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 ; Sat, 2 Dec 89 01:29:07 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Sat, 2 Dec 89 01:28:29 -0500 (EST) Subject: SPACE Digest V10 #293 SPACE Digest Volume 10 : Issue 293 Today's Topics: COBE Payload Status for 12/01/89 (Forwarded) Manned vs Unmanned Mission to Mars COBE Update 12/1/89 (Forwarded) Re: shuttle/mir rescue? Re: oceans as alternatives Re: Incredible Shrinking Space Station Re: Manned vs Unmanned Mission to Mars Re: Galileo Astronauts Honored at JPL Re: Antimatter Drives and Area 51 NASA Headline News for 12/01/89 (Forwarded) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 1 Dec 89 10:46:23 PST From: Peter Scott Subject: COBE X-Vms-Mail-To: EXOS%"space@andrew.cmu.edu" Excerpted from NASA's _NASA Activities_, Vol. 20, #9, November 1989: COSMIC BACKGROUND EXPLORER TO LOOK BACK IN TIME [Background information already posted omitted] From its orbit 559 miles above Earth, COBE carries out its cosmic search using three sophisticated instruments: the Differential Microwave Radiometer (DMR), Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS) and Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE). DMR will determine whether the primeval explosion was equally intense in all directions. Patchy brightness in the cosmic microwave background would unmask the as-yet-unknown "seeds" that led to the formation of such large bodies as galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and clusters of clusters of galaxies. Measurements of equal brightness in all directions would mean the puzzle of how these systems could have condensed since the Big Bang will be even more vexing than it is today. To distinguish the emissions of our own Milky Way galaxy from the true cosmic background radiation, DMR will measure radiation from space at wavelengths of 3.3, 5.7 and 9.6 mm. FIRAS, covering wavelengths from 0.1 to 10 mm, will survey the sky twice during the year-long mission to determine the spectrum of the cosmic background radiation from the Big Bang. The spectrum that would result from a simple Big Bang can be calculated with great accuracy. Such a spectrum would be smooth and uniform and have no significant releases of energy between the time of the Big Bang and the formation of galaxies. If FIRAS' measurements depart from the predicted spectrum, scientists will know that powerful energy sources existed in the early universe between these times. These sources may include annihilation of antimatter, matter falling into "black holes", decay of new kinds of elementary particles, explosions of supermassive objects and the turbulent motions that may have caused the formation of galaxies. FIRAS' sensitivity will be 100 times greater than that achieved so far by equivalent ground-based and balloon-borned instruments. Producing a spectrum for each of 1,000 parts of the sky, the FIRAS data will allow scientists to measure how much light was radiated by the Big Bang. DIRBE will search for the diffuse glow of galaxies beyond our galaxy in the wavelength range from 1 to 300 micrometers. In the final analysis, any uniform infrared radiation that remains will be very rich in information about the early universe. One possible source would be light from primordial galaxies shifted into the far infrared by the expansion of the universe. Peter Scott (pjs@grouch.jpl.nasa.gov) ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 21:03:36 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: Payload Status for 12/01/89 (Forwarded) Daily Status/KSC Payload Management and Operations 12-01-89 - STS-31R HST (at VPF) - The GST-8 test is running with no reported problems. ECS support, facility monitoring, and environmental monitoring support is on going. Due to a conflict with astro cite validation HST MUE validation has been moved to Tuesday. - STS-32R SYNCOM (at Pad A) - SYNCOM monitoring continues. All constraints had been cleared for SYNCOM installation into the orbiter. This morning an inoperative crane in the PCR for moving an access platform is being evaluated. Once platform is moved transfer will begin. Support of the TCDT began yesterday and is due to be complete this afternoon. - STS-35 ASTRO-1/BBXRT (at O&C) - MUE validation and BBXRT goal software verification in work. A DDU, #2, was installed yesterday. Bent pin was found on connector, was repaired and reinstalled. IPS retest to continue today. - STS-40 SLS-1 (at O&C) - Rack structural mods on rack 3 and 5 continued yesterday. Condensate water servicing GSE prep and validations are on going. Pyrell foam replacement continues. Four pound foam has been delivered and will be available for use today. - STS-42 IML (at O&C) - No activity. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 21:03:00 GMT From: pasteur!scheme.Berkeley.EDU!scott@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Scott Silvey) Subject: Manned vs Unmanned Mission to Mars What are the advantages of actually sending men to Mars? Is it true that they are considering this before sending any roving unmanned probes? If so, why? Aren't unmanned probes far less expensive and more efficient? ------------------------------ Date: 2 Dec 89 01:21:33 GMT From: cs.utexas.edu!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov!baalke@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Ron Baalke) Subject: COBE Update 12/1/89 (Forwarded) COBE UPDATE DECEMBER 1, 1989 Goddard's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) continues to function normally from its orbit 559 miles from Earth and is in the final phases of instrument check-out. The COBE may be viewed by the unaided eye, atmospheric conditions permitting, at approximately 5:35 p.m. each afternoon as it approaches from the south. In the meantime, the COBE continues to downlink data twice a day to Wallops Flight Facility for relay to the COBE science data room at Goddard. The Goddard-managed spacecraft was launched on November 18 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov Jet Propulsion Lab M/S 301-355 | baalke@jems.jpl.nasa.gov 4800 Oak Grove Dr. | Pasadena, CA 91109 | ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 04:29:03 GMT From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!henry@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: shuttle/mir rescue? In article njg@ccm.UManitoba.CA (Nicholas Gloor / Database Support) writes: >Given that the shuttle cannot reenter safely (lost tiles or >one of the wings fell off) would it be possible to transfer >the shuttle crew to mir via the new eva unit the russians are >putting up at Mir and wait for the next taxi home? Only if the shuttle was in approximately the same orbit as Mir, which is most unlikely. Changes of orbit, especially orbital plane -- and Mir is at a higher inclination than most shuttle flights -- are terribly costly in fuel. >As a side issue, are there pressure suits on board the >shuttle for all crew, or are they flying shirtsleeves yet? Barring the first few flights, the shuttle has never carried pressure suits for the entire crew. Only the EVA specialists, and to some extent the pilots, have suit training. The shuttle carries "rescue balls" for the others -- pressure-tight fabric spheres with emergency-oxygen systems, so that somebody who *is* suit-qualified can carry you from one ship to another safely. -- Mars can wait: we've barely | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology started exploring the Moon. | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 14:06:34 GMT From: rochester!dietz@louie.udel.edu (Paul Dietz) Subject: Re: oceans as alternatives In article <1989Nov30.174741.9576@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: >In article <1989Nov29.232912.18598@cs.rochester.edu> yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) writes: >>Imagine actually wanting to *utilize* undersea resources -- Rifkin and >>friends would have apoplectic fits. (All the more reason to go ahead >>and do it :-). > >Ever wonder why nobody's done it? It's because the oceanic equivalent >of the infamous Moon Treaty was *not* intercepted by an oceanic equivalent >of L5. Or, just maybe, because seabed resources are so expensive to extract that they are not competitive. Science had an article on this a few years back -- they projected that many seabed resources, like nodules, will not be worth mining for a long time. Paul F. Dietz dietz@cs.rochester.edu ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 13:58:01 GMT From: portal!cup.portal.com!fleming@uunet.uu.net (Stephen R Fleming) Subject: Re: Incredible Shrinking Space Station >We were able to put men on the Moon in a decade's notice, using 1960's >technology. If we can't build a measly (by comparison) space station >in the same span of time with 1980's technology, something is wrong Not only that, but we had a pretty decent space station in the early 1970s based on that same 1960s technology. Wonder if the Australian aborigines appreciate what we dropped in their backyard ten years ago? I also wonder if NASA really wants to build a space station or just wants to keep all their contractors busy? Their record is pretty damning. (No smiley; it's not a joke.) +--------------------------+-------------------------------------------+ | Stephen Fleming | My employer doesn't pay for this account. | | fleming@cup.portal.com | In fact, my employer doesn't even know | | CI$: 76354,3176 | I'm here! Disclaimer enough for any | | Voice: (703) 847-7058 | network-aware lawyer-types, I hope... | +--------------------------+-------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: 2 Dec 89 00:23:15 GMT From: bbn.com!ncramer@bbn.com (Nichael Cramer) Subject: Re: Manned vs Unmanned Mission to Mars In article <20177@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> scott@scheme.berkeley.edu writes: >What are the advantages of actually sending men to Mars? [...] The reasons *for* manned flights to Mars are the same as they were for the Moon, namely political. I.e. it's a lot easier to drum up nation/ congressional support for a space extravaganza if there are people involved than if we are sending unmanned probes and doing dull old science. >Aren't unmanned probes far less expensive and more efficient? Yes. As evidence, first consider the amount of scientific knowledge gained on the Voyager trips vs the entire Apollo program. Second compare their respective price tags. NICHAEL ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 22:45:33 GMT From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jpl-devvax!lwall@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Larry Wall) Subject: Re: Galileo Astronauts Honored at JPL In article <24627@cup.portal.com> fleming@cup.portal.com (Stephen R Fleming) writes: : >Time was then set aside for the : >JPL employees to chat with the astronauts and to get their autographs. : : ...Just think about this sentence for a second... : : I'm not a basher of the individual astronauts; I'd love to be one. : But the thought of people at JPL, the *real* space-science heroes : of the last couple of decades, clustering around a bunch of : Right-Stuffers like teenage groupies... Don't assume: 1) that just because someone set aside time for autographs, that's what the time was used for by those who attended. 2) that everyone at JPL is a "space science hero". 3) that everyone attended (I didn't, as it happens). I'm not saying you were assuming any of 1-3. Just don't. :-) : I dunno. Maybe I'm getting cranky in my old age. Let it pass. OK. It's past. Larry Wall lwall@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 18:27:52 GMT From: fox!portal!cup.portal.com!mmm@apple.com (Mark Robert Thorson) Subject: Re: Antimatter Drives and Area 51 At a chemistry course I took in 1975, Glenn Seaborg was speaker for one lecture. He showed a graph which was a two-dimensional representation of three-dimensional data, where the dimensions were # of protons, # of neutrons and nuclear stability. The graph suggested what he called "an island of stability" out around element 114 (sorry, don't remember the atomic weight of the predicted isotope). In other words, he was expecting that the next new element would jump over several others, in terms of atomic number. The above statements are true. The storry about "300 pounds of element 115" seems absurd, considering the heroic efforts required to make enough Californium 103 to photograph. (Then again, the Californium was made about 25 years ago ....) ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 21:02:08 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: NASA Headline News for 12/01/89 (Forwarded) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Friday, Dec. 1, 1989 Audio: 202/755-1788 ----------------------------------------------------------------- This is NASA Headline News for Friday, December 1st...... The U.S. Space Command now says it expects the Solar Maximum scientific satellite--or Solar Max--to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere at 6:49 A.M. Eastern time on Saturday, December 2nd. Spacecraft controllers at Goddard Space Flight Center said earlier this week that some debris from Solar Max could survive the firery re-entry...and that would occur between 28 degrees north and 28 degrees south of the equator...80 percent of which is over water. The U.S. Space Command says it will not be able to predict where debris might fall until a few hours before the final impact. Individuals desiring information on the spacecraft may contact the goddard space flight center at 301-286-6256. For more information on the spacecraft's re-entry, contact the U.S. Space Command at 719-554-3858. At Kennedy Space Center, the crew of the space shuttle Columbia participated in the final hours of a countdown-rehearsal test this morning. A launch date--expected to be around Dec. 18--will be announced on Tuesday, following completion of the flight readiness review. Yesterday, ceremonies were held at KSC to formally reactivate Launch Pad 39A, last used by Columbia on January 12, 1986. Since then, extensive modifications have been made to the pad to improve weather protection and crew safety. Columbia's commander Daniel Brandenstein said having two pads now in service, "indicates the program is really charging ahead and we're getting the tools we need to have a very viable shuttle program and to press on into the future." The Washington Post reports Vice President Quayle and the National Space Council, held several meetings this week to evaluate alternative ways of sending humans to the moon and to Mars. Included in one of the sessions were author Tom Clancy, scientists Carl Sagan and Edward Teller; former astronaut Michael Collins and physicist Charles Townes. On Tuesday, the panel was briefed by NASA Administrator Richard Truly and scientists from the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Yesterday the space council held a 45-minute session with Quayle, Budget Director Richard Darman and White House Science Adviser Allan Bromley. *********** ----------------------------------------------------------------- Here's the broadcast schedule for public affairs events on NASA Select television. All times are Eastern. Thursday, Dec. 7..... 11:30 A.M. NASA Update will be transmitted. All events and times are subject to change without notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------- These reports are filed daily, Monday through Friday, at 12 noon, Eastern time. ----------------------------------------------------------------- A service of the Internal Communications Branch (LPC), NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V10 #293 *******************