00 GMT
From: m.cs.uiuc.edu!p.cs.uiuc.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Re: more on Liberty Bell 7 (and oth


>>
>>plutonium-powered thermionic generator of Apollo 13's LEM.
>>

>HUH?  All American (and probably all Soviet) manned spacecraft use
>fuel cells for electrical generation.  The U.S. doesn't make much use
>at all of nuclear-powered satilites, except for deep-space probes.

The LEM had what what was essentially a nuclear battery to power the
scientific experiments left behind.  (These were intended to provide years
of useful data.)

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

Date: 11 Apr 89 04:33:00 GMT
From: arisia!cdp![e-mail]
Subject: AD Astra Delay!


       An Announcement From....
     The Headquarters of....
     The National Space Society


Due to unforseen circumstances beyond the control of the Staff of
Headquarters, the magazine AD ASTRA will once again be delayed.
Members should expect to see the new issue by mid-April.  Our
apologies for the delay.



April 4, 1989

The Management!

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

Date: Tue, 11 Apr 89 09:50:05 EDT
From: [e-mail]
To: amdahl!drivax![e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Aliens and the law

Please send me that reference you mentioned about alien law.

Yours                   +-----------------------------------------------------+
Daniel E. Loeb          | Internet:     [e-mail]                     |
del^2                   | ATT:          617/776-1605 (w/ Answering Machine)   |
                        | Bitnet:       [e-mail]                  |
"I'm a vegeterarian not | UUCP:         trout!pnet01!pro-angmar!loeb          |
because I love animals, | USnail:       45 Concord Avenue, Apartement 32,     |
but because I hate      |               Somerville, MA 02143-3939, USA        |
plants."                | MIT:          2-032, x2190                          |
                        +-----------------------------------------------------+

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

Date: 11 Apr 89 17:07:06 GMT
From: [e-mail]  (Eugene Miya)
Subject: Cross posting evil ( was Re: Power vs Energy)

>Article about power and energy

Please edit newsgroups lines.  This article had nothing to do with astronomy.
That's why I unsubscribe from certain newsgroups.

Yet another gross generalization from

--eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, [e-mail]
  resident cynic at the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers:
  "Mailers?! HA!", "If my mail does not reach you, please accept my apology."
                  Live free or die.

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

Date: 11 Apr 89 14:50:33 GMT
From: osu-cis!netsys!lamc!well![e-mail]  (Tom Neff)
Subject: Re: Questions and Henry

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Mike Kirby (co-op)) writes:
>1)  Henry, do you have anything positive to say about the U.S. space program?
>    I mean do we do anything right anymore?

If the above quoted poster (or anyone else) wants to see something
positive about the US space program in this newsgroup, let him write it
himself.  The nice thing about sci.space.* is the high signal/noise
ratio.  Henry is, as it turns out, one of the reasons this is true.  It
is better to contribute something substantive of your own than to
attack what someone else chooses to contribute.  Sounds like a line worth
adding to Eugene's next oldfarts message...
--
Tom Neff                  [e-mail]
                       or [e-mail]

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

Date: 11 Apr 89 15:26:30 GMT
From: cfa!cfa250![e-mail]  (Jonathan McDowell)
Subject: Re: DSN mission launch dates

From article <[e-mail]>, by [e-mail]:
> > /* Written  2:40 pm  Apr  6, 1989 by [e-mail] in m.cs.uiuc.edu:sci.space */

Here are the acronyms Kevin didnt list:
BS-3A        Broadcsting Satellite (NASDA,Japan)
DFS        Deutsche Fernsehen Satellit (DFVLR, Fed Rep of Germany)
GMS        Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (NASDA,Japan)
MUSES-A        I forget the acronym, but it is an ISAS,Japan lunar probe.
        (Mu Space Exploration Sat???)
TDF        Telediffusion de France (a French TV network)


 .----------------------------------------------------------------.
 |  Jonathan McDowell       |  phone : [phone]              |
 |  Center for Astrophysics | uucp: husc6!harvard!cfa200!mcdowell |
 |  60 Garden Street        | bitnet : [e-mail]        |
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 |  USA                     |   span : cfa::mcdowell              |
 |                          |  telex : 92148 SATELLITE CAM      |
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 '----------------------------------------------------------------'

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

Date: 11 Apr 89 18:15:18 GMT
From: tank!eecae!shadooby!sharkey!mailrus!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo![e-mail]  (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: QUESTION? ASTRONAUTS AND F-19 STEALTH.

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jean Hill) writes:
>          I am a new participant in this discussion group.  I would like to
>     know more about the program for the astronauts in the United States and
>     the qualifications needed to be accepted into this program...

I don't know what the formal qualifications are, but here are some practical
comments I contributed to Eugene's seemingly-defunct frequently-asked-space-
questions postings a while ago:

------------
Q. How do I become an astronaut?

A. We will assume you mean a NASA astronaut, since it's probably impossible
    for a Westerner to get into the Soviet program, and the other nations
    have so few astronauts (and fly even fewer) that you're better off
    hoping to win a lottery.  Becoming a shuttle pilot requires lots
    of fast-jet experience, which means a military flying career; forget
    that unless you want to do it anyway.  So you want to become a
    shuttle "mission specialist".

    If you aren't a US citizen, become one; that is a must.  After that,
    the crucial thing to remember is that the demand for such jobs vastly
    exceeds the supply.  NASA's problem is not finding qualified people,
    but thinning the lineup down to manageable length.  It is not enough
    to be qualified; you must avoid being *dis*qualified for any reason,
    many of them in principle quite irrelevant to the job.

    Get a Ph.D.  Specialize in something that involves getting your hands
    dirty with equipment, not just paper and pencil.  Forget computer
    programming entirely; it will be done from the ground for the fore-
    seeable future.  Be in good physical condition, with good eyesight.
    (DO NOT get a radial keratomy in an attempt to improve your vision;
    its long-term effects are poorly understood.  For that matter, avoid
    any other significant medical unknowns.)  Practise public speaking,
    and be conservative and conformist in appearance and actions; you've
    got a tough selling job ahead, trying to convince a cautious,
    conservative selection committee that you are better than hundreds
    of other applicants.  (And, also, that you will be a credit to NASA
    after you are hired:  public relations is a significant part of the
    job, and NASA's image is very prim and proper.)  The image you want
    is squeaky-clean workaholic yuppie.  Remember also that you will
    need a security clearance at some point, and the security people
    consider everybody guilty until proven innocent.  Keep your nose
    clean.  Get a pilot's license and make flying your number one hobby;
    experienced pilots are known to be favored even for non-pilot jobs.
    Work for NASA; of 45 astronauts selected between 1984 and 1988,
    43 were military or NASA employees, and the remaining two were
    a NASA consultant and Mae Jemison (the first black female astronaut).
    Think space:  they want highly motivated people, so lose no chance
    to demonstrate motivation.  Keep trying.  Be lucky.
------------
--
Welcome to Mars!  Your         |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
passport and visa, comrade?    | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry [e-mail]

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

Date: 11 Apr 89 23:33:17 GMT
From: rochester![e-mail]  (Brian Yamauchi)
Subject: Astronaut Qualification Requirements (was Re: QUESTION? ASTRONAUTS...)

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Henry Spencer) writes:
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jean Hill) writes:
>>          I am a new participant in this discussion group.  I would like to
>>     know more about the program for the astronauts in the United States and
>>     the qualifications needed to be accepted into this program...
>
>I don't know what the formal qualifications are...

The information below is from the NASA Announcement for Mission
Specialist and Pilot Astronaut Candidates.  This is available from:

    NASA, Johnson Space Center
    Astronaut Selection Office
    ATTN: AHX
    Houston, TX 77058

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

Mission Specialist Astronaut Candidate:

1) Bachelor's degree from an accedited institution in engineering,
biological science, physical science, or mathematics.  Degree must be
followed by at least three years of related, progressively
responsible, professional experience.  An advanced degree is desirable
and may be substituted for part or all of the experience requirement
(master's degree = 1 year, doctoral degree = 3 years).  Quality of
academic preparation is important.

2) Ability to pass a NASA Class II space physical, which is similar to
a military or civilian Class II flight physical and includes the
following specific standards:

    Distant visual acuity:
        20/100 or better uncorrected,
        correctable to 20/20, each eye.

    Blood pressure:
        140/90 measured in a sitting position.

3) Height between 60 and 76 inches.

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

Pilot Astronaut Candidate:

1) Bachelor's degree from an accedited institution in engineering,
biological science, physical science, or mathematics.  An advanced
degree is desirable.  Quality of academic preparation is important.

2) At least 1,000 hours pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft.  Flight
test experience is highly desireable.

3) Ability to pass a NASA Class I space physical, which is similar to
a military or civilian Class I flight physical and includes the
following specific standards:

    Distant visual acuity:
        20/50 or better uncorrected,
        correctable to 20/20, each eye.

    Blood pressure:
        140/90 measured in a sitting position.

4) Height between 64 and 76 inches.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Brian Yamauchi                University of Rochester
[e-mail]        Computer Science Department
_______________________________________________________________________________

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

Date: 12 Apr 89 03:21:29 GMT
From: mentor.cc.purdue.edu![e-mail]  (Floyd McWilliams)
Subject: Space terminology


    An interesting question came up in conversation a few minutes ago:

    If an object is in orbit around a larger body, that object is
called a "satellite."  So what is the larger body called?

--
"Life's for my own, to live my own way."
Floyd McWilliams            mentor.cc.purdue.edu!acu

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

Date: 11 Apr 89 14:03:31 GMT
From: calvin![e-mail]  (John Sahr)
Subject: Re: Power vs Energy

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Jim Meritt) writes:
>Concur that power is an issue in general in space flight, but it should
>not be near the issue that ENERGY is.

Regardless of whether it should be the case, Mr. Merrits comments about
Henry Spencer's power requirements were irrelevant, as the issue was
"How much power does it take to push a 20 ton space ship at 1g with reaction
engines"

>The space shuttle can do 5 g.  That is power.  Note that we have been able to
>do moderate accelerations for a long time.  However, we have no way to let it
>out of LEO not due to power constraints, but due to energy constraints.
[]
>The "we need power to push the ship" comes from all the mass on-board to
>supply energy (power for an extended period).  The limiting factor is
>energy available, not power.  The momentum change required for motion
>is gives energy requirements, not power.
[]
This is not true.  If you double the rate at which you expel mass, you halve
the exhaust velocity required for the same thrust (force), and halve the
power required to produce that thrust.  However, mass is precious on a long
flight, so high power processing may be more important than high energy
storage important (i.e., you're willing and able to store a lot of energy).

Ultimately, both power and energy are constrained in real designs; costs
are associated with increasing either.  The trick is to trade them off
sensibly.
--
John Sahr,                          School of Elect. Eng.,  Upson Hall
                                    Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

ARPA: [e-mail]; UUCP: {rochester,cmcl2}!cornell!calvin!johns

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

End of SPACE Digest V9 #363
*******************