Date: Tue, 27 Apr 93 05:00:03 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V16 #491 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Tue, 27 Apr 93 Volume 16 : Issue 491 Today's Topics: Billboards in space Conference on Manned Lunar Exploration. May 7 Crystal City Drag free satellites Gamma Ray Bursters. WHere are they. Gamma Ray Bursters. Where are they? (2 msgs) HST Servicing Mission Kupier Object: Smiley Level 5? Moonbase race (3 msgs) Remote Sensing Data Solid state vs. tube/analog Space Advertising (2 of 2) Space Station Redesign, JSC Alternative #4 Vandalizing the sky. (3 msgs) What counntries do space surveillance? 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: Mon, 26 Apr 93 19:56:57 EDT From: Tom <18084TM@msu.edu> Subject: Billboards in space From: "Phil G. Fraering" >> Finally: this isn't the Bronze Age, [..] >> please try to remember that there are more human activities than >> those practiced by the Warrior Caste, the Farming Caste, and the >> Priesthood. F Baube responds; Right, the Profiting Caste is blessed by God, and may freely blare its presence in the evening twilight .. Steinn Sez; >The Priesthood has never quite forgiven >the merchants (aka Profiting Caste [sic]) >for their rise to power, has it? If we are looking for evidence of belessed-by-God-ness, I'd say the ability to blare lights all over the evening sky is about the best evidence you could ever hope to get. No wonder the preistly classes are upset :-) -Tommy Mac ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom McWilliams 517-355-2178 wk \\ As the radius of vision increases, 18084tm@ibm.cl.msu.edu 336-9591 hm \\ the circumference of mystery grows. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 03:18:01 -0500 From: Mark Prado Subject: Conference on Manned Lunar Exploration. May 7 Crystal City Newsgroups: sci.space Reply address: mark.prado@permanet.org > From: higgins@fnalf.fnal.gov (Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey) > > In article <1993Apr19.230236.18227@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>, > daviss@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov (S.F. Davis) writes: > > |> AW&ST had a brief blurb on a Manned Lunar Exploration > confernce> |> May 7th at Crystal City Virginia, under the > auspices of AIAA. > > Thanks for typing that in, Steven. > > I hope you decide to go, Pat. The Net can use some eyes > and ears there... I plan to go. It's about 30 minutes away from my home. I can report on some of it (from my perspective ...) Anyone else on sci.space going to be there? If so, send me netmail. Maybe we can plan to cross paths briefly... I'll maintain a list of who's going. mark.prado@permanet.org * Origin: Just send it to bill.clinton@permanet.org (1:109/349.2) ------------------------------ Date: 26 Apr 1993 07:49:04 -0500 From: "Hoffman, Eric J." Subject: Drag free satellites Newsgroups: sci.space In article <1raee7$b8s@access.digex.net> prb@access.digex.com (Pat) writes: >In article <23APR199317325771@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov> baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) writes: >> In answer >>to a question from Hawking, Chahine described a proposed >>drag-free satellite, but confirmed that at this point, "it's only >>a concept." > >SO what's a drag free satellite? coated with WD-40? TRIAD, the first drag-free satellite, was designed and built by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and launched 2 Sept 1972. The satellite was in three sections separated by two booms. The central section housed the DISCOS Disturbance Compensation System, which consisted of a proof mass of special non-magnetic alloy housed within a spherical cavity. The proof mass flew a true gravitational orbit, free from drag and radiation pressure. Teflon microthrusters kept the body of the satellite centered around the proof mass, thereby flying the entire satellite drag free. TRIAD was one of the APL-designed Navy Navigation Satellites. The 2nd-generation operational navigation satellites flying today (NOVA) use a single-axis version of DISCOS. TRIAD was also the sixth APL satellite to be powered by an RTG (APL flew the first nuclear power supply in space, in 1961). Further info on TRIAD, DISCOS, etc. can be found in "Spacecraft Design Innovations in the APL Space Department," Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Vol. 13, No. 1 (1992). --Eric Hoffman ------------------------------ Date: 26 Apr 1993 15:37:32 GMT From: John F Carr Subject: Gamma Ray Bursters. WHere are they. Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro If gamma ray bursters are extragalactic, would absorption from the galaxy be expected? How transparent is the galactic core to gamma rays? How much energy does a burster put out? I know energy depends on distance, which is unknown. An answer of the form _X_ ergs per megaparsec^2 is OK. -- John Carr (jfc@athena.mit.edu) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 09:38:28 EDT From: Graydon Subject: Gamma Ray Bursters. Where are they? Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro If all of these things have been detected in space, has anyone looked into possible problems with the detectors? That is, is there some mechanism (cosmic rays, whatever) that could cause the dector to _think_ it was seeing one of these things? Graydon ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 14:11:14 GMT From: it's enrico palazzo! Subject: Gamma Ray Bursters. Where are they? Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro > = From: Graydon > If all of these things have been detected in space, has anyone > looked into possible problems with the detectors? > That is, is there some mechanism (cosmic rays, whatever) that > could cause the dector to _think_ it was seeing one of these > things? > Graydon That would not explain why widely separated detectors, such as on Ulysses and PVO and Ginga et al., would see a burst at the same time(*). In fact, be- fore BATSE, having this widely separated "Interplanetary Network" was the only sure way to locate a random burst. With only one detector, one cannot locate a burst (except to say "It's somewhere in the field of view."). With two detectors, one can use the time that the burst is seen in each detector to narrow the location to a thin annulus on the sky. With three detectors, one gets intersecting annuli, giving two possible locations. If one of these locations is impossible (because, say, the Earth blocked that part of the sky), voila, you have an error box. BATSE, by having 8 detectors of its own, can do its own location determination, but only to within about 3 degrees (would someone at GSFC, like David, like to comment on the current state of location determination?). Having inde- pendent sightings by other detectors helps drive down the uncertainty. You did touch on something that you didn't mean to, though. Some believe (in a reference that I have somewhere) that absorption-like features seen in a fraction of GRBs can actually be caused by the detector. It would be a mean, nasty God, though, that would have a NaI crystal act like a 10^12 Gauss neutron star...but this is getting too far afield. Peter peterf@oddjob.uchicago.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 16:03:41 GMT From: zellner@stsci.edu Subject: HST Servicing Mission Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle,sci.astro In article <1rd1g0$ckb@access.digex.net>, prb@access.digex.com (Pat) writes: > > > SOmebody mentioned a re-boost of HST during this mission, meaning > that Weight is a very tight margin on this mission. > I haven't heard any hint of a re-boost, or that any is needed. > > why not grapple, do all said fixes, bolt a small liquid fueled > thruster module to HST, then let it make the re-boost. it has to be > cheaper on mass then usingthe shuttle as a tug. Nasty, dirty combustion products! People have gone to monumental efforts to keep HST clean. We certainly aren't going to bolt any thrusters to it. Ben ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 93 19:49:23 EDT From: Tom <18084TM@msu.edu> Subject: Kupier Object: Smiley James Nicholl sez; >> If the new Kuiper belt object *is* called 'Karla', the next >>one should be called 'Smiley'. Jeff responds; >Unless I'm imaging things, (always a possibility =) 1992 QB1, the Kuiper Belt >object discovered last year, is known as Smiley. >-- >Jeff Foust [49 days!] "You're from outer space." >Senior, Planetary Science, Caltech "No, I'm from Iowa. I only work in >jafoust@cco.caltech.edu outer space." >jeff@scn1.jpl.nasa.gov -- from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home I wouldn't worry too much about it, Jeff. If you work for JPL, then your job IS imaging things :-) (I know, it was a just a typo, but I couldn't resist. At least, I hope it was a typo, or my stupid joke is stupider than I intended :-) -Tommy Mac ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom McWilliams 517-355-2178 wk \\ As the radius of vision increases, 18084tm@ibm.cl.msu.edu 336-9591 hm \\ the circumference of mystery grows. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 93 10:07:31 CDT From: Bret Wingert Subject: Level 5? Newsgroups: sci.space In <1993Apr23.124759.1@fnalf.fnal.gov> Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey writes: >In article <19930422.121236.246@almaden.ibm.com>, Wingert@vnet.IBM.COM (Bret Wingert) writes: >> 3. The Onboard Flight Software project was rated "Level 5" by a NASA team. >> This group generates 20-40 KSLOCs of verified code per year for NASA. > >Will someone tell an ignorant physicist where the term "Level 5" comes >from? It sounds like the RISKS Digest equivalent of Large, Extra >Large, Jumbo... Or maybe it's like "Defcon 5..." > >I gather it means that Shuttle software was developed with extreme >care to have reliablility and safety, and almost everything else in >the computing world is Level 1, or cheesy dime-store software. Not >surprising. But who is it that invents this standard, and how come >everyone but me seems to be familiar with it? Level 5 refers to the Carnegie-Mellon Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model. This model rates software development org's from1-5. with 1 being Chaotic and 5 being Optimizing. DoD is beginning to use this rating system as a discriminator in contracts. I have more data on thifrom 1 page to 1000. I have a 20-30 page presentation that summarizes it wethat I could FAX to you if you're interested... Bret Wingert Wingert@VNET.IBM.COM (713)-282-7534 FAX: (713)-282-8077 ------------------------------ Date: 25 Apr 93 13:45:00 GMT From: Jim Mcnelly Subject: Moonbase race Newsgroups: sci.space To: Newsgroups: sci.space From: jim.mcnelly@hal9k.com (Jim McNelly) Message-ID: Organization: The McNelly Group, Composting Consultants @mojo.eng.umd.edu> Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1993 17:16:24 CDT Marvin Batty dfj@uk.ac.cov.cck writes: MB>Also, what about bio-engineered CO2 absorbing plants instead of many LOX bot MB>? I wonder why the term "bio-engineered" was added to the comment? As I review the problems of Space Biosphere2 in Arizona, and work on modelling a new composting/vermiculture system to propose for the next generation of closed system environments, I believe that biological carbon sinks are essential to help regulate CO2. In my models, humus is an optimum carbon repository that can help buffer increases in atmpospheric CO2. Why consider "bio-engineering" some mythical plant when the existing organisms are well suited to the task if managed properly? --- . SLMR 2.0 . Finally! I found the last bug..last bug..last b......... . QNet3. . * * ORIGIN: GRANITE BBS * St. Cloud MN * 612-654-8372 HST ---- | HAL 9000 BBS: QWK-to-Usenet gateway | Four 14400 v.32bis dial-ins | | FREE Usenet mail and 200 newsgroups! | PCBoard 14.5aM * uuPCB * Kmail | | Call +1 313 663 4173 or 663 3959 +--------------------------------+ | Member of EFF, ASP, ASAD * 1500MB disk * Serving Ann Arbor since 1988 | ------------------------------ Date: 25 Apr 93 13:45:00 GMT From: Jim Mcnelly Subject: Moonbase race Newsgroups: sci.space To: Newsgroups: sci.space From: jim.mcnelly@hal9k.com (Jim McNelly) Message-ID: Organization: The McNelly Group, Composting Consultants @mojo.eng.umd.edu> Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1993 17:16:24 CDT Marvin Batty dfj@uk.ac.cov.cck writes: MB>Also, what about bio-engineered CO2 absorbing plants instead of many LOX bot MB>? I wonder why the term "bio-engineered" was added to the comment? As I review the problems of Space Biosphere2 in Arizona, and work on modelling a new composting/vermiculture system to propose for the next generation of closed system environments, I believe that biological carbon sinks are essential to help regulate CO2. In my models, humus is an optimum carbon repository that can help buffer increases in atmpospheric CO2. Why consider "bio-engineering" some mythical plant when the existing organisms are well suited to the task if managed properly? --- . SLMR 2.0 . Finally! I found the last bug..last bug..last b......... . QNet3. . * * ORIGIN: GRANITE BBS * St. Cloud MN * 612-654-8372 HST ---- | HAL 9000 BBS: QWK-to-Usenet gateway | Four 14400 v.32bis dial-ins | | FREE Usenet mail and 200 newsgroups! | PCBoard 14.5aM * uuPCB * Kmail | | Call +1 313 663 4173 or 663 3959 +--------------------------------+ | Member of EFF, ASP, ASAD * 1500MB disk * Serving Ann Arbor since 1988 | ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 93 16:16:20 EDT From: Tom <18084TM@msu.edu> Subject: Moonbase race George William Herbert sez: >Hmm. $1 billion, lesse... I can probably launch 100 tons to LEO at >$200 million, in five years, which gives about 20 tons to the lunar >surface one-way. Say five tons of that is a return vehicle and its >fuel, a bigger Mercury or something (might get that as low as two >tons), leaving fifteen tons for a one-man habitat and a year's supplies? >Gee, with that sort of mass margins I can build the systems off >the shelf for about another hundred million tops. That leaves >about $700 million profit. I like this idea 8-) Let's see >if you guys can push someone to make it happen 8-) 8-) I like your optimism, George. I don't know doots about raising that kind of dough, but if you need people to split the work and the $700M, you just give me a ring :-) Living alone for a year on the moon sounds horrid, but I'd even try that, if I got a bigger cut. :-) -Tommy Mac ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom McWilliams 517-355-2178 wk \\ As the radius of vision increases, 18084tm@ibm.cl.msu.edu 336-9591 hm \\ the circumference of mystery grows. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 12:50:51 -0400 (EDT) From: PPORTH@hq.nasa.gov (Tricia Porth (202) 358-0171) Subject: Remote Sensing Data ================================================================= I am posting this for someone else. Please respond to the address listed below. Please also excuse the duplication as this message has been crossposted. Thanks! ================================================================= REQUEST FOR IDEAS FOR APPLICATIONS OF REMOTE SENSING DATABASES VIA THE INTERNET NASA is planning to expand the domain of users of its Earth and space science data. This effort will: o Use the evolving infrastructure of the U.S. Global Change Research Program including the Mission To Planet Earth (MTPE) and the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Programs. o Use the Internet, particularly the High Performance Computing and Communications Program's NREN (National Research and Education Network), as a means of providing access to and distribution of science data and images and value added products. o Provide broad access to and utilization of remotely sensed images in cooperation with other agencies (especially NOAA, EPA, DOE, DEd, DOI/USGS, and USDA). o Support remote sensing image and data users and development communities. The user and development communities to be included (but not limited to) as part of this effort are educators, commercial application developers (e.g., television weather forecasters), librarians, publishers, agriculture specialists, transportation, forestry, state and local government planners, and aqua business. This program will be initiated in 1994. Your assistance is requested to identify potential applications of remote sensing images and data. We would like your ideas for potential application areas to assist with development of the Implementation Plan. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. We are seeking your ideas in these areas: (1) Potential commercial use of remote sensing data and images; (2) Potential noncommercial use of remote sensing data and images in education (especially levels K-12) and other noncommercial areas; (3) Types of on-line capabilities and protocols to make the data more accessible; (4) Additional points of contacts for ideas; and (5) Addresses and names from whom to request proposals. For your convenience, a standard format for responses is included below. Feel free to amend it as necessary. Either e-mail or fax your responses to us by May 5, 1993. E-MAIL: On Internet "rsdwg@orion.ossa.hq.nasa.gov" ASCII - No binary attachments please FAX: Ernie Lucier, c/o RSDWG, NASA HQ, FAX 202-358-3098 Survey responses in the following formats may also be placed in the FTP directory ~ftp/pub/RSDWG on orion.nasa.gov. Please indicate the format. Acceptable formats are: Word for Windows 2.X, Macintosh Word 4.X and 5.X, and RTF. ----------------------------RESPONSE FORMAT-------------------------- REQUEST FOR IDEAS FOR APPLICATIONS OF REMOTE SENSING DATABASES VIA THE INTERNET (1) Potential commercial use of remote sensing data and images (if possible, identify the relevant types of data or science products, user tools, and standards). (2) Uses of remote sensing data and images in education (especially levels K-12) and other noncommercial areas (if possible, identify the relevant types of data or science products, user tools, and standards). (3) Types of on-line capabilities and protocols to make the data and images more accessible (if possible, identify relevant types of formats, standards, and user tools) (4) Additional suggested persons or organizations that may be resources for further ideas on applications areas. Please include: Name, Organization, Address and Telephone Number. (5) Organizations, mailing lists (electronic and paper), periodicals, etc. to whom a solicitation for proposals should be sent when developed. Please include: Name, Organization, Address and Telephone Number. (6) We would benefit from knowing why users that know about NASA remote sensing data do not use the data. Is it because they do not have ties to NASA investigators, or high cost, lack of accessibility, incompatible data formats, poor area of interest coverage, inadequate spatial or spectral resolution, ...? (7) In case we have questions, please send us your name, address, phone number (and e-mail address if you have one). If you don't wish to send us this information, feel free to respond to the survey anonymously. Thank you for your assistance. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 93 19:24:23 EDT From: Tom <18084TM@msu.edu> Subject: Solid state vs. tube/analog Davis Nicoll sez; >> Hmmm. I seem to recall that the attraction of solid state record- >>players and radios in the 1960s wasn't better performance but lower >>per-unit cost than vacuum-tube systems. I'd buy that for two reasons. The tubes for TV's and radios (if you can still find them) are usually 3x or more expensive than comparable transistors. Also, ask any electric-guitar enthusiast which type of amp they prefer, and they'll tell you tube-type, since tubes have lower distortion and noise than transistors. 'Course, most of your electric guitar types just say "Tubes sound better, dude." :-) Also, transistors have the advantage in both waste-heat and energy-use, mainly because of the heaters on the cathodes of the tubes. -Tommy Mac ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom McWilliams 517-355-2178 wk \\ As the radius of vision increases, 18084tm@ibm.cl.msu.edu 336-9591 hm \\ the circumference of mystery grows. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 13:28:57 GMT From: Dave Stephenson Subject: Space Advertising (2 of 2) Newsgroups: sci.space As for SF and advertising in space. There is a romantic episode in Mead's "The Big Ball of Wax" where the lovers are watching the constellation Pepsi Cola rising over the horizon and noting the some 'stars' had slipped cause the Teamsters were on strike. This was the inspiration for my article on orbiting a formation of space mirrors published in Spaceflight in 1986. As the reviews said: this seems technically feasible, and could be commercially viable but is it aesthetically desirable? These days the only aesthetics that count are the ones you can count! -- Dave Stephenson Geological Survey of Canada Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Internet: stephens@geod.emr.ca ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 15:27:22 GMT From: "Ken Jenks [NASA]" Subject: Space Station Redesign, JSC Alternative #4 Newsgroups: sci.space kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov (Hey, that's me!) wrote: : I have 19 (2 MB worth!) uuencode'd GIF images contain charts outlining : one of the many alternative Space Station designs being considered in : Crystal City. [...] I just posted the GIF files out for anonymous FTP on server ics.uci.edu. You can retrieve them from: ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode01.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode02.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode03.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode04.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode05.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode06.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode07.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode08.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode09.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode10.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode11.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode12.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode13.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode14.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode15.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode16.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geode17.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geodeA.gif ics.uci.edu:incoming/geodeB.gif The last two are scanned color photos; the others are scanned briefing charts. These will be deleted by the ics.uci.edu system manager in a few days, so now's the time to grab them if you're interested. Sorry it took me so long to get these out, but I was trying for the Ames server, but it's out of space. -- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov (713) 483-4368 "The earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind will not stay in the cradle forever." -- Konstantin Tsiolkvosky ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 93 11:55:14 BST From: Greg Stewart-Nicholls Subject: Vandalizing the sky. Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space In George F. Krumins writes: >It is so typical that the rights of the minority are extinguished by the >wants of the majority, no matter how ridiculous those wants might be. Umm, perhaps you could explain what 'rights' we are talking about here .. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Greg Nicholls ... : Vidi nicho@vnet.ibm.com or : Vici nicho@olympus.demon.co.uk : Veni ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 16:32:32 GMT From: "George F. Krumins" Subject: Vandalizing the sky. Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space nicho@vnet.IBM.COM (Greg Stewart-Nicholls) writes: >In George F. Krumins writes: >>It is so typical that the rights of the minority are extinguished by the >>wants of the majority, no matter how ridiculous those wants might be. > Umm, perhaps you could explain what 'rights' we are talking about >here .. > ----------------------------------------------------------------- >Greg Nicholls ... : Vidi >nicho@vnet.ibm.com or : Vici >nicho@olympus.demon.co.uk : Veni I was suggesting that the minority of professional and amateur astronomers have the right to a dark, uncluttered night sky. Let me give you an example. When you watch TV, they have commercials to pay for the programming. You accept that as part of watching. If you don't like it, you can turn it off. If you want to view the night sky, and there is a floating billboard out there, you can't turn it off. It's the same reasoning that limits billboards in scenic areas. Pat writes: George. It's called a democracy. The majority rules. sorry. If ytou don't like it, I suggest you modify the constitution to include a constitutional right to Dark Skies. The theory of government here is that the majority rules, except in the nature of fundamental civil rights. I say: Any reasonably in-depth perusal of American history will show you that many WASPs have continued the practices of prejudice, discrimination, and violence against others of different races, religions, and beliefs, despite the law. Pat says: If you really are annoyed, get some legislation to create a dark sky zone, where in all light emissions are protected in the zone. Kind of like the national radio quiet zone. Did you know about that? near teh Radio telescope observatory in West virginia, they have a 90?????? mile EMCON zone. Theoretically they can prevent you from running light AC motors, like air conditioners and Vacuums. In practice, they use it mostly to control large radio users. I say: What I'm objecting to here is a floating billboard that, presumably, would move around in the sky. I, for one, am against legislating at all. I just wish that people had a bit of common courtesy, and would consider how their greed for money impacts the more ethereal and aesthetic values that make us human. This includes the need for wild and unspoiled things, including the night sky. George -- | George Krumins /^\ The Serpent and the Rainbow | | gfk39017@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu <^^. .^^> | | Pufferish Observatory <_ (o) _> | | \_/ | ------------------------------ Date: 26 Apr 1993 10:10 PST From: SCOTT I CHASE Subject: Vandalizing the sky. Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space In article , pgf@srl02.cacs.usl.edu (Phil G. Fraering) writes... >Jeff.Cook@FtCollinsCO.NCR.COM (Jeff Cook) writes: >.... >>people in primitive tribes out in the middle of nowhere as they look up >>and see a can of Budweiser flying across the sky... :-D > >Seen that movie already. Or one just like it. >Come to think of it, they might send someone on >a quest to get rid of the dang thing... Actually, the idea, like most good ideas, comes from Jules Verne, not _The Gods Must Be Crazy._ In one of his lesser known books (I can't remember which one right now), the protagonists are in a balloon gondola, travelling over Africa on their way around the world in the balloon, when one of them drops a fob watch. They then speculate about the reaction of the natives to finding such a thing, dropped straight down from heaven. But the notion is not pursued further than that. -Scott -------------------- New .sig under construction Scott I. Chase Please be patient SICHASE@CSA2.LBL.GOV Thank you ------------------------------ Date: 26 Apr 93 11:45:42 From: Bob McGwier Subject: What counntries do space surveillance? Newsgroups: sci.space I can tell you that when AMSAT launched some birds along a Spot satellite (French), that during installation of some instruments on Spot 2, there heavily armed legionaires who had a `take no prisoners' look on there faces. Spot satellites are completely capable of doing some very good on orbit surveillance. BMc -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Robert W. McGwier | n4hy@ccr-p.ida.org Center for Communications Research | Interests: amateur radio, astronomy,golf Princeton, N.J. 08520 | Asst Scoutmaster Troop 5700, Hightstown ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 491 ------------------------------