Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/pc/text/spacedig/v15_2/v15no272.txt

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Date: Sat,  3 Oct 92 16:59:47
From: Space Digest maintainer <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Space Digest V15 #272
To: Space Digest Readers
Precedence: bulk


Space Digest                Sat,  3 Oct 92       Volume 15 : Issue 272

Today's Topics:
                   Controversy over V-2 anniversary
       PUTTING VENUS IN AN ORBIT SIMILAR TO THE ORBIT OF THE EA
              Space FAQ 12/15 - Controversial Questions
           Space FAQ 13/15 - Interest Groups & Publications
             Space FAQ 14/15 - How to Become an Astronaut
  Specs needed for Rocketdyne RS-27 engine (Delta launcher) (2 msgs)
                        testing please ignore

    Welcome to the Space Digest!!  Please send your messages to
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 1 Oct 92 08:37:02 GMT
From: Stewart T Fleming <[e-mail]>
Subject: Controversy over V-2 anniversary
Newsgroups: sci.space

[e-mail] (Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey) writes:

>In this country, the Confederate Air Force is allowed to tell us what
>a great plane the B-17 was without visible interference...

Who was the American senator who got up in the House and said :

"The B-52 is a great war machine.  It has killed a lot of people."

and then subsequently had the written record changed to read :

"The B-52 is a great war machine which, unfortunately, has killed a lot of
people"

when worried about potential adverse affects on his popularity ?

STF
--
[e-mail]                        ...uknet!cs.hw.ac.uk!sfleming
"I go out walking after midnight, searching for you..."
  -Patsy Cline

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

Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 21:22:35 PDT
From: Kenneth Freeman <arghouse!kfree>
Subject: PUTTING VENUS IN AN ORBIT SIMILAR TO THE ORBIT OF THE EA
Newsgroups: sci.space

[e-mail] (Frank Crary) writes:

> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (
> >Mars is colder but lost most everything because of its size.
>
> This isn't the usual explanation for Mars' thin atmosphere: The theoretical
> loss rates for gases escaping the atmosphere are too slow to account
> for the planet's atmosphere.
>
> I think the accepted theory starts with the loss of carbon dioxide to
> geological processes: This gas disolves into oceans (Mars of 3.7 billion
> years ago had such oceans), and reacts with disolved calcium to form
> calcium carbonate rock. On Earth, there is a balance, because plate
> techtonics result in the subduction of ocean floors, the melting of
> calcium carbonate rock and the subsequent venting of carbon dioxide out
> of volcanoes. On Mars, which lacking such an active geology, the carbon
> dioxide is simply removed from the atmosphere and sits on the bottom of
> the oceans (while they last). By pulling a major greenhouse gas out
> of the atmosphere causes a major drop in temperature and other
> atmospheric components (such as water and more carbon dioxide during the
> winter) freeze out. The result is an trend a colder and thiner
> atmosphere. (Of course, this mechanism works only as long as there are
> oceans. After a point, the atmosphere is too cold and thin to sustain
> them, and other loss mechanisms must have taken over.)
>
>                                                      Frank Crary
>                                                      CU Boulder
>


Just as a thought experiment, how much water would have to
be poured onto Mars for the resultant oceans (or ocean, if
that's what it takes) for the water to stay there by virtue
of its own mass?

---
If people did not sometimes do silly things,
nothing intelligent would ever get done. -Wittgenstein
[e-mail] or ...!crash!nusdecs!arghouse!kfree

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

Date: 30 Sep 92 23:07:31 GMT
From: Jon Leech <[e-mail]>
Subject: Space FAQ 12/15 - Controversial Questions
Newsgroups: sci.space,news.answers

Archive-name: space/controversy
Last-modified: $Date: 92/09/30 18:59:05 $

CONTROVERSIAL QUESTIONS

    These issues periodically come up with much argument and few facts being
    offered. The summaries below attempt to represent the position on which
    much of the net community has settled. Please DON'T bring them up again
    unless there's something truly new to be discussed. The net can't set
    public policy, that's what your representatives are for.


    WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SATURN V PLANS

    Despite a widespread belief to the contrary, the Saturn V blueprints
    have not been lost. They are kept at Marshall Space Flight Center on
    microfilm.

    The problem in re-creating the Saturn V is not finding the drawings, it
    is finding vendors who can supply mid-1960's vintage hardware (like
    guidance system components), and the fact that the launch pads and VAB
    have been converted to Space Shuttle use, so you have no place to launch
    from.

    By the time you redesign to accommodate available hardware and re-modify
    the launch pads, you may as well have started from scratch with a clean
    sheet design.


    WHY DATA FROM SPACE MISSIONS ISN'T IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE

    Investigators associated with NASA missions are allowed exclusive access
    for one year after the data is obtained in order to give them an
    opportunity to analyze the data and publish results without being
    "scooped" by people uninvolved in the mission. However, NASA frequently
    releases examples (in non-digital form, e.g. photos) to the public early
    in a mission.


    RISKS OF NUCLEAR (RTG) POWER SOURCES FOR SPACE PROBES

    There has been extensive discussion on this topic sparked by attempts to
    block the Galileo and Ulysses launches on grounds of the plutonium
    thermal sources being dangerous. Numerous studies claim that even in
    worst-case scenarios (shuttle explosion during launch, or accidental
    reentry at interplanetary velocities), the risks are extremely small.
    Two interesting data points are (1) The May 1968 loss of two SNAP 19B2
    RTGs, which landed intact in the Pacific Ocean after a Nimbus B weather
    satellite failed to reach orbit. The fuel was recovered after 5 months
    with no release of plutonium. (2) In April 1970, the Apollo 13 lunar
    module reentered the atmosphere and its SNAP 27 RTG heat source, which
    was jettisoned, fell intact into the 20,000 feet deep Tonga Trench in
    the Pacific Ocean. The corrosion resistant materials of the RTG are
    expected to prevent release of the fuel for a period of time equal to 10
    half-lives of the Pu-238 fuel or about 870 years [DOE 1980].

    To make your own informed judgement, some references you may wish to
    pursue are:

    A good review of the technical facts and issues is given by Daniel
    Salisbury in "Radiation Risk and Planetary Exploration-- The RTG
    Controversy," *Planetary Report*, May-June 1987, pages 3-7. Another good
    article, which also reviews the events preceding Galileo's launch,
    "Showdown at Pad 39-B," by Robert G. Nichols, appeared in the November
    1989 issue of *Ad Astra*. (Both magazines are published by pro-space
    organizations, the Planetary Society and the National Space Society
    respectively.)

    Gordon L Chipman, Jr., "Advanced Space Nuclear Systems" (AAS 82-261), in
    *Developing the Space Frontier*, edited by Albert Naumann and Grover
    Alexander, Univelt, 1983, p. 193-213.

    "Hazards from Plutonium Toxicity", by Bernard L. Cohen, Health Physics,
    Vol 32 (may) 1977, page 359-379.

    NUS Corporation, Safety Status Report for the Ulysses Mission: Risk
    Analysis (Book 1). Document number is NUS 5235; there is no GPO #;

    published Jan 31, 1990.

    NASA Office of Space Science and Applications, *Final Environmental
    Impact Statement for the Ulysses Mission (Tier 2)*, (no serial number or
    GPO number, but probably available from NTIS or NASA) June 1990.

    [DOE 1980] U.S.  Department of Energy, *Transuranic Elements in the
    Environment*, Wayne C.  Hanson, editor; DOE Document No.  DOE/TIC-22800;
    Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., April 1980.)


    IMPACT OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE ON THE OZONE LAYER

    From time to time, claims are made that chemicals released from
    the Space Shuttle's Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) are responsible
    for a significant amount of damage to the ozone layer. Studies
    indicate that they in reality have only a minute impact, both in
    absolute terms and relative to other chemical sources. The
    remainder of this item is a response from the author of the quoted
    study, Charles Jackman.

    The atmospheric modelling study of the space shuttle effects on the
    stratosphere involved three independent theoretical groups, and was
    organized by Dr. Michael Prather, NASA/Goddard Institute for Space
    Studies.  The three groups involved Michael Prather and Maria Garcia
    (NASA/GISS), Charlie Jackman and Anne Douglass (NASA/Goddard Space
    Flight Center), and Malcolm Ko and Dak Sze (Atmospheric and
    Environmental Research, Inc.).  The effort was to look at the effects
    of the space shuttle and Titan rockets on the stratosphere.

    The following are the estimated sources of stratospheric chlorine:

       Industrial sources:    300,000,000 kilograms/year
      Natural sources:     75,000,000 kilograms/year
      Shuttle sources:      725,000 kilograms/year

    The shuttle source assumes 9 space shuttles and 6 Titan rockets are
    launched yearly. Thus the launches would add less than 0.25% to the
    total stratospheric chlorine sources.

    The effect on ozone is minimal:  global yearly average total ozone would
    be decreased by 0.0065%. This is much less than total ozone variability
    associated with volcanic activity and solar flares.

    The influence of human-made chlorine products on ozone is computed
    by atmospheric model calculations to be a 1% decrease in globally
    averaged ozone between 1980 and 1990. The influence of the space shuttle and
    Titan rockets on the stratosphere is negligible.  The launch
    schedule of the Space Shuttle and Titan rockets would need to be
    increased by over a factor of a hundred in order to have about
    the same effect on ozone as our increases in industrial halocarbons
    do at the present time.

    Theoretical results of this study have been published in _The Space
    Shuttle's Impact on the Stratosphere_, MJ Prather, MM Garcia, AR
    Douglass, CH Jackman, M.K.W. Ko and N.D. Sze, Journal of Geophysical
    Research, 95, 18583-18590, 1990.

    Charles Jackman, Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Branch,
    Code 916, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center,
    Greenbelt, MD  20771

    Also see _Chemical Rockets and the Environment_, A McDonald, R Bennett,
    J Hinshaw, and M Barnes, Aerospace America, May 1991.


    HOW LONG CAN A HUMAN LIVE UNPROTECTED IN SPACE

    If you *don't* try to hold your breath, exposure to space for half a
    minute or so is unlikely to produce permanent injury. Holding your
    breath is likely to damage your lungs, something scuba divers have to
    watch out for when ascending, and you'll have eardrum trouble if your
    Eustachian tubes are badly plugged up, but theory predicts -- and animal
    experiments confirm -- that otherwise, exposure to vacuum causes no
    immediate injury. You do not explode. Your blood does not boil. You do
    not freeze. You do not instantly lose consciousness.

    Various minor problems (sunburn, possibly "the bends", certainly some
    [mild, reversible, painless] swelling of skin and underlying tissue)
    start after ten seconds or so. At some point you lose consciousness from
    lack of oxygen. Injuries accumulate. After perhaps one or two minutes,
    you're dying. The limits are not really known.

    References:

    _The Effect on the Chimpanzee of Rapid Decompression to a Near Vacuum_,
    Alfred G. Koestler ed., NASA CR-329 (Nov 1965).

    _Experimental Animal Decompression to a Near Vacuum Environment_, R.W.
    Bancroft, J.E. Dunn, eds, Report SAM-TR-65-48 (June 1965), USAF School
    of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, Texas.


    USING THE SHUTTLE BEYOND LOW EARTH ORBIT

    You can't use the shuttle orbiter for missions beyond low Earth orbit
    because it can't get there. It is big and heavy and does not carry
    enough fuel, even if you fill part of the cargo bay with tanks.

    Furthermore, it is not particularly sensible to do so, because much of
    that weight is things like wings, which are totally useless except in
    the immediate vicinity of the Earth. The shuttle orbiter is highly
    specialized for travel between Earth's surface and low orbit. Taking it
    higher is enormously costly and wasteful. A much better approach would
    be to use shuttle subsystems to build a specialized high-orbit
    spacecraft.

    [Yet another concise answer by Henry Spencer.]


    THE "FACE ON MARS"

    There really is a big rock on Mars that looks remarkably like a humanoid
    face. It appears in two different frames of Viking Orbiter imagery:
    35A72 (much more facelike in appearance, and the one more often
    published, with the Sun 10 degrees above western horizon) and 70A13
    (with the Sun 27 degrees from the west).

    Science writer Richard Hoagland has championed the idea that the Face is
    artificial, intended to resemble a human, and erected by an
    extraterrestrial civilization. Most other analysts concede that the
    resemblance is most likely accidental. Other Viking images show a
    smiley-faced crater and a lava flow resembling Kermit the Frog elsewhere
    on Mars. There exists a Mars Anomalies Research Society (sorry, don't
    know the address) to study the Face.

    The Mars Observer mission will carry an extremely high-resolution
    camera, and better images of the formation will hopefully settle this
    question in a few years. In the meantime, speculation about the Face is
    best carried on in the altnet group alt.alien.visitors, not sci.space or
    sci.astro.

    V. DiPeitro and G. Molenaar, *Unusual Martian Surface Features*, Mars
    Research, P.O. Box 284, Glen Dale, Maryland, USA, 1982. [Apparently the
    first lengthy consideration of the Face published. Does anybody know
    what it costs?]

    R.R. Pozos, *The Face of Mars*, Chicago Review Press, 1986. [Account of
    an interdisciplinary speculative conference Hoagland organized to
    investigate the Face]

    R.C. Hoagland, *The Monuments of Mars: A City on the Edge of Forever*,
    North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California, USA, 1987. [Elaborate
    discussion of evidence and speculation that formations near the Face
    form a city]

    M.J. Carlotto, "Digital Imagery Analysis of Unusual Martian Surface
    Features," *Applied Optics*, 27, pp. 1926-1933, 1987. [Extracts
    three-dimensional model for the Face from the 2-D images]

    M.J. Carlotto & M.C. Stein, "A Method of Searching for Artificial
    Objects on Planetary Surfaces," *Journal of the British Interplanetary
    Society*, Vol. 43 no. 5 (May 1990), p.209-216. [Uses a fractal image
    analysis model to guess whether the Face is artificial]

    B. O'Leary, "Analysis of Images of the `Face' on Mars and Possible
    Intelligent Origin," *JBIS*, Vol. 43 no. 5 (May 1990), p. 203-208.
    [Lights Carlotto's model from the two angles and shows it's consistent;
    shows that the Face doesn't look facelike if observed from the surface]


NEXT: FAQ #13/15 - Space activist/interest/research groups & space publications

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

Date: 30 Sep 92 23:07:35 GMT
From: Jon Leech <[e-mail]>
Subject: Space FAQ 13/15 - Interest Groups & Publications
Newsgroups: sci.space,news.answers

Archive-name: space/groups
Last-modified: $Date: 92/09/30 18:59:09 $

SPACE ACTIVIST/INTEREST/RESEARCH GROUPS AND SPACE PUBLICATIONS

    GROUPS

    AMSAT - develops small satellites (since the 1960s) for a variety of
    uses by amateur radio enthusiasts. Has various publications,
    supplies QuickTrak satellite tracking software for PC/Mac/Amiga etc.

    Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT)
    P.O. Box 27
    Washington, DC 20044
    (301)-589-6062

    ASERA - Australian Space Engineering and Research Association. An
    Australian non-profit organisation to coordinate, promote, and
    conduct space R&D projects in Australia, involving both Australian
    and international (primarily university) collaborators. Activities
    include the development of sounding rockets, small satellites
    (especially microsatellites), high-altitude research balloons, and
    appropriate payloads. Provides student projects at all levels, and
    is open to any person or organisation interested in participating.
    Publishes a monthly newsletter and a quarterly technical journal.

    Membership $A100 (dual subscription)
    Subscriptions $A25 (newsletter only) $A50 (journal only)

    ASERA Ltd
    PO Box 184
    Ryde, NSW, Australia, 2112
    email: [e-mail]

    BIS - British Interplanetary Society. Probably the oldest pro-space
    group, BIS publishes two excellent journals: _Spaceflight_, covering
    current space activities, and the _Journal of the BIS_, containing
    technical papers on space activities from near-term space probes to
    interstellar missions. BIS has published a design study for an
    interstellar probe called _Daedalus_.

    British Interplanetary Society
    27/29 South Lambeth Road
    London SW8 1SZ
    ENGLAND

    No dues information available at present.

    NSS - the National Space Society, formed by the merger of the L-5
    Society and the National Space Institute founded by Von Braun. NSS
    is a pro-space group distinguished by its network of local chapters.
    Supports a general agenda of space development and man-in-space,
    including the NASA space station. Publishes _Ad Astra_, a monthly
    glossy magazine, and runs Shuttle launch tours, Dial-A-Shuttle and
    Space Hotline telephone services. A major sponsor of the annual
    space development conference. Associated with Spacecause and
    Spacepac, political lobbying organizations.

    Membership $18 (youth/senior) $35 (regular).

    National Space Society
    Membership Department
    922 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E.
    Washington, DC 20003-2140
    (202)-543-1900

    Planetary Society - founded by Carl Sagan. The largest space advocacy
    group. Publishes _Planetary Report_, a monthly glossy, and has
    supported SETI hardware development financially. Agenda is primarily
    support of space science, recently amended to include an
    international manned mission to Mars.

    The Planetary Society
    65 North Catalina Avenue
    Pasadena, California 91106

    Membership $35/year.

    SSI - the Space Studies Institute, founded by Dr. Gerard O'Neill.
    Publishes _SSI Update_, a bimonthly newsletter describing
    work-in-progress. Conducts a research program including
    mass-drivers, lunar mining processes and simulants, composites from
    lunar materials, solar power satellites. Runs the biennial Princeton
    Conference on Space Manufacturing. Developing a Lunar Polar Probe
    for 1992 launch to geochemically map the entire moon and search for
    volatiles which may be frozen at the poles.

    Membership $25/year. Senior Associates ($100/year and up) fund most
        SSI research.

    Space Studies Institute
    258 Rosedale Road
    PO Box 82
    Princeton, NJ 08540

    SEDS - Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. Founded in
    1980 at MIT and Princeton. SEDS is a chapter-based pro-space
    organization at high schools and universities around the world.
    Entirely student run. Each chapter is independent and coordinates
    its own local activities. Nationally, SEDS runs a scholarship
    competition, design contests, and holds an annual international
    conference and meeting in late summer.

    Students for the Exploration and Development of Space
    MIT Room W20-445
    77 Massachusetts Avenue
    Cambridge, MA  02139
    [phone]
    email: [e-mail]

    Dues determined by local chapter.

    SPACECAUSE -  A political lobbying organization and part of the NSS
    Family of Organizations. Publishes a bi-monthly newsletter,
    Spacecause News. Annual dues is $25. Members also receive a discount
    on _The Space Activist's Handbook_. Activities to support pro-space
    legislation include meeting with political leaders and interacting
    with legislative staff. Spacecause primarily operates in the
    legislative process.

    National Office            West Coast Office
    Spacecause            Spacecause
    922 Pennsylvania Ave. S.E.    3435 Ocean Park Blvd.
    Washington, D.C. 20003        Suite 201-S
    [phone]            Santa Monica, CA 90405

    SPACEPAC - A political action committee and part of the NSS Family of
    Organizations. Spacepac researches issues, policies, and candidates.
    Each year, updates _The Space Activist's Handbook_. Current Handbook
    price is $25. While Spacepac does not have a membership, it does
    have regional contacts to coordinate local activity. Spacepac
    primarily operates in the election process, contributing money and
    volunteers to pro-space candidates.

        Spacepac
        922 Pennsylvania Ave. S.E.
        Washington, D.C. 20003
        [phone]

    UNITED STATES SPACE FOUNDATION - a public, non-profit organization
    supported by member donations and dedicated to promoting
    international education, understanding and support of space. The
    group hosts an annual conference for teachers and others interested
    in education. Other projects include developing lesson plans that
    use space to teach other basic skills such as reading. Publishes
    "Spacewatch," a monthly B&W glossy magazine of USSF events and
    general space news. Annual dues:

        Charter        $50 ($100 first year)
        Individual    $35
        Teacher        $29
        College student $20
        HS/Jr. High    $10
        Elementary     $5
        Founder &     $1000+
            Life Member

    United States Space Foundation
    P.O. Box 1838
    Colorado Springs, CO 80901
    [phone]


    PUBLICATIONS

    Air & Space / Smithsonian (bimonthly magazine)
    Box 53261
    Boulder, CO 80332-3261
    $18/year US, $24/year international

    Final Frontier (mass-market bimonthly magazine) - history, book reviews,
    general-interest articles (e.g. "The 7 Wonders of the Solar System",
    "Everything you always wanted to know about military space
    programs", etc.)

    Final Frontier Publishing Co.
    PO Box 534
    Mt. Morris, IL 61054-7852
    $14.95/year US, $19.95 Canada, $23.95 elsewhere

    Space News (weekly magazine) - covers US civil and military space
    programs. Said to have good political and business but spotty
    technical coverage.

    Space News
    Springfield VA 22159-0500
    703-642-7330
    $75/year, may have discounts for NSS/SSI members

    Space Flight News (monthly magazine) - covers current space activities
    (all nations) in depth and has good historical series on topics like
    early space capsules, cosmonauts, etc. Available by newsstand in the
    US (with several months shipping delay), only by mail elsewhere.

    Subscription Dept.
    Space Flight News Ltd.
    PO Box 100
    Stamford, Lincs, PE9IXQ
    ENGLAND
    #16.20 pounds/year UK and international (surface)
    airmail: #25/year (Europe) #26 (Middle East) #29 (North America) #31
        (Australia, NZ, Japan)

    Journal of the Astronautical Sciences and Space Times - publications of
    the American Astronautical Society. No details.

    AAS Business Office
    6352 Rolling Mill Place, Suite #102
    Springfield, Va. 22152
    703-866-0020

    GPS World (semi-monthly) - reports on current and new uses of GPS, news
    and analysis of the system and policies affecting it, and technical
    and product issues shaping GPS applications.

    GPS World
    859 Willamette St.
    P.O. Box 10460
    Eugene, OR  97440-2460
    503-343-1200

    Free to qualified individuals; write for free sample copy.

    Planetary Encounter - in-depth technical coverage of planetary missions,
    with diagrams, lists of experiments, interviews with people directly
    involved.
    World Spaceflight News - in-depth technical coverage of near-Earth
    spaceflight. Mostly covers the shuttle: payload manifests, activity
    schedules, and post-mission assessment reports for every mission.

    Box 98
    Sewell, NJ 08080
    $30/year US/Canada
    $45/year elsewhere

    UNDOCUMENTED GROUPS

    Anyone who would care to write up descriptions of the following
    groups (or others not mentioned) for inclusion in the answer is
    encouraged to do so.

    AAS - American Astronautical Society
    AIAA - American Institute of Astronautics & Aeronautics
    World Space Foundation
    Other groups not mentioned above

NEXT: FAQ #14/15 - How to become an astronaut

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

Date: 30 Sep 92 23:07:41 GMT
From: Jon Leech <[e-mail]>
Subject: Space FAQ 14/15 - How to Become an Astronaut
Newsgroups: sci.space,news.answers

Archive-name: space/astronaut
Last-modified: $Date: 92/09/30 18:58:59 $

HOW TO BECOME AN ASTRONAUT

    First the short form, authored by Henry Spencer, then an official NASA
    announcement.

    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.  Degree(s) in one field plus work experience in
    another seems to be a frequent winner.

    Be in good physical condition, with good eyesight.    (DO NOT get a
    radial keratomy or similar hack to improve your vision; nobody knows
    what sudden pressure changes would do to RKed eyes, and long-term
    effects are poorly understood.  For that matter, avoid any other
    significant medical unknowns.)  If you can pass a jet-pilot physical,
    you should be okay; if you can't, your chances are poor.

    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 Security considers 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).
    If you apply from outside NASA and miss, but they offer you a job
    at NASA, ***TAKE IT***; sometimes in the past this has meant "you
    do look interesting but we want to know you a bit better first".

    Think space:  they want highly motivated people, so lose no chance
    to demonstrate motivation.

    Keep trying.  Many astronauts didn't make it the first time.




    NASA
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
    Houston, Texas

    Announcement for Mission Specialist and Pilot Astronaut Candidates
    ==================================================================

    Astronaut Candidate Program
    ---------------------------

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a need for
    Pilot Astronaut Candidates and Mission Specialist Astronaut Candidates
    to support the Space Shuttle Program. NASA is now accepting on a
    continuous basis and plans to select astronaut candidates as needed.

    Persons from both the civilian sector and the military services will be
    considered.

    All positions are located at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in
    Houston, Texas, and will involved a 1-year training and evaluation
    program.

    Space Shuttle Program Description
    ---------------------------------

    The numerous successful flights of the Space Shuttle have demonstrated
    that operation and experimental investigations in space are becoming
    routine. The Space Shuttle Orbiter is launched into, and maneuvers in
    the Earth orbit performing missions lastling up to 30 days. It then
    returns to earth and is ready for another flight with payloads and
    flight crew.

    The Orbiter performs a variety of orbital missions including deployment
    and retrieval of satellites, service of existing satellites, operation
    of specialized laboratories (astronomy, earth sciences, materials
    processing, manufacturing), and other operations. These missions will
    eventually include the development and servicing of a permanent space
    station. The Orbiter also provides a staging capability for using higher
    orbits than can be achieved by the Orbiter itself. Users of the Space
    Shuttle's capabilities are both domestic and foreign and include
    government agencies and private industries.

    The crew normally consists of five people - the commander, the pilot,
    and three mission specialists. On occasion additional crew members are
    assigned. The commander, pilot, and mission specialists are NASA
    astronauts.

    Pilot Astronaut

    Pilot astronauts server as both Space Shuttle commanders and pilots.
    During flight the commander has onboard responsibility for the vehicle,
    crew, mission success and safety in flight. The pilot assists the
    commander in controlling and operating the vehicle. In addition, the
    pilot may assist in the deployment and retrieval of satellites utilizing
    the remote manipulator system, in extra-vehicular activities, and other
    payload operations.

    Mission Specialist Astronaut

    Mission specialist astronauts, working with the commander and pilot,
    have overall responsibility for the coordination of Shuttle operations
    in the areas of crew activity planning, consumables usage, and
    experiment and payload operations. Mission specialists are required to
    have a detailed knowledge of Shuttle systems, as well as detailed
    knowledge of the operational characteristics, mission requirements and
    objectives, and supporting systems and equipment for each of the
    experiments to be conducted on their assigned missions. Mission
    specialists will perform extra-vehicular activities, payload handling
    using the remote manipulator system, and perform or assist in specific
    experimental operations.

    Astronaut Candidate Program
    ===========================

    Basic Qualification Requirements
    --------------------------------

    Applicants MUST meet the following minimum requirements prior to
    submitting an application.

    Mission Specialist Astronaut Candidate:

    1. Bachelor's degree from an accredited 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
    civilian or military 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 sitting position.

    3. Height between 60 and 76 inches.

    Pilot Astronaut Candidate:

    1. Bachelor's degree from an accredited 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. Quality of
    academic preparation is important.

    2. At least 1000 hours pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. Flight
    test experience highly desirable.

    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 sitting position.

    4. Height between 64 and 76 inches.

    Citizenship Requirements

    Applications for the Astronaut Candidate Program must be citizens of
    the United States.

    Note on Academic Requirements

    Applicants for the Astronaut Candidate Program must meet the basic
    education requirements for NASA engineering and scientific positions --
    specifically: successful completion of standard professional curriculum
    in an accredited college or university leading to at least a bachelor's
    degree with major study in an appropriate field of engineering,
    biological science, physical science, or mathematics.

      The following degree fields, while related to engineering and the
    sciences, are not considered qualifying:
      - Degrees in technology (Engineering Technology, Aviation Technology,
    Medical Technology, etc.)
      - Degrees in Psychology (except for Clinical Psychology, Physiological
    Psychology, or Experimental Psychology which are qualifying).
      - Degrees in Nursing.
      - Degrees in social sciences (Geography, Anthropology, Archaeology, etc.)
      - Degrees in Aviation, Aviation Management or similar fields.

    Application Procedures
    ----------------------

    Civilian

    The application package may be obtained by writing to:

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

    Civilian applications will be accepted on a continuous basis. When NASA
    decides to select additional astronaut candidates, consideration will be
    given only to those applications on hand on the date of decision is
    made. Applications received after that date will be retained and
    considered for the next selection. Applicants will be notified annually
    of the opportunity to update their applications and to indicate
    continued interest in being considered for the program. Those applicants
    who do not update their applications annually will be dropped from
    consideration, and their applications will not be retained. After the
    preliminary screening of applications, additional information may be
    requested for some applicants, and person listed on the application as
    supervisors and references may be contacted.

    Active Duty Military

    Active duty military personnel must submit applications to their
    respective military service and not directly to NASA. Application
    procedures will be disseminated by each service.

    Selection
    ---------

    Personal interviews and thorough medical evaluations will be required
    for both civilian and military applicants under final consideration.
    Once final selections have been made, all applicants who were considered
    will be notified of the outcome of the process.

    Selection rosters established through this process may be used for the
    selection of additional candidates during a one year period following
    their establishment.

    General Program Requirements

    Selected applicants will be designated Astronaut Candidates and will be
    assigned to the Astronaut Office at the Johnson Space Center, Houston,
    Texas. The astronaut candidates will undergo a 1 year training and
    evaluation period during which time they will be assigned technical or
    scientific responsibilities allowing them to contribute substantially to
    ongoing programs. They will also participate in the basic astronaut
    training program which is designed to develop the knowledge and skills
    required for formal mission training upon selection for a flight. Pilot
    astronaut candidates will maintain proficiency in NASA aircraft during
    their candidate period.

    Applicants should be aware that selection as an astronaut candidate does
    not insure selection as an astronaut. Final selection as an astronaut
    will depend on satisfactory completion of the 1 year training and
    evaluation period. Civilian candidates who successfully complete the
    training and evaluation and are selected as astronauts will become
    permanent Federal employees and will be expected to remain with NASA for
    a period of at least five years. Civilian candidates who are not
    selected as astronauts may be placed in other positions within NASA
    depending upon Agency requirements and manpower constraints at that
    time. Successful military candidates will be detailed to NASA for a
    specified tour of duty.

    NASA has an affirmative action program goal of having qualified
    minorities and women among those qualified as astronaut candidates.
    Therefore, qualified minorities and women are encouraged to apply.

    Pay and Benefits
    ----------------

    Civilians

    Salaries for civilian astronaut candidates are based on the Federal
    Governments General Schedule pay scales for grades GS-11 through GS-14,
    and are set in accordance with each individuals academic achievements
    and experience.

    Other benefits include vacation and sick leave, a retirement plan, and
    participation in group health and life insurance plans.

    Military

    Selected military personnel will be detailed to the Johnson Space Center
    but will remain in an active duty status for pay, benefits, leave, and
    other similar military matters.


NEXT: FAQ #15/15 - Orbital and Planetary Launch Services

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

Date: 1 Oct 92 01:06:53 GMT
From: Bruce Dunn <[e-mail]>
Subject: Specs needed for Rocketdyne RS-27 engine (Delta launcher)
Newsgroups: sci.space

        I have spent a somewhat frustrating session in the library trying to
get information on the Rocketdyne RS-27 engine used in the core stage of the
Delta II launch vehicle.  So far I know:

Propellant:        LOX/kerosene
Thrust:            912 kN  (unclear whether sea level or vacuum)
Expansion Ratio:   12:1  (up from the 8:1 of an earlier version)

Does anyone have a Rocketdyne brochure or other source listing:

Sea Level Specific Impulse
Sea Level Thrust
Vacuum Specific Impulse
Vacuum Thrust
Mass
Dimensions
Chamber Pressure

Thanks in advance!






--
Bruce Dunn    Vancouver, Canada   [e-mail]

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

Date: 1 Oct 92 10:52:27 GMT
From: Dean Adams <[e-mail]>
Subject: Specs needed for Rocketdyne RS-27 engine (Delta launcher)
Newsgroups: sci.space

[e-mail] (Bruce Dunn) writes:
 >I have spent a somewhat frustrating session in the library trying to
 >get information on the Rocketdyne RS-27 engine used in the core stage of the
 >Delta II launch vehicle.  So far I know:
 >
 >Propellant:        LOX/kerosene
 >Thrust:            912 kN  (unclear whether sea level or vacuum)
 >Expansion Ratio:   12:1  (up from the 8:1 of an earlier version)

The 12:1 ratio is for the RS-27A model.  8:1 is the RS-27.

 >Does anyone have a Rocketdyne brochure or other source listing:
 >Sea Level Specific Impulse
RS-27:  263 sec
RS-27A: 255 sec

 >Sea Level Thrust
RS-27:  207,000 lb
RS-27A: 200,000 lb

 >Vacuum Specific Impulse
RS-27:  295 sec
RS-27A: 302 sec

 >Vacuum Thrust
RS-27:  231,700 lb
RS-27A: 237,000 lb

 >Mass
RS-27:  2,290 lb
RS-27A: 2,444 lb

 >Dimensions
RS-27:  142 / 76 in.
RS-27A: 149 / 76 in.


 >Chamber Pressure
RS-27:  700 psia
RS-27A: 700 psia

Enjoy!

-{ Dean Adams }-

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

Date: 29 Sep 92 08:50:20 CST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: testing please ignore
Newsgroups: sci.space

testing please ignore

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

End of Space Digest Volume 15 : Issue 272
------------------------------