Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 05:03:54 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V15 #161 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Thu, 3 Sep 92 Volume 15 : Issue 161 Today's Topics: Space FAQ 08/15 - Addresses Space FAQ 09/15 - Mission Schedules Space FAQ 10/15 - Planetary Probe History Welcome to the Space Digest!! Please send your messages to "space@isu.isunet.edu", and (un)subscription requests of the form "Subscribe Space " to one of these addresses: listserv@uga (BITNET), rice::boyle (SPAN/NSInet), utadnx::utspan::rice::boyle (THENET), or space-REQUEST@isu.isunet.edu (Internet). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 2 Sep 92 18:57:57 GMT From: Jon Leech Subject: Space FAQ 08/15 - Addresses Newsgroups: sci.space,news.answers Archive-name: space/addresses Last-modified: $Date: 92/09/02 14:47:27 $ CONTACTING NASA, ESA, AND OTHER SPACE AGENCIES/COMPANIES Many space activities center around large Government or International Bureaucracies. In the US that means NASA. If you have basic information requests: (e.g., general PR info, research grants, data, limited tours, and ESPECIALLY SUMMER EMPLOYMENT (typically resumes should be ready by Jan. 1), etc.), consider contacting the nearest NASA Center to answer your questions. EMail typically will not get you any where, computers are used by investigators, not PR people. The typical volume of mail per Center is a multiple of 10,000 letters a day. Seek the Public Information Office at one of the below, this is their job: NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is the civilian space agency of of the United States Federal Government. It reports directly to the White House and is not a Cabinet post such as the military Department of Defense. Its 20K+ employees are civil servants and hence US citizens. Another 100K+ contractors also work for NASA. NASA CENTERS NASA Headquarters (NASA HQ) Washington DC 20546 Ask them questions about policy, money, and things of political nature. Direct specific questions to the appropriate center. NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) Moffett Field, CA 94035 Some aeronautical research, atmosphere reentry, Mars and Venus planetary atmospheres. "Lead center" for Helicopter research, V/STOL, etc. Runs Pioneer series of space probes. NASA Ames Research Center Dryden Flight Research Facility [DFRF] P. O. Box 273 Edwards, CA 93523 Aircraft, mostly. Tested the shuttle orbiter landing characteristics. Developed X-1, D-558, X-3, X-4, X-5, XB-70, and of course, the X-15. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Greenbelt, MD 20771 [Outside of Washington DC] Earth orbiting unmanned satellites and sounding rockets. Developed LANDSAT. NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) 21000 Brookpark Rd. Cleveland, OH 44135 Aircraft/Rocket propulsion. Space power generation. Materials research. NASA Johnson Manned Space Center (JSC) Houston, TX 77058 JSC manages Space Shuttle, ground control of manned missions. Astronaut training. Manned mission simulators. NASA Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSC) Titusville, FL 32899 Space launch center. You know this one. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Huntsville, AL 35812 Development, production, delivery of Solid Rocket Boosters, External Tank, Orbiter main engines. Propulsion and launchers. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Hampton, VA 23665 [Near Newport News, VA] Original NASA site. Specializes in theoretical and experimental flight dynamics. Viking. Long Duration Exposure Facility. Wallops Flight Center Wallops Island, Virginia 23337 Aeronautical research, sounding rockets, Scout launcher. Jet Propulsion Laboratory [JPL/CIT] California Institute of Technology 4800 Oak Grove Dr. Pasadena, CA 91109 The "heavies" in planetary research probes and other unmanned projects (they also had a lot to do with IRAS). They run Voyager, Magellan, Galileo, and will run Cassini, CRAF, etc. etc.. For images, probe navigation, and other info about unmanned exploration, this is the place to go. JPL is run under contract for NASA by the nearby California Institute of Technology, unlike the NASA centers above. This distinction is subtle but critical. JPL has different requirements for unsolicited research proposals and summer hires. For instance in the latter, an SF 171 is useless. Employees are Caltech employees, contractors, and for the most part have similar responsibilities. They offer an alternative to funding after other NASA Centers. Manager, Technology Utilization Office NASA Scientific and Technical Information Facility Post Office Box 8757 Baltimore, Maryland 21240 Specific requests for software must go thru COSMIC at the Univ. of Georgia, NASA's contracted software redistribution service. You can reach them at cosmic@uga.bitnet. NOTE: Foreign nationals requesting information must go through their Embassies in Washington DC. These are facilities of the US Government and are regarded with some degree of economic sensitivity. Centers cannot directly return information without high Center approval. Allow at least 1 month for clearance. This includes COSMIC. The US Air Force Space Command can be contacted thru the Pentagon along with other Department of Defense offices. They have unacknowledged offices in Los Angeles, Sunnyvale, Colorado Springs, and other locations. They have a budget which rivals NASA in size. ARIANESPACE HEADQUARTERS Boulevard de l'Europe B.P. 177 91006 Evry Cedex France ARIANESPACE, INC. 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 875 Washington, DC 20006 (202)-728-9075 EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY 955 L'Enfant Plaza S.W. Washington, D.C. 20024 (202)-488-4158 NATIONAL SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (NASDA) 4-1 Hamamatsu-Cho, 2 Chome Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105, JAPAN SOYUZKARTA 45 Vologradsij Pr. Moscow 109125 USSR SPACE CAMP Alabama Space and Rocket Center U.S. SPACE CAMP 1 Tranquility Base 6225 Vectorspace Blvd Huntsville, AL 35805 Titusville FL 32780 (205)-837-3400 (407)267-3184 Registration and mailing list are handled through Huntsville -- both camps are described in the same brochure. Programs offered at Space Camp are: Space Camp - one week, youngsters completing grades 4-6 Space Academy I - one week, grades 7-9 Aviation Challenge - one week high school program, grades 9-11 Space Academy II - 8 days, college accredited, grades 10-12 Adult Program - 3 days (editorial comment: it's great!) Teachers Program - 5 days SPACE COMMERCE CORPORATION (U.S. agent for Soviet launch services) 504 Pluto Drive 69th flr, Texas Commerce Tower Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Houston, TX 77002 (719)-578-5490 (713)-227-9000 SPACEHAB 600 Maryland Avenue, SW Suite 201 West Washington, DC 20004 (202)-488-3483 SPOT IMAGE CORPORATION 1857 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 22091 (FAX) (703)-648-1813 (703)-620-2200 OTHER COMMERCIAL SPACE BUSINESSES Vincent Cate maintains a list with addresses and some info for a variety of companies in space-related businesses. This is mailed out on the space-investors list he runs (see the "Network Resources" FAQ) and is also available by anonymous ftp from furmint.nectar.cs.cmu.edu (128.2.209.111) in /usr/vac/ftp/space-companies. NEXT: FAQ #9/15 - Schedules for space missions, and how to see them ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 92 18:58:06 GMT From: Jon Leech Subject: Space FAQ 09/15 - Mission Schedules Newsgroups: sci.space,news.answers Archive-name: space/schedule Last-modified: $Date: 92/09/02 14:48:31 $ SPACE SHUTTLE ANSWERS, LAUNCH SCHEDULES, TV COVERAGE SHUTTLE LAUNCHINGS AND LANDINGS; SCHEDULES AND HOW TO SEE THEM Shuttle operations are discussed in the Usenet group sci.space.shuttle, and Ken Hollis (gandalf@pro-electric.cts.com) posts a compressed version of the shuttle manifest (launch dates and other information) periodically there. The manifest is also available from the Ames SPACE archive in SPACE/FAQ/manifest. The portion of his manifest formerly included in this FAQ has been removed; please refer to his posting or the archived copy. For the most up to date information on upcoming missions, call (407) 867-INFO (867-4636) at Kennedy Space Center. Official NASA shuttle status reports are posted to sci.space.news frequently. HOW TO RECEIVE THE NASA TV CHANNEL, NASA SELECT NASA SELECT is broadcast by satellite. If you have access to a satellite dish, you can find SELECT on Satcom F2R, Transponder 13, C-Band, 72 degrees West Longitude, Audio 6.8, Frequency 3960 MHz. F2R is stationed over the Atlantic, and is increasingly difficult to receive from California and points west. During events of special interest (e.g. shuttle missions), SELECT is sometimes broadcast on a second satellite for these viewers. If you can't get a satellite feed, some cable operators carry SELECT. It's worth asking if yours doesn't. The SELECT schedule is found in the NASA Headline News which is frequently posted to sci.space. Generally it carries press conferences, briefings by NASA officials, and live coverage of shuttle missions and planetary encounters. SELECT has recently begun carrying much more secondary material (associated with SPACELINK) when missions are not being covered. DIAL-A-SHUTTLE AND HOW TO USE IT Dial-A-Shuttle is a pay-per-call (900) service run by the National Space Society during shuttle missions. Call (909)-909-6272 24 bours a day from two hours before launch to the post-landing press conference. Include live communications between the astronauts and Mission Control and special updates and interviews. Cost is $2/first minute + $0.45/additional minutes. Limited to US and maybe Canada. NASA SELECT offers better coverage (for free) if you can get it. AMATEUR RADIO FREQUENCIES FOR SHUTTLE MISSIONS The following are believed to rebroadcast space shuttle mission audio: W6FXN - Los Angeles K6MF - Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California WA3NAN - Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, Maryland. W5RRR - Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, Texas W6VIO - Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California. W1AW Voice Bulletins Station VHF 10m 15m 20m 40m 80m ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ----- ----- W6FXN 145.46 K6MF 145.585 7.165 3.840 WA3NAN 147.45 28.650 21.395 14.295 7.185 3.860 W5RRR 146.64 28.400 21.350 14.280 7.227 3.850 W6VIO 224.04 21.340 14.270 W6VIO 224.04 21.280 14.282 7.165 3.840 W1AW 28.590 21.390 14.290 7.290 3.990 W5RRR transmits mission audio on 146.64, a special event station on the other frequencies supplying Keplerian Elements and mission information. W1AW also transmits on 147.555, 18.160. No mission audio but they transmit voice bulletins at 0245 and 0545 UTC. Frequencies in the 10-20m bands require USB and frequencies in the 40 and 80m bands LSB. Use FM for the VHF frequencies. [This item was most recently updated courtesy of Gary Morris (g@telesoft.com, KK6YB, N5QWC)] SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER FUEL COMPOSITION Reference: "Shuttle Flight Operations Manual" Volume 8B - Solid Rocket Booster Systems, NASA Document JSC-12770 Propellant Composition (percent) Ammonium perchlorate (oxidizer) 69.6 Aluminum 16 Iron Oxide (burn rate catalyst) 0.4 Polybutadiene-acrilic acid-acrylonitrile (a rubber) 12.04 Epoxy curing agent 1.96 End reference Comment: The aluminum, rubber, and epoxy all burn with the oxidizer. NEXT: FAQ #10/15 - Historical planetary probes ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 92 18:58:19 GMT From: Jon Leech Subject: Space FAQ 10/15 - Planetary Probe History Newsgroups: sci.space,news.answers Archive-name: space/probe Last-modified: $Date: 92/09/02 14:48:25 $ PLANETARY PROBES - HISTORICAL MISSIONS This section was lightly adapted from an original posting by Larry Klaes (klaes@verga.enet.dec.com), mostly minor formatting changes. Matthew Wiener (weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu) contributed the section on Voyager, and the section on Sakigake was obtained from ISAS material posted by Yoshiro Yamada (yamada@yscvax.ysc.go.jp). US PLANETARY MISSIONS MARINER (VENUS, MARS, & MERCURY FLYBYS AND ORBITERS) MARINER 1, the first U.S. attempt to send a spacecraft to Venus, failed minutes after launch in 1962. The guidance instructions from the ground stopped reaching the rocket due to a problem with its antenna, so the onboard computer took control. However, there turned out to be a bug in the guidance software, and the rocket promptly went off course, so the Range Safety Officer destroyed it. Although the bug is sometimes claimed to have been an incorrect FORTRAN DO statement, it was actually a transcription error in which the bar (indicating smoothing) was omitted from the expression "R-dot-bar sub n" (nth smoothed value of derivative of radius). This error led the software to treat normal minor variations of velocity as if they were serious, leading to incorrect compensation. MARINER 2 became the first successful probe to flyby Venus in December of 1962, and it returned information which confirmed that Venus is a very hot (800 degrees Fahrenheit, now revised to 900 degrees F.) world with a cloud-covered atmosphere composed primarily of carbon dioxide (sulfuric acid was later confirmed in 1978). MARINER 3, launched on November 5, 1964, was lost when its protective shroud failed to eject as the craft was placed into interplanetary space. Unable to collect the Sun's energy for power from its solar panels, the probe soon died when its batteries ran out and is now in solar orbit. It was intended for a Mars flyby with MARINER 4. MARINER 4, the sister probe to MARINER 3, did reach Mars in 1965 and took the first close-up images of the Martian surface (22 in all) as it flew by the planet. The probe found a cratered world with an atmosphere much thinner than previously thought. Many scientists concluded from this preliminary scan that Mars was a "dead" world in both the geological and biological sense. MARINER 5 was sent to Venus in 1967. It reconfirmed the data on that planet collected five years earlier by MARINER 2, plus the information that Venus' atmospheric pressure at its surface is at least 90 times that of Earth's, or the equivalent of being 3,300 feet under the surface of an ocean. MARINER 6 and 7 were sent to Mars in 1969 and expanded upon the work done by MARINER 4 four years earlier. However, they failed to take away the concept of Mars as a "dead" planet, first made from the basic measurements of MARINER 4. MARINER 8 ended up in the Atlantic Ocean in 1971 when the rocket launcher autopilot failed. MARINER 9, the sister probe to MARINER 8, became the first craft to orbit Mars in 1971. It returned information on the Red Planet that no other probe had done before, revealing huge volcanoes on the Martian surface, as well as giant canyon systems, and evidence that water once flowed across the planet. The probe also took the first detailed closeup images of Mars' two small moons, Phobos and Deimos. MARINER 10 used Venus as a gravity assist to Mercury in 1974. The probe did return the first close-up images of the Venusian atmosphere in ultraviolet, revealing previously unseen details in the cloud cover, plus the fact that the entire cloud system circles the planet in four Earth days. MARINER 10 eventually made three flybys of Mercury from 1974 to 1975 before running out of attitude control gas. The probe revealed Mercury as a heavily cratered world with a mass much greater than thought. This would seem to indicate that Mercury has an iron core which makes up 75 percent of the entire planet. PIONEER (MOON, SUN, VENUS, JUPITER, and SATURN FLYBYS AND ORBITERS) PIONEER 1 through 3 failed to meet their main objective - to photograph the Moon close-up - but they did reach far enough into space to provide new information on the area between Earth and the Moon, including new data on the Van Allen radiation belts circling Earth. All three craft had failures with their rocket launchers. PIONEER 1 was launched on October 11, 1958, PIONEER 2 on November 8, and PIONEER 3 on December 6. PIONEER 4 was a Moon probe which missed the Moon and became the first U.S. spacecraft to orbit the Sun in 1959. PIONEER 5 was originally designed to flyby Venus, but the mission was scaled down and it instead studied the interplanetary environment between Venus and Earth out to 36.2 million kilometers in 1960, a record until MARINER 2. PIONEER 6 through 9 were placed into solar orbit from 1965 to 1968: PIONEER 6, 7, and 8 are still transmitting information at this time. PIONEER E (would have been number 10) suffered a launch failure in 1969. PIONEER 10 became the first spacecraft to flyby Jupiter in 1973. PIONEER 11 followed it in 1974, and then went on to become the first probe to study Saturn in 1979. Both vehicles should continue to function through 1995 and are heading off into interstellar space, the first craft ever to do so. PIONEER Venus 1 (1978) (also known as PIONEER Venus Orbiter, or PIONEER 12) is still orbiting Venus and returning data to Earth. It is expected to enter the Venusian atmosphere and burn up in 1992. PVO made the first radar studies of the planet's surface via probe. PIONEER Venus 2 (also known as PIONEER 13) sent four small probes into the atmosphere in December of 1978. The main spacecraft bus burned up high in the atmosphere, while the four probes descended by parachute towards the surface. Though none were expected to survive to the surface, the Day probe did make it and transmitted for 67.5 minutes on the ground before its batteries failed. RANGER (LUNAR LANDER AND IMPACT MISSIONS) RANGER 1 and 2 were test probes for the RANGER lunar impact series. They were meant for high Earth orbit testing in 1961, but rocket problems left them in useless low orbits which quickly decayed. RANGER 3, launched on January 26, 1962, was intended to land an instrument capsule on the surface of the Moon, but problems during the launch caused the probe to miss the Moon and head into solar orbit. RANGER 3 did try to take some images of the Moon as it flew by, but the camera was unfortunately aimed at deep space during the attempt. RANGER 4, launched April 23, 1962, had the same purpose as RANGER 3, but suffered technical problems enroute and crashed on the lunar farside, the first U.S. probe to reach the Moon, albeit without returning data. RANGER 5, launched October 18, 1962 and similar to RANGER 3 and 4, lost all solar panel and battery power enroute and eventually missed the Moon and drifted off into solar orbit. RANGER 6 through 9 had more modified lunar missions: They were to send back live images of the lunar surface as they headed towards an impact with the Moon. RANGER 6 failed this objective in 1964 when its cameras did not operate. RANGER 7 through 9 performed well, becoming the first U.S. lunar probes to return thousands of lunar images through 1965. LUNAR ORBITER (LUNAR SURFACE PHOTOGRAPHY) LUNAR ORBITER 1 through 5 were designed to orbit the Moon and image various sites being studied as landing areas for the manned APOLLO missions of 1969-1972. The probes also contributed greatly to our understanding of lunar surface features, particularly the lunar farside. All five probes of the series, launched from 1966 to 1967, were essentially successful in their missions. They were the first U.S. probes to orbit the Moon. All LOs were eventually crashed into the lunar surface to avoid interference with the manned APOLLO missions. SURVEYOR (LUNAR SOFT LANDERS) The SURVEYOR series were designed primarily to see if an APOLLO lunar module could land on the surface of the Moon without sinking into the soil (before this time, it was feared by some that the Moon was covered in great layers of dust, which would not support a heavy landing vehicle). SURVEYOR was successful in proving that the lunar surface was strong enough to hold up a spacecraft from 1966 to 1968. Only SURVEYOR 2 and 4 were unsuccessful missions. The rest became the first U.S. probes to soft land on the Moon, taking thousands of images and scooping the soil for analysis. APOLLO 12 landed 600 feet from SURVEYOR 3 in 1969 and returned parts of the craft to Earth. SURVEYOR 7, the last of the series, was a purely scientific mission which explored the Tycho crater region in 1968. VIKING (MARS ORBITERS AND LANDERS) VIKING 1 was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on August 20, 1975 on a TITAN 3E-CENTAUR D1 rocket. The probe went into Martian orbit on June 19, 1976, and the lander set down on the western slopes of Chryse Planitia on July 20, 1976. It soon began its programmed search for Martian micro-organisms (there is still debate as to whether the probes found life there or not), and sent back incredible color panoramas of its surroundings. One thing scientists learned was that Mars' sky was pinkish in color, not dark blue as they originally thought (the sky is pink due to sunlight reflecting off the reddish dust particles in the thin atmosphere). The lander set down among a field of red sand and boulders stretching out as far as its cameras could image. The VIKING 1 orbiter kept functioning until August 7, 1980, when it ran out of attitude-control propellant. The lander was switched into a weather-reporting mode, where it had been hoped it would keep functioning through 1994; but after November 13, 1982, an errant command had been sent to the lander accidentally telling it to shut down until further orders. Communication was never regained again, despite the engineers' efforts through May of 1983. An interesting side note: VIKING 1's lander has been designated the Thomas A. Mutch Memorial Station in honor of the late leader of the lander imaging team. The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. is entrusted with the safekeeping of the Mutch Station Plaque until it can be attached to the lander by a manned expedition. VIKING 2 was launched on September 9, 1975, and arrived in Martian orbit on August 7, 1976. The lander touched down on September 3, 1976 in Utopia Planitia. It accomplished essentially the same tasks as its sister lander, with the exception that its seisometer worked, recording one marsquake. The orbiter had a series of attitude-control gas leaks in 1978, which prompted it being shut down that July. The lander was shut down on April 12, 1980. The orbits of both VIKING orbiters should decay around 2025. VOYAGER (OUTER PLANET FLYBYS) VOYAGER 1 was launched September 5, 1977, and flew past Jupiter on March 5, 1979 and by Saturn on November 13, 1980. VOYAGER 2 was launched August 20, 1977 (before VOYAGER 1), and flew by Jupiter on August 7, 1979, by Saturn on August 26, 1981, by Uranus on January 24, 1986, and by Neptune on August 8, 1989. VOYAGER 2 took advantage of a rare once-every-189-years alignment to slingshot its way from outer planet to outer planet. VOYAGER 1 could, in principle, have headed towards Pluto, but JPL opted for the sure thing of a Titan close up. Between the two probes, our knowledge of the 4 giant planets, their satellites, and their rings has become immense. VOYAGER 1&2 discovered that Jupiter has complicated atmospheric dynamics, lightning and aurorae. Three new satellites were discovered. Two of the major surprises were that Jupiter has rings and that Io has active sulfurous volcanoes, with major effects on the Jovian magnetosphere. When the two probes reached Saturn, they discovered over 1000 ringlets and 7 satellites, including the predicted shepherd satellites that keep the rings stable. The weather was tame compared with Jupiter: massive jet streams with minimal variance (a 33-year great white spot/band cycle is known). Titan's atmosphere was smoggy. Mimas' appearance was startling: one massive impact crater gave it the Death Star appearance. The big surprise here was the stranger aspects of the rings. Braids, kinks, and spokes were both unexpected and difficult to explain. VOYAGER 2, thanks to heroic engineering and programming efforts, continued the mission to Uranus and Neptune. Uranus itself was highly monochromatic in appearance. One oddity was that its magnetic axis was found to be highly skewed from the already completely skewed rotational axis, giving Uranus a peculiar magnetosphere. Icy channels were found on Ariel, and Miranda was a bizarre patchwork of different terrains. 10 satellites and one more ring were discovered. In contrast to Uranus, Neptune was found to have rather active weather, including numerous cloud features. The ring arcs turned out to be bright patches on one ring. Two other rings, and 6 other satellites, were discovered. Neptune's magnetic axis was also skewed. Triton had a canteloupe appearance and geysers. (What's liquid at 38K?) The two VOYAGERs are expected to last for about two more decades. Their on-target journeying gives negative evidence about possible planets beyond Pluto. Their next major scientific discovery should be the location of the heliopause. SOVIET PLANETARY MISSIONS Since there have been so many Soviet probes to the Moon, Venus, and Mars, I will highlight only the primary missions: SOVIET LUNAR PROBES LUNA 1 - Lunar impact attempt in 1959, missed Moon and became first craft in solar orbit. LUNA 2 - First craft to impact on lunar surface in 1959. LUNA 3 - Took first images of lunar farside in 1959. ZOND 3 - Took first images of lunar farside in 1965 since LUNA 3. Was also a test for future Mars missions. LUNA 9 - First probe to soft land on the Moon in 1966, returned images from surface. LUNA 10 - First probe to orbit the Moon in 1966. LUNA 13 - Second successful Soviet lunar soft landing mission in 1966. ZOND 5 - First successful circumlunar craft. ZOND 6 through 8 accomplished similar missions through 1970. The probes were unmanned tests of a manned orbiting SOYUZ-type lunar vehicle. LUNA 16 - First probe to land on Moon and return samples of lunar soil to Earth in 1970. LUNA 20 accomplished similar mission in 1972. LUNA 17 - Delivered the first unmanned lunar rover to the Moon's surface, LUNOKHOD 1, in 1970. A similar feat was accomplished with LUNA 21/LUNOKHOD 2 in 1973. LUNA 24 - Last Soviet lunar mission to date. Returned soil samples in 1976. SOVIET VENUS PROBES VENERA 1 - First acknowledged attempt at Venus mission. Transmissions lost enroute in 1961. VENERA 2 - Attempt to image Venus during flyby mission in tandem with VENERA 3. Probe ceased transmitting just before encounter in February of 1966. No images were returned. VENERA 3 - Attempt to place a lander capsule on Venusian surface. Transmissions ceased just before encounter and entire probe became the first craft to impact on another planet in 1966. VENERA 4 - First probe to successfully return data while descending through Venusian atmosphere. Crushed by air pressure before reaching surface in 1967. VENERA 5 and 6 mission profiles similar in 1969. VENERA 7 - First probe to return data from the surface of another planet in 1970. VENERA 8 accomplished a more detailed mission in 1972. VENERA 9 - Sent first image of Venusian surface in 1975. Was also the first probe to orbit Venus. VENERA 10 accomplished similar mission. VENERA 13 - Returned first color images of Venusian surface in 1982. VENERA 14 accomplished similar mission. VENERA 15 - Accomplished radar mapping with VENERA 16 of sections of planet's surface in 1983 more detailed than PVO. VEGA 1 - Accomplished with VEGA 2 first balloon probes of Venusian atmosphere in 1985, including two landers. Flyby buses went on to become first spacecraft to study Comet Halley close-up in March of 1986. SOVIET MARS PROBES MARS 1 - First acknowledged Mars probe in 1962. Transmissions ceased enroute the following year. ZOND 2 - First possible attempt to place a lander capsule on Martian surface. Probe signals ceased enroute in 1965. MARS 2 - First Soviet Mars probe to land - albeit crash - on Martian surface. Orbiter section first Soviet probe to circle the Red Planet in 1971. MARS 3 - First successful soft landing on Martian surface, but lander signals ceased after 90 seconds in 1971. MARS 4 - Attempt at orbiting Mars in 1974, braking rockets failed to fire, probe went on into solar orbit. MARS 5 - First fully successful Soviet Mars mission, orbiting Mars in 1974. Returned images of Martian surface comparable to U.S. probe MARINER 9. MARS 6 - Landing attempt in 1974. Lander crashed into the surface. MARS 7 - Lander missed Mars completely in 1974, went into a solar orbit with its flyby bus. PHOBOS 1 - First attempt to land probes on surface of Mars' largest moon, Phobos. Probe failed enroute in 1988 due to human/computer error. PHOBOS 2 - Attempt to land probes on Martian moon Phobos. The probe did enter Mars orbit in early 1989, but signals ceased one week before scheduled Phobos landing. While there has been talk of Soviet Jupiter, Saturn, and even interstellar probes within the next thirty years, no major steps have yet been taken with these projects. More intensive studies of the Moon, Mars, Venus, and various comets have been planned for the 1990s, and a Mercury mission to orbit and land probes on the tiny world has been planned for 2003. How the many changes in the former Soviet Union (now the Commonwealth of Independent States) will affect the future of their space program remains to be seen. JAPANESE PLANETARY MISSIONS SAKIGAKE (MS-T5) was launched from the Kagoshima Space Center by ISAS on January 8 1985, and approached Halley's Comet within about 7 million km on March 11, 1986. The spacecraft is carrying three instru- ments to measure interplanetary magnetic field/plasma waves/solar wind, all of which work normally now, so ISAS made an Earth swingby by Sakigake on January 8, 1992 into an orbit similar to the earth's. The closest approach was at 23h08m47s (JST=UTC+9h) on January 8, 1992. The geocentric distance was 88,997 km. This is the first planet-swingby for a Japanese spacecraft. During the approach, Sakigake observed the geotail. Some geotail passages will be scheduled in some years hence. The second Earth-swingby will be on June 14, 1993 (at 40 Re(Earth's radius)), and the third October 28, 1994 (at 86 Re). PLANETARY MISSION REFERENCES I also recommend reading the following works, categorized in three groups: General overviews, specific books on particular space missions, and periodical sources on space probes. This list is by no means complete; it is primarily designed to give you places to start your research through generally available works on the subject. If anyone can add pertinent works to the list, it would be greatly appreciated. Though naturally I recommend all the books listed below, I think it would be best if you started out with the general overview books, in order to give you a clear idea of the history of space exploration in this area. I also recommend that you pick up some good, up-to-date general works on astronomy and the Sol system, to give you some extra background. Most of these books and periodicals can be found in any good public and university library. Some of the more recently published works can also be purchased in and/or ordered through any good mass- market bookstore. General Overviews (in alphabetical order by author): J. Kelly Beatty et al, THE NEW SOLAR SYSTEM, 1990. Merton E. Davies and Bruce C. Murray, THE VIEW FROM SPACE: PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPLORATION OF THE PLANETS, 1971 Kenneth Gatland, THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY, 1990 Kenneth Gatland, ROBOT EXPLORERS, 1972 R. Greeley, PLANETARY LANDSCAPES, 1987 Douglas Hart, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SOVIET SPACECRAFT, 1987 Nicholas L. Johnson, HANDBOOK OF SOVIET LUNAR AND PLANETARY EXPLORATION, 1979 Clayton R. Koppes, JPL AND THE AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAM: A HISTORY OF THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY, 1982 Richard S. Lewis, THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE UNIVERSE, 1983 Mark Littman, PLANETS BEYOND: DISCOVERING THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM, 1988 Eugene F. Mallove and Gregory L. Matloff, THE STARFLIGHT HANDBOOK: A PIONEER'S GUIDE TO INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL, 1989 Frank Miles and Nicholas Booth, RACE TO MARS: THE MARS FLIGHT ATLAS, 1988 Bruce Murray, JOURNEY INTO SPACE, 1989 Oran W. Nicks, FAR TRAVELERS, 1985 (NASA SP-480) James E. Oberg, UNCOVERING SOVIET DISASTERS: EXPLORING THE LIMITS OF GLASNOST, 1988 Carl Sagan, COMET, 1986 Carl Sagan, THE COSMIC CONNECTION, 1973 Carl Sagan, PLANETS, 1969 (LIFE Science Library) Arthur Smith, PLANETARY EXPLORATION: THIRTY YEARS OF UNMANNED SPACE PROBES, 1988 Andrew Wilson, (JANE'S) SOLAR SYSTEM LOG, 1987 Specific Mission References: Charles A. Cross and Patrick Moore, THE ATLAS OF MERCURY, 1977 (The MARINER 10 mission to Venus and Mercury, 1973-1975) Joel Davis, FLYBY: THE INTERPLANETARY ODYSSEY OF VOYAGER 2, 1987 Irl Newlan, FIRST TO VENUS: THE STORY OF MARINER 2, 1963 Margaret Poynter and Arthur L. Lane, VOYAGER: THE STORY OF A SPACE MISSION, 1984 Carl Sagan, MURMURS OF EARTH, 1978 (Deals with the Earth information records placed on VOYAGER 1 and 2 in case the probes are found by intelligences in interstellar space, as well as the probes and planetary mission objectives themselves.) Other works and periodicals: NASA has published very detailed and technical books on every space probe mission it has launched. Good university libraries will carry these books, and they are easily found simply by knowing which mission you wish to read about. I recommend these works after you first study some of the books listed above. Some periodicals I recommend for reading on space probes are NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, which has written articles on the PIONEER probes to Earth's Moon Luna and the Jovian planets Jupiter and Saturn, the RANGER, SURVEYOR, LUNAR ORBITER, and APOLLO missions to Luna, the MARINER missions to Mercury, Venus, and Mars, the VIKING probes to Mars, and the VOYAGER missions to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. More details on American, Soviet, European, and Japanese probe missions can be found in SKY AND TELESCOPE, ASTRONOMY, SCIENCE, NATURE, and SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN magazines. TIME, NEWSWEEK, and various major newspapers can supply not only general information on certain missions, but also show you what else was going on with Earth at the time events were unfolding, if that is of interest to you. Space missions are affected by numerous political, economic, and climatic factors, as you probably know. Depending on just how far your interest in space probes will go, you might also wish to join The Planetary Society, one of the largest space groups in the world dedicated to planetary exploration. Their periodical, THE PLANETARY REPORT, details the latest space probe missions. Write to The Planetary Society, 65 North Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, California 91106 USA. Good luck with your studies in this area of space exploration. I personally find planetary missions to be one of the more exciting areas in this field, and the benefits human society has and will receive from it are incredible, with many yet to be realized. Larry Klaes klaes@verga.enet.dec.com NEXT: FAQ #11/15 - Upcoming planetary probes - missions and schedules ------------------------------ Received: from VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU by isu.isunet.edu (5.64/A/UX-2.01) id AA08022; Wed, 2 Sep 92 19:20:04 EDT Received: from crabapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu by VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU id ag03778; 2 Sep 92 19:09:45 EDT To: bb-sci-space@CRABAPPLE.SRV.CS.CMU.EDU Xref: crabapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu sci.astro:25896 sci.space:47784 news.answers:2803 Path: crabapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu!cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!gatech!concert!borg!mahler!leech From: Jon Leech Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space,news.answers Subject: Space FAQ 07/15 - Astronomical Mnemonics Keywords: Frequently Asked Questions Message-Id: Date: 2 Sep 92 18:57:51 GMT Expires: 9 Oct 92 18:57:49 GMT References: Sender: news@cs.unc.edu Followup-To: poster Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Lines: 89 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Supersedes: Source-Info: Sender is really news@CRABAPPLE.SRV.CS.CMU.EDU Source-Info: Sender is really isu@VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU Archive-name: space/mnemonics Last-modified: $Date: 92/09/02 14:48:19 $ ASTRONOMICAL MNEMONICS (This is the last FAQ section posted to sci.astro) Gathered from various flurries of mnemonic postings on sci.astro. Spectral classification sequence: O B A F G K M R N S Oh Be A Fine Girl Kiss Me Right Now, Sweetheart. (a classic) O'Dell's Big Astronomical Fiasco Gonna Kill Me Right Now Surely Obese Balding Astronomy Found Guilty; Killed Many Reluctant Nonscience Students. Octopus Brains, A Favorite Gastronomical Kitchen Menu, Requires No Sauce Odd Ball Astronomers Find Generally Kooky Mnemonics Really Nifty Stuff Oh Big And Ferocious Gorilla, Kill My Roomate Next Saturday Oh Boy, A Flash! Godzilla Kills Mothra! Really Not Surprising! Oh Boy, An F Grade Kills Me On Bad Afternoons Fermented Grapes Keep Mrs. Richard Nixon Smiling On, Backward Astronomer, Forget Geocentricity; Kepler's Motions Reveal Nature's Simplicity Our Bad Astronomy Faculty Gets Killed Monday Oven Baked Ants, Fried Gently, Kept Moist, Retain Natural Succulence Overseas Broadcast: A Flash! Godzilla kills Mothra! (Rodan Named Successor) Overweight Boys and Fat Girls Keep Munching Only Bored Astronomers Find Gratification Knowing Mnemonics Oh Bloody Astronomy! F Grades Kill Me Order of the planets: Sun Mercury Venus Earth (Terra) Mars (Asteroids) Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto My Very Earnest Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas Mother Very Thoughtfully Made A Jelly Sandwich Under No Protest My Very Erotic Mate Joyfully Satisfies Unusual Needs Passionately Men Very Easily Make Jugs Serve Useful Nocturnal Purposes Man Very Early Made A Jug Serve Useful Noble Purposes My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets My Very Eager Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets My Very Exhausted Mother hAs Just Swept Up a Planetary Nebula Most Voters Earn Money Just Showing Up Near Polls My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizza-pies Many Viscious Elephants Made John, Suzy and Uncle Need Protection Solar Mass Very Easily Makes All Jupiter's Satellites Undergo Numerous Perturbations. Mein Vater erklaert mir jeden Sonntag unseren niedlichen Planeten Colors of the spectrum: Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet ROY G. BIV (pronounce as a man's name) Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain Read Out Your Good Book In Verse Galilean Satellite of Jupiter: Io Europa Ganymede Callisto I Expect God Cries I Eat Green Cheese Ich Erschrecke alle Guten Christen Saturnian Satellites MET DR THIP Miriam's Enchiladas Taste Divine Recently. Tell Her I'm Proud. (Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, Hyperion, Iapetus, Phoebe) Uranian Satellites: MAUTO Mispronunciations Afflict Uranus Too Often My Angel Uriel Takes Opium (Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, Oberon) NOTE: the remaining FAQ sections do not appear in sci.astro, as they cover material of relevance only to sci.space. NEXT: FAQ #8/15 - Contacting NASA, ESA, and other space agencies/companies ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 15 : Issue 161 ------------------------------