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, 22 Nov 89 01:27:40 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Wed, 22 Nov 89 01:27:20 -0500 (EST) Subject: SPACE Digest V10 #269 SPACE Digest Volume 10 : Issue 269 Today's Topics: Viewing Earth w/the HST Re: Galileo boost from Venus Re: Planetary Society - net address COBE Status for 11/21/89 (Forwarded) Shuttle Launch Orientation Payload Status for 11/21/89 (Forwarded) Re: Planetary Society - net address ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 89 13:46 EST From: I Like Hike! Subject: Viewing Earth w/the HST To the best of my knowledge the HST is equipped with two optical sensors which are not only limited with respect to faint magnit- udes, but bright magnitudes as well. I believe one has a range of 22 to 28, and the other a much broader range going from about 9 or so up to 23 or 24. The info I received (and subsequently lost) stated that the sensors would burn out if the HST was used on objects with magnitudes too bright. I'm sure there must be a way to turn these sensors off and on (certainly the 22-28 one), but I believe at least one must be active when the HST is observing (i.e. all the time.) Now I don't know how bright the reflected sunlight from the surface is, but I'd be willing to bet that it is brighter than or at least as bright as the moon is (that's somewhere in the negatives, about -10 or so, Venus is -6.) The question this raises in my mind is, "Wouldn't observing the Earth with the HST damage its optical sensors?" If this is the case, then the HST resolution power @ the surface of the Earth is purely academic. Please correct me if any of my info is in error. No flames, please. Anybody who feels like flaming me can go kiss a Christic, its about time the people who repeatedly flame other people realize that there is a difference between unintelligent and misinformed. -- Chuck Seggelin Academic Computing Services SMU ACSCDS@SEMASSU.BITNET "Opinions expressed belong solely to ME!" ------------------------------ Date: 21 Nov 89 19:50:45 GMT From: gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!jarthur!wilkins@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mark Wilkins) Subject: Re: Galileo boost from Venus In article <41272@conexch.UUCP> rick@conexch.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) writes: >In article <619@zip.eecs.umich.edu> brian@dip.eecs.umich.edu (Brian Holtz) writes: >>up the craft? Does it have something to do with the fact that it's >>passing Venus as they both orbit the the sun? > > >Look at it as changing the direction of the orbit. Speed doen't change but the vector does. >. The speed with respect to destination does change. Speed with respect to Venus does not. Venus loses energy, the spacecraft gains. -- Mark Wilkins ------------------------------ Date: 21 Nov 89 00:29:19 GMT From: munnari.oz.au!bruce!goanna!minyos!saturn!andrew@uunet.uu.net (Andrew Kemp) Subject: Re: Planetary Society - net address Dear netland, Thank you all very much. I have received numerous responses, both informing me that the Planetary Society doesn't have a net address but not to be disheartened, and offering help. Please don't send any more replies. Once again, thank you all for your help. Regards, Andrew Kemp (andrew@saturn.cs.swin.oz - ACSnet) ------------------------------ Date: 21 Nov 89 17:25:44 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: COBE Status for 11/21/89 (Forwarded) Cosmic Background Explorer Status Report November 21, 1989 Four days after liftoff from the Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) continues to perform flawlessly. Today at 6:19 a.m. EST, a critical milestone was passed as the cover was ejected from the Dewar. This giant "thermos bottle" houses two of COBE's three instruments: the Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) and the Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS). The liquid helium in the Dewar keeps the instruments below 2 degrees Kelvin--cool enough to detect remnant light from the Big Bang and from the first stars and galaxies. This remnant light has been shifted by the expansion of the universe from ultraviolet and visible into the infrared and submillimeter waves (called "red shift"), which will be detected by these instruments. DIRBE began operating at 11 a.m. EST today. Tomorrow at 6 a.m. EST, FIRAS' Mirror Transport Mechanism, will be unlatched allowing the last instrument to begin operating. The Differential Microwave Radiometer, which will look for differences in brightness among parts of the sky, began mapping the sky on Sunday, November 19. The maps indicate that the instrument is performing well. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 21 Nov 89 08:22 EST From: Mark C. Widzinski Subject: Shuttle Launch Orientation An open question: Why does the space shuttle have to execute such a drastic roll maneuver? I know that the correct flight configuration is to have the orbiter hanging upside down under the ET/SRB stack, but why don't they start out that way? i.e., why doesn't the shuttle face east with the ET to the west? This would eliminate the roll maneuver for due east launches and reduce it for north-east trajectories. ------------------------------ Date: 21 Nov 89 21:48:13 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: Payload Status for 11/21/89 (Forwarded) Daily Status/KSC Payload Management and Operations 11-21-89 - STS-31R HST (at VPF) - Functional testing is on hold for now. LMSC is awaiting word from Sunnyvale before continuing with testing. Facility monitoring and environmental monitoring support is on going. - STS-32R SYNCOM (at VPF) - The media event took place yesterday and everything went well. SYNCOM GSE was moved to the pad PCR and power cables were connected on second shift. SYNCOM was transferred to Pad-A last night in the canister. Canister was hoist and mated to PCR. Today SYNCOM will be transferred to the PCR PGHM. - STS-35 ASTRO-1/BBXRT (at O&C) - IPR troubleshooting continued on Monday. Gyro current problem could not be recreated. System was powered up to verify gyro package. Problem still exists. Plan is to isolate the problem this morning. - STS-40 SLS-1 (at O&C) - Structural mods for Rack 36, an eddy current inspection was accomplished. No defects were found. Rack 4 heat exchanger work and pyrell foam replacement was worked yesterday. - STS-42 IML (at O&C) - No activity to report. ------------------------------ Date: 21 Nov 89 04:53:54 GMT From: helios.ee.lbl.gov!hellgate.utah.edu!uplherc!esunix!jhaynes@ucsd.edu (Joel Haynes) Subject: Re: Planetary Society - net address From article <7838@ttidca.TTI.COM>, by sorgatz@ttidca.TTI.COM ( Avatar): > In article <166@saturn.cs.swin.oz> andrew@saturn.cs.swin.oz (Andrew Kemp) writes: > +It is a very good society for space related issues, so I would recommend > +people join. Anyway, enough of the sales pitch and onto the reason for > I second this recommendation, it is a good organization to belong to. > You'll grow tired of this after a while...price vs performance and all that! > You don't like getting good value for your money??? > at ALL the stuff they'd sent me over 2 years time...it's all TALK! > The Planetary Society exists to discuss and lobby for planetary exploration, what do you expect but talk? It is what they are for. > NOT renew my membership based primarily on the fact that I was disgusted with > their position as "NASA cheerleader squad", their lack of critical commentary > on the roots of the Challenger disaster, and their refusal to take an early > lead in recommending deregulation of launch vehicles and an endorsement of the > Non-NASA or commercial space ventures. He's phoned me a few times..to no real Why should they discuss the roots of the Challenger disaster or commercialization of space? What do those have to do with planetary exploration except in limited ways? In their field they do act, as an example they have been actively promoting the manned exploration of Mars and have even been pushing for a joint US-Soviet mission and sponsored events to bring this about. As far as the "NASA cheerleader squad" bullshit, they criticize and praise NASA when they think such is deserved, if you need examples they criticized NASA several times for putting all the eggs in the space shuttle basket. Sorry I know of no email address for the Planetary Society. Joel Haynes jhaynes@esunix ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V10 #269 *******************