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 ; Thu, 12 Apr 90 03:09:54 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Thu, 12 Apr 90 03:09:14 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SPACE Digest V11 #254 SPACE Digest Volume 11 : Issue 254 Today's Topics: Book on spacecraft propulsion Re: Pegasus launch from Valkyrie (or ... Re: HST Image Status for 04/01/90 (Forwarded) NASA Headline News for 04/10/90 (Forwarded) Re: Discovery's Spin in 2010 (Was Re: Artificial gravity) Commercial Space Charging a payload in the Shuttle Bay. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 11 Apr 90 16:14:46 PDT From: ssivakumar@ch3.intel.com To: "space@andrew.cmu.edu"@HERMES.intel.com Subject: Book on spacecraft propulsion Hi folks! I just borrowed a book on interstellar travel from the local public library, and I was wondering if someone has read it and has an opinion on it. The book is: The Starflight Handbook by Eugene Mallove and Gregory Matloff published by John Wiley, Inc. in 1989. I have only had a cursory glance through it so far, but it seems to cover the various aspects of spacecraft propulsion in a little technical detail (basic classical mechanics and calculus). There are separate chapters on rocket propulsion, nuclear propulsion, beamed energy propulsion including the laser-pushed light sail and the STARWISP, fusion ramjets, ion scoops, etc. There are also chapters on interstellar trajectories and starship navigation in relativistic flight. This book is not very technical at all, and is perfect for someone who would be interested in exploring this fascinating field but would like to delve just a little deeper than the articles in popular aerospace magazines. I wonder if anyone in netland has read this book and has formed any opinions on it. I would also appreciate some information on books on spacecraft propulsion that are a little more technical. Please e-mail or post to this list. Thanks! Sam --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sam Sivakumar | M/S CH2-87 Intel Corp. | (602)554-5595 (O) ssivakumar@ch3.intel.com | 5000 W. Chandler Blvd. | (602)786-3738 (H) | Chandler, AZ 85224 | Heck, Intel is a semiconductor company! What do they care if I embarass myself pretending to know something about space stuff? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 11 Apr 90 15:02:22 GMT From: ox.com!itivax!vax3.iti.org!aws@CS.YALE.EDU (Allen W. Sherzer) Subject: Re: Pegasus launch from Valkyrie (or ... In article <8813@pt.cs.cmu.edu> vac@sam.cs.cmu.edu (Vincent Cate) writes: >I don't really know what current planes could carry 40,000 lbs at such speeds; I was wondering if a FB-111 would do? My copy of Janes says it will carry a bomb load of 37,500 which is pretty close. Perhaps you could upgrade the engines to P&W F100's for the extra thrust needed. However, I have NO idea how you would integrate the Pegasus with the FB-111. The only thing I could think of is to add a centerline station (use the internal bay for more fuel) and mount the aircraft and Pegasus on a magnetically levitated platform. This would allow the 111 to take off wiht gear up, launch the Pegasus and land with its regular gear. I know the Air Force is looking at similar platforms to allow aircraft to take off from cratered airstrips. The main advantage to this however, would be cost and not more altitude/ speed. OSI is looking at buying/leasing a 747 for non DoD launches. They could buy a FB-111 (if the line is still open and tooling is available) for a lot less than a 747. There is of course, also the added risk of changes to the 111 which will be needed. Just thinking out loud Allen ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Allen W. Sherzer | If guns are outlawed, | | aws@iti.org | how will we shoot the liberals? | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 11 Apr 90 13:23:38 GMT From: att!cbnewsh!lmg@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (lawrence.m.geary) Subject: Re: HST Image Status for 04/01/90 (Forwarded) In article <7390@lynx.UUCP> neal@lynx.lynx.cmp.UUCP (Neal Woodall) writes: >Maybe if we write letters to our Congress critters? Nah, they probably are >too interested only in things that mean "re-election"! Besides, the idea of >your average Congress screw-up trying to deal with "advanced concepts" like >distribution of digitized images is probably just too much to ask..... It turns out that Senator Al Gore is quite concerned with NASA sitting on many terabytes of unprocessed data collected from all the space probes over the last two decades. Supposedly some of this data is on unlabeled tapes, some more has deterioriated beyond recovery, and much of it has never been seen by human eyes. I believe Gore chairs a space science subcommittee, and I think he would be quite receptive to ideas that would get this data into the hands of people who can use it, especially if it could be done at low cost. Give it a shot. What have you got to lose except an hour of your time and the price of a stamp? -- --Larry: 74017.3065@compuserve.com ------------------------------ Date: 12 Apr 90 00:58:54 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: NASA Headline News for 04/10/90 (Forwarded) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, April 10, 1990 Audio Service: 202/755-1788 ----------------------------------------------------------------- This is NASA Headline News for Tuesday, April 10..... NASA officials at Kennedy Space Center decided to postpone the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery for a minumum of 2 days and up to a week and a half. The current mission management team status meeting is planned for 12:00 noon to assess the schedule options and launch data. This morning, at about the T minus 4 minute mark -- 8:45 A.M. EST.-- the countdown was put on "hold" due to a problem detected with Auxiliary Power Unit Number One. The three units provide power to the orbiter's three hydraulic systems enabling the use of the aero-surfaces and other critical orbiter systems. All three APU's are required for launch. The orbiter systems are being configured for the next launch attempt. A launch attempt will not be made tomorrow, April 11, as support personnel needed to analyze the auxiliary power unit data will not be available for a 24-hour turnaround. The external tank will be drained of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants. The Hubble Space Telescope payload batteries are good through Friday before they need to be recharged. As it takes eight days to recharge the batteries, the launch schedule could be extended up to a week and a half. Meanwhile, the STS-31 all-veteran five-member crew has departed from the orbiter and returned to the crew quarters in the Operations and Check-out building. They will be briefed on the status of the orbiter later today. A news conference will air on NASA Select TV this afternoon...the time to be determined. * * Administrator Richard Truly announced the retirement of Dr. John W. Townsend, Director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Townsend's retirement will be effective June 30, 1990. Truly said he exemplifies the best in government servants as he departs following a distinguished 33-year career. Townsend will be succeeded by Dr. John Klineberg, presently Lewis Research Center director. Administrator Truly cites Klineberg's 20-year NASA career with the ability to take over the assignment at a time when Goddard is at the heart of so many current and future programs. Also newly appointed by Administrator Truly, is Lawrence J. Ross as Director of the Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. He served as Deputy to Klineberg since 1987. *********** ----------------------------------------------------------------- Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA Select TV. All times are Eastern. Tuesday, April 10...... TBD STS-31 Launch status and mission delay News Briefing TBA STS-31 Launch All events and times are subject to change without notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------- These reports are filed daily, Monday through Friday, at 12 Noon, EDT. ----------------------------------------------------------------- A service of the Internal Communications Branch, NASA HQ. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Apr 90 18:16:35 GMT From: hpfcso!hpfcdj!myers@hplabs.hp.com (Bob Myers) Subject: Re: Discovery's Spin in 2010 (Was Re: Artificial gravity) >If you don't agree with this, then please explain to me why there >was gravity in the pod bay? There wasn't. The deck had a velcro-like covering (note the black areas on the deck). Also, in _2010_, there is a very interesting scene in which the two astro/cosmonauts (one Soviet, one American, and damn, what were their names?....) enter the pod bay and proceed to walk ALONG THE WALL - due to the fact that _Discovery's_ end-over-end spin made "down" toward the nose of the ship, where the pod bay doors were. _2010_ may not have been the greatest movie ever made, but it was a good deal more accurate than the vast majority of "space" SF films made to date. I especially liked the coating of sulfur that _Discovery_ had picked up over the eight years or so it had been a derelict. Bob Myers KC0EW HP Graphics Tech. Div.| Opinions expressed here are not Ft. Collins, Colorado | those of my employer or any other myers%hpfcla@hplabs.hp.com | sentient life-form on this planet. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Apr 90 16:23:10 CDT From: pyron@skvax1.csc.ti.com (If Clayton's an Aggie, I'm not!) Subject: Commercial Space In the thread on this Peace Thing, Henry hit on an interesting point, that I am going to spend some bandwidth on. What skills will you need to compete for a job in commercial space in the 1990s and early 21st century. How about German and Japanese? Allow me to explain. US industry today is too busy trying to get that extra 1/2 % market share. Instant profits and low risk are key. And an industrial space program fits neither, today. Japan has yet to reach this stage of managerial malaise, although they will also. But, in the interim, they are quite capable of reaching a presence in space far beyond current standards. And when they do stall, their "rust belt" will be plants in space! Germany is just now getting the torch to its backside. In three to five years we'll know for sure, but I believe that a reunified Germany, hemmed in by allies willing to blow it to hell, will got to space. Major league. By 2005 (you can quote me on this, I'm not shy) Japan will be teaching its kids German, and we will still be wallowing in our ****. BRIGHT SIDE There is a bright side. YOU can start this, but only if you want to and only if you believe you can make a difference. Chew on this, think, write up your "yeah but"s, and I'll post part two tomorrow. In particular, I emphasize that nothing I state here should be considered the opinion of anyone except me. Dillon Pyron | The opinions are mine, the facts TI/DSEG VAX Systems Support | probably belong to the company. pyron@skvax1.ti.com | (214)575-3087 | Clayton Williams, a bad Aggie joke | | - TAMU '78 ------------------------------ Date: 12 Apr 90 05:01:18 GMT From: tank!msuinfo!cpsin1!draper@handies.ucar.edu (Patrick J Draper) Subject: Charging a payload in the Shuttle Bay. From the NASA news update: > >Although little risk is involved, a test team is keeping in mind >how long it will actually take to replace the faulty power unit >with the possibility of contamination of the Hubble Space >Telescope. They are deciding to either remove the batteries for >recharging outside the orbiter or to connect cables while still >in place. > * * * How are the batteries connected to the charging device? Do they have special jack on the outside of the shuttle, or do they run the cables through the same hatch that the astronauts use? Patrick Draper ----- Michigan State University ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V11 #254 *******************