Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson Received: from beak.andrew.cmu.edu via trymail for +dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl@andrew.cmu.edu (->+dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl) (->ota+space.digests) ID ; Wed, 8 Nov 89 03:25:05 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Wed, 8 Nov 89 03:24:45 -0500 (EST) Subject: SPACE Digest V10 #222 SPACE Digest Volume 10 : Issue 222 Today's Topics: Vax to ride space shuttle. Re: Manned Jupiter Mission (was Re: Launch Advisory (Forwarded) Payload Status Report (Forwarded) Re: Moon Colonies / Ant Tanks? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 7 Nov 89 21:09:00 GMT From: milton!maven!games@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Games Wizard) Subject: Vax to ride space shuttle. MIL SPEC VAX TO RIDE SPACE SHUTTLE This title caught my eye in the last issue of Electronic Engineering Times. Raytheon has ruggedized and militarized a VAX 6000 series computer, and apparently has delivered one to NASA. The article says that the VAX will be used for the HITCHHIKER program, but I am not familiar with this. Is it related to Getaway Specials? (I don't think so, but I really have no clue.) It goes on to say "applications are expected to include space-borne experiments in robotics, artificial intelligence, signal processing and experiment-data analysis and reduction." Anybody know a little more about this? Oh, Yea, the VAX will be running VMS, and all of your fav' commercial software will run on it. I assume that that includes VAXELN stuff, but the article does not mention that. Electronic Engineering Times Nov 6, 1989 Issue 563, Page 28 Article by Jim Van Nostrand. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trendy footer by: John Stevens-Schlick Internet?: JOHN@tranya.cpac.washington.edu 7720 35'th Ave S.W. Seattle, Wa. 98126 (206) 935 - 4384 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My boss dosen't know what I do. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Nov 89 21:42:45 GMT From: bungia!orbit!pnet51!schaper@UMN-CS.CS.UMN.EDU (S Schaper) Subject: Re: Manned Jupiter Mission (was Re: does that mean that you cannot have experienced crew on the Mars Mission? It might be worth it to put a couple more inches of lead or irridium on that storm cellar. UUCP: {amdahl!bungia, uunet!rosevax, chinet, killer}!orbit!pnet51!schaper ARPA: crash!orbit!pnet51!schaper@nosc.mil INET: schaper@pnet51.cts.com ------------------------------ Date: 7 Nov 89 17:26:42 GMT From: cs.utexas.edu!samsung!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov!baalke@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Ron Baalke) Subject: Launch Advisory (Forwarded) LAUNCH ADVISORY: STS-33 DISCOVERY MISSION LAUNCH DATE SET At the conclusion of today's STS-33 Flight Readiness Review at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Space Shuttle managers have targeted a date of no earlier than Nov. 20, 1989 for the launch of a dedicated Department of Defense mission aboard the orbiter Discovery. The 4-hour launch period will begin at 6:30 p.m. EST. At the present time, no major issues are being worked which might preclude launch on the 20th. Ron Baalke | (818) 541-2341 x260 Jet Propulsion Lab M/S 301-355 | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov 4800 Oak Grove Dr. | Pasadena, CA 91109 | ------------------------------ Date: 7 Nov 89 20:06:07 GMT From: henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov!baalke@decwrl.dec.com (Ron Baalke) Subject: Payload Status Report (Forwarded) PAYLOAD STATUS REPORT: MISSIONS STS-32 AND STS-35 Prepared at 1:30 P.M. Nov. 7, l989 STS-32 -- SYNCOM IV-05, LDEF Retrieval Kennedy Space Center workers are preparing to receive the SYNCOM-IV satellite for final stages of processing next week. SYNCOM is scheduled to be transferred from Astrotech in Titus- ville, FL. to the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF) overnight Monday, Nov. 13. The satellite has been at the Astrotech facility since Sept. 6 undergoing early stages of flight preparation. Pre-arrival platform and alignment operations have been com- pleted at KSC, along with clean room preparations. Communica- tions systems are ready to support processing and the CITE (Cargo Integration and Test Equipment) test Nov. 15. Technicians have successfully corrected problems with two land lines. Flight and ground software systems have been checked and validated. The satellite is expected to spend about 6 days in the VPF before going to the pad. During that time, a launch readiness test and a sharp-edge inspection will be held as well as the CITE. STS-35 -- ASTRO-1, BBXRT Astro-1 is a payload consisting of four optical instruments capable of performing independent or simultaneous observations of selected targets. They are: 1) three ultraviolet (UV) telescopes aligned to each other on an Instrument Pointing System (IPS) and mounted to two Spacelab pallets; and 2) an X-ray telescope mounted on a Two-Axis Pointing System (TAPS) secured by a special support structure. The Astro-1 payload is currently scheduled to fly aboard Columbia in April, l990. A night launch is planned. The Astro payload is the first of a series of Astro missions that will make precise astronomical measurements. Processing work, including component testing, is well under- way at KSC for all instruments. Upcoming work includes argon ser- vicing for BBXRT and testing of the IPS, as well as electrical wiring work. The processing teams have successfully resolved a gyro problem on BBXRT, and are assessing the condition of a tape recorder on the Spacelab pallet. Hardware inspections and software tests/evaluations are also on the near-term support schedule. Ron Baalke | (818) 541-2341 x260 Jet Propulsion Lab M/S 301-355 | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov 4800 Oak Grove Dr. | Pasadena, CA 91109 | ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Nov 89 23:59:52 PST From: Peter Scott Subject: Re: Moon Colonies / Ant Tanks? X-Vms-Mail-To: EXOS%"space@andrew.cmu.edu" attcan!utgpu!utzoo!henry@uunet.uu.net (Henry Spencer) writes: >In article <2683@uceng.UC.EDU> dmocsny@uceng.UC.EDU (daniel mocsny) writes: >>... While the European pioneers were entering a rather >>hostile environment, they certainly did not face any fundamental >>environmental obstacles compared to living in Europe... > >The Donner Party would be interested to hear that. (They starved.) > >So would any number of other failed European pioneering expeditions and >colonies. > >As I've commented in the past, for an unprotected human, the survival time >in a -40C Saskatchewan blizzard is not much longer than on the surface of >the Moon. I grew up there. Schoolkids safely cope with that environment. While I agree with the basis of Henry's argument, I feel he is taking it too far. There *is* a qualitative and significant difference between North America and the Moon in this regard. If you dump an unprotected human on the shore of Massachussetts, it is not a foregone conclusion that they will perish. (Note that they did not migrate into Saskatchewan without considerable preparation.) Chances are they will be able to fabricate tools from their environment to protect themselves, provide shelter, scavenge for food. Dump an unprotected human on the Moon and there is no argument as to the outcome. You can deposit a naked human in many locations at many times in North America such that they will survive on their own wit and the resources of the environment, ultimately going on to construct tools to enable them to survive the rest of the locations the rest of the time. There is nowhere on the Moon that fits this description, and this certainly seems to signify a qualitative difference. While the early pioneers utilized a great many implements and supplies that they brought with them, and which were subsequently imported, they *need not* have in order to survive. In this respect, North America had far more in common with Europe than it did with the Moon. Peter Scott (pjs@grouch.jpl.nasa.gov) ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V10 #222 *******************