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 ; Mon, 1 Jul 91 01:27:43 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: Precedence: junk Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Mon, 1 Jul 91 01:27:32 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #755 SPACE Digest Volume 13 : Issue 755 Today's Topics: Re: Go-ahead for Giotto Extended Mission Status of Chinese polar orbiting satellite FY-1B Re: Platinum-group metal concentrations in earth-crossing objects Toward 2001 - 17 Jun Re: Fred's Operatic Death Re: Platinum-group metal concentrations in earth-crossing objects Re: Platinum-group metal concentrations in earth-crossing objects CNN Report On Paris Airshow 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: 17 Jun 91 01:50:33 GMT From: cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!emory!ogicse!sequent!muncher.sequent.com!szabo@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU Subject: Re: Go-ahead for Giotto Extended Mission In article <457.285B3398@nss.FIDONET.ORG> freed@nss.FIDONET.ORG (Bev Freed) writes: >GO-AHEAD FOR GIOTTO EXTENDED MISSION >...encounter Comet Grigg Skejellerup on 10 July 1992 around 3 p.m. GMT... >With a few planned maneouvres, Giotto will come to within about >1,000 km of Grigg Skejellerup. Good news! Grigg Skejellerup has a period of 5.2 years, and will be near perihilion in July 1992. It is the parent body of the April Pi-Puppid meteor shower (which should also give a good show in 1992). Does anybody know if there exist plans to observe the meteor shower stream nearby the comet, as well as the comet itself? Keep up the great work across the Atlantic! -- Nick Szabo szabo@sequent.com Embrace Change... Keep the Values... Hold Dear the Laughter... These views are my own, and do not represent any organization. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jun 91 01:42:12 GMT From: att!cbfsb!cbnewsb.cb.att.com!wa2ise@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (robert.f.casey) Subject: Status of Chinese polar orbiting satellite FY-1B The following was copied from amateur radio packet network: Msg# TSF Size #Rd Date Time From MsgID To 57980 BF 1967 1 08-Jun 0010 ZL4HG KGJB47627573 WESAT@AMSAT () Sb: FY-1B STATUS 4-Jun-1991 >From the NOAA Electronic Bulletin Board... Posted: Tue, Jun 4, 1991 9:54 AM EST Msg: KGJB-4762-7573 From: C.STATON To: sub.noaa.sat.1 CC: r.bernstein, b.howard Subj: OS: FY-1B STATUS - 6/4/91 STATUS OF CHINA'S POLAR ORBITING SATELLITE - FY-1B (JUNE 4 1991) The Satellite Meteorological Center (SMC) of China's State Meteorological Administration (SMA) reported an updated status of FY-1B as of June 4, 1991. In early May 1991, the attitude of FY-1B was re-established but was shortly lost again. Utilizing the magnetometer controls, and testing throughout May, SMC has been able to gain attitude control but finds intermittent computer problems result in loss of control. This problem is minimized by cutting of the automated magnetic control system beyond China's monitoring region. Therefore, on orbits covering China attitude control is maintained, while "blind" orbits may result in accumulated attitude errors. SMC feels that for most orbits over the U.S., that the attitude of FY-1B should be "OK". As of this writing, the HRPT is turned on and is broadcasting on 1704.5 MHZ. The APT is NOT on at this time. This configuration "may last for some time". It was not indicated by SMC if or when they will resume APT transmissions. Congratulations to SMC and lets hope FY-1B can resume some sort of "routine" observations. Carl Staton NOAA/NESDIS EOF Note: I have no additional info on the above. WA2ISE ------------------------------ Date: 16 Jun 91 09:28:16 GMT From: agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!ptimtc!nntp-server.caltech.edu!sol1.gps.caltech.edu!CARL@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Carl J Lydick) Subject: Re: Platinum-group metal concentrations in earth-crossing objects In article <1991Jun16.000359.10311@world.std.com>, webber@world.std.com (Robert D Webber) writes: >Back in semiconductor fabrication class they always told us the biggest >contamination problem came from the container, and that the high vapour >pressure of arsenic led to a need for either As pressurization or some >kind of complete encapsulation for the melt. In the absence of a >container the composition of the GaAs crystal comes out wrong, so I >don't see how the "very high vacuum" will help fabrication operations >for the materials used to make devices. You're assuming that the semiconductors will be doped via a diffusion process, in which case you're right. However, if you want to use ion implantation, high vacuum is useful. >>Back to platinum: we have a total of 55 ppm platinum group, about 5 >>times better than the best Earth ore. This still wouldn't be that >>good, given the high costs of launching mining equipment, except >>that there exists a process which, taking advantage of the large >>amounts of solar-thermal power available in space, could make >>extracting the platinum economical. >> >>First, we should find grains with the above concentrations or better >>in a high-metal regolith (a task for space exploration). We >>extract the metal grains with a magnetic rake. Next, we process >>the metal regolith with the gaseous carbonyl process, as follows: > >You will need to break the hunk of rock down in size quite a bit, first. >On the ground this is generally accomplished by crushing in rather large, >heavy machines, then grinding in a mill where balls or rods are raised >from and dropped back onto the material to be ground. Obviously the >term "dropped" implies the machine's presence in a gravity field. I suppose >that some other accelerating field could be substituted. Anyway, the >grinding medium in a conventional process needs to be dense so that the >individual grinding elements have a lot of kinetic energy for a small >surface area: this allows a lot of K.E. to be transformed into the energy >of new surfaces during the grinding process in a short period of time. >What are you proposing as an alternative to this very much earthbound, >heavyweight technology? You definitely need something to get the mineral >particles down to liberation size in the process you describe. He said they'd be using the regolith. This means it's already quite friable. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carl J Lydick | INTERnet: CARL@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU | NSI/HEPnet: SOL1::CARL ------------------------------ Date: 16 Jun 91 05:43:47 GMT From: news.arc.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!pitt!nss!freed@ucsd.edu (Bev Freed) Subject: Toward 2001 - 17 Jun *********** TOWARD 2001 *********** Week of 17 June 1991 A Weekly Feature of SPACE CALENDAR + = Domestic (USA) Earth event * = Domestic (USA) space event o = International Earth event # = International space event -------------------------------------------------------------------- REPRINT INFORMATION This information is reproduced by permission of the Space Age Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Copyright June 17, 1991. Reproduction in any form without written permission violates federal statute with penalty of up to $50,000. SPACE CALENDAR is edited and published on the Big `Space' Island of Hawaii. ==================================================================== * * * * * * * + STS 43 Atlantis NASA Kennedy Space Center FL Ground crew and 5 astronauts are preparing for a July launch to deploy the TDRS-E satellite and its Inertial Upper Stage. For the first time, abort software will be loaded and ready to run during launch on Atlantis' new general purpose computers. * * * * * * * # Soviet Spacewalks Planned Low Earth Orbit Cosmonauts Anatoly Artsebarsky and Sergei Krikalyev will make up to 8 EVA trips to shift solar panels in preparation for a Buran mission to Mir 1 in late 1991 or early 1992. They will also deploy two small satellites for upper atmosphere and crystal growth experiments. * * * * * * * o Arianespace V 44 / ERS-1 Kourou, French Guiana The European consortium plans an early July launch. Based on previous flight observations and testing, officials decided to add a pressure relief system to the third stage engine hydrogen feed line. * * * * * * * + Columbia Communications Corp Honolulu HI Is investigating potential satellite links with the Soviet Union. President Clifford Laughton said the company recently completed a series of coordination meetings with Soviet officials and is continuing its consultations with Intelsat required under Article 14(c) of the Intelsat treaty. * * * * * * * o India PSLV Testing Mahendragiri Engineers are examining data from a successful test firing of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle second stage on 3 June. The engine, which uses hydrazine and nitrogen tetraoxide developes 60 tons of thrust at sea level with a specific impulse of 293 seconds. * * * * * * * o Japan Satellite Message Planning Tokyo The new joint venture intends to use a Japan Communications satellite to provide mobile message and positioning services. Partners are C Itoh and Co (54 percent), Nippon Steel (41 percent), and Qualcomm Inc, San Diego CA, (5 percent). Initial funding is 100 million yen (US$662,000). * * * * * * * + Texas Roundtables Unite Houston TX The Houston Space Business Roundtable is working with similar organizations in Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio to form, jointly, the Texas Space Business Roundtable. The new group intends to work with the Texas Space Commission to enhance the state's space constituency. * * * * * * * o Aussat Contenders Canberra, Australia America's Bell South and Cable & Wireless PLC Ltd are bidding against a second consortium of Bell Atlantic, Ameritech, and Hutchison Whampoa to purchase the Australian telecommunications firm. Tenders are expected to be called in July. * * * * * * * + New Solar System Theory Boulder CO Astrophysicist Alan Stern of the University of Colorado believes Pluto and other outer solar system objects could be "relics" from a time when 1,000 or more Pluto-sized planets existed. Astronomers say the theory is worth considering. * * * * * * * + Lunar Footnote (Statistic) 6,759 days since Moon last visited by humans. * * * * * * * o International Space Year 1992 (Quotation) "The most important policy objective of the ISY . . . is to instill a new Space Age frame of reference in the thoughts and actions of governments and individuals." -- The late U S Senator Spark M Matsunaga, Hawaii -------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT SPACE CALENDAR Space Calendar provides a weekly preview of upcoming events in the space industry. It is published weekly by the SPACE AGE PUBLISHING COMPANY from offices in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. For a free sample of the printed publication, use the address, telephone, or fax numbers for the Hawaii office listed below. SPACE AGE PUBLISHING COMPANY also publishes SPACE FAX DAILY from its offices in Cupertino, California. For information about SPACE FAX DAILY use the address, telephone, or fax numbers for the California office listed below. HAWAII OFFICE: 75-5751 Kuakini Highway, Suite 209, Kailua-Kona HI 96740; 808-326-2014, fax 808-326-1825. CALIFORNIA OFFICE: 20431 Steven Creek Blvd, Cupertino CA 95054; 408-996-9210, fax 408-996-2125. ==================================================================== --- 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 ------------------------------ Date: 14 Jun 91 14:37:56 GMT From: aio!vf.jsc.nasa.gov!kent@eos.arc.nasa.gov Subject: Re: Fred's Operatic Death In article <1991Jun7.215211.22450@sequent.com>, szabo@sequent.com writes: > Perhaps a couple years. Sooner or later the astronaut groupies have > to realize that pissing off scientists and calling their financiers > "bean counters" and making a cult out of centrally planned, pork barrel > space projects is not the best way to keep their beloved astronauts flying. The kind of arrogant attitude you project with statements like "astronaut groupies" and implying that pro-manned space people call finaciers "Bean counters" makes me discount your arguments. I am neither a groupie or a name caller. Did you know name calling went out in elementry school. Sooner or later we will need to move man into space. I think it will take us a long time to learn how to do that. We need to continue learning, so that when the affordable launchs systesm arrive, man knows his limitations in space. -- Mike Kent - Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Company at NASA JSC 2400 NASA Rd One, Houston, TX 77058 (713) 483-3791 KENT@vf.jsc.nasa.gov ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jun 91 02:19:43 GMT From: cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!cs.uoregon.edu!ogicse!sequent!muncher.sequent.com!szabo@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU Subject: Re: Platinum-group metal concentrations in earth-crossing objects In article rockwell@socrates.umd.edu (Raul Rockwell) writes: >Why process in Earth orbit? Seems to me that you could do quite a >lot, in terms of smelting, or whatever, by processing during the >transfer orbit. Sure, it would take a few years, but so what? Two problems: lifting the heavy processing equipment out to the asteroid, and the round-trip light time for teleoperation. On the other hand, capturing volatiles and raw regolith into Earth orbit will take fairly little equipment and energy, if Earth gravity assist and/or slow aerobraking are used. See previous postings in sci.space for the safety issues involved (a crude summary is that gravity assist and slow aerobraking of small amounts of regolith and ice are fine; fast aerobraking and large solid pieces can be dangerous). Once we have the volatiles and asteroid materials in Earth orbit, equipment can be built and launched from Earth to process the materials into the final products (fuel, heat sinks, shielding, Pt-group metals, new alloys, semiconductors, solar power satellites, etc.). -- Nick Szabo szabo@sequent.com Embrace Change... Keep the Values... Hold Dear the Laughter... These views are my own, and do not represent any organization. ------------------------------ Date: 16 Jun 91 18:44:43 GMT From: haven.umd.edu!socrates.umd.edu!socrates!rockwell@louie.udel.edu (Raul Rockwell) Subject: Re: Platinum-group metal concentrations in earth-crossing objects Nick Szabo: ... rock and metal processing is quite non-trivial. In comparison, however, ice mining requires little more than a mirror, bag, and simple distillery. After the ice bootstrapping takes place, it will be much easier to lift heavy mining equipment out to the asteroids, or alternatively bring raw asteroid regolith to Earth orbit and process it there. Why process in Earth orbit? Seems to me that you could do quite a lot, in terms of smelting, or whatever, by processing during the transfer orbit. Sure, it would take a few years, but so what? -- Raul ------------------------------ Date: 15 Jun 91 01:52:02 GMT From: agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!src.honeywell.com!msi.umn.edu!cs.umn.edu!kksys!wd0gol!newave!john@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (John A. Weeks III) Subject: CNN Report On Paris Airshow CNN Headline News had a blurb on the Paris Airshow tonight. I thought I would pass on what I caught of the report. US military aircraft are on display complete with US troops. Planes shown on the video include the F-117A 'Stealth Bomber', F-14 Tomcat, A-10 Warthog (complete with kill stats painted on the nose), F-15 Eagle, and the AH-64 attack chopper. (It seems that every black plane is a 'stealth bomber' to the media these days.) The Soviets unvail the Mig-31. The Mig is on static display and will fly at some point during the show. It looks like an Eagle (twin tails) and is painted white with blue stripes. What more can one say after having a 4 second glimpse? Airbus has an extensive commercial jetliner display. Hermes mock-up on display. Mir mock-up. CNN also filmed some type of multi-nation (non-US) space hardware that I did not catch--it looked like a space station and I think they called it the Columbus. Anyone know what I might have seen? An Ariane (sp?) rocket is on display. It is set up in a vertical position. Looks real cool. An unnamed new French delta-wing fighter was shown flying across the show line upside-down. It looked similar to a Mirage 2000 to me. -john- -- ============================================================================= John A. Weeks III (612) 942-6969 john@newave.mn.org NeWave Communications, Ltd. ...uunet!tcnet!newave!john ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V13 #755 *******************