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, 30 May 1990 01:28:04 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Wed, 30 May 1990 01:27:26 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SPACE Digest V11 #460 SPACE Digest Volume 11 : Issue 460 Today's Topics: Re: US/Soviet Planetary Activity (was Re: Manned mission to Venus) Shuttle centaur Re: HAWAII AND STAR WARS Re: Terraforming Venus (was: Manned mission to Venus) Re: space news from April 2 AW&ST Voyager Update - 05/29/90 HAWAII AND STAR WARS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 29 May 90 20:54:02 GMT From: clyde.concordia.ca!mcgill-vision!quiche!calvin!msdos@uunet.uu.net (Mark SOKOLOWSKI) Subject: Re: US/Soviet Planetary Activity (was Re: Manned mission to Venus) Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: Re: Manned mission to Venus Summary: References: <10554.7303.forumexp@mts.rpi.edu> <3474@calvin.cs.mcgill.ca> <14304@thorin.cs.unc.edu> <1990May26.063007.26947@utzoo.uucp> <3842@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> Sender: Reply-To: msdos@calvin.cs.mcgill.ca (Mark SOKOLOWSKI) Followup-To: Distribution: Organization: SOCS, McGill University, Montreal, Canada Keywords: In article <3842@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> baalke@mars.UUCP (Ron Baalke) writes: >In article <1990May26.063007.26947@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: >> >>The fact is, after the Magellan mission, it will probably be a long >>time before the next Venus mission. Most everybody gives it a rather >>low priority now. > >This is true. The U.S. do not have any plans on the drawing board for >Venus after the Magellan mission, and the Soviets won't launch another >mission until 2005 with another Venera Venus soft lander. > So why don't you guys do something about it???? It's a terrible loss!!!! (I hope it's not true...) Mark S. ------- ------------------------------ Date: 29 May 90 20:54:15 GMT From: usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!grebyn!pat@ucsd.edu (Pat Bahn) Subject: Shuttle centaur Why kill teh shuttle centaur? Granted, an IUS is safer, works and is man rated, but it is ineffecient. why not fly the centaur unfueled, and then rendevous with a tanker so you get best of both. High energy flight and maned tending in case of trouble. Am i just off-base and it'd be better then to just use titan/centaur. I just finished reading journey into space by bruce murray and when he's not groaning about shuttle, he's groaning about centaur. you'd think the man would never suggest any alternatives. actually he does, ELV's. well, thanks pat -- ============================================================================= Pat @ grebyn.com | If the human mind was simple enough to understand, 301-948-8142 | We'd be too simple to understand it. -Emerson Pugh ============================================================================= ------------------------------ Date: 30 May 90 00:59:16 GMT From: sdd.hp.com!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!uflorida!stat!sun13!fsu!prism!ccoprmd@ucsd.edu (Matthew DeLuca) Subject: Re: HAWAII AND STAR WARS In article <1050400017@cdp> jhanson@cdp.UUCP writes: > >HAWAII TO BE SACRIFICED TO STAR WARS! > >The State of Hawaii is proposing to construct a Star Wars Rocket >Launch Facility in the Ka'u District of Hawaii Island (southern end of >the Big Island). An Environmental Impact Statement is due to be >completed in the latter part of 1990. Are you sure you're not confused a bit here? The state of Hawaii has no specific interest in the SDI (note proper name) program...why would they build a whole spaceport dedicated to a program that may or may not ever get into orbit? Are you sure this isn't the commercial spaceport idea that a couple of states (Hawaii and Florida, perhaps California) are thinking about? [A list of nasty chemicals that are produced by rockets was deleted here; I am not qualified to discuss them at any length. I do feel qualified to note that all these nasties have been produced via rocket at KSC for thirty years with no complaints (that I am aware of) or problems.] >BERYLLIUM-POWERED STAR WARS ROCKETS > >Star Wars payloads will include a new weapons system called Space >Based Interceptors (SBI). Morton Thiokol is building a solid-fueled >first stage, which uses beryllium hydride fuel, to be used for SBIs. >Beryllium replaces the aluminum in the fuel, reducing fuel weight by >about 45%. > >BERYLLIUM and its compounds are severe pulmonary irritants, skin Ahem. *Space Based* Interceptors. Meaning that they are based in space. What is wrong with beryllium rockets over 160 miles away? >ENDANGERED SPECIES >SEA TURTLES >MAMMALS >ENDANGERED BIRDS To reiterate what my coworker said, take a look at Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center. It's been the busiest space center in this country for thirty years, and it's also a prime example of how high technology and wildlife can coexist in peace. >WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP: > >Contact you congressional representatives and ask them to >cut funding for Star Wars. Personally, I hope they maintain SDI funding at its current level; it's a good technology driver in a number of areas, and might even produce something to reduce the risk of nuclear war, or reduce the damage if one should occur. In a followup to a followup to the original article, someone mentioned something about prevailing winds, neighbors, and nasty chemicals. I have no references available at the moment, but if I remember things correctly, (1) Hawaii (the Big Island, not the chain as a whole) is relatively sparsely populated, (2) all the other islands in the chain are to the west, including the population centers such as Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, and (3) prevailing winds in the region blow west to east, meaning that the rocket exhaust will blow out to sea. Am I missing something? -- Matthew DeLuca Georgia Institute of Technology Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, Office of Computing Services for they are subtle, and quick to anger. ARPA: ccoprmd@prism.gatech.edu ------------------------------ Date: 24 May 90 23:16:41 GMT From: mcsun!inria!axis!axis!coms!john@uunet.uu.net (John H) Subject: Re: Terraforming Venus (was: Manned mission to Venus) So far no-one has mentioned the methods proposed in "The Space Merchants", Phol & Kornbluth, 195?. They had big flutes generating enough energy from the wind to do anything you wanted. Maybe it wouldn't have worked but it was a nice idea. This is all bullshit anyway, we can't even get int LEO in big enough numbers, masses, to do anything interesting, never mind Venus! John Hughes. Future! What Future! Where are the wrist watch radios? The flying cities? The fision powered cars? The ROCKETSHIPS!! THIS IS THE PAST! (not original, but the truth) ------------------------------ Date: 29 May 90 23:55:36 GMT From: munnari.oz.au!metro!natmlab.dap.csiro.au!ditsyda!lindley@uunet.uu.net (Craig.Lindley) Subject: Re: space news from April 2 AW&ST in article <1990May18.081501.968@melba.bby.oz.au>, gnb@bby.oz.au (Gregory N. Bond) says: > Xref: ditsyda sci.space:8690 sci.space.shuttle:1125 > In-Reply-To: henry@utzoo.uucp's message of 14 May 90 03:41:07 GMT > > In article <1990May14.034107.11219@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: > > White House is dithering on whether to let United Technologies Corp's > USBI division get involved in managing the Cape York spaceport. The > problem is that although the spaceport would be in Australia and > manned by Australians, they'd be using Soviet boosters. > > Well, the security guards and the cleaners might be Australians. I > doubt thant any of the "key" personnel would be; we have no space > industry to build experience and no uni degrees in space engineering. > > (There is some reasonable aero expertise - last week the last of 72 > FA-18s was assembled locally - would that count??) > -- > Gregory Bond, Burdett Buckeridge & Young Ltd, Melbourne, Australia > Internet: gnb@melba.bby.oz.au non-MX: gnb%melba.bby.oz@uunet.uu.net > Uucp: {uunet,pyramid,ubc-cs,ukc,mcvax,prlb2,nttlab...}!munnari!melba.bby.oz!gnb iThe proposal is to train Australian technicians in the appropriate Zenit kit building techniques and spacecraft integration in the USSR. The Zenits are built for very quick and simple preparation, and are intended to arrive in this country in a substantially finished form. I think the figure was about two weeks from unpacking from the crates to readiness for payload integration. This work is to be completely performed by Australian technicians. Uni. degrees in space engineering are not necesary. All of the expertise is already present in Electrical, Electronic, Mechanical, and Computer engineering courses, etc.. Australian industry has all of the technical skills necessary to construct space systems. All that we lack is the political motivation. Space engineering is an exotic application for some fairly standard technologies. Craig Lindley CSIRO DIT lindley@ditsyda.oz -- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Craig Lindley ( lindley@ditsyda.oz ) CSIRO Division of Info. Tech., Sydney. ------------------------------ Date: 30 May 90 02:27:56 GMT From: usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov!baalke@ucsd.edu (Ron Baalke) Subject: Voyager Update - 05/29/90 Voyager Mission Status Report May 29, 1990 Voyager 1 The Voyager 1 spacecraft continues to collect routine cruise science data. Spacecraft activity was very limited this week. Plasma Wave (PWS) data was recorded on May 22. High-rate Ultraviolet Spectrometer (UVS) observations of the stars HD 217675 and Markarian 335 were conducted on May 18 and May 22, respectively. No data was acquired during either of the two UVS high rate periods due to lack of Deep Space Network (DSN) coverage. On May 22, following the second UVS high rate period, X-BAND was switched to low power and the BAY 1 HEATER was turned on. All spacecraft activity was as expected. Voyager 2 The Voyager 2 spacecraft also continues to collect routine cruise science data. An ASCAL was performed on May 18 and one frame of high-rate PWS data was recorded on May 22. High-rate UVS observations of Markarian 509 were conducted on May 21 and May 24, but, due to limited DSN station availability, only about 30% of the total data were acquired. The last Cruise Maneuver was performed in the blind on May 23 because the telemetry was below the threshold limits. The playback the next day was fine until the station was taken for another project. The data indicated a smooth transition through 4 of the negative yaw turns. The Plasma (PLS) instrument responded nominally. The Low Energy Charged Particles Subsystem (LECP) recorded data as well. Thermal events on May 17 (bay 1 heater off/XTWT to high power and BC gyros on), May 23 (Cruise Maneuver and BC gyros off), and May 24 (STWT to low power) caused command moratoria to be imposed that resulted in approximately four and one-quarter days of this period being unavailable for acquisition of ranging or coherent Doppler data. A PWS frame was played back on May 24 as well. CONSUMABLE STATUS AS OF 5/29/90 P R O P E L L A N T S T A T U S P O W E R Consumption One Week Propellant Remaining Output Margin Spacecraft (Gm) (Kg) Watts Watts Voyager 1 5 36.4 + 2.0 370 59 Voyager 2 54 39.5 + 2.0 374 66 _ _____ _ | | | __ \ | | Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov | | | |__) | | | Jet Propulsion Lab | baalke@jems.jpl.nasa.gov ___| | | ___/ | |___ M/S 301-355 | |_____/ |_| |_____| Pasadena, CA 91109 | ------------------------------ Date: 28 May 90 21:54:00 GMT From: usc!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!bionet!arisia!cdp!jhanson@ucsd.edu Subject: HAWAII AND STAR WARS HAWAII TO BE SACRIFICED TO STAR WARS! The State of Hawaii is proposing to construct a Star Wars Rocket Launch Facility in the Ka'u District of Hawaii Island (southern end of the Big Island). An Environmental Impact Statement is due to be completed in the latter part of 1990. SOLID ROCKET MOTOR EXHAUST HAZARDS The State plans to use three different rockets at the proposed rocket launch facility, all would use solid rocket motors (SRM). SRMs release large amounts of both aluminum and hydrogen chloride (forms hydrochloric acid) into the atmosphere. For example, the Delta rocket releases approximately 10 tons of aluminum (as 20 tons of aluminum oxide) and about 10 tons of hydrogen chloride into the environment during each launch. A recent study, reported in the British medical journal "LANCET", Jan. 14, 1989, found a direct relationship between aluminum in the water supply and Alzheimer's disease. The report concludes "The results of the present survey provide evidence of a causal relation between aluminum and Alzheimer's disease." In other words, the more aluminum that was present in the drinking water, the more cases of Alzheimer's disease that occurred. HYDROGEN CHLORIDE is a severe pulmonary and skin irritant. Direct contact produces serious corneal and skin burns. Chronic contact may cause nasal ulceration, dental erosion and dermatitis. Hydrogen chloride is mutagenic (HAZARDLINE). MAJOR FLUIDS AND GASES USED FOR LAUNCHING DIMETHYLHYDRAZINE (UDMH) is corrosive to the eyes, skin and respiratory system. Dimethylhydrazine is carcinogenic (causes cancer) in mice following oral administration. Eighty-one percent of mice subcutaneously injected with dimethylhydrazine developed colon cancer and 76% developed squamous cell carcinoma (HAZARDLINE). HYDRAZINE is an eye and mucous membrane irritant, severe skin irritant and convulsant. Administered orally, mainly as hydrazine sulfate, a high incidence of multiple pulmonary adenomas and adenocarcinomas, hepatomas and hepatocarcinomas of several strains were produced in mice. Low-level exposure to hydrazine caused lung tumors in a small number of mice (HAZARDLINE). NITROGEN DIOXIDE (nitrogen tetroxide) is teratogenic (causes birth defects), mutagenic (causes genetic mutations), and tumorigenic (causes tumors) (HAZARDLINE). BERYLLIUM-POWERED STAR WARS ROCKETS Star Wars payloads will include a new weapons system called Space Based Interceptors (SBI). Morton Thiokol is building a solid-fueled first stage, which uses beryllium hydride fuel, to be used for SBIs. Beryllium replaces the aluminum in the fuel, reducing fuel weight by about 45%. BERYLLIUM and its compounds are severe pulmonary irritants, skin irritants and skin sensitizers. Chronic inhalation causes "berylliosis" (chronic pulmonary granulomatosis). Epidemiological studies show that occupational exposure to beryllium may lead to pulmonary cancer. Beryllium metal produced lung tumors in rats exposed via inhalation or intratracheally, and osteosarcomas in rabbits following intravenous and/or intramedullary administration. (HAZARDLINE). ENDANGERED SPECIES SEA TURTLES - Sandy beaches in the vicinity of the site are nesting areas of the threatened Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the endangered Hawaiian Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). Any environmental impacts involving degradation of the near-shore habitat and any changes in temperature and salinity could effect the algae for these turtles. Other impacts include nighttime lighting, increased beach activity, sand compaction or extraction and increased human activity. MAMMALS - Endangered mammals include the Hawaiian Bat or 'ope'ape'a (Lasiurus cinereus semotus) and the humpback whale (Megaptera novaengliae). Humpback whales breed in the South Point area of the Big Island. Contamination of habitat by launch pad deluge (wash-down and cooling) water has the potential to adversely effect the humpback whales and several other species of marine mammals that inhabit the area. ENDANGERED BIRDS - The Hoonoua wetland is located near the proposed Kahilipali Point launch site. Present in this wetland are federally-listed endangered birds, including Dark-Rumped Petrel (Banko, 1980), Band-Rumped Storm Petrel (Harrison et all, in press; Banko and David, in press), Hawaiian Coot or 'Alae Ke'oke'o (Fulica americana alai), Black-necked (Hawaiian) Stilt or A'eo (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) and other migratory indigenous birds. Noise could effect endangered forest birds in the Ka'u Forest Reserve or Hawaii Volcanoes National Park by adding stress that could increase the mortality rate or interfere with breeding. Bright lights may attract fledging Newell's shearwaters and cause them to become disoriented and grounded. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP: Contact you congressional representatives and ask them to cut funding for Star Wars. Aloha, Jay Hanson 808-322-7268 78-6622 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 For more information see EN.HAWAIIECONET ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V11 #460 *******************