Date: Sun, 4 Sep 88 01:06:12 PDT
From: Ted Anderson <ota@angband.s1.gov>
Message-Id: <8809040806.AA09543@angband.s1.gov>
To: Space+@andrew.cmu.edu
Reply-To: Space+@andrew.cmu.edu
Subject: SPACE Digest V8 #348

SPACE Digest                                      Volume 8 : Issue 348

Today's Topics:
		      Congresscrittercommittees
				 SETI
		  Evolution and "vicious tendencies)
	       Feasibility of interstellar colonization
	       Why *THEY* might want to eat our lunch.
		    Re: Space Shuttle spare parts
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 22 Aug 88 12:15:52 PST
From: Peter Scott <PJS@grouch.jpl.nasa.gov>
Subject: Congresscrittercommittees
X-Vms-Mail-To: EXOS%"space@angband.s1.gov,space-activists@turing.cs.rpi.edu"

From NASA Activities, July/August 1988, comes a list of NASA-related
congressional committees:

U.S. SENATE:

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS:
John C. Stennis (D-MS), Chairman
Mark. O. Hartfield (R-OR), Ranking Minority

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES:
Democrats:
William Proxmire (WI), Chairman
John C. Stennis (MS)
Patrick J. Leahy (VT)
J. Bennett Johnston (LA)
Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ)
Barbara A. Mikulski (MD)

Republicans:
Jake Garn (UT), Ranking Minority
Alfonse M. D'Amato (NY)
Pete V. Domenici (NM)
Charles E. Grassley (IA)
Don Nickles (OK)

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION:
Democrats:
Ernest F. Hollings (SC), Chairman
Daniel K. Inouye (HI)
Wendell H. Ford (KY)
Donald W. Riegle (MI)
J. James Exon (NE)
Albert Gore, Jr. (TN)
John D. Rockefeller, IV (WV)
Lloyd D. Bentsen (TX)
John D. Kerry (MA)
John B. Breaux (LA)
Brock Adams (WA)

Republicans:
John C. Danforth (MO), Ranking Minority
Bob Packwood (OR)
Nancy Landon Kassebaum (KS)
Larry Pressler (SD)
Ted Stevens (AK)
Bob Kasten (WI)
Paul S. Trible, Jr. (VA)       [Could be a soft touch for furry E.T.s...]
Pete Wilson (CA)
John R. McCain (AZ)

SUBCOMITTEE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SPACE:
Democrats:
Donald W. Riegle (MI), Chairman
Albert Gore, Jr. (TN)
John D. Rockefeller, IV (WV)
Lloyd D. Bentsen (TX)
John D. Kerry (MA)
Brock Adams (WA)

Republicans:
Larry Pressler (SD), Ranking Minority
Nancy Landon Kassebaum (KS)
Paul S. Trible, Jr. (VA)
Pete Wilson (CA)


U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE AND TECHNOLOGY:
Democrats:
Robert A. Roe (NJ), Chairman
George E. Brown, Jr. (CA)
James H. Scheuer (NY)
Marilyn Lloyd (TN)
Doug Walgren (PA)
Dan Glickman (KS)
Harold L. Volkmer (MO)
Bill Nelson (FL)
Ralph M. Hall (TX)
Dave McCurdy (OK)
Norman Y. Mineta (CA)
Buddy MacKay (FL)
Tim Valentine (NC)
Robert G. Torricelli (NJ)
Rick Boucher (VA)
Terry L. Bruce (IL)
Richard H. Stallings (ID)
James A. Traficant, Jr. (OH)
Jim Chapman (TX)
Lee H. Hamilton (IN)
Henry J, Nowak (NY)
Tom McMillen (MD)
David E. Price (NC)
David Nagle (IA)
Jimmy Hayes (LA)
David E. Skaggs (CO)
Paul E. Kanjorski (PA)
George J. Hochbrueckner (NY)

Republicans:
Manuel Lujan, Jr. (NM), Ranking Minority
Robert S. Walker (PA)
F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (WI)
Claudine Schneider (RI)
Sherwood L. Boehlert (NY)
Tom Lewis (FL)
Don Ritter (PA)
Sid Morrison (WA)
Ron Packard (CA)
Robert C. Smith (NH)
Paul B. Henry (MI)
Harris W. Fawell (IL)
D. French Slaughter, Jr. (VA)
Lamar Smith (TX)
Ernest L. Konnyu (CA)
Jack Buechner (MO)
Constance A. Morella (MD)
Christopher Shays (CT)

SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS:
Democrats:
Bill Nelson (FL), Chairman
George E. Brown, Jr. (CA)
Harold L. Volkmer (MO)
Norman Y. Mineta (CA)
Robert G. Torricelli (NJ)
James A. Traficant, Jr. (OH)
Jim Chapman (TX)
Carl C. Perkins (KY)
Tom McMillen (MD)
David R. Nagle (LA)
James H. Scheuer (NY)
Ralph M. Hall (TX)
David E. Skaggs (CO)

Republicans:
Robert S. Walker (PA), Ranking Minority
Ron Packard (CA)
Robert C. Smith (NH)
D. French Slaughter, Jr. (VA)
Ernest L. Konnyu (CA)
Jack Buechner (MO)
Joel Hefley (CO)
Constance A. Morella (MD)
Tom Lewis (FL)

SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, AVIATION AND MATERIALS:
Democrats:
Dave McCurdy (OK), Chairman
Dan Glickman (KS)
Bill Nelson (FL)
Tom McMillen (MD)
Jimmy Hayes (LA)

Republicans:
Tom Lewis (FL), Ranking Minority
Robert S. Walker (PA)
F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (WI)

SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS AND OVERSIGHT:
Democrats:
Robert A. Roe (NJ), Chairman
Harold L. Volkmer (MO)
David E. Price (NC)
George E. Brown, Jr. (CA)
James A. Traficant, Jr. (OH)
(Vacancy)

Republicans:
Don Ritter (PA), Ranking Minority
F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (WI)
Ron Packard (CA)
Ernest K. Konnyu (CA)

SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION:
Democrats:
Ralph M. Hall (TX), Chairman
Marilyn Lloyd (TN)
Buddy MacKay (FL)
Robert G. Torricelli (NJ)
James H. Scheuer (NY)
Richard H. Stallings (ID)

Republicans:
F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (WI), Ranking Minority
Sherwood L. Boehlert (NY)
Ron Packard (CA)
Harris W. Fawell (IL)

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS:
James L. Whitten (D-MS), Chairman
Silvio O Conte (R-MA), Ranking Minority

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES:
Democrats:
Edward P. Boland (MA), Chairman
Bob Traxler (MI)
Louis Stokes (OH)
Lindy Boggs (LA)
Alan B. Mollohan (WV)
Martin Olav Sabo (MN)

Republicans:
Bill Green (NY), Ranking Minority
Lawrence Coughlin (PA)
Jerry Lewis (CA)


Peter Scott (pjs%grouch@jpl-mil.jpl.nasa.gov)

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

Date:    Mon, 22 Aug 88 13:24:57 PDT
From: hairston%23666%utadnx%utspan.span@vlsi.jpl.nasa.gov
Subject: SETI
X-St-Vmsmail-To: JPLLSI::"space@angband.s1.gov"

    Edwin Hoogerbeets suggested (V8 #329) sending message towards the center
of the galaxy in order to reach the most prospective planets.  The problem
here is that there probably aren't many planets in the center of the galaxy.
Think of our galaxy as a disk of stars with a big bulge in the middle (a
golf ball stuck in the middle of a pancake gives you an idea of the relative
sizes) with the solar system about two-thirds of the way out to the edge.
Most of the stars in the central bulge are first-generation stars born in
the early stages of galactic formation when only the hydrogen and helium 
from the big bang were around, so there were no heavier elements to make
planets (at least terrestrial-like planets).  The stars out in the disk
are the second-, third-, etc. generation stars that formed out of the
processed material from the supernovae of earlier stars, so they did have
the heavier elements necessary to form planets and carbon/hydrogen/oxygen/
nitrogen (CHON is the jargon term) based life.  So sending a signal in
a narrow beam to the center of the galaxy won't intercept any possible
civilizations unless the beam happens to cross a civilization in the disk
that's on a direct line between here and the center.  A better idea would
be to broadcast only along the plane of the Milky Way, thus the signal would
pass through most of the star systems in the disk.  Early SETI searches were 
planning to do an "all sky" survey, but I would imagine that later ones 
might concentrate on the region along the plane of the galaxy.  If there was 
a power restraint on the project and you wanted an even more restrictive 
direction, then the best bet would be to start with broadcasting in both 
directions along our arm of the galaxy.  That would get the highest densisty 
of stars (and possible planets) within a certain distance (say around 5000-
10,000 light years) in our "local" region.   

Marc Hairston (also an Amiga (reg. TM) enthusiast)
Center for Space Sciences--University of Texas at Dallas
SPAN adress  UTSPAN::UTADNX::UTD750::HAIRSTON

Any resemblance between my opinions and those of my employers (living or
dead) is purely coincidental.

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

Date: 22 Aug 88 04:23:02 GMT
From: amdahl!drivax!macleod@ames.arc.nasa.gov  (MacLeod)
Subject: Evolution and "vicious tendencies)

>>In article <1628@spdcc.COM> eli@spdcc.COM (Steve Elias) writes:
>>>	a species which survived its
>>>	own nuclear self destruct phase would have evolved past
>>>	any vicious tendencies long before the reach into deep space.

Well, just to be contrary...I'd say that there probably is a positive 
correlation between danger-to-other-species and evolution.  Some naturalists
claim that we're eliminating hundreds of species of life from tropical
rain forests as we mow them down.  We don't consult with them first, anymore
than the Neanderthals did with Mammoths, Smilodons, and the other runners-up
in the Great Pleistocene War Games.  

I'd guess that from a communications point of view the first step is making
contactees aware that we are worth talking to before they raze the whole
planet for its resources.  As far as radio emissions go - bees buzz, but
do we bother to listen?  I'd assume that any spacefaring race has technology
that end-runs the limitations of the Newtonian universe, making radio 
communication at most an interplanetary medium.  

Michael Sloan MacLeod  (amdahl!drivax!macleod)

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

Date: 22 Aug 88 04:43:19 GMT
From: amdahl!drivax!macleod@ames.arc.nasa.gov  (MacLeod)
Subject: Feasibility of interstellar colonization

In article <255@heurikon.UUCP> lampman@heurikon.UUCP (Ray Lampman) writes:

>What are the prerequisites for human colonization for a nearby solar system?
>Forget for a moment that we can not do this at present, and think about why
>not. What must come first? Changes in governments? Economies? Technology?
>Do we need any basic scientific advances? How about long range sensors?

From a purely technological viewpoint, I think we are either at or near
an adequate understanding of human biology in interplanetary conditions.
This may or may not be enough; we still are not certain what happens to
humans in more normal surroundings.  As far as materials technology goes,
I think we could build a multigeneration ship.  I doubt that we understand the
principles of ecological systems well enough to support a 250-year voyage;
such trips would require taking all kinds of refining and other industrial
tooling, and might be impossible.  And the longer the ship was en route, 
the greater the possibility of the whole culture going off its rails, ala
Heinlein's "Universe".  I also doubt that current chemical propulsion
schemes would suffice, but I'll leave that to the experts.

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

Date: 22 Aug 88 05:09:26 GMT
From: amdahl!drivax!macleod@ames.arc.nasa.gov  (MacLeod)
Subject: Why *THEY* might want to eat our lunch.

The last I heard (in lay articles) there were several theories that best
seemed to fit observed facts about the genesis of the Moon and Earth planetary
pair.  One of these called for a collision between the Earth and another
body, carving out the Moon as a result.   This also explained the abundance
of heavy elements near the top of the Earth's crust.  In Sunday supplement
fashion, one article brayed: "The Gold In Your Ring is From Another Planet!"

If this is so, and such metal dispositions are rare in the universe (perhaps
most planets turn out to be Jupiter-size gas giants), then any kind of mining
survey is going to be of interest to those looking for accessible heavy
elements.  In (forgive me) L. Ron Hubbard's otherwise trashy _Battlefield
Earth_, remote drones intercepted a human probe several hundred years after 
leaving the solar system, deduced that the Earth had significant quantities
of tungsten (which was in demand for some reason), and moved in the mining
machines. 

Given the unlikelihood of cheap transmutation of elements, even spacefaring
races will probably continue to be interested in rare elements.  If Earth's
crust is abnormally rich in these, we may be in for interesting times ahead.

Michael Sloan MacLeod   (amdahl!drivax!macleod)

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

Date: Mon, 22 Aug 88 18:06:25 EDT
From: John Roberts <roberts@cmr.icst.nbs.gov>
Subject: Re: Space Shuttle spare parts


I read somewhere that one of the things that came out in the investigation
after the Challenger explosion was that NASA, in an effort to stay more
within budget limitations, had been forced to carry on with *fewer* of
certain parts than required to supply four shuttles, and that as a result,
when a shuttle landed, a surprisingly high percentage of its components were
stripped out and installed in the next shuttle to be flown. Assuming this to be
true, it meant there was no chance of launching a shuttle to rescue the crew
of a disabled shuttle in orbit, no matter how rapid the refurbishing
process became. It also meant that the explosion of the Challenger destroyed
these vital components, and no shuttle could possibly be launched until they
had been replaced. Given these circumstances, it would make sense to wait 
at least until the remaining shuttles were fully stocked and a full set of
spares available, or, possibly, to strip one of the three remaining shuttles
to provide a stock of parts for the other two. Recovery from the accident
would provide justification for spending money and time to improve systems
the designers had not been been pleased with before.

Note that there may be spares of some components and at the same time
an inadequate supply of others.

<Standard disclaimers.>
                                            John Roberts
                                            roberts@cmr.icst.nbs.gov

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

End of SPACE Digest V8 #348
*******************