Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson Received: from hogtown.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 ; Sun, 30 Jun 91 04:43:38 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <8cPNap200WBwQ2MU5F@andrew.cmu.edu> Precedence: junk Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Sun, 30 Jun 91 04:43:33 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #752 SPACE Digest Volume 13 : Issue 752 Today's Topics: POTENTIAL GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING - FLARE IMPACT EXPECTED Re: Solar Flares Looking for Unix Utilities to view GRIPS 2 data Re: Solar Flares Affecting the Planet? Re: Platinum-group metal concentrations in earth-crossing objects Re: Solar Flares NASA CDs Re: Excavating (mining) gold in the space by NASA. Investigation into Olympus satellite failure started Administrivia: Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to space+@andrew.cmu.edu. Other mail, esp. [un]subscription requests, should be sent to space-request+@andrew.cmu.edu, or, if urgent, to tm2b+@andrew.cmu.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 15 Jun 91 19:18:15 MDT From: oler <@BITNET.CC.CMU.EDU:oler@HG.ULeth.CA> (CARY OLER) Subject: POTENTIAL GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING - FLARE IMPACT EXPECTED X-St-Vmsmail-To: st%"space+@andrew.cmu.edu" /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ POTENTIAL SEVERE GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING 01:00 UT, 16 JUNE /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ WARNINGS ISSUED OR IN PROGRESS: - POTENTIAL MINOR TO MAJOR GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING - POTENTIAL MAJOR SOLAR FLARE WARNING (PROTON) - SATELLITE PROTON AND PCA EVENT ALERT ATTENTION: The major class X12/3B flare of 15 June is expected to produce a minor to major geomagnetic storm. The interplanetary shockwave from this flare is expected to intercept the Earth late in the UT day of 16 June or early in the UT day of 17 June. Minor to major geomagnetic storming is expected to develop. We are predicting estimated planetary magnetic A-indices of 53 for 17 June, followed by a decrease to approximately 24 for 18 June. To aid in the interpretation of the risks involved, the following probability chart for geomagnetic activity in each of the six main categories follows below. The prediction is based on expected activity levels for the next four days (to 19 June). GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY PREDICTION FOR JUNE 16 - JUNE 19 ------------------------------------------ | Activity | Day1 | Day2 | Day3 | Day4 | |--------------|------|------|------|------| | Quiet | 10% | 05% | 10% | 15% | | Unsettled | 40% | 10% | 25% | 40% | | Active | 40% | 20% | 35% | 40% | | Minor Storm | 10% | 30% | 25% | 05% | | Major Storm | 00% | 30% | 05% | 00% | | Severe Storm | 00% | 05% | 00% | 00% | |=====================|======|======|======| | A-Index : | 17 | 53 | 24 | 15 | ------------------------------------------ So for example, Day 2 represents June 17. On this day, there is a 05% probability for quiet geomagnetic conditions, a 10% chance for unsettled conditions, a 20% chance for active conditions, a 30% chance for both minor and major storm conditions, and a 05% chance for severe storm conditions. On this day, the A-index is expected to reach 53 (which is officially a low-intensity major storm). However, there are equal probabilities for minor to major storming. Taken together, there is a 60% probability for minor to major storming, or a 50% probability for active to minor storming, or a 35% probability for major to severe storming. However, since there is only a 05% chance for a severe geomagnetic storm, conditions are likely to remain below severe storm levels. So from this chart, Day 2 will be the most disturbed day, with only a 15% probability for quiet to unsettled conditions. If used properly, this prediction chart can provide valuable information on potential activity. You should use it in making your own judgements regarding the potential activity on these days. A Low Latitude Auroral Activity Watch has been issued for the UT day of 17 June. Conditions may become favorable for low-latitude auroral activity on this day. HF propagation conditions will be poor on 17 June, provided an interplanetary shock arrives as expected. If a shock fails to arrive, conditions will continue at fair to good. Near complete absorption of radio signals will continue over the next several days over polar paths. There may be an opportunity for some VHF backscatter communications on the UT day of 17 June, provided we are affected by todays major flare. If we are not, no backscatter or other VHF anomalies are likely to be observed. Conditions are expected to improve on 18 June. PLEASE SEND ANY REPORTS OF DEGRADED RADIO PROPAGATION CONDITIONS, SIGHTINGS OF AURORAL ACTIVITY, VHF BACKSCATTER COMMUNICATIONS OR OTHER ANOMALIES TO: OLER@HG.ULETH.CA (INTERNET), OLER@ALPHA.ULETH.CA (USENET), OR (SNAIL-MAIL) TO: SOLAR TERRESTRIAL DISPATCH, P.O. BOX 357, STIRLING, ALBERTA, CANADA, T0K 2E0. PLEASE INCLUDE THE DATE AND TIME (LOCAL AND UT) OF THE OBSERVATION, THE APPROXIMATE LATITUDE/LONGITUDE OF THE OBSERVATION LOCATION, AND A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHENOMENA OBSERVED. WE THANK ALL THOSE WHO TAKE THE TIME TO SEND IN OBSERVATIONAL REPORTS. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ ------------------------------ Date: 14 Jun 91 10:19:31 GMT From: mcsun!ukc!strath-cs!glasgow!kww@uunet.uu.net (Dr Kevin Waite) Subject: Re: Solar Flares In article <3225@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk>, sfleming@cs.hw.ac.uk (Stewart Fleming) writes: > > Any reports of actual disturbance from anywhere else on the ground ? > [We have one (possibly true) story of a Computer Scientist being transformed > into a Psychologist due to a bit flipping in an admin computer.] > I can confirm this report since I am that Computer Scientist/Psychologist! Moreover, the storm was so severe that as well as changing professions, the storm has made me more susceptible to junk mail. I now get all that psychological junk as well as the computing stuff. I believe it is the South Atlantic Anomoly setting up a branch here in Glasgow! Cheers, Kevin ---------------- Psycho-analysis rates on demand. No loonies please. -- Email: kww@uk.ac.glasgow.dcs (JANET) kww%dcs.glasgow.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk (INTERNET) Address: Dr. Kevin Waite, Department of Computing Science, The University, Glasgow, United Kingdom. G12 8QQ ------------------------------ Date: 14 Jun 91 19:30:17 GMT From: news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!cunews!bnrgate!bigsur!bcars53!mussar@uunet.uu.net (G. Mussar) Subject: Looking for Unix Utilities to view GRIPS 2 data I've just recieved the GRIPS 2 CD-ROM from Meridian Data, Inc. which contains numerous images plus viewing software for MS-DOS, Macs and VMS. The previous GRIPS disk was supposed to have a number of astronomical images. This disk doesn't appear to have any astronomical pics but does have pictures taken from space (of the earth). At the end of the accompanying booklet they mention that data and programs were submitted for Unix systems by Delta Microsystems, Lawrence Berkley Labs and Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory but they didn't have space to include them on this CD-ROM. Does anyone know of an FTP site that might have the Unix SW available? -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gary Mussar |Internet: mussar@bnr.ca | Phone: (613) 763-4937 BNR Ltd. | | FAX: (613) 763-2626 ------------------------------ Date: 16 Jun 91 04:06:25 GMT From: agate!stanford.edu!neon.Stanford.EDU!Neon!jmc@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (John McCarthy) Subject: Re: Solar Flares Affecting the Planet? In article <9106160352.AA19559@phys> jep@PHYS.PHYSICS.UCF.EDU ("Jason Epel [Consultant]") writes: It may be more non-scientific based rumor than fact, but I've heard that some scientists believe the run on plate disturbances can be attributed to the extraordinary solar flare activity we have experienced in the past weeks. There's more to linking the two together than is implied, physically speaking such is 'possible' though may as in this case be improbable. Is there any evidence to make this claim legitimate? Or are people losing all sense of [scientific] reality? -Jason jep@phys.physics.ucf.edu What are "run on plate disturbances"? Do they involve baseball players stealing home? -- John McCarthy Congress needs more people who know the difference between a million and a billion. - John Sununu ------------------------------ Date: 16 Jun 91 00:38:12 GMT From: cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!world!webber@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Robert D Webber) Subject: Re: Platinum-group metal concentrations in earth-crossing objects After I posted an article to this group regarding some errors in and difficulties not mentioned in one of Nick Szabo's postings on extracting platinides and other materials from an asteroid, I came across the answer to my own question in another of his postings: the oxygen and water to be used in processing the metals will come from previously gathered ice chunks. To me this makes the scheme seem even less likely, or at least less predictable, since one has to assume that yet another whole range of technical problems have been overcome cheaply. ------------------------------ Date: 16 Jun 91 01:13:20 GMT From: coyote!jmh@noao.edu (John Hughes) Subject: Re: Solar Flares In article <3225@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk> sfleming@cs.hw.ac.uk writes: >A front page article in the British "Independent" newspaper today warns of the >dangers of severe magnetic storms (as pointed out by the regular solar flare >postings on this newsgroup). > >The British Geological Survey in Edinburgh reported the detection of the shock >wave produced by an extra large solar flare. > >Any reports of actual disturbance from anywhere else on the ground ? >[We have one (possibly true) story of a Computer Scientist being transformed >into a Psychologist due to a bit flipping in an admin computer.] > >The article also mentions that international computer networks could be >affected since they rely on satellites to route me%^#.)*{|{@ > >STF >-- >sfleming@cs.hw.ac.uk ...ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!sfleming >+44-31-225-6465 x553 >"I saw Sean Connery eating mushroom soup and watching the Repulican march." Here in Tucson I heard numerous reports of excess noise from those that do local data telecomm activities. I also noticed that the noise level jumped significantly, in some cases causing an immediate disconnect. Perhaps it has something to with the large number of phone lines we have draped from poles, instead of being buried. -- | John M. Hughes | "...unfolding in consciousness at the | | datalog.com!moondog!jmh | deliberate speed of pondering." - Daniel Dennet | | jmh%coyote@noao.edu |--------------------------------------------------| | jmh%moondog@datalog.com | P.O.Box 43305, Tucson, AZ 85733 602-624-8008 | ------------------------------ Date: 15 Jun 91 17:46:30 GMT From: mips!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!qedqcd!qedqcd.rye.ny.us@apple.com (Mike M. Miskulin) Subject: NASA CDs Does anybody have information on how to obtain CDroms of the Voyager, Viking and other space missions from NASA? Thanks. Mike mmm@qedqcd.rye.ny.us ------------------------------ Date: 16 Jun 91 11:21:54 GMT From: agate!spool.mu.edu!think.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!ptimtc!nntp-server.caltech.edu!sol1.gps.caltech.edu!CARL@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Carl J Lydick) Subject: Re: Excavating (mining) gold in the space by NASA. In article , shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) writes: >In article <1991Jun14.183424.654@noose.ecn.purdue.edu> G E Derylo >writes: > > I'm no economist, but wouldn't the introduction of that much gold > and platinum into the market *drastically* decrease its value, > making this a questionable financial venture? Sure, I know these > materials also have crutial industrial applications, so we're not > just dealing with jewelry here. > > But we're talking about a cubes of pure gold and platinum 25.53 and > 53.09 feet on a side respectively. I would think this kind of find, > if it were dug up tomarrow in the middle of Nebraska, would do > really nastiy things to our gold-based (?) economy. > > Can anyone with some econ background comment on this? > >The gold and silver that the Spanish brought back from the New World >messed up the European economy quite greviously. Galloping inflation, >with too much money (precious metals, of course) chasing too few goods. >This caused a lot of instability, first economic and then political. > >The diamond cartel (de Beers) very stringently limits the supply of >diamonds, to keep the price high. One thing you've got to remember about gold: it's not a purely market issue; it's sort of quasi-religious. There are so many people out there who think there's something special about it that even a rumor of a drop in its price could cause a panic. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carl J Lydick | INTERnet: CARL@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU | NSI/HEPnet: SOL1::CARL ------------------------------ Date: 16 Jun 91 05:42:39 GMT From: swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!pitt!nss!freed@ucsd.edu (Bev Freed) Subject: Investigation into Olympus satellite failure started 14 June 1991 ESA Release #19 INVESTIGATION INTO OLYMPUS SATELLITE FAILURE STARTED The European Space Agency, ESA, has started an investigation into the origins of the loss, early on 29 May 191, of orbit and attitude control of its Olympus satellite. In parallel, ESA has succeeded in gaining additional evidence on the status of the spacecraft, thus improving the chances for recovering the mission in a few weeks. Olympus is an advanced telecommunications satellite featuring direct TV broadcasting, distance learning, various business networks and several other experimental payloads. As already reported, all services have been interrupted since the loss of control. The satellite rotates once every 90 seconds or so, and it is drifting eastwards at five degrees a day. Since Olympus continues to send short streams of telemetry data to Earth, more information on its attitude and the status of its subsystems has been obtained in the meantime. The telemetry data indicate in particular that, for the time being, the solar array is receiving rays from the Sun at a very oblique angle; in a few weeks this situation will improve, and it might then be possible to recharge the batteries and get commands into the satellite. Because of the present unfavorable orientation of the solar array, attempts to get commands into the satellite from NASA's high-power ground station at Robledo near Madrid (Spain) were unfortunately not successful. The Enquiry Board set up to investigate the cause of the failure met for the first time on 11 June 1991 under the chairmanship of professor Massimo Trella, ESA Inspector General. It reviewed in detail the events immediately before and after the loss of control of the satellite. For reasons that are still not known and are currently the subject of a technical investigation, the satellite ceased to point at the Earth at 0321 hours GMT and went into Emergency Sun Acquisition Mode, which is an on-board automatic safety procedure that is activated whenever the satellite loses the Earth reference signal. In recovering from the emergency to the normal mode, commands were sent to the satellite that did not conform to standard procedures. It appears that modifications to those procedures had been introduced in an attempt to have the satellite back in normal mode by 0900 h EST for the start of broadcasting operations, but instead a sequence of events was initiated that eventually led to the loss of control. However, another contributing factor was the technical status of the satellite: one solar array had not been active since January, and had the solar generator been fully operational, the spacecraft would most likely have recovered on its own. The team specially set up to lead activities to rescue the mission has started work, and has been analysing all the available data from the satellite and the conditions on board resulting from the abnormal attitude and power situation. At this time, it is believed that salvaging Olympus might be feasible. Detailed procedures are being agreed, and the actual recovery telecommands will be initiated in a few weeks, when solar illumination will have improved. --- Opus-CBCS 1.20.17 * Origin: NSS BBS - Ad Astra! (412)366-5208 *HST* (1:129/104.0) -- Bev Freed - via FidoNet node 1:129/104 UUCP: ...!pitt!nss!freed INTERNET: freed@nss.FIDONET.ORG ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V13 #752 *******************