Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/pc/text/spacedig/v11_1/v11_112.txt

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Subject: SPACE Digest V11 #112

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 11 : Issue 112

Today's Topics:
             More info on Pegasus
             Atlantis has landed
            * SpaceNews 05Mar90 *
               Re: Spacecraft on Venus
        Re: New private home satellite network
             Re: long-term Venus landers
            * SpaceNews 26Feb90 *
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 4 Mar 90 01:36:49 GMT
From: psuvm![e-mail]
Subject: More info on Pegasus

I'm interested in gathering more information on the Pegasus Launch
vehicle. This week the Wall Street Journal had an article mentioning
the delay of Pegasus' first launch. The article seemed to suggest
that the proposed stock offering by Orbital Sciences Corp. may have
had something to do with the delay. The article also called Pegasus
the first new launch vehicle in the U.S. inventory since the Shuttle.
Is this true? Any comments on the stock-delay situation? What are the
odds that the launch on April 4 will be a success?

Also, what is the payload size of Pegasus, and how high can it
propel its payload? Will Pegasus ever carry commercial satelites?
Is Pegasus something to get excited about?
Thanks in advance for any information, comments or criticisms.

                     /
     /     /        /___           /
    / _   (_  __   / \   __  /\   (_  __
(__/ (_)_/ (_/ (_ /   \ (_(_/(_)_/ (_(_(_

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

Date: 4 Mar 90 18:49:03 GMT
From: skipper![e-mail]  (Mary Shafer (OFV))
Subject: Atlantis has landed


The shuttle Atlantis landed at Edwards AFB at ~10:08 PST today, Sunday.
It landed on runway 23, which is a lakebed runway, with headwinds of
22 kt. (I'm not sure if that was steady or gusting.  It didn't feel like
steady, but I may have been somewhat in the lee of the building.)

It came in from the North.  There's a few insubstantial clouds around
and the sun angle wasn't entirely favorable.  Most of us picked it up
just before the HAC (heading alignment circle) when it was still
overhead.  Just after it rolled into the HAC it obligingly generated a
contrail so that everyone could see it.  I thought the rollout was
shorter than normal, perhaps due to the headwind and the lakebed
runway, but that may have been an illusion caused by it being pointed
more directly at me than is usual.

The STA (shuttle training aircraft) flew over Atlantis near the end of
the rollout (it wasn't flying chase, it had done approaches to test
the wind) and then flew over Dryden.  Numerous comments, none
favorable, comparing this to the SR-71 flyby two weeks ago were made
by the employees.  Calls for afterburner were ignored. :-)

The wishes of the military for secrecy were respected and it's Sunday,
so the crowd was very small.  There were some Distinguished Visitors
(including the astronauts' family and friends) on the roof and employees
on the ramp.  I'd say about 100 on the roof and about 100 on the ramp,
but these are just guesses.

The SR-71 was on display, as were the other research aircraft.

--

Mary Shafer  [e-mail] or ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer
         NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
                   Of course I don't speak for NASA

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

Date: 3 Mar 90 03:26:10 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!crdgw1!ge-dab!tarpit!peora!tsdiag!ka2qhd![e-mail]  (John Magliacane)
Subject: * SpaceNews 05Mar90 *


Bulletin ID: SPC0305

                              =========
                              SpaceNews
                              =========

                         MONDAY MARCH 5, 1990

SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, NJ, and is distributed weekly
around the world on UseNet and Amateur Packet Radio. It is available for
UNLIMITED worldwide distribution.


* SHUTTLE NEWS *
================
Phil (KA9Q) heard UHF air-to-ground communications during the launch of
shuttle ATLANTIS on mission STS-36.  Phil copied a total of four very brief
transmissions, all on a frequency of 259.7 MHz.  The first transmission
was heard at his home in New Jersey at about 02:59:30 AM EST shortly after
launch.  The last transmission heard at 02:59:30 EST clearly reported
"APU shutdown on time".


* UoSAT-OSCAR-15 *
==================
Experiments are under way using a large (150ft) antenna at Stanford (SRI-USA)
to attempt to detect very low level signals leaking from the UoSAT-4 on-board
uplink receiver local oscillators.  If the spacecraft power systems are still
functioning, then these signals should always be present since the receivers
cannot be switched off.  However, these leakage signals are deliberately
minimised during the design of the satellite and so they are very weak (-60
dBm = one thousand, millionth of a watt or the equivalent to looking for a
single xmas tree light in Australia!).  The experiments at Stanford are
therefore very demanding: it will only be possible to detect the signals from
the background noise using sophisticated off-line FFT signal processing, and a
one second error in antenna tracking time may miss the satellite altogether!

de G3YJO

[Story via OSCAR-11]


* BURAN NEWS *
==============
The reusable Soviet space shuttle "BURAN", lying idle since its maiden flight
a year ago is to undertake its next mission in 1991.  The Soviet Union's chief
rocket designer, Yuri Semyonov, told Soviet television recently, that Buran is
scheduled to make an unmanned flight in the first half of 1991.  A manned
mission is expected to follow a year later.  Long range plans call for Buran
to dock with the orbiting station Mir, with the possibility of cosmonauts
moving between the two to simulate a rescue operation.


* DX CORNER *
=============
SpaceNews is available for unlimited, worldwide distribution.  I'd like to
personally thank ALL those who take the time to re-distribute SpaceNews on
Amateur Packet Radio, telephone BBSs, and other networks.  Your efforts are
greatly appreciated by many people around the world.

Here is an example of one of the many mail messages I receive from those
who read and enjoy receiving SpaceNews in distant places.

From Amateur Packet Radio, the following message was recently received from
Germany:

 Msg# TSP  Size To     @ BBS  From    Date  Time Bid
 6307 PN    779 KD2BD         DL3BCH 900227 0747
Subject: to bbs: @NN2Z

Hello John.  I've just received 2
issues of SpaceNews - amazingly!
One of the only interesting bulletins
in my BBS, hihi. It was delivered by
Mario HB9RZJ@HB9AC.  Please continue if
possible. Mni tnx de Dieter DL3BCH @
DB0BQ (by the way: especially
interested in Voyager)

===

(Mario, could you please continue to supply the DB0BQ PBBS with SpaceNews?
Thanks!  de John, KD2BD)


* FEEDBACK WELCOMED *
=====================
Feedback regarding SpaceNews can be directed to the editor (John) via any
of the following paths:

UUCP   : ucbvax!rutgers!petsd!tsdiag!ka2qhd!kd2bd
PACKET : KD2BD @ NN2Z (Neptune, New Jersey, USA)

MAIL   : John A. Magliacane
         Department of Electronics Technology
         Brookdale Community College
         Newman Springs Road
         Lincroft, New Jersey 07738-1599
         U.S.A.


                 <<< Stay on course......Say YES to Morse! >>>


<eof>

--
AMPR : KD2BD @ NN2Z (Neptune, NJ)
UUCP : ucbvax!rutgers!petsd!tsdiag!ka2qhd!kd2bd
       "For every problem, there is one solution which is simple,
       neat and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken

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

Date: Sun, 4 Mar 90 20:24:14 EST
From: John Roberts <[e-mail]>
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are those of the sender
    and do not reflect NIST policy or agreement.
Subject: Re: Spacecraft on Venus


>From: vsi1!v7fs1![e-mail]  (Mike Van Pelt)
>Subject: Re: Spacecraft on Venus

>Better, you could build a probe designed to operate at Venus surface
>temperature.  (At 800 degrees?  Right.  It would probably be easier to
>build the heat pump.)  Semiconductors are out; maybe some kind of
>vacuum tube system.  Wasn't there something called a Thermionically
>Integrated Macro-Module, sort of the vacuum-tube equivalent of an
>integrated circuit?  No filaments; you heat the whole thing up to where
>the cathodes emit by themselves.  Sounds like a natural for Venus. :-)

I mentioned the possibility of using high-temperature electronics such as
vacuum tubes, but there would really be no need for such a technology to be
used for more than a small fraction of the total complexity of the onboard
electronics. It is expected that in the near future it will be possible to
build a computer with a significant fraction of the speed and capacity of
a Cray, which takes up no more than a few cubic inches, and generates only a
few watts. If such a computer can be thermally insulated from the environment,
dissipation of this small power output by active cooling should not be too
difficult. Unless corrosion turns out to be a problem, it should be possible
to build a "thermos" (with an inner layer of vacuum for insulation) out of
steel and/or ceramics, which will easily withstand the pressure of the
atmosphere.

There *is* an incentive to develop high-temperature electronics for applications
other than Venus probes. Other applications include atmospheric-entry probes
and probes to pass very near to the sun - both for solar exploration, and for
use of the sun for gravity-assist to shoot probes out of the solar system.
                   John Roberts
                   [e-mail]

"On February 28, the US Supreme Court ruled that US agents in foreign countries
may conduct searches without warrants, because foreigners are not protected
by US law. In a separate case, it was ruled that if the police should happen to
arrest a US citizen in his home, they are free to search the premises without a
warrant. These decisions are seen as a major step in the ongoing battle against
the Constitution - er - I mean against crime."
 - Outstanding parking tickets, anyone?

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

Date: 5 Mar 90 01:32:03 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!crdgw1!sixhub![e-mail]  (Wm E. Davidsen Jr)
Subject: Re: New private home satellite network


  Home disk TV will have to provide incremental value to be a success.
I've seen estimates that anywhere from 10-20% of the potential viewers
get no signal at all or porr signal. Most of these are not served by
cable and probably won't be. These people would probably all be
potential customers for a dish.

  At the prices quoted, $25-30/month, I would only be interested if it
provided all of the current services I get now, since the cost of two
systems is only interesting to a true TV junkie. I admit it, I watch
less than 2 hours of TV per week, and most of that is news or science.
For people who watch 4-5 hours of TV per day, a source like this would
be important, of course.
--
bill davidsen - [e-mail] (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen)
    sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX
    moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc
"Getting old is bad, but it beats the hell out of the alternative" -anon

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

Date: 5 Mar 90 01:35:29 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!crdgw1!sixhub![e-mail]  (Wm E. Davidsen Jr)
Subject: Re: long-term Venus landers

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Peter Scott) writes:

| Check out the current _Discover_ (no flames, please, I haven't seen this
| work written up elsewhere yet) for an article on micro-vacuum tube
| technology, component size on the order of 1 micrometer.

  WHy flames? _Discover_ is an important source, used correctly. It
provides an overview of a number of processes and technologies for
casual background, and a source of topics for additional reading or
other study.

  My favorite source of articles which fill the "I wish I knew a little
about that" void.
--
bill davidsen - [e-mail] (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen)
    sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX
    moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc
"Getting old is bad, but it beats the hell out of the alternative" -anon

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

Date: 3 Mar 90 03:22:12 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!crdgw1!ge-dab!tarpit!peora!tsdiag!ka2qhd![e-mail]  (John Magliacane)
Subject: * SpaceNews 26Feb90 *


Bulletin ID: SPC0226

                              =========
                              SpaceNews
                              =========

                       MONDAY FEBRUARY 26, 1990

SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, NJ, and is distributed weekly
around the world on UseNet and Amateur Packet Radio. It is available for
UNLIMITED distribution.


* SAREX-2 TESTING CONTINUES *
=============================
Last week, the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment #2 (SAREX-2) packet radio
station underwent extensive testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, AL according AMSAT Area Coordinator Ed Stluka (W4QAU).  This
testing was being perfomed in conjuction with the training of STS-35 Payload
Specialist Ron Parise (WA4SIR) in the use of the ASTRO-1 experiment which will
be primary payload on that shuttle mission.  The primary payload, ASTRO-1,
will be used to conduct a number of astronomical experiments.  During the
several days of testing this week, radio amateurs in the Huntsville area were
invited to connect to WA4SIR and to receive a QSO number.

This special packet radio station flying on STS-35 on May 9, 1990 will give
each radio amateur who connects to WA4SIR a QSO number confirming their
contact.  When the connecting station sends their QSL card in with this
contact number, they will receive back a beautiful QSL card commemorating this
HAM IN SPACE shuttle flight.  The SAREX-2 packet radio station consist of a
Motorola 2M FM H/T with 5 watts ouput, a Heathkit HK-21 TNC-2, and a GRiD
laptop computer that has a 40 MB hard disk drive to store the calls of all the
stations connecting to WA4SIR during the nine day mission.  The specially
written software which will be running the SAREX-2 packet station is designed
to allow for completely unattended operation and logging of the calls of all
connecting stations.  It will also prevent duplicate QSO numbers being sent!
Although no digipeating will be allowed through SAREX-2, connecting to this
packet station will be like any terrestrial packet contact.  Just use your
TNC along with your 2m tranceiver, and everything else is the same.  After
you have connected and received your QSL number from WA4SIR, on subsequent
orbits you can watch for the SAREX-2 message beacons being sent periodically.
The message beacons will contain information about the flight of STS-35 and
other interesting items.

Look for more information about the SAREX-2 mission in AMSAT News Service
(ANS) bulletins and on AMSAT HF/VHF nets in the next couple of months.  For
more specific information about the ASTRO-1 payload, contact the SPACELINK BBS
at [phone].

[Story via AMSAT-NA News Service]


* MICROSAT OBJECT NUMBERS *
===========================
The following are the corrected Object and Catalog numbers which apply to all
MICROSAT/UoSAT element sets after orbit #260:

SATELLITE      INT'L OBJECT        CATALOG
NAME           NUMBER              NUMBER

UO-14          90-05B              20437
UO-15          90-05C              20438
AO-16          90-05D              20439
DO-17          90-05E              20440
WO-18          90-05F              20441
LU-19          90-05G              20442


* OSCAR-11 NEWS *
=================
Here's an actual computer status information message received from OSCAR-11:

**UOSAT 2 COMPUTER STATUS INFORMATION**

FAD1 Operating System v2.0b
Today's date is 24 /2 /90 (Saturday)
Universal Time is 1 :46 :27
Auto Mode is selected

SPIN PERIOD IS - 278

Z  MAG firings = 0
+ SPIN firings = 33
- SPIN firings = 20
RAM Wash Pointer at D299
WOD commenced 24 /2 /90 at 0 :0 :10
with channels 10 ,11 ,19 ,29 ,
Last cmd was 109 TO 0 WITH DATA 0

Attitude control initiated, mode 1

Data collection in progress

Digitalker active


* FEEDBACK WELCOMED *
=====================
Feedback regarding SpaceNews can be directed to the editor (John) via any
of the following paths:

UUCP   : ucbvax!rutgers!petsd!tsdiag!ka2qhd!kd2bd
PACKET : KD2BD @ NN2Z (Neptune, New Jersey)

MAIL   : John A. Magliacane
         Department of Electronics Technology
         Brookdale Community College
         Newman Springs Road
         Lincroft, New Jersey 07738-1599
         U.S.A.



                 <<< Stay on course......Say YES to Morse! >>>



<eof>

--
AMPR : KD2BD @ NN2Z (Neptune, NJ)
UUCP : ucbvax!rutgers!petsd!tsdiag!ka2qhd!kd2bd
       "For every problem, there is one solution which is simple,
       neat and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken

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

End of SPACE Digest V11 #112
*******************