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Subject: SPACE Digest V12 #519

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 12 : Issue 519

Today's Topics:
              Ulysses Update - 10/31/90
       Re: You Can't Expect a Space Station to be Cheap
                 CRAF article
         NASA Headline News for 10/31/90 (Forwarded)
      Re:** Need Orbit Params for SPECIAL satellites **
           Payload Status for 11/01/90 (Forwarded)
       Re: You Can't Expect a Space Station to be Cheap

Administrivia:

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

Date: 31 Oct 90 21:01:14 GMT
From: swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Ulysses Update - 10/31/90


                          ULYSSES STATUS REPORT
                           October 31, 1990

     As of 9AM (PST), Tuesday, October 30, the Ulysses spacecraft is
14,185,000 miles (22,830,000 km) from Earth, and 487,641,000 miles
(784,782,110 km) from Jupiter.  The spacecraft is traveling at 90,192 mph
(145,150 kph) relative to the Sun, and 23,682 mph (38,112 kph) relative
to the Earth.

     Further monitoring and control of the SIM and HED experiments together
with continuation of the KEP (GAS) tests took place on October 26. On
October 27, the initial switch on of the Cosmic Dust Experiment (GRU) took
place.  The switch on was nominal with temperatures only increasing to
predicted values.  The high voltage portion of the experiment will be switched
on later.  The KEP (GAS) tests also continued on this day.  October 28 and 29
were designated monitoring days and no unexpected events occurred.

     Two significant downlink data outages occured during this reporting
period.  Approximately four hours of data were lost.  Two short term
transmitter outages caused ranging data to be lost from October 28 through
October 30.  The backup DACS (Data Capture and Staging Subsystem) has a bad
disk drive that maintenance is working on.  There have been failures
that have caused short term data outages, but data has been recalled to
fill the gaps.

     The next three days of operations will consist of the monitor and control
of those experiments which have already been switched on. The KEP (GAS) tests
will continue. On Friday, November 2, the Second Trajectory Correction
Manuever will take place.
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   Jet Propulsion Lab | [e-mail]
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  M/S 301-355        |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/   Pasadena, CA 91109 |

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

Date: 31 Oct 90 16:59:56 GMT
From: usc!cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo![e-mail]  (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: You Can't Expect a Space Station to be Cheap

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] ("Allen W. Sherzer") writes:
>>Boeing has a long track record of building highly successful
>>aircraft.   LLNL does not have any track record at all in large
>>space systems.
>
>First of all, that is irrelevant. Large engineering programs
>CAN be done on time and on cost. Second of all, the LLNL contractors
>on this DO have a good track record in large aerospace systems.

It is worth bearing in mind, also, that when Boeing proposed the 707 to
the airlines, one common reaction was:  "What does Boeing know about
building airliners?!?  They haven't built one in thirty years!  They're
a military aircraft company.  No way will this fly."  Now, of course,
they dominate the airliner market and are almost out of the military
business...  Competence is often transferrable.
--
"I don't *want* to be normal!"         | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
"Not to worry."                        |  [e-mail]   utzoo!henry

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

Date: 31 Oct 90 19:48:53 GMT
From: usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Ron Baalke)
Subject: CRAF article

Space News -- Week of Oct. 29 - Nov. 4
"Key CRAF Components Face Cancellation"
By Douglas Isbell

"NASA's planned Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby (CRAF)
mission has encountered serious cost growth problems,
forcing agency managers to confront a decision this week
between canceling a unique penetrator on the spacecraft aimed
at probing a comet's surface or dropping five of 12 other science
instruments."

The Space News story says that despite strong support for the
science program, several problems in the past year have
combined to create a severe budget crunch for the CRAF
project including a shortfall on the work being performed by
the German space agency of some $30 million and an excess
charge from the Department of Energy of $10 million.

In addition to the programmatic cost increases, Space News
reports that the penetrator itself has been estimated to be on the
order of $120 million -- much higher than NASA was
anticipating, according to the paper.

According to the report, the solution to the cost problems lies
with NASA's science chief, Lennard Fisk, who is expected to
announce what cuts will be made sometime this week.
      ___    _____     ___
     /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|
     | | | |  __ \ /| | | |      Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]
  ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |___   Jet Propulsion Lab | [e-mail]
 /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|  M/S 301-355        |
 |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/   Pasadena, CA 91109 |

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

Date: 1 Nov 90 01:31:13 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: NASA Headline News for 10/31/90 (Forwarded)


             Headline News
Internal Communications Branch (P-2) NASA
Headquarters

  Wednesday, October 31, 1990    Audio Service: 202 / 755-1788

This is NASA Headline News for Wednesday, October 31, 1990

NASA and DoD managers yesterday set Nov. 9 as the target
launch date for the Atlantis STS-38 mission.  This is a
dedicated DoD classified mission.  The 4-hour launch period
begins at 6:30 pm EST on Friday, Nov. 9.  A flight readiness
test of Atlantis' three main engines is planned for Wednesday,
Nov. 7.  That test includes a check of the engine electrical
systems and cycling of the engine valves.

Following yesterday's successful tanking test of Columbia,
engineers are allowing residual hydrogen to boil off from the aft
compartment and tank areas.  The Columbia team expects
to reopen pad 39-B at about 4:00 pm today.  The next step is
expected at 6:00 pm this evening when the rotating service
structure will be moved back around Columbia.  Work will then
begin in the aft compartment to change out an auxiliary power
unit water valve, and install a new APU.   Anticipated payload
activities include servicing the Broad Band X-ray Telescope
with argon on Friday.  The team expects to hot fire the
replacement APU sometime late next week.

Columbia's hydrogen leak test produced an average
hydrogen reading of less than 80 parts per million.  This is the
lowest reading ever recorded for any orbiter.  The analysis
of data gathered yesterday continues, but according to KSC
technical management, Columbia's fuel and propulsion
elements are flight ready now.  There is no subsequent work
scheduled in Columbia's engine compartment.

Meanwhile, turnaround operations on Discovery continue
right on schedule.  The payload bay is expected to be open
today, which will allow workers to remove the right orbital
maneuvering system pod.  The forward reaction control system
unit was being removed yesterday.  The OMS and RCS units
will be taken to the hypergolic maintenance facility for post-
flight inspection.

Space Shuttle Main Engine #2032 arrived at KSC yesterday.
This is the first of three main engines destined to be fitted
onto Endeavour.  Engine #2032 has passed all its acceptance
testing requirements at Stennis Space Center.  This engine
features an improved main engine controller with larger
memory capacity.  It will be stored at KSC until Endeavour
arrives next year.

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The NASA Space Science and Applications Advisory
Committee continues with its meeting through Friday, Nov. 2.
The meeting is in Room 226, Bldg. 10B.

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Twenty middle and high school students participated in last
week's Von Braun Exploration Forum, in Huntsville, Ala.
The students posed questions to the participants during the
program.  Both student and teacher reaction to this new forum
element was very positive.  The forum is co-hosted by Marshall
Space Flight Center, the National Space Club and the Alabama
Space and Rocket Center.


Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on
NASA Select TV.  All times are Eastern.  **indicates a live
program.

Wednesday, 10/31/90
    1:15 pm    **Magellan-at-Venus report from Jet Propulsion
Laboratory.

Thursday, 11/1/90
    11:30 am    NASA Update will be transmitted.

    12:00 pm    NASA Productions.

    6:00 pm    NASA Productions will repeat.



All events and times may change without notice.  This report is
filed daily, Monday through Friday, at 12:00 pm, EDT.  It is a
service of Internal Communications Branch at NASA
Headquarters.  Contact:  CREDMOND on NASAmail or at
202/453-8425.


NASA Select TV:  Satcom F2R, Transponder 13, C-Band, 72
degrees West Longitude, Audio 6.8, Frequency 3960 MHz.

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

Date: 31 Oct 90 21:15:57 GMT
From: swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!mcdphx!citek.mcdphx.mot.com![e-mail]
Subject: Re:** Need Orbit Params for SPECIAL satellites **

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Cliff Yamamoto) writes:
>Greetings!
>
>I'm trying to locate some orbit parameters for a couple of unusual
>satellites.  They are actually spheres that just circle the earth.
> [.......]
>Catalog # 14075 and 15080.
>
Do they do anything or are they just inert? If so, why are they there?

I didn't know we had bowling balls on orbit. :-)

John

.....................................................................
reply to 'from' address; [e-mail]
NOT the 'sender' line address!
Someday my sysadm will decide this is a 'real' problem. :-)
.....................................................................
All opinions expressed are mine and not Motorolas, their loss.
.....................................................................

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

Date: 1 Nov 90 17:13:30 GMT
From: trident.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Payload Status for 11/01/90 (Forwarded)


    Daily Status/KSC Payload Management and Operations 11-01-90


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

    Experiment monitoring continues.


    - STS-39 AFP-675/IBSS/STP-01 (at CCAFS)

    CITE preps continue.


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

    Module closeouts will continue today along with MVAK
    training.


    - STS-37 GRO (at PHSF)

    Functional testing continues.


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

    Module and experiment staging will continue today.


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

    Experiment and pallet staging continue.


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

    Power on active thermal control systems checks continue.


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

    Rack staging continues.

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

Date: 1 Nov 90 20:48:32 GMT
From: swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!digi.lonestar.org![e-mail]  (Marc Sissom)
Subject: Re: You Can't Expect a Space Station to be Cheap

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] ("Allen W. Sherzer") writes:
>In article <[e-mail]>
>So what? I can launch a LLNL station every ten years for thirty

Sorry folks, I must have missed something. What is LLNL?
The closest I can come up with is Lawrence Livermore. Did they come
up with a SS design proposal?

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

End of SPACE Digest V12 #519
*******************