Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/pc/text/spacedig/v15_2/v15no279.txt

Internet Message Format | 1993-07-13 | 36KB

Date: Sat,  3 Oct 92 18:04:50
From: Space Digest maintainer <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Subject: Space Digest V15 #279
To: Space Digest Readers
Precedence: bulk


Space Digest                Sat,  3 Oct 92       Volume 15 : Issue 279

Today's Topics:
               Alleged Benefits of Military $ (2 msgs)
                   another sad anniversary (2 msgs)
              anybody got an analysis of the perot space
         anybody got an analysis of the perot space position?
    Electronic Journal of the ASA (EJASA) - October 1992 [Part 2]
                          Mass Spectrometers
               NASA Daily News for 10/02/92 (Forwarded)
               NASA TMs/TPs:would you like to ftp them?
           Odyssey system for cellular phone comms (2 msgs)
                   Space and Presidential Politics
             Toutatis impact in 2000 AD? (was Re: Help !)
         Wealth in Space (Was Re: Clinton and Space Funding)

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

Date: 2 Oct 92 17:41:28 GMT
From: Brad Wallet <[e-mail]>
Subject: Alleged Benefits of Military $
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Mark Goodman) writes:
|>
|> Reply-To: [e-mail]
|>
|> Gary writes:
|>
|> > Military and aerospace dollars have a particularly
|> >high multiplier, 7x, because the jobs pay well and allow the workers
|> >more discresionary income that can be spent in the civilian economy.
|> >Direct public assistance funds have a much smaller multiplier, around
|> >2x, because the recipients don't have large discressionary funds for
|> >major capital purchases, they mostly pay rent and buy food.
|>
|> I wonder where these numbers come from.  They seem implausible
|> to me, and would in any case be very hard to measure.  Everything
|> I have read suggests precisely the opposite, that money spent on
|> the military and other unproductive high-technology efforts (read
|> NASA) is particularly unbeneficial to the economy.

You may dispute his numbers, but atleast he offered some data.  To
simple say "I have read" simply will not do.  Offer either data or
logical reasoning.

In an earlier posting, you said you worked in Congress.  No doubt you
are pushing sometime of political agenda.  I respect that you admit
that you are going to be biased.  Undoubtable, some will accuse me of
being biased because I work for the military.  I just want to state
that I work for the military because I believe what it does is necessary.
Not vice versa.

Brad

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

Date: 2 Oct 92 18:37:59 GMT
From: Steinn Sigurdsson <[e-mail]>
Subject: Alleged Benefits of Military $
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> Mark Goodman <[e-mail]> writes:



   > Military and aerospace dollars have a particularly
   >high multiplier, 7x, because the jobs pay well and allow the workers


   I wonder where these numbers come from.  They seem implausible
   to me, and would in any case be very hard to measure.  Everything
   I have read suggests precisely the opposite, that money spent on
   the military and other unproductive high-technology efforts (read
   NASA) is particularly unbeneficial to the economy.

Try Nature _355_ 107, 1992.

So what are your sources?

|  Steinn Sigurdsson    |I saw two shooting stars last night        |
|  Lick Observatory    |I wished on them but they were only satellites    |
| [e-mail] |Is it wrong to wish on space hardware?        |
| "standard disclaimer"    |I wish, I wish, I wish you'd care - B.B. 1983    |

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

Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 19:27:00 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: another sad anniversary
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (david michelson) writes...
>
>In article <[e-mail]>, Dennis writes:
>
>[stuff about path loss and EME]
>
>> So the answer is that no one was really interested in
>> doing that at the time and there were no space advocacy groups with any
>> power around at that time to publicize the fact and scream about it on this
>> net (which did not exist at that time either).
>
>> Dennis, University of Alabama in Huntsville
>
>
>Thanks, Dennis, but that's not what I was asking.
>
>I wanted the gritty detail (EIRP, frequency, modulation type, and data
>rate).  Path loss alone does not a link budget make!   If anyone has
>access to one of the Apollo Science Reports from A14--A17, perhaps they
>could take a look for us...
>
>I suspect that the main problem back in 1977 would have been finding
>a way to store the data as it was received.  PC's were rather primitive
>back then and even small mini's were rather expensive.  The other
>problems, such as automatically pointing the antennas, providing sufficiently
>sensitive receivers, etc., could have been solved with relative ease.
>
>--
>
>Dave Michelson
>[e-mail]
>
Dave the main point was that there were many many stations in that era that
had the ability to recieve signals with a total of a -566 db path loss (EME
stations)  An EIRP of one watt from the moon begins with a 278 db gain over
an EME setup.  This path loss overcomes by many times any other system design
elements such as transmitter power, antenna gain, or data rate.

If I remember right the ALSEP transmitter was about 10 watts into a 12-15 db
gain antenna.  The data rate was under 1000 bits per second.  There were many
computers available at the time that could have processed the data inexpensively
such as the Altair, the Vector Graphic Vector I, and even a TRS 80 mod 1.  If
that was not powerful enough Heatkit was selling a kit version of the DEC
PDP 8 at the time for under $2000 (H8 it was called). The problem was pure
and simple lack of interest. I do not recall even one mention of the ALSEP
turn off on the news back then.  The NSS did not exist, Von Braun had just died
and the Shuttle program was three and a half years away from first flight.

Dennis, University of Alabama in Huntsville

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

Date: 2 Oct 92 19:51:00 GMT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: another sad anniversary
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Henry Spencer) writes...
>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>>  With the latest in high-tech radios and computers now available, couldn't
>>your basic University Astronomy Department set up an Earth Station?
>
>Equipping it with a 30m dish and liquid-helium-cooled maser amplifiers
>is still going to be rather expensive.  Those improvements in technology
>haven't passed DSN by; the data-transmission rate from modern planetary
>missions is many times what it was twenty years ago.  You really need
>performance close to that of DSN to get good data from Magellan in
>particular, because it's an extremely data-intensive mission.
>
>To get high data rates from far away, the basic laws of physics pretty
>well dictate that you need (a) a big dish and (b) very-low-noise amplifiers.
>Nothing you can do with "the latest in high-tech radios and computers" will
>get you around those two requirements, both of which are expensive.
>
>Your basic U.A.D. perhaps could set up an Earth station good enough to
>receive from a 1965 planetary mission.  Unfortunately, they aren't
>launching those any more.
>--

Henry and all there is an answer to this already. AMSAT and many hundreds of
hams worldwide have the ability to communicate to asteroid belt distances
using the EME stations in place for the 1965 class missions you speak of.

There is a new organization the Deep Space Exploration Society, located in
Boulder Co that has THREE 26 meter class antennas that were GIVEN to the
organization.  They are in the process of refurbing the antennas. This is a
chance for all of you big mouths out there to put your money where your
keystrokes are. They need funds to continue and accelerate the work in
progress.  They have one of the antennas under control and are working to
get computers, Low noise amplifiers and Radios to allow them to do
amateur deep space missions.  You want to help? Sure you do.

I will post the name and address of the contacts for the group and let you folks
who with your deep burning desire to help the private space program can
vent your frustration with a cash or equipment donation to this non profit very
dedicated group. I challenge each and every one of you, especially you Henry,
Allan, Nick, Tommy, John, and Co to match our one hundred dollar donation to
them.

[soapbox time again]

This is symptomatic of the maliase of this group, even the advocates.  While
you all are moaning about how much it will cost and how hard it is to do,
these guys are simply going out there and getting the job done!!!

[climbs down off of soapbox]

While you are at it we need donations for SEDSAT 1. Anyone who wants to help
will be acknowledged with your name inscribed on the bottom facet of the
satellite. Fifty dollar donation minimum for this perk.  Anyone interested
send donations to:

SEDSAT 1 project team
Research Institute Room M65
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville Al 35899

This is a non-profit Educational and Amateur Radio Satellite

Heck I never thought about  doing this till now. If it is inappropriate to
do this on this net please let me know

Dennis, University of Alabama in Huntsville

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

Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 19:40:56 GMT
From: Rich Krum <[e-mail]>
Subject: anybody got an analysis of the perot space
Newsgroups: sci.space

Suggest that you buy/borrow a copy of the book that Perot wrote:

United We Stand
How we can take back our country
Hyperion, New York
No ISBN number

I got mine from one of the Ross Perot campaign headquarters for $4.95.

Read that before the flames start.....

--rich

---
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"My opinions are my own, and my employer (Boeing Computer Support Services)
 denies any responsibility for me, all opinions in general, and anything
 I may say, do, or be otherwise associated with outside of work for them.
 -- Use at your own risk, your mileage may vary, no news is good news."

 REPLY TO:  [e-mail]     PLEASE KEEP IT "G" RATED
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Date: 2 Oct 92 16:07:42
From: Brian Yamauchi <[e-mail]>
Subject: anybody got an analysis of the perot space position?
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:

>Now that Perot is back in the race, and looks like he might be a contender,
>does anybody out there have any scoop on what might happen to the space
>program under him?  (anybody actually KNOW what he is planning to do? or
>even what he has SAID that he is planning to do?)

Well, I skimmed the copy of _United_We_Stand_ recently posted to
alt.politics.perot (including a search for "space"), and the only
thing I could find was that he plans to kill Freedom.

From _United_We_Stand_, Chapter 3:

RP> Let me give you two examples of programs that we don't need:

RP> First, we are spending money on programs that are nice but not
RP> necessary. One example is the space station. I'm a supporter of
RP> scientific research. However, this is a huge undertaking for a
RP> nation with an operating deficit of over $330 billion. We should
RP> defer the space station until we have the money to pay for it.

    [ plan to eliminate the Rural Electrification Administration... ]

RP> There are many other candidates for elimination. Every program
RP> must be evaluated objectively. We should save only those programs
RP> we need for our future.

In my opinion, Perot has a valid complaint against the cost of SSF,
but deferring its construction is the worst possible way to deal with
this.  We don't want to have the space program on hold until 2010 or
2020 waiting for Freedom to be completed.

It would be better to either build it, replace it with a cheaper
design (i.e.  LLNL's inflatable station), or cancel it outright and
shift the focus to other avenues of exploration than to postpone or
stretch out this program any further.
--
_______________________________________________________________________________

Brian Yamauchi            Case Western Reserve University
[e-mail]    Department of Computer Engineering and Science
_______________________________________________________________________________

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

Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 17:26:44 GMT
From: Larry Klaes <[e-mail]>
Subject: Electronic Journal of the ASA (EJASA) - October 1992 [Part 2]
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space,sci.misc,sci.skeptic

    critical of the optical approach, will demonstrate for the first time to
    the laser communications community why ETIs would not use lasers for
    (SETI) interstellar communications.  We also have Professor Frank
    Tipler, a strong critic of SETI, explaining why both Microwave and
    Optical SETI is a waste of time since he thinks that we are the first
    civilization in this galaxy.  Noted philosopher, Professor Neil Tennant,
    will present his ideas as to why there could be major problems in
    actually decoding the message on an ETI signal.  There will be a
    discussion roundtable at the end of the conference, moderated by Nobel
    laureate Charles Townes, who earlier will be talking about his Carbon
    Dioxide (CO2) Optical SETI laser work, and the CO2 OSETI observations
    presently being conducted by Dr. Albert Betz on Mt. Wilson.

        This "controversial" conference should be a "fun" event but you
    don't need to be a laser communications engineer or SETI scientist to
    attend this conference - just a curiosity about "our" place in the grand
    scheme of things.

        You are encouraged to remail this issue of EJASA to anyone you know
    with interests in SETI.  You might like to print out the program below
    and pin it up on your astronomical society, company, faculty, or school
    notice board.

        Here now is the Advance Technical Program:


                                   OE/LASE '93

               THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE (SETI)
                             IN THE OPTICAL SPECTRUM

                            SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1867

    Location: Los Angeles Airport Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles, California,
    USA.

    Conference Chairman: Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley, Fiberdyne Optoelectronics.
    Co-chair: Dr. Monte Ross, Laser Data Technology, Inc.


             SESSION 1 - INTRODUCTION AND CONVENTIONAL MICROWAVE SETI

    Session Chairman - Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley, Fiberdyne Optoelectronics.

    Thursday, January 21, 1993

    Afternoon
    1:30 to 6:00 pm

        "Let There be Light"
        (Keynote Address)
        Arthur C. Clarke
        Chancellor - International Space University, Sri Lanka.
        (30 minutes)
        Recorded or live video address from his home in Sri Lanka.
        (1867-01)


        "The NASA Search for Evidence of Extraterrestrial Technologies"
        (Keynote Paper)
        David Brocker
        (30 minutes)
        Project Manager, MOP
        SETI Office
        NASA Ames Research Center
        (1867-02)


        "Strategies for SETI Target Selection"
        Dr. David W. Latham and Dr. David R. Soderblom
        (20 minutes)
        Dr. David W. Latham
        Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

        Dr. David R. Soderblom
        Associate Astronomer
        Space Telescope Science Institute
        (1867-03)


        "High-Resolution Microwave All-Sky Survey"
        Dr. Michael J. Klein and Dr. Samuel Gulkis
        (20 minutes)
        Dr. Michael J. Klein
        MOP Program Manager
        Jet Propulsion Laboratory

        Dr. Samuel Gulkis
        Jet Propulsion Laboratory
        (1867-04)


        "SETI - A Waste of Time!"
        (Invited Paper)
        Professor Frank Tipler
        (30 minutes)
        Physics Department
        Tulane University
        (1867-05)


        "Using Modern Analytical Philosophy (MAP) to Sweep the MOP Clean:
        Non-optical Reflections upon Untapped Data, Bad Arguments and the
        Nonexistence of Von Neumann Interstellar Probes."
        Clive Goodall
        (30 minutes)
        Department of Philosophy
        The Ohio State University
        (1867-06)


        "The Decoding Problem: Do We Need to Search for Extra Terrestrial
        Intelligence to Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence?"
        Professor Neil W. Tennant
        (30 minutes)
        Department of Philosophy
        The Ohio State University
        (1867-07)


                            SESSION 2 - OPTICAL SETI I

    Session Chairman - Dr. Monte Ross, Laser Data Technology, Inc.

    Friday, January 22, 1993

    Morning
    8:30 to 11:30 am

        "Fundamental Factors Affecting the Optimum Frequency Range for SETI"
        (Invited Paper)
        Dr. Bernard M. Oliver
        (30 minutes)
        Deputy Chief, NASA SETI Office
        NASA Ames Research Center
        (1867-08)


        "The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) in the Optical
        Spectrum and Professional Optical SETI: A Review"
        Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley
        (30 minutes)
        President
        Fiberdyne Optoelectronics
        (1867-09)


        "An Economic Rationale for Extraterrestrials Using Lasers for SETI"
        Dr. Monte Ross
        (20 minutes)
        President
        Laser Data Technology, Inc.
        (1867-10)


        "Infrared SETI"
        Professor Charles H. Townes
        (30 minutes)
        Department of Physics
        Space Sciences Laboratory
        University of California, Berkeley
        (1867-11)


        "Use of Lasers for Interstellar Beacons, Communications and Travel"
        Dr. John Rather
        (20 minutes)
        NASA Headquarters
        (1867-12)


        "Optical SETI from the Southern Hemisphere"
        Dr. Guillermo A. Lemarchand, Dr. Gregory M. Beskin,
        Dr. Fernando R. Colomb, and Dr. Mariano Mendez
        (20 minutes)
        Dr. Guillermo A. Lemarchand
        Visiting Fellow
        Center for Radiophysics and
        Space Research
        Cornell University

        Dr. Gregory M. Beskin
        Special Astrophysical Observatory
        Soviet Academy of Science

        Dr. Fernando Raul Colomb
        Director
        Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomia

        Dr. Mariano Mendez
        Researcher
        Observatorio Astronomico de La Plata
        (1867-13)


                            SESSION 3 - OPTICAL SETI II

    Session Chairman - Dr. James R. Lesh, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

    Friday, January 22, 1993

    Afternoon
    1:00 to 2:00 pm

       "Application of One Measure of Search Merit to Optical SETI"
        Dr. D. Kent Cullers
        (20 minutes)
        Signal Detection Sub-System Manager
        SETI Project
        NASA Ames Research Center
        (1867-14)


        "Large M-ary Pulse Position Modulation and Photon Buckets for
        Effective Interstellar Communications"
        Dr. Monte Ross
        (20 minutes)
        President
        Laser Data Technology, Inc.
        (1867-15)


        "Amateur Optical SETI"
        Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley
        (20 minutes)
        President
        Fiberdyne Optoelectronics
        (1867-16)


        Workshop/Panel Discussion
        4.00 - 6.00 pm

    Moderator - Professor Charles H. Townes, University of California,
    Berkeley.

        General Discussion Roundtable
        Possible inclusion of Arthur C. Clarke in discussion via telephone.


        To receive a copy of the Advance Technical Program from SPIE which
    also provides information about registration, accommodation, and costs
    to attend this conference (see details below), contact Rosa Cays
    ([e-mail]) or Terry Montonye ([e-mail]) at:

        SPIE
        P.O. Box 10
        Bellingham
        WA 98227-0010
        Tel: [phone]
        Fax: [phone]

        The manuscript due date is December 21.  It will be possible to
    accept a couple of late papers on Microwave and Optical SETI if bios and
    abstracts are submitted to the conference chairman for approval before
    November 15.  For more information and to submit abstracts, Stuart
    Kingsley can be contacted at:

        Fiberdyne Optoelectronics
        545 Northview Drive
        Columbus
        Ohio 43209
        Tel/Fax: [phone]
        Bulletin Board System (BBS): [phone]
        Internet: [e-mail]
        CompuServe: 72376,3545


    OE/LASE '93 includes symposia over the period 16-23 January 1993 on the
    following subjects:

    Free-Space Laser Communications V (January 20-21, 1993).
    The Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) in the Optical
    Spectrum (January 21-22, 1993).
    Laser Engineering (January 17-22, 1993).
    Optoelectronic Processing and Interconnects (January 17-23, 1993).
    Biomedical Optics '93 (January 16-22, 1993).

        There are also educational short courses (January 17-22, 1993) and
    two technical exhibitions, the Medical Exhibition (January 16-17, 1993),
    and the Laser and Sensor Exhibition (January 19-21, 1993).


    Registration
                              Member         Working         Non-
                                              Group         Member
    Full Conference*          $355            $380           $415
    Author (full conf.)       $290            $310           $340
    One day                   $165            $175           $190
    Author (one day)          $140            $150           $165
    Students (no lunch)       $ 60            $N/A           $ 70

    *Rate for a three-day conference.

    **There is no separate registration rate for the SETI conference.

        Attendees for the SETI conference will have to pay for two days.
    If you can spare the time, attendees are recommended to take in the
    Wednesday morning and afternoon, and Thursday morning sessions of the
    Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies V conference, as this
    technology is very relevant to Optical SETI.  The cost for the full
    conference period (three days) is little more than for the two day SETI
    conference alone.


    SPIE Proceedings Volume 1867              $ 35

        These proceedings will also include a copy of Dr. Lesh's large
    review paper on NASA's optical communications activities, which is to be
    presented at the Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies V
    conference.


    Accommodation

    Los Angeles Airport Hilton Hotel (SETI Conference Center)
    5711 West Century Boulevard
    Los Angeles, California 90045, USA
    Tel: [phone]
    Fax: [phone]

    Rates:
    Single or double (government)              $81
    Single or double                           $89 - $109


    Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel
    5855 West Century Boulevard
    Los Angeles, California 90045, USA
    Tel: [phone]
    Fax: [phone]

    Rates:
    Single or double (government)              $80
    Single or double                           $85 - $105


        NOTE:

        Articles on SETI have appeared in recent magazine publications,
    which include the September issue of LIFE magazine, the October issue
    of ASTRONOMY, and the November/December issue of SMITHSONIAN AIR &
    SPACE.  See also upcoming issues of TIME and NEWSWEEK.  The November
    issue of SKY & TELESCOPE has a long article by Robert Naeye about
    Microwave SETI, and mentions the optical approach.  This is the first
    published popular account of OSETI in the printed media.

        This month, in celebration of the Quincentennial of Columbus'
    discovery of the Americas and the official start of NASA's Microwave
    Observing Project (MOP) on Columbus Day (October 12), I am beginning the
    construction of what is believed to be the world's first Amateur Optical
    SETI Observatory.  This will be based around a Schmidt-Cassegrain
    telescope of about 10-inch aperture.  The telescope will probably be the
    new Meade LX200, as it is one of the most advanced on the market today
    for use under computer and CCD control.

        In the last paper of the conference, I will be reporting on the
    amateur approach to Optical SETI (AMOSETI) and any work done to date
    on my observatory system.  EJASA will from time to time carry progress
    reports on this activity and the outcome of the conference.  As I
    indicated in last January's EJASA Optical SETI article, it is my
    intention that AMOSETI will become a world-wide activity for amateur
    astronomy groups and societies.  In the January 1993 issue of EJASA,
    there will an addendum to last January's EJASA article, including
    updated conference program information.  I look forward to meeting
    with you in Los Angeles in January.

        Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley


        Related EJASA Articles -

         "Does Extraterrestrial Life Exist?", by Angie Feazel - November 1989

         "Suggestions for an Intragalactic Information Exchange System",
           by Lars W. Holm - November 1989

         "Radio Astronomy: A Historical Perspective", by David J. Babulski
           - February 1990

         "Getting Started in Amateur Radio Astronomy", by Jeffrey M. Lichtman
           - February 1990

         "A Comparison of Optical and Radio Astronomy", by David J. Babulski
           - June 1990

         "The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) in the Optical
           Spectrum, Parts A-E", by Dr. Stuart A. Kingsley - January 1992

         "History of the Ohio SETI Program", by Robert S. Dixon - June 1992

         "New Ears on the Sky: The NASA SETI Microwave Observing Project",
           the ARC and JPL SETI Project - July 1992


      THE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE ATLANTIC

                         October 1992 - Vol. 4, No. 3

                           Copyright (c) 1992 - ASA

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

Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 22:13:27 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Phil G. Fraering)
Subject: Mass Spectrometers

I've forgotten who was stupid enough to post this:

>Will a mass spectrometer work in the absence of a strong gravitational field?
>I guess you could rotate the spectrometer fast enough to make use of the
>centripital/centrifical forces.

Mass spectrometers use magnetic fields to sort things out.

Mass still exists in the absence of gravity, so sorting by mass
is still possible.

Any more questions? I think this one fits right in with the one about
the heavy boots the moonwalkers used to keep from floating off...


--
Phil Fraering [e-mail] where the x is a number from 1-5.
Phone: [phone] SnailMail: 2408 Blue Haven Dr., New Iberia, La. 70560
---------------------
Disclaimer: Some reasonably forseeable events may exceed this
message's capability to protect from severe injury, death, widespread
disaster, astronomically significant volumes of space approaching a
state of markedly increaced entropy, or taxes.

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

Date: 2 Oct 92 22:02:33 GMT
From: david michelson <[e-mail]>
Subject: NASA Daily News for 10/02/92 (Forwarded)
Newsgroups: sci.space

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

 % Administrator Goldin awards astronaut John Young Leadership Medal;

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

Administrator Daniel Goldin yesterday awarded the NASA Outstanding
Leadership Medal to astronaut John Young in a ceremony held at NASA
Headquarters.  Goldin said "today, we're here to honor one of NASA's
finest and an authentic American hero if there ever was one."  Young
first flew in space on the first Gemini mission in 1962.  He later flew
around the moon on the Apollo 10 mission and later still, landed on the
moon on Apollo 17 in 1972.  In 1983 Young and Robert Crippen test flew
the Columbia on the first shuttle mission.

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

Just a correction or two:

 - the first Gemini mission (Gemini 3) flew in March 1965  not 1962.

 - John Young commanded the Apollo 16 mission in April 1972 not Apollo 17.

 - the first shuttle mission (STS-1) flew in April 1981 not 1983.

I won't even *mention* his other Gemini or shuttle flights.

--

Dave Michelson
[e-mail]

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

Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 18:22:29 GMT
From: Michael Nelson <[e-mail]>
Subject: NASA TMs/TPs:would you like to ftp them?
Newsgroups: sci.research,sci.edu,sci.space,sci.astro,sci.aeronautics,sci.engr

My question is if NASA-Langley Technical Memorandums
and Technical Papers were available in PostScript form
for anonymous ftp, would you find this desirable?

I am contemplating making them available and would like
to have some feedback to determine if such a service is waranted.

Caveat #1 - The files would be available in directories
corresponding to the year that they were released.  An ascii
Index of titles and possibly abstracts could be provided.
Thus, searching is limited to perusing the abstract list.

Caveat #2 - Some figures in the documents might not be availiable
in electronic form.  That is, some pictures and such that are
part of the final TM/TP do not exist electronically.  I have no
idea how many papers this affects and to what extent.

If you have feelings about this service, one way or another,
please contact me.  I have set follow-ups to sci.research, but
email would be the easiest method.  I can post the results of the
inquiry and the status of the project if it is desired.

thank you for your time,

Michael Nelson
NASA-Langley Research Center
[e-mail]

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

Date: Friday, 2 Oct 1992 15:34:52 CET
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Odyssey system for cellular phone comms
Newsgroups: sci.space

In a recent issue of AW&ST there was an ad by TRW for a cellular
phone system using nine satellites in 3 "medium" orbits. This system is
called Odyssey. The way the ad was worded gave me the impression that
the system is already up and running, although I can't remember
hearing about the satellites being deployed. Can anyone provide me with
some more information on this? Would Odyssey not nip the chances of the
Motorola "Iridium" system in the bud?
     Michael

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Date: 2 Oct 92 20:02:00 GMT
From: Henry Spencer <[e-mail]>
Subject: Odyssey system for cellular phone comms
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> writes:
>... The way the ad was worded gave me the impression that
>the system is already up and running...

Nope, definitely not.
--
There is nothing wrong with making      | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
mistakes, but... make *new* ones. -D.Sim|  [e-mail]  utzoo!henry

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Date: 2 Oct 92 18:36:15 GMT
From: Steinn Sigurdsson <[e-mail]>
Subject: Space and Presidential Politics
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> Mark Goodman <[e-mail]> writes:


   important issue than the space program.  I continue to believe that.
   I find the pipedreams that human space exploration offers an economic
   bonanza incredible, at least for the foreseeable future.  I don't think

So, obvious question, how long is "foreseeable"?
As you are working "in" [sic] Congress can we
assume that it is order two years?

|  Steinn Sigurdsson    |I saw two shooting stars last night        |
|  Lick Observatory    |I wished on them but they were only satellites    |
| [e-mail] |Is it wrong to wish on space hardware?        |
| "standard disclaimer"    |I wish, I wish, I wish you'd care - B.B. 1983    |

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Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 19:58:00 GMT
From: Martin Connors <[e-mail]>
Subject: Toutatis impact in 2000 AD? (was Re: Help !)
Newsgroups: sci.space

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Ian
Taylor) writes:
> In article <[e-mail]>
[e-mail] (Martin Connors) writes:
> [.../dev/nulled]
> >Of course Toutatis
> >is NOT coming in randomly, and even for its chaotic orbit we know the
> >position well enough to say that over the next few encounters it will
not
> >be hitting and after that its encounters are not so close.
>
> As you know Toutatis's position _well enough_, perhaps you or someone
else can
> answer Bill Higgins previous question about what the error is in its
predicted
> position at Earth "encounter"?

Fair comment. I must admit the only Toutatis orbits I have done FORWARD in
time were done with ephem and the results matched up pretty well with
those in the Yeomans et al. AJ ('Asteroid and Comet Orbits using RADAR
Data' in  the January 1992 Astronomical Journal.) Most of my Toutatis
orbits are BACKWARDS in time and I look at statistical aspects.

Let me go out on a limb and guess that the positions given in say, Hahn
('Close Encounters of Near-Earth Asteroids during 1900-2100', Advances in
Space Research, v. 11, p. 29, 1991) would be good to at least .001 AU for
this object. My previous posting tried to point out just how large this is
or more precisely just how small a target the Earth is.

However, I promise, sometime before the encounter, to find out what the
position errors are, and run some orbits to see what errors in Earth
approach distance are implied by these errors.

Martin Connors
University of Alberta

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Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 22:50:03 GMT
From: bill nelson <[e-mail]>
Subject: Wealth in Space (Was Re: Clinton and Space Funding)
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro,talk.politics.space,alt.politics.bush,alt.politics.clinton

[e-mail] (Tom Horsley) writes:

: gary> Show us a way to *deliver* the materials of the asteroid to the
: gary> Earth's surface in *ready to use* form for less than 109 billion
: gary> dollars. Those gold and platinum *estimates* aren't in nice pure
: gary> lumps. They're spread throughout that couple of trillion tons of
: gary> stainless steel ore. Now we're talking $20 a ton material that will
: gary> need hundreds of dollars an ounce worth of processing to get at that
: gary> platinum and gold. Makes a big difference.  Don't pull another
: gary> dinosaur killer in the process.
:
: Shucks, this is the easy part. You're in outer space, you got your vacuum,
: you got your limitless solar power, you got your zero-G environment.  All
: you gotta do a setup a few solar mirrors, vaporize the sucker, and run the
: vapor through a free floating mega-industrial scale mass spectrometer (you
: can get improved mass spectrometer designs from Saddam Hussein).  This gets
: the valuable stuff separated out in a pure form, you use the leftover slag
: to make ablative heat shields, and just drop precious metal ingots directly
: into the parking lots of factories.

Will a mass spectrometer work in the absence of a strong gravitational field?
I guess you could rotate the spectrometer fast enough to make use of the
centripital/centrifical forces.

Bill

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End of Space Digest Volume 15 : Issue 279
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