Date: Sun, 21 Feb 93 05:13:06 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V16 #206 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Sun, 21 Feb 93 Volume 16 : Issue 206 Today's Topics: Galileo Update - 02/18/93 Human distance record NASA budget boosts technology, promises improved Space Station program [Release 93-32] (Forwarded) Netiquette and sci.space Nobody cares about Fred? (3 msgs) PEGASUS QUESTION Please edit the Newsgroups line! sci.space Spy Sats (Was: Are Landsat Satellites receivable?) Titan or Bust! (Saturn Moon)... Virtual Reality research at NASA (2 msgs) Wouldn't an earth to moon shuttle be better than fred? 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: 19 Feb 1993 16:57 UT From: Ron Baalke Subject: Galileo Update - 02/18/93 Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro,alt.sci.planetary Forwarded from Neal Ausman, Galileo Mission Director GALILEO MISSION DIRECTOR STATUS REPORT POST-LAUNCH February 12 - 18, 1993 SPACECRAFT 1. On February 15, a NO-OP command was sent to reset the command loss timer to 240 hours, its planned value during this mission phase. 2. On February 16, the Low Gain Antenna (LGA-2) deploy/retract mini-sequence was uplinked to the spacecraft without incident. This mini-sequence includes LGA-2 deploy/retract activities on February 17, 1993 and wobble identification activities on February 25-26, 1993. Additionally, Delayed Action Commands (DACs) were sent to disable portions of the internal attitude control subsystem fault protection prior to the deploy/retract activities and to re-enable FM 31 after the activities had completed. 3. On February 17, the LGA-2 was deployed/retracted three times beginning at 1633 UTC and completing at 1723 UTC. Real-time commands were then sent to reacquire celestial reference at the completion of the star scanner checkout. 4. On February 18, a permanent software patch was uplinked to the spacecraft to fix the AACS (Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem) 12.0 flight software design problem involving the improper setting of a crucial variable needed to control the position of the scan platform. The patch was uplinked nominally. This design problem was encountered during the AACS 12.0 inflight load and reported initially in the Mission Director's Report January 22-28, 1993. 5. The AC/DC bus imbalance measurements have not exhibited significant change (greater than 25 DN) throughout this period. The AC measurement reads 20DN (4.5 volts). The DC measurement reads 139DN (16.3 volts). These measurements are consistent with the model developed by the AC/DC special anomaly team. 6. The Spacecraft status as of February 18, 1993, is as follows: a) System Power Margin - 71 watts b) Spin Configuration - Dual-Spin c) Spin Rate/Sensor - 3.15rpm/Star Scanner d) Spacecraft Attitude is approximately 11 degrees off-sun (leading) and 7 degrees off-earth (leading) e) Downlink telemetry rate/antenna- 1200bps(coded)/LGA-1 f) General Thermal Control - all temperatures within acceptable range g) RPM Tank Pressures - all within acceptable range h) Orbiter Science- Instruments powered on are the PWS, EUV, UVS, EPD, MAG, HIC, and DDS i) Probe/RRH - powered off, temperatures within acceptable range j) CMD Loss Timer Setting - 240 hours Time To Initiation - 233 hours UPLINK GENERATION/COMMAND REVIEW AND APPROVAL: 1. The LGA-2 deploy/retract mini-sequence memory load was approved for transmission by the Project on February 16, 1993. This sequence includes Low Gain Antenna (LGA-2) deploy/retract activities on February 17, 1993, and wobble identification activities on February 25-26, 1993. 2. The EJ-1 (Earth-Jupiter #1) Final Profile Design was approved by the Project on February 17, 1993. This sequence covers spacecraft activities from April 12, 1993 to June 14, 1993. TRAJECTORY As of noon Thursday, February 18, 1993, the Galileo Spacecraft trajectory status was as follows: Distance from Earth 54,954,200 km (0.37 AU) Distance from Sun 201,645,400 km (1.35 AU) Heliocentric Speed 115,700 km per hour Distance from Jupiter 656,560,300 km Round Trip Light Time 6 minutes, 8 seconds SPECIAL TOPIC 1. As of February 18, 1993, a total of 65048 real-time commands have been transmitted to Galileo since Launch. Of these, 59958 were initiated in the sequence design process and 5090 initiated in the real-time command process. In the past week, 21 real time commands were transmitted: 6 were initiated in the sequence design process and 15 initiated in the real time command process. Major command activities included commands to reset the command loss timer, uplink the LGA-2 deploy/retract mini-sequence load, disable/enable FM 31, reacquire celestial reference, and uplink the AACS 12.0 flight software patch. ___ _____ ___ /_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| Ron Baalke | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov | | | | __ \ /| | | | Jet Propulsion Lab | ___| | | | |__) |/ | | |__ M/S 525-3684 Telos | If you don't stand for /___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | something, you'll fall |_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ | for anything. ------------------------------ Date: 19 Feb 93 00:47:11 GMT From: Paul Carter Subject: Human distance record Newsgroups: sci.space Who holds the current record for being the furtherest away from Earth (in terms of distance, not woolly headed-ness ! ) ? Undoubtably, it's the crew of one of the Apollo missions, but which one ? And when is it likely to be broken ? -- P A U L P A U L P A U L P A U L P A U L C A R T E R C A R T E R C A R T E R C A R T E R C A R T E R 3d signature 3d signature 3d signature 3d signature 3d signature Focus lines: | | ------------------------------ Date: 19 Feb 1993 17:47:05 GMT From: Jon Leech Subject: NASA budget boosts technology, promises improved Space Station program [Release 93-32] (Forwarded) Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Feb18.233707.2746@news.arc.nasa.gov>, yee@atlas.arc.nasa.gov (Peter Yee) writes: |> NASA's new technology investment package will provide |> significant funding aimed at new projects that could lower the cost of |> space research, achieve demonstrable results sooner and are more |> directly beneficial to the economy. The new plan allows room in NASA's |> budget for future enhancements to ongoing agency efforts in |> aeronautics, human and robotic space flight and the transfer of |> technology to new and existing industries. Does this press release have an English translation saying what's getting axed and what added (besides Fred)? Jon (leech@cs.unc.edu) __@/ ------------------------------ Date: 19 Feb 93 11:42:13 GMT From: Del Cotter Subject: Netiquette and sci.space Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Feb17.132212.5708@mfltd.co.uk> nmp@mfltd.co.uk writes: >I thought this newsgroup was about science or space. Apparently its >about netiquette. *All* newsgroups are about netiquette. The more people get it right, the more profitably and enjoyably we can get on with talking about science and space. While we are on the subject, two things you should do: 1) Use an appropiate subject line; 'sci.space' is unspecific and wastes the time of a lot of people who did not want to read about netiquette (because they already know it). 2) When following up someone else's posts, try not to start a brand new thread (eg. if using 'trn', hit 'F' not 'f') -- ',' ' ',',' | | ',' ' ',',' ', ,',' | Del Cotter mt90dac@brunel.ac.uk | ', ,',' ',' | | ',' ------------------------------ Date: 18 Feb 1993 18:36 CST From: wingo%cspara.decnet@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov Subject: Nobody cares about Fred? Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Feb18.155736.1657@iti.org>, aws@iti.org (Allen W. Sherzer) writes... >In article <1993Feb18.093703.28426@ke4zv.uucp> gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman) writes: > >>>You will recall that it was the tortise that won the race. > >>Yeah, but I also recall that it was a fairy tale. Apollo beat >>the Soviets to the Moon as the hare playing catch up. > >The Moon...? Oh yes, that's that place we sent a few people to 20 >years ago. Meanwhile the tortise is learning far more than we know >about living and working in space. The Hare thinks refueling monopropellent >is too dangerous; the tortise does it all the time. The Hare minimized the >EVA done because its too dangerous; substitute lack of funding for dangerous and you will be far closer to the mark Allen. What has happened to you? You used to be at least factual in some of your refutations. Now it seems to win a point you must gerrymander the "facts" to fit your politics. the tortise now does it as a matter >of routine. The Hare has no plans for industrial material production >in space; the tortise has been doing it experimentally for a few years >now. The US has been as well there Allen, it is a known fact that for all the years that the Russians have been up there the have produced painfull little for their efforts. Why do you ask? Because MIR is severely underpowered, severely constrained by its inablility to reject heat from the station. And this is what you want to replace SSF with? The Tortise has had a working space station for several years; the >Hare has invested billions and years of time on bits of paper. > No the Russians have spent a lot of time in orbit. Whether their station works or not is doubtful for the reasons stated above. There is a great deal of difference in just being up there to fly the flag and going up there to do real work and real research. The Russians acknowledge that we are ahead of them in orbital materials processing and in medical knowledge when you talk with them at conferences. How many professional conferences do you attend a year Allen? This is with much less time spent in orbit but with much greater productivity per time spent up there. Losing SSF and gaining a Mir will do nothing for the things that you profess to support. >It may be a fairy tale but it looks to me like it is the Hare >playing catch up. > You often of late have engaged in fairy tales Allen. You belittled materials processing in space of late but now use it as a justification. You talk about large structures in space and your desire to see us build them. Well with a Mir type station well wil get nothing more than another spam in a can station that will be a loser for us all. >>There's no denying that. However that's been politically >>impossible here. > >Then quit defending the status quo and change the politics. > > Allen > Hey Allen we have been changing the politics. How about you.? We have been lowering the cost of spaceflight by bidding and winning contracts that perform at a lower cost than others. We have been doing our part. How about you? I have challenged you time and time again to put up or shut up on your ideas. Come on form a company now and put up your ideas for a new station. Your ideas are so obiviously superior to NASA's that you are bound to win. Dennis, University of Alabama in Huntsville ------------------------------ Date: 18 Feb 1993 19:00 CST From: wingo%cspara.decnet@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov Subject: Nobody cares about Fred? Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Feb18.184932.2353@iti.org>, aws@iti.org (Allen W. Sherzer) writes... >In article <17FEB199311273430@judy.uh.edu> wingo%cspara.decnet@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov writes: > >>Where do you get your information Allen that the original truss could not be >>built in orbit? > >In 1989 after Congress mandated the redesign it became common knowledge. If >you want a more recent source, a SSF engineer recently posted in sci.space >that the truss wouldn't work. You recall he said he still can remember >the day their chief enginner was told it wouldn't work. > I have never seen any post from an SSF engineer on the truss in the year that I have been reading sci.space. As for the "common knowledge" I want to see a source. send it to me on personal mail if you have to. In my opinion, if the problem that you say is there was there, then there would have been people screaming from the rooftops about it. Something stinks in that little "confidential reporting" >In addition, I and others where leaked some internal NASA documents >showing that not only the truss but other parts as well coldn't be >built. well why don't you send the documents to the Washington post to bolster your position. I am sure that since you are so well in the know about this that you can work to kill SSF and push your own ideas by this move. To do otherwise is criminal and is at odds with what you profess to be advocating. > >>You seem to spend a lot of time pushing the "fact" with not >>engineering basis for it. > >As I said in the past, some of this comes from engineers who want to >see an effective space station built but are distressed at NASA's >attitude. Since these people are placing their jobs in jepordy by >talking to me, I won't reveal names. Allen on a daily basis I see more NASA engineers from more projects than you do. I can guarantee you that. I work around engineers from package 1 and I spend several hours a week at Boeing right now, including spending time with SSF engineers. I think that if what you say is true, I would have heard something about it. The problems that I hear about more than any are related to integration BUT they are being solved. > >Are you saying I am lying about this? > I am saying that you are being one heck of a lot less than truthful about what you are saying. If what you are saying is true then don't you think that others would take this "inside information" that you have and release it to the press? Why is it that it is official NASA that comes out with all of the problems? Why is it that NASA started scheduling more EVA after a mission that you so derided? NASA has one problem that I see every day and that is too much reliance on simulation. This is a heritage of our engineering schools that train too many engineers to be mathmaticians and not enough of them bending metal. And heck yes I am working to correct this by having over 100 students working on our SEDSAT 1 project over the last four years and having volunteers from industry that do too many paper studies help us and are glad for the experience. >>I seem to remember a shuttle mission where a 90 >>foot section of the truss was built. > >I remember a mission a LONG time ago where a small section of truss >was assembled. It wasn't 90 feet long and didn't include all the >connections for power, cooling, data, and whatever. > Fraid you dont remember the mission too well. On top of that it is not the utilities that you are railing about Allen it is the truss, which was assembled with very little problems. Come on now be consistent with what you are arguing against. >The bottom line remains that it now looks like a problem area which >NASA should have dealt with a decade ago. > I seem to remember that they dealt with it at the time pretty well. I agree that the lack of a lot of EVA hurt but that is being rectified now so what is your problem? >>There seems to be a lot of talk about the Truss with little understanding >>about what I buys. > >I know very well what it buys. The question (like for the rest of Fred) is >if what we are buying is 1) worth the cost and 2) being bought for the >lowest price. The answer for Fred seems to be 'no' to both questions. > >This doesn't mean we don't need a station, it simply means that fred >isn't it. > > Allen What you you know about worth Allen? You were advocating a few messages ago the building of large structures in space and deriding materials science. You hate the truss that you don't know anything about as this post from you shows and you are advocating an approach to procurement that simply does not work as long as the General Services Administration has rule over the procuremtn process. Heck yes SSF can be built cheaper. Get NASA some independace from the bureaucrats and let them procure like a private business. Why don't you start advocating things that will help like this instead of anti-Nasa diatribes that serve no good. I still challenge you to start that business because if you do what you are so sure you are right about we will have the planet's best, cheapest and most productive space program. This is not a taunt it is an iniviation to just do it. Dennis, University of Alabama in Huntsville ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1993 17:36:36 GMT From: fred j mccall 575-3539 Subject: Nobody cares about Fred? Newsgroups: sci.space In <17FEB199317115522@judy.uh.edu> wingo%cspara.decnet@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov writes: >Allen I seriously question that you have ever worked on an R & D project. I don't necessarily agree with a lot of what Allen says, but this sort of thing is just a bit unnecessary. Also a bit incorrect. [Now perhaps you'd like to explain to me why you earlier capitalized Engineer. Is Engineer to engineer as God is to god?] >>>So tell me, Mr. Sherzer, what is the REAL reason why you don't like NASA? >> >>Parts of NASA I like a lot. When I was in aerospace I read a lot of the >>NASA aeronautical work. It was all first rate stuff and we are far better >>for it. Manned space (which I think is very important) doesn't spend my >>money very wisely. Examples abound; asside from Shuttle and Fred we >>can look at: >> >Interesting that you are not in aerospace now. If you care so much about >lowering the cost of spaceflight why don't you go back and show them how it >is done? I don't suppose it might be that he feels he can accomplish more doing what he is doing, Dennis? >>1. The wake shield facility. NASA cost models say it should cost $93 million >>to build. A private company is building the exact same thing for $11 million. >> >Ever hear of the General Services Administration Allen? It controls ALL >government procurment. If there is a hell on earth it is having to deal >with GSA. The delays, the paperwork, the rules laid down by congress on >procurement are abysmal. Much contracting is done today simply to get >beyond the labrinth and get the job done faster cheaper and better. Why >don't you, (as the Administrator has), begin a call for procurement refore >and a splitting away of NASA from GSA. This would do much to help NASA hold >down costs and insure accountability, and bring valuable projects back within >the walls of NASA where they belong. Uh, Dennis? Mr. Sherzer knows all this. It would be hard for him not to, since he used to work here. Why do you presume total ignorance on the part of anyone who disagrees with you? Admittedly Allen does some of the same thing, but he tends more to question competence and motives (which I also disagree with) than he does simply assume people are uninformed. Note that GD testified before Congress that elimination of FARS only dropped prices to about half what the government is currently being charged. If Allen's numbers are correct, there is extra cost in there somewhere that looks to amount to at least another 3x over and above FARS >> >>>Were you denied a job there? >> >>Never applied to NASA. I was offered a space station job (at a 15% >>increase in pay) but turned it down. No, I'm not upset because I >>didn't get a job. >> >Why did you not take it? Heck we could already had SSF in orbit and gone >to Pluto now in the DC clipper with you there. Perhaps he didn't take it because he prefers not to work on things he doesn't believe are the right thing to be doing? >As I have challenged you before and will again. Start a company, start >bidding on NASA contracts, and with your vision, ideas, and cost cutting >philosphy you will outdo Rockwell and Lockheed in five years. NASA must >go for the low bidder by law. Like the commercial says Just Do IT! Except for the loopholes that are often used to allow procurement 'in house' instead of commercially. -- "Insisting on perfect safety is for people who don't have the balls to live in the real world." -- Mary Shafer, NASA Ames Dryden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fred.McCall@dseg.ti.com - I don't speak for others and they don't speak for me. ------------------------------ Date: 19 Feb 93 17:13:59 GMT From: Bob McGwier Subject: PEGASUS QUESTION Newsgroups: sci.space Henry says: >I do get a definite impression that one reason OSC opted for air launch >was to avoid the bureaucracy involved in building launch facilities at >a place like the Cape or Vandenberg. Bob says: I know quite a few of the people at OSC and this was one of their considerations. Another more important one is dynamical considerations. It is MUCH easier to maintain the stability of a vehicle that is already moving and is effectively gliding that it is to stabilize a rocket in vertical takeoff from a standing start. This is intuitively obvious to me at any rate. Bob -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Robert W. McGwier | Bob's interests include amateur radio, Institute for Defense Analyses | astronomy, and golf (10 handicap fanatic) Center for Communications Research | Asst. Scoutmaster BSA Troop 5700 Princeton, N.J. 08520 | n4hy@ccr-p.ida.org (internet) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: 19 Feb 93 11:29:55 GMT From: Del Cotter Subject: Please edit the Newsgroups line! Newsgroups: sci.space In article dannyb@panix.com (Daniel Burstein) writes: >I'd just like to point out that this was a major feature in a story by >(the late) Isaac Asimov titled "the Martian Way." Basically, a group of >humans stationed on Mars, worried that Earth will cut off their water >supply, fly out to the asteroid belt, find a half-kilometer or so >ice-based asteroid, insert a few rocket engines, and fly it back. *Please* edit 'sci.materials' out of the Newsgroups line! I *did* ask. It should be obvious that this subthread is of no interest to materials folk. -- ',' ' ',',' | | ',' ' ',',' ', ,',' | Del Cotter mt90dac@brunel.ac.uk | ', ,',' ',' | | ',' ------------------------------ Date: 18 Feb 93 11:33:09 CST From: vaxsdp@buvax1.baylor.edu Subject: sci.space Newsgroups: sci.space Henry Spencer writes: "... If you don't like it and want it to go away, the right thing to do -- apart from possibly adding suitable items to your kill file, if your newsreader supports one -- is to grit your teeth and IGNORE IT. It will die quickly if everyone just shuts up about it. ..." I agree. However, IMHO, in real life it doesn't work that way. Take for example, the posts generated by McElwaine (I still don't know his real title: B.S. Physicist, B. S. Astrominist, 1st ???). I try to ignore him, but he continues to post that stuff. Let's forget about this anonymous posting stuff and get back to the real reason this newsgroup was created; discussions about SPACE, the final frontier :-). These opinions are mine and mine alone and nobody tells me what to do, except my boss. Eric Sappenfield vaxsdp@baylor.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1993 16:40:25 GMT From: Martin Connors Subject: Spy Sats (Was: Are Landsat Satellites receivable?) Newsgroups: sci.space In article henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes: > In article <1993Feb16.185353.5779@kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca> martin@space.ualberta.ca (Martin Connors) writes: > >Can anyone confidently tell me what is the best resolution > >spy satellites can attain in practice in imaging the surface of the Earth > >(near sea level) and in what wavelength bands? > > We could tell you, but then we'd have to kill you. :-) > > Nobody who knows is going to be able to talk about it in public. The > very *name* of the National Reconnaissance Office was classified until > quite recently, never mind technical details on the hardware they use. > > The diffraction limit will make it impossible to do better than a few > centimeters with visible-light optics that fit in current launcher > payload shrouds. OK I will confess why I posted this. I saw Patriot Games (video) the other days and found the portrayal of CIA operations using satellites unrealistic to say the least. On the other hand that got me wondering what the current limits are. Surely the diffration limit is by no means the worst of the problems in imaging through the atmosphere. I heard through the grapevine that there was an instance of imaging individual tiles on the Space Shuttle, which is likely possible from a mountain site with guide star techniques to correct atmospheric effects. But what would be routinely visible to a spy sat looking down? -- Martin Connors | Space Research | martin@space.ualberta.ca (403) 492-2526 University of Alberta | ------------------------------ Date: 19 Feb 1993 17:33:14 GMT From: "Kevin W. Plaxco" Subject: Titan or Bust! (Saturn Moon)... Newsgroups: sci.space nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu writes: >Is there a planned mission to Titan in the near future?? > Define "near future". Due to what I consider exceptional shortsightedness on the part of NASA, congress, or both, we do not have anything like reasonable propulsive technology. Cassini, if launched as schedualed, will cruise for most of *SEVEN* years before reaching it's objective. Don't hold your breath waiting for photos of the methane swamps of Titan. And thank god I chose biochemistry over planetary sciences, I couldn't bare the thought of pinning my entire career on a single spacecraft that has (I can't emphasize this enough) *SEVEN* years in which to breakdown before I see any data. ------------------------------ Date: 19 Feb 93 14:29:43 GMT From: Elizabeth Buie Subject: Virtual Reality research at NASA Newsgroups: sci.space atae@prawn.ph.ic (Ata Etemadi) writes: >I have heard that at NASA there is ongoing research into VR. Anyone have >any more information about what NASA or ESA are doing in this area ? At NASA's Ames Research Center they are doing a number of projects on VR. One in particular that I know of is the Virtual Wind Tunnel. You can contact Steve Bryson or Sam Uselton of Computer Sciences Corporation (bryson@nas.nasa.gov or uselton@nas.nasa.gov) or Steve Ellis of NASA (Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035) for more information. -- Elizabeth Buie ebuie@starlab.csc.com Computer Sciences Corporation ebuie@sed.csc.com 1100 West St. Laurel, MD 20707 tel: +1 (301) 497-2524 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1993 17:26:25 GMT From: "Adam R. Brody " Subject: Virtual Reality research at NASA Newsgroups: sci.space ebuie@anagld.analytics.com (Elizabeth Buie) writes: >atae@prawn.ph.ic (Ata Etemadi) writes: >>I have heard that at NASA there is ongoing research into VR. Anyone have >>any more information about what NASA or ESA are doing in this area ? >At NASA's Ames Research Center they are doing a number of projects >on VR. One in particular that I know of is the Virtual Wind Tunnel. >You can contact Steve Bryson or Sam Uselton of Computer Sciences >Corporation (bryson@nas.nasa.gov or uselton@nas.nasa.gov) or Steve >Ellis of NASA (Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035) for >more information. >-- >Elizabeth Buie ebuie@starlab.csc.com >Computer Sciences Corporation ebuie@sed.csc.com >1100 West St. Laurel, MD 20707 tel: +1 (301) 497-2524 I was working here for a few years in VR. I was using the Virtual Interactive Environment Workstation (VIEW) to test the ability of using a hand-held thruster for EVA self-rescue. I was an end-user rather than a developer of VR. There is also some work on robot control, virtual audio environments, and force feedback. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1993 04:23:35 GMT From: Jeff Greason ~ Subject: Wouldn't an earth to moon shuttle be better than fred? Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1993Feb18.185058.3991@bmerh85.bnr.ca> rivan@bnr.ca writes: >In article <1993Feb17.143613.3003@bmerh85.bnr.ca>, rivan@bnr.ca (Robert Ivan) writes: >|> I've been thinking about this space station buissness lately and although >|> i am a fan, i wonder if its a waste of time. Sure eventually a Space station >|> would be nice but is it needed now ? >|> >|> It seems to me that having a earth to moon shuttle would be a far more >|> suitable use of resources. Something that could take a few people and cargo ... >|> >| Somebody's going to argue that this requires tons of support equipment. >|Well forget about a moon base at this point. Just build the dam truck. If at >|a later point a moon base is required it will come. And then if there is the >|> traffic then maybe an earth space station. >|> Careful. This argument is essentially what got us the current Shuttle design. Originally Shuttle was part of "shuttle/station", part of a system, in which it would be designed for a specific task, and do it well. When it became clear Congress wouldn't fund both, Shuttle became the "program in search of a mission", which produced the engineering nightmare we have today, whose only real merit is that it exists (of course, mechanical relay computers also exist, but nobody would argue that they are desirable once you have transistors ...:-) Speaking as an engineer, it is very, very difficult to produce a satisfactory product is you haven't got a clear purpose for it! If you have a very vague idea about what it is for, you try and do enough things that you'll hit it, and it is difficult to do them all well. Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are my own, and do not reflect the position of Intel, Portland State University, or Zippy the Pinhead. ============================================================================ Jeff Greason "You lock the door ... And throw away the key. There's someone in my head, but it's not me." -- Pink Floyd ------------------------------ Received: from VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU by isu.isunet.edu (5.64/A/UX-2.01) id AA18988; Sat, 20 Feb 93 10:48:39 EST Received: from crabapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu by VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU id aa09003; 20 Feb 93 10:45:47 EST To: bb-sci-space@CRABAPPLE.SRV.CS.CMU.EDU Path: crabapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu!cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!wupost!uwm.edu!spool.mu.edu!yale.edu!ira.uka.de!gmd.de!dearn!esoc!hschneid Organisation: European Space Operation Centre (E.S.O.C) Date: Friday, 19 Feb 1993 08:49:55 CET From: Hermann Schneider Message-Id: <93050.084955HSCHNEID@ESOC.BITNET> Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: ESA press release 5.93 Lines: 50 Sender: news@CRABAPPLE.SRV.CS.CMU.EDU Source-Info: Sender is really isu@VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU Press Release Nr.05.93 Paris, 17 February 1993 HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING MISSION JOINT ESA/BAE UK TECHNICAL PRESS BRIEFING Wednesday 10 March 1993 On Wednesday 10 March 1993 astronauts from ESA and NASA will be at British Aerospace Space Systems Limited, Filton, Bristol, UK, training on the replacement set of solar arrays which they are scheduled to fit to the Hubble Space Telescope at year end. You are invited to attend a technical briefing on that day, which will be given by senior representatives of the European Space Agency and British Aerospace. The briefing will include details of the design modifications and status of the solar arrays, together with a brief overview of the scientific results already achieved by the teams of astronomers using the telescope. There will be an opportunity for interviews with the mission specialists in the crew of NASA's Space Shuttle flight STS-61, who will be carrying out the servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope in a series of "Extra-Vehicular Activities - EVA' (space-walks). Five astronauts are expected : Story Musgrave, Colonel Tom Akers, Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Kathryn C. Thornton from NASA and Claude Nicollier from ESA. There will also be a chance to view the solar arrays in the British Aerospace clean room area where the astronauts are working on their familiarisation programme. The briefing will take place on Wednesday 10 March 1993 at British Aerospace Space Systems, Filton, Bristol, UK (on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol). The event will begin at 10h30 a.m. and end with a buffet lunch running from approximately 01h30 p.m. to 02h30 p.m. In order to assists with arrangements for travel to and from bristol, British Aerospace proposes to run a free coach from and to London Victoria Coach Station - if there proves to be sufficient press interest. This coach would depart from London at approximately 07h50 a.m. and arrive back at around 05h30 p.m. Further details will be available on request when numbers are known. In order to gain access to the site and the briefing it is essential that all attendees are expected and their names are provided in advance. Please let us know by returning the attached fax form as soon as possible and by Friday 26 February at the latest if you or a colleague will be attending this briefing. ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 206 ------------------------------