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Date: Fri, 28 Aug 92 05:00:00
From: Space Digest maintainer <digests@isu.isunet.edu>
Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu
Subject: Space Digest V15 #147
To: Space Digest Readers
Precedence: bulk
Space Digest Fri, 28 Aug 92 Volume 15 : Issue 147
Today's Topics:
Apollo Video Clips (2 msgs)
Astro-FTP list, August issue
Australian space industries....
Galileo Update - 08/27/92
Magellan Update - 08/27/92
Mars Observer Update - 08/27/92 (Launch has been postponed)
Saturn class (Was: SPS feasibility and other space
Solar Sailers (2 msgs)
What happened to Viking?
With telepresence, who needs people in Earth orbit?
World Space COngress
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: 27 Aug 92 16:29:00 GMT
From: WENDY WARTNICK <afwendy@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Apollo Video Clips
Newsgroups: sci.space
In article <1992Aug26.235151.7776@news.acns.nwu.edu>, fred@iapetus.earth.nwu.edu (Fred Marton) writes...
>In article <17h3qoINNloo@grapevine.EBay.Sun.COM> wag@georwell.EBay.Sun.COM writes:
>>The famous feather and hammer trick is on the PBS special "For All Mankind".
>
>Incidentally, if anyone knows where the video of this can be found, I'd
>love to know. I saw it two(?) years ago when it was in theatrical
>release and I thought it was way boffo cool.
pardon my ignorance...what ARE we talking about?
wendy
------------------------------
Date: 27 Aug 92 18:17:10 GMT
From: Fred Marton <fred@iapetus.earth.nwu.edu>
Subject: Apollo Video Clips
Newsgroups: sci.space
In article <27AUG199211290242@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov> afwendy@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (WENDY WARTNICK) writes:
>>In article <17h3qoINNloo@grapevine.EBay.Sun.COM> wag@georwell.EBay.Sun.COM writes:
>>>The famous feather and hammer trick is on the PBS special "For All Mankind".
>>
>
>pardon my ignorance...what ARE we talking about?
>
> wendy
"For All Mankind" is a documentary on the Apollo program. It's unique in that
all the images and words are from NASA, i.e., astronaut-shot footage and
their reactions, explanations, etc.. It also has a score by Brian Eno
(if memory serves).
fred
*****************************************************************************
** F. Cung Marton ** "You're looking at me as if this **
** fred@earth.nwu.edu ** weren't a scientific explanation." **
** Dept. of Geological Sci. ** -- Linus Van Pelt **
** Northwestern University ** **
*****************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: 27 Aug 92 10:20:05 GMT
From: M{kel{ Veikko <pvtmakela@hylkn1.Helsinki.FI>
Subject: Astro-FTP list, August issue
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space
#
# A S T R O - F T P L I S T
# Updated 23.7.1992
#
# 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
# *Comp. 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
capella.eetech.mcgill.ca garbo.uwasa.fi c.,archive.umich.edu c.,
132.206.1.17 other mirrors
/wuarchive/mirrors3/
c.scs.uiuc.edu ROSAT,Starchart(PC)
128.174.90.3
/pub
ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz PC
130.216.1.5
/msdos/astronomy (*) overseas connections refused
fits.cx.nrao.edu FITS propotionals,radio-cdrom,radio images
192.33.115.8
/FITS/doc
ftp.cco.caltech.edu Astronomy magazine index
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
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
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: 27 Aug 92 17:03:19 GMT
From: Andrew Finegan <rfeadf@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au>
Subject: Australian space industries....
Newsgroups: sci.space
10706747@eng2.eng.monash.edu.au (ANDREW BENNETT) writes:
>Hi everyone,
>I was wondering if anyone knew of any Australian space societies, companies,
>organisations etc that I could write to ( e-mail(?) ) and/or join.
>I am particularly interested in any that are around the Melbourne area.
Try:
Space Association of Australia
PO Box 351
Mulgrave North
Victoria 3170
Australia
also there is:
Melbourne Space Foundation (or something similar)
I don't have the address, but it may be contactable through:
Department of Aero-space Engineering, RMIT.
and finally a related group is (for remote sensing):
Victorian Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
GPO Box 1020H
Melbourne
Victoria 3001
cheers
ANDREW FINEGAN (Standard Disclaimers) | RMIT Centre for Remote Sensing
Email : rfeadf@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au | PO Box 12182, A'Beckett Street
Phone : (03) 6603274 Fax : (03) 6632517 | Melbourne Australia 3000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"... I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by
reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion
of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralization."
Petronius, AD 60
------------------------------
Date: 28 Aug 92 05:49:54 GMT
From: Ron Baalke <baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov>
Subject: Galileo Update - 08/27/92
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro
Forwarded from Neal Ausman, Galileo Mission Director
GALILEO
MISSION DIRECTOR STATUS REPORT
POST-LAUNCH
August 21 - 27, 1992
SPACECRAFT
1. On August 24, a NO-OP command was sent to reset the command loss timer
to 264 hours, its planned value for this mission phase.
2. On August 26, a periodic RPM (Retro-Propulsion Module) 10-Newton thruster
maintenance activity was performed; 10 of the 12 thrusters were "flushed"
during the activity. The P-thrusters were not flushed because they were used
to perform science turn (SITURN) activities on the same day. Spacecraft
performance throughout the activity was normal.
3. On August 26, the spacecraft performed a 16.5-degree SITURN. The purpose
of this SITURN is to maintain the spacecraft within a plus or minus 10
degrees of the sun while within a solar distance of 1.6 AU.
4. On August 26, the Earth vector and Earth stars were updated to the
spacecraft's present attitude. This strategy is being employed such that if
spacecraft safing is invoked, the spacecraft will remain at the current
attitude instead of going to sun point. This will expedite spacecraft
recovery in the event of spacecraft safing.
5. On August 26, cruise science Memory Readouts (MROs) were performed for
the Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EUV), Dust Detector (DDS), and
Magnetometer (MAG) instruments. Preliminary analysis indicates the data
was received properly.
6. On August 27, an Ultra-Stable Oscillator (USO) test was performed to
verify the health status of the USO and collect gravitational red shift
experiment data; long term trend analysis is continuing.
7. During the period of August 26 through August 27, a navigation cycle was
performed. This navigation cycle provided near-continuous acquisition of
two-way doppler and ranging data during three consecutive passes of the
spacecraft over DSS-14, DSS-43, and DSS-63. This data will improve orbit
determination in preparation for the TCM-15 (Trajectory Correction
Maneuver #15) scheduled for October 9.
8. The AC/DC bus imbalance measurements exhibited some change. The AC
measurement increased 1 DN and reads 3.3 volts. The DC measurement has
ranged from 121 DN (14.1 volts) to 130 DN (15.2 volts) and now reads 130 DN
(15.2 volts). These measurement variations are consistent with the model
developed by the AC/DC special anomaly team.
9. The Spacecraft status as of August 27, 1992, is as follows:
a) System Power Margin - 69 watts
b) Spin Configuration - Dual-Spin
c) Spin Rate/Sensor - 3.15rpm/Star Scanner
d) Spacecraft Attitude is approximately 10 degrees
off-sun (leading) and 24 degrees off-earth (lagging)
e) Downlink telemetry rate/antenna-40 bps (coded)/LGA-1
f) General Thermal Control - all temperatures within
acceptable range
g) RPM Tank Pressures - all within acceptable range
h) Orbiter Science- UVS, EUV, DDS, MAG, EPD, and HIC are
powered on
i) Probe/RRH - powered off, temperatures within
acceptable range
j) CMD Loss Timer Setting - 264 hours
Time To Initiation - 184 hours
TRAJECTORY
As of noon Thursday, August 27, 1992, the Galileo Spacecraft trajectory
status was as follows:
Distance from Earth 80,355,100 miles (.87 AU)
Distance from Sun 149,427,100 miles (1.61 AU)
Heliocentric Speed 52,300 miles per hour
Distance from Jupiter 652,523,900 miles
Round Trip Light Time 14 minutes, 32 seconds
SPECIAL TOPIC
1. As of August 27, 1992, a total of 8111 real-time commands have been
transmitted to Galileo since Launch. Of these, 3233 were pre-planned in
the sequence design and 4878 were not. In the past week, 1 real time command
was transmitted and pre-planned in the sequence design. In addition, 5427
mini-sequence commands have been transmitted since March 1991; 3269 were
pre-planned and 2158 were not. In the past week, no mini-sequence commands
were transmitted. Major command activities this week included commands to
reset the command loss timer.
___ _____ ___
/_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| Ron Baalke | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
| | | | __ \ /| | | | Jet Propulsion Lab |
___| | | | |__) |/ | | |__ M/S 525-3684 Telos | Optimists live longer
/___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | than pessimists.
|_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ |
------------------------------
Date: 28 Aug 92 04:22:19 GMT
From: Ron Baalke <baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov>
Subject: Magellan Update - 08/27/92
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro
Forwarded from the Magellan Project
MAGELLAN STATUS REPORT
August 27, 1992
1. Magellan continues to operate normally, performing radar
mapping maneuvers and collecting data on its tape
recorder, as well as the routine starcals (star calibrations)
and desats (desaturation of the reaction wheels).
2. The spacecraft experienced another spurious shutoff of the
TWTA (Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier) this morning, but the
on-board fault protection quickly restarted the high power
amplifier.
3. A swap from Transmitter A to B was commanded at 8:26 AM
PDT, and controllers are closely monitoring the signal
spur as the transmitter temperature rises.
4. The telecommunications engineers are trying to establish a
stable operating mode for the transmitter which will allow
the recovery of radar image data. So the next few days
will be critical for determining our capability for radar
mapping.
5. Among the major features in the area to be mapped are
Ushas Mons, Innini Mons, and Hathor Mons, three mountains
west of Alpha Regio. This area was missed on Cycle 1
because the radar swaths were shortened by the "two-hide"
strategy for thermal control. It was missed during Cycle
2 because Transmitter A lost its subcarrier modulation
capability and we had to swap to Transmitter B and find a
solution to its signal spur.
___ _____ ___
/_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| Ron Baalke | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
| | | | __ \ /| | | | Jet Propulsion Lab |
___| | | | |__) |/ | | |__ M/S 525-3684 Telos | Optimists live longer
/___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | than pessimists.
|_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ |
------------------------------
Date: 28 Aug 92 07:47:21 GMT
From: Ron Baalke <baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov>
Subject: Mars Observer Update - 08/27/92 (Launch has been postponed)
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro
Forwarded from Glenn Cunningham, Mars Observer Deputy Project Manager
MARS OBSERVER
DAILY ACTIVITIES STATUS REPORT
FROM THE
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER/CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION
Launch Minus 20 Days
Date of report: 8-27-92 Time of report: 6:00 pm EDT
[There was no report on 8-26-92]
Two evenings ago, on Tuesday, August 25th, a significant amount of
debris was observed on the nadir panel surfaces of the spacecraft
through the access port in the side of the payload fairing near the
MOLA (Mars Observer Laser Altimeter). Subsequent investigation also
found debris on the TOS (Transfer Orbit Stage). A series of
investigative teams have been established to: 1) identify the constituents,
size and distribution of the debris, 2) identify and correct the source
of the debris, 3) assess the mission impacts, and 4) define the cleaning
plans. These activities involve all members of the project community
from the science instrument people, spacecraft, TOS and to Titan, and
including our KSC support partners.
Investigation of these items is far from complete. The exact
source of the contaminating debris has not been firmly established.
The contamination may have been introduced into the fairing when a
dry nitrogen purge was placed on the spacecraft as part of the
securing the payload fairing air conditioning for Hurricane Andrew
last Sunday morning.
In addition to this anomaly, TOS had difficulty turning themselves
off during a readiness test last night. Trouble shooting is
underway on that issue at this time. The spacecraft is implicated
in this problem.
As a result of these two problems, the Launch Day Dress Rehearsal,
scheduled for Friday, was canceled.
Based on the evidence of the severity of the debris contamination
problem, a decision was made to removed the encapsulated spacecraft
from the Titan and return it to the PHSF (Payload Hazardous Support
Facility) immediately. The current plan, somewhat contingent on the
conclusion of TOS's trouble shooting, is the transport back to the
PHSF on Friday night. Access to the spacecraft would them be available
Sunday morning.
The amount of time required to clean the spacecraft and the TOS is
unknown. The launch has been postponed, and no new launch
readiness date has been established.
A decision relative to holding or postponing the Spacecraft Launch
Readiness Review will be announced tomorrow, Friday.
___ _____ ___
/_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| Ron Baalke | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
| | | | __ \ /| | | | Jet Propulsion Lab |
___| | | | |__) |/ | | |__ M/S 525-3684 Telos | Optimists live longer
/___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | than pessimists.
|_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ |
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 17:57:30 GMT
From: Henry Spencer <henry@zoo.toronto.edu>
Subject: Saturn class (Was: SPS feasibility and other space
Newsgroups: sci.space
In article <26AUG199221234806@judy.uh.edu> wingo%cspara.decnet@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov writes:
>>>>> is a demonstrated need for larger lift capability.
>>>>... what is the demonstrated need? How is it demonstrated?
>>>... Look at the growth in size of geosync communications satellites.
>>Apart from [SSF], there is *no* actually-rolling project, anywhere, that
>>has a firm need for more than incremental improvements...
>
>...one F1A engine, one or two STME's you get better payload to orbit...
>at the same or lower cost because the cost of the labor to put all of those
>strap ons on and the software developemnt and verification that it takes begins
>to become a negative factor in the cost cycle of the existing boosters...
I'm not contesting that you can build cheaper boosters than the current
ones, or even that using F-1 derivatives would be a good way to do it.
The trouble is the capital investment needed to get to the point of having
an operational launcher. That includes development plus test flights.
The operating costs of an incrementally-improved Atlas may be higher,
but the cost and (perceived) risk of getting there are smaller. Which
is why General Dynamics is enhancing the Atlas rather than starting from
scratch. So long as demand can be met this way, that's the way it will
be met. It's going to be very difficult to justify any development
of a new launcher until you can come up with a requirement that *can't*
be met by incremental improvement of existing ones. There is none;
lower cost is not a requirement for the current customers, nor is the
ability to expand to a heavylift design.
--
There is nothing wrong with making | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
mistakes, but... make *new* ones. -D.Sim| henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
------------------------------
Date: 27 Aug 92 14:59:41 GMT
From: "William John M. Christie" <chrstie@ccu.umanitoba.ca>
Subject: Solar Sailers
Newsgroups: sci.space
I hope this is the right place to ask this, does anyone know anything about
solar sailer development by the technologically advanced nations and a
possible race to Mars or the Moon between those nations? I heard something
about it on the CBC radio show Quirks & Quarks a while back (>year) but
nothing since. Thanks!
--
==========================================================================
Any opinions expressed above are usually made with some thought which
is my own and is not intended to represent the University in any way.
==========================================================================
------------------------------
Date: 27 Aug 92 21:07:32 GMT
From: Henry Spencer <henry@zoo.toronto.edu>
Subject: Solar Sailers
Newsgroups: sci.space
In article <1992Aug27.145941.29154@ccu.umanitoba.ca> chrstie@ccu.umanitoba.ca (William John M. Christie) writes:
>I hope this is the right place to ask this, does anyone know anything about
>solar sailer development by the technologically advanced nations and a
>possible race to Mars or the Moon between those nations? ...
The original idea was a solar-sail race to Mars, launched in 1992 as part
of the commemoration of Columbus's anniversary. There would be three
entries, one from Europe (where he started from), one from Asia (where
he thought he was going), and one from the Americas (where he ended up).
These would *not* be government projects; funding would be by private
sponsorship plus limited support from the race organizers.
In practice, the race has somewhat fallen flat, mostly because of the
organizers' inability to come up with the support funding. The recession
didn't help: a lot of potential sources of private support dried up.
Some of the competitors are still trying to get a sail into space, but
it's not going to happen in 1992.
--
There is nothing wrong with making | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
mistakes, but... make *new* ones. -D.Sim| henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
------------------------------
Date: 27 Aug 92 08:49:47 EDT
From: Chris Jones <clj@ksr.com>
Subject: What happened to Viking?
Newsgroups: sci.space
In article <BtGMGs.Dw6@zoo.toronto.edu>, henry@zoo (Henry Spencer) writes:
>In article <1992Aug21.222739.19157@nas.nasa.gov> eugene@wilbur.nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya) writes:
>>[someone else asked]
>>>What happened the Viking spacecraft?
>>>[...]
>>>I heard through the grapevine that someone sent a bogus signal to it which
>>>turned the antenna away from Earth, resulting in LOS.
[concerning the Viking 1 lander...]
> What finally happened was that a routine contact
>to pick up recent weather data couldn't get an answer from the lander,
>all attempts to reach it failed, and it was eventually declared dead.
>I believe it *was* eventually established that this was due to a command
>error that fouled up antenna pointing, although this was not obvious at
>the time.
This is all from my [sometimes faulty] memory, but I recall reading that the
error was in reprogramming the lander's computer. A patch was loaded into an
area of memory which was thought to have been used only during the landing
portion of the flight. As it turned out, a previously loaded patch had come up
with some clever way of using this memory, and obliterating it led to the loss
of signal.
--
Chris Jones clj@ksr.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 09:29:17 GMT
From: Phew <phew@mullet.gu.uwa.edu.au>
Subject: With telepresence, who needs people in Earth orbit?
Newsgroups: sci.space
gary@ke4zv.uucp (Gary Coffman) writes:
>Nick, the astronaut basher, seems to think so. He's the one to which I
>was replying. The sensor platforms sent to the outer solar system have
>been impressive achievements. I don't denigrate their importance even
>while calling them box brownies. Getting them there, getting them to
>snap pictures in the right direction, and getting the pictures back is
>a monumental achievement mainly because *competent AI doesn't exist* and
>everything had to be done open loop over long delay command links.
>Jupiter probes didn't notice the Red Spot and say, "hmmmm that's interesting"
>and zoom in for a closeup. Ground calculations had to be done to open
>loop aim the probe's camera to capture a known feature of Jupiter. I'd
>even accept a system that could be told, "find a big red spot and get
>me a picture of it", to be somewhat robotic, but Jupiter probes haven't
>been able to do this. Io's active volcano was an after the fact discovery
>from a picture taken that included it by chance. A competent AI system might
>have zoomed in and gotten pictures of that interesting feature in real time,
>assuming a zoom lens of course. But no such image recognition capability has
>been included on any sensor platform in deep space to date.
>Gary
"This is a very interesting phenomenon. I think we should stay to study
it ... unless there is jeopardy." - HAL 2010 to Dr Chandra ( :-) )
I fully accept that there is no competent AI now, but then again,
graphic user interfaces were unheard of a decade ago... :-)
Taking a longer view, is it the fate of humanity to be able to
explore all of space within a virtual reality dream brought to us by
artificial intelligence? If not, when *do* we start putting humans in
space?
This question is important to me, since I've always wanted to be in
a part of the space program since a I was a kid. But I didn't intend
to be part of a video game.
(No references to "The Last Starfigher" please, and I don't wish to
start a political debate)
Patrick Hew
1st Year Science/ Engineering
University of Western Australia
I'm an undergraduate Science/ Engineer now, and have always wanted to be
a part of the space program. I d
------------------------------
Date: 27 Aug 92 05:58:43 GMT
From: Pat <prb@access.digex.com>
Subject: World Space COngress
Newsgroups: sci.space
Is anyone holding a net party at the WSC????
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End of Space Digest Volume 15 : Issue 147
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