Date: Thu, 3 Jun 93 05:51:51 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V16 #667 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Thu, 3 Jun 93 Volume 16 : Issue 667 Today's Topics: Space FAQ 01/15 - Introduction Space FAQ 02/15 - Network Resources 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 Jun 1993 23:27:12 -0400 From: Jon Leech Subject: Space FAQ 01/15 - Introduction Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space,sci.answers,news.answers Archive-name: space/intro Last-modified: $Date: 93/06/02 23:13:54 $ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON SCI.SPACE/SCI.ASTRO INTRODUCTION This series of linked messages is periodically posted to the Usenet groups sci.space and sci.astro in an attempt to provide good answers to frequently asked questions and other reference material which is worth preserving. If you have corrections or answers to other frequently asked questions that you would like included in this posting, send email to leech@cs.unc.edu (Jon Leech). If you don't want to see the FAQ, add 'Frequently Asked Questions' to your KILL file for this group (if you're not reading this with a newsreader that can kill articles by subject, you're out of luck). The FAQ volume is excessive right now and will gradually being trimmed down by rewriting, condensing, and moving static information to archive servers. The FAQ postings are available from the Ames SPACE archive in ames.arc.nasa.gov:pub/SPACE/FAQ/faq*, along with more information expanding on topics in the FAQ. Good summaries will be accepted in place of the answers given here. The point of this is to circulate existing information, and avoid rehashing old answers. Better to build on top than start again. Nothing more depressing than rehashing old topics for the 100th time. References are provided because they give more complete information than any short generalization. Questions fall into three basic types: 1) Where do I find some information about space? Try your local public library first. The net is not a good place to ask for general information. Ask INDIVIDUALS (by email) if you must. There are other sources, use them, too. The net is a place for open ended discussion. 2) I have an idea which would improve space flight? Hope you aren't surprised, but 9,999 out of 10,000 have usually been thought of before. Again, contact a direct individual source for evaluation. NASA fields thousands of these each day. 3) Miscellanous queries. These are addressed on a case-by-case basis in the following series of FAQ postings. SUGGESTIONS FOR BETTER NETIQUETTE Read news.announce.newusers if you're on Usenet. Minimize cross references, [Do you REALLY NEED to?] Edit "Subject:" lines, especially if you're taking a tangent. Send mail instead, avoid posting follow ups. (1 mail message worth 100 posts). Internet mail readers: send requests to add/drop to SPACE-REQUEST not SPACE. Read all available articles before posting a follow-up. (Check all references.) Cut down attributed articles (leave only the points you're responding to; remove signatures and headers). Summarize! Put a return address in the body (signature) of your message (mail or article), state your institution, etc. Don't assume the 'reply' function of mailers will work. Use absolute dates. Post in a timely way. Don't post what everyone will get on TV anyway. Some editors and window systems do character count line wrapping: keep lines under 80 characters for those using ASCII terminals (use carriage returns). INDEX TO LINKED POSTINGS I've attempted to break the postings up into related areas. There isn't a keyword index yet; the following lists the major subject areas in each posting. Only those containing astronomy-related material are posted to sci.astro (indicated by '*' following the posting number). # Contents 1* Introduction Suggestions for better netiquette Index to linked postings Notes on addresses, phone numbers, etc. Contributors 2* Network resources Overview Mailing lists Periodically updated information Warning about non-public networks 3* Online (and some offline) sources of images, data, etc. Introduction Viewing Images Online Archives NASA Ames NASA Astrophysics Data System NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (Mission Information and Images) NASA Langley (Technical Reports) NASA Spacelink National Space Science Data Center Space Telescope Science Institute Electronic Info. Service Starcat Astronomical Databases Astronomy Programs Orbital Element Sets SPACE Digest Landsat & NASA Photos Planetary Maps Cometary Orbits 4* Performing calculations and interpreting data formats Constants and equations for calculations Computing spacecraft orbits and trajectories Computing planetary positions Computing crater diameters from Earth-impacting asteroids Map projections and spherical trignometry Performing N-body simulations efficiently Interpreting the FITS image format Sky (Unix ephemeris program) Three-dimensional star/galaxy coordinates 5* References on specific areas Publishers of space/astronomy material Careers in the space industry DC-X single-stage to orbit (SSTO) program How to name a star after a person LLNL "great exploration" Lunar Prospector Lunar science and activities Orbiting Earth satellite histories Spacecraft models Rocket propulsion Spacecraft design Esoteric propulsion schemes (solar sails, lasers, fusion...) Spy satellites Space shuttle computer systems SETI computation (signal processing) Amateur satellies & weather satellites Tides Astronomical Mnemonics 6 Contacting NASA, ESA, and other space agencies/companies NASA Centers / Arianespace / ESA / NASDA / Soyuzkarta / Space Camp / Space Commerce Corporation / Spacehab / SPOT Image Other commercial space businesses 7 Space shuttle answers, launch schedules, TV coverage Shuttle launchings and landings; schedules and how to see them Why does the shuttle roll just after liftoff? How to receive the NASA TV channel, NASA SELECT Amateur radio frequencies for shuttle missions Solid Rocket Booster fuel composition 8 Planetary probes - Historical Missions US planetary missions Mariner (Venus, Mars, & Mercury flybys and orbiters) Pioneer (Moon, Sun, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn flybys and orbiters) Ranger (Lunar lander and impact missions) Lunar Orbiter (Lunar surface photography) Surveyor (Lunar soft landers) Viking (Mars orbiters and landers) Voyager (Outer planet flybys) Soviet planetary missions Soviet Lunar probes Soviet Venus probes Soviet Mars probes Japanese planetary missions Planetary mission references 9 Upcoming planetary probes - missions and schedules Cassini Galileo Magellan Mars Observer TOPEX/Poseidon Ulysses Other space science missions Proposed missions 10 Controversial questions What happened to the Saturn V plans Why data from space missions isn't immediately available Risks of nuclear (RTG) power sources for space probes Impact of the space shuttle on the ozone layer How long can a human live unprotected in space How the Challenger astronauts died Using the shuttle beyond Low Earth Orbit The "Face on Mars" 11 Space activist/interest/research groups and space publications Groups Publications Undocumented Groups 12 How to become an astronaut 13 Orbital and Planetary Launch Services NOTES ON ADDRESSES, PHONE NUMBERS, ETC. Unless otherwise specified, telephone numbers, addresses, and so on are for the United States of America. Non-US readers should remember to add the country code for telephone calls, etc. CREDITS Eugene Miya started a series of linked FAQ postings some years ago which inspired (and was largely absorbed into) this set. Peter Yee and Ron Baalke have and continue to spend a lot of their own time setting up the SPACE archives at NASA Ames and forwarding official NASA announcements. Many other people have contributed material to this list in the form of old postings to sci.space and sci.astro which I've edited. Please let me know if corrections need to be made. Contributors I've managed to keep track of are: ad038@yfn.ysu.edu (Steven Fisk) - publication refs. akerman@bill.phy.queensu.CA (Richard Akerman) - crater diameters alweigel@athena.mit.edu (Lisa Weigel) - SEDS info aoab314@emx.utexas.edu (Srinivas Bettadpur) - tides awpaeth@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Alan Wm Paeth) - map projections aws@iti.org (Allen W. Sherzer) - Great Exploration baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) - planetary probe schedules bankst@rata.vuw.ac.nz (Timothy Banks) - map projections, variable star analysis archive brosen@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (Bernie Rosen) - Space Camp bschlesinger@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov (Barry Schlesinger) - FITS format cew@venera.isi.edu (Craig E. Ward) - space group contact info chapin@cbnewsc.att.com (Tom Chapin) - planetary positions cunnida@tenet.edu (D. Alan Cunningham) - NASA Spacelink cyamamot@kilroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Cliff Yamamoto) - orbital elements datri@convex.com (Anthony Datri) - PDS/VICAR viewing software daver@sjc.mentorg.com (Dave Rickel) - orbit formulae dlbres10@pc.usl.edu (Phil Fraering) - propulsion eder@hsvaic.boeing.com (Dani Eder) - Saturn V plans, SRBs eugene@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya) - introduction, NASA contact info, started FAQ postings frank.reddy@genie.geis.com (Francis Reddy) - map projections french@isu.isunet.edu (Patrick M. French) - space group contact info g@telesoft.com (Gary Morris) - amateur radio info gaetz@cfa.harvard.edu (Terry Gaetz) - N-body calculations, orbital dynamics grandi@noao.edu (Steve Grandi) - planetary positions greer%utd201.dnet%utadnx@utspan.span.nasa.gov (Dale M. Greer) - constants henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) - survival in vacuum, astronaut how-to, Challenger disaster, publication refs, DC-X higgins@fnal.bitnet (William Higgins) - RTGs, publishers, shuttle landings, spysats, propulsion, "Face on Mars", and general assistance with FAQ upkeep. hmueller@cssun.tamu.edu (Hal Mueller) - map projections, orbital dynamics jbh55289@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Josh Hopkins) - launch services jim@pnet01.cts.com (Jim Bowery) - propulsion, launch services jnhead@pirl.lpl.arizona.edu (James N. Head) - atmospheric scale heights jscotti@lpl.arizona.edu (Jim Scotti) - planetary positions kcarroll@zoo.toronto.edu (Kieran A. Carroll)- refs for spacecraft design ken@orion.bitnet (Kenneth Ng) - RTGs kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov (Ken Jenks) - shuttle roll manuever klaes@verga.enet.dec.com (Larry Klaes) - planetary probe history leech@cs.unc.edu (Jon Leech) - crater diameters lfa@ssi.com (Lou Adornato) - orbital dynamics maury.markowitz@egsgate.fidonet.org (Maury Markowitz) - propulsion max@west.darkside.com (Erik Max Francis) - equations mbellon@mcdurb.Urbana.Gould.COM - N-body calculations mcconley@phoenix.Princeton.edu (Marc Wayne Mcconley) - space careers msb@sq.com (Mark Brader) - Mariner 1 info. mwm@cmu.edu (Mark Maimone) - SPACE Digest nickw@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Dr. Nick Watkins) - models, spysats ohainaut@eso.org (Olivier R. Hainaut) - publishers, STARCAT oneil@aio.jsc.nasa.gov (Graham O'Neil) - Lunar Prospector panama@cup.portal.com (Kenneth W Durham) - cometary orbits, IAU paul.blase@nss.fidonet.org (Paul Blase) - propulsion pete@denali.gsfc.nasa.gov (Pete Banholzer) - Clementine pjs@plato.jpl.nasa.gov (Peter Scott) - RTGs pschleck@unomaha.edu (Paul W. Schleck) - AMSAT, ARRL contact info rdb@mel.cocam.oz.au (Rodney Brown) - propulsion refs rja7m@phil.cs.virginia.edu (Ran Atkinson) - FTPable astro. programs rjungcla@ihlpb.att.com (R. Michael Jungclas)- models seal@leonardo.jpl.nasa.gov (David Seal) - Cassini mission schedule shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) - photos, shuttle landings smith@sndpit.enet.dec.com (Willie Smith) - photos stephen@gpwd.gp.co.nz (Stephen Dixon) - shuttle audio frequencies sterner@warper.jhuapl.edu (Ray Sterner) - planetary positions stooke@vaxr.sscl.uwo.ca (Phil Stooke) - planetary maps ted_anderson@transarc.com (Ted Anderson) - propulsion terry@astro.as.utexas.edu (Terry Hancock) - NASA center info thorson@typhoon.atmos.coloState.edu (Bill Thorson) - FITS info tm2b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Todd L. Masco) - SPACE Digest tom@ssd.csd.harris.com (Tom Horsley) - refs for algorithms veikko.makela@helsinki.fi (Veikko Makela) - orbital element sets Wales.Larrison@ofa123.fidonet.org (Wales Larrison) - groups & publications wayne@csri.utoronto.ca (Wayne Hayes) - constants weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener) - Voyager history yamada@yscvax.ysc.go.jp (Yoshiro Yamada) - ISAS/NASDA missions yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter Yee) - AMES archive server, propulsion In Net memoriam: Ted Flinn NEXT: FAQ #2/13 - Network Resources ------------------------------ Date: 2 Jun 1993 23:27:41 -0400 From: Jon Leech Subject: Space FAQ 02/15 - Network Resources Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space,sci.answers,news.answers Archive-name: space/net Last-modified: $Date: 93/06/02 23:14:06 $ NETWORK RESOURCES OVERVIEW You may be reading this document on any one of an amazing variety of computers, so much of the material below may not apply to you. In general, however, systems connected to 'the net' fall in one of three categories: Internet, Usenet, or BITNET. Electronic mail may be sent between these networks, and other resources available on one of these networks are sometimes accessible from other networks by email sent to special 'servers'. The space and astronomy discussion groups actually are composed of several mechanisms with (mostly) transparent connections between them. One mechanism is the mailing list, in which mail is sent to a central distribution point which relays it to all recipients of the list. In addition to the general lists for space (called SPACE Digest for Internet users, and SPACE on BITNET), there are a number of more specialized mailing lists described below. A second mechanism is Usenet 'netnews'. This is somewhat like a bulletin board operating on each system which is a part of the net. Netnews separates contributions into hundreds of different categories based on a 'group name'. The groups dealing most closely with space topics are called 'sci.space.news', 'sci.space', 'sci.space.shuttle', 'sci.astro', and 'talk.politics.space'. Contributors 'post' submissions (called 'articles' in netnews terminology) on their local machine, which sends it to other nearby machines. Similarly, articles sent from nearby machines are stored locally and may be forwarded to other systems, so that an article is posted locally and eventually reaches all the Usenet sites interested in receiving the news group to which the article was posted. Gateway machines redirect the Usenet sci.space group into Internet and BITNET mailing lists and vice versa; the other Usenet groups are not accessible as mailing lists. If you can receive netnews, its more flexible interface and access to a wider range of material usually make it the preferred option. MAILING LISTS SPACE Digest is the main Internet list, and is now being run by the International Space University (in only its second change of management in over a decade). Email space-request@isu.isunet.edu (message body should be in the format 'subscribe space John Public') to join. Note that the moderated SPACE Magazine list is defunct at present for lack of a moderator. Old copies of SPACE Digest since its inception in 1981 are FTPable from directory julius.cs.qub.ac.uk:pub/SpaceDigestArchive (get README to begin with). Elements is a moderated list for fast distribution of Space Shuttle Keplerian Elements before and during Shuttle flights. NASA two line elements are sent out on the list from Dr. Kelso, JSC, and other sources as they are released. Email to elements-request@telesoft.com to join. GPS Digest is a moderated list for discussion of the Global Positioning System and other satellite navigation positioning systems. Email to gps-request@esseye.si.com to join. Space-investors is a list for information relevant to investing in space-related companies. Email Vincent Cate (vac@cs.cmu.edu) to join. Space-tech is a list for more technical discussion of space topics; discussion has included esoteric propulsion technologies, asteroid capture, starflight, orbital debris removal, etc. Email to space-tech-request@cs.cmu.edu to join. Archives of old digests and selected excerpts are FTPable from directory gs80.sp.cs.cmu.edu:/usr/anon/public/space-tech, or by email to space-tech-request if you don't have FTP access. SEDS-L is a BITNET list for members of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space and other interested parties. Email LISTSERV@TAMVM1.BITNET with a message saying "SUBSCRIBE SEDS-L your name". Email saying "INDEX SEDS-L" to list the archive contents. SEDSNEWS is a BITNET list for news items, press releases, shuttle status reports, and the like. This duplicates material which is also found in Space Digest, sci.space, sci.space.shuttle, and sci.astro. Email LISTSERV@TAMVM1.BITNET saying "SUBSCRIBE SEDSNEWS your name" to join. Email saying "INDEX SEDSNEWS" to list the archive contents. Ron Baalke (baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov) runs a mailing list which carries the contents of the sci.space.news Usenet group. Email him to join the list. As a general note, please mail to the *request* address to get off a mailing list. SPACE Digest, for example, relays many inappropriate 'please remove me from this list' messages which are sent to the list address rather than the request address. PERIODICALLY UPDATED INFORMATION In addition to this FAQ list, a broad variety of topical information is posted to the net (unless otherwise noted, in the new group sci.space.news created for this purpose). Please remember that the individuals posting this information are performing a service for all net readers, and don't take up their time with frivolous requests. ACRONYMS Garrett Wollman (wollman@UVM.EDU) posts an acronym list around the first of each month. ASTRO-FTP LIST Veikko Makela (veikko.makela@helsinki.fi) posts a monthly list of anonymous FTP servers containing astronomy and space related material to sci.space and sci.astro. AVIATION WEEK Henry Spencer (henry@zoo.toronto.edu) posts summaries of space-related stories in the weekly _Aviation Week and Space Technology_. BUYING TELESCOPES Ronnie Kon (ronnie@cisco.com) posts a guide to buying telescopes to sci.astro. ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF THE ASA Don Barry (don@chara.gsu.edu) posts the monthly Electronic Journal of the Astronomical Society of the Atlantic to sci.astro. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL Swaraj Jeyasingh (sjeyasin@axion.bt.co.uk) posts summaries of space-related news from _Flight International_. This focuses more on non-US space activities than Aviation Week. LARGE ASTRONOMICAL PROJECTS Robert Bunge (rbunge@access.digex.com) posts a list describing many "Large Telescope Projects Either Being Considered or in the Works" to sci.astro. NASA HEADLINE NEWS & SHUTTLE REPORTS Peter Yee (yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov) posts a variety of NASA material, including NASA Headline News (with the schedule for NASA SELECT), shuttle payload briefings and flight manifests, and KSC shuttle status reports. For Usenet users, much of this material appears in the group sci.space.shuttle. NASA UPDATES Ron Baalke (baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov) posts frequent updates from JPL, Ames, and other centers on the Ulysses, Gailileo, Pioneer, Magellan, Landsat, and other missions. ORBITAL ELEMENT SETS TS Kelso (tkelso@blackbird.afit.af.mil) posts orbital elements from NASA Prediction Bulletins. Mike Rose (mrose@stsci.edu) posts orbital elements for the Hubble Space Telescope to sci.astro. Jost Jahn (j.jahn@abbs.hanse.de) posts ephemerides for asteroids, comets, conjunctions, and encounters to sci.astro. SATELLITE LAUNCHES Richard Langley (lang@unb.ca) posts SPACEWARN Bulletin, which describes recent launch/orbital decay information and satellites which are useful for scientific activities. Recent bulletins are FTPable from directory nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov:ANON_DIR:[000000.ACTIVE.SPX]. SHUTTLE MANIFEST Ken Hollis (gandalf@pro-electric.cts.com) posts a compressed version of the Space Shuttle launch manifest to sci.space.shuttle. This includes dates, times, payloads, and information on how to see launches and landings. SOLAR ACTIVITY Cary Oler (oler@hg.uleth.ca) posts Solar Terrestrial reports (describing solar activity and its effect on the Earth) to sci.space. The report is issued in part from data released by the Space Enviroment Services Center, Boulder Colorado. The intro document needed to understand these reports is FTPable from solar.stanford.edu:pub/understanding_solar_terrestrial_reports and nic.funet.fi:/pub/misc/rec.radio.shortwave/solarreports. nic.funet.fi is an archive site for the reports (please note this site is in Europe, and the connection to the US is only 56KB). A new primary archive site, xi.uleth.ca, has recently been established and will be actively supported. SOVIET SPACE ACTIVITIES Glenn Chapman (glennc@cs.sfu.ca) posts summaries of Soviet space activities. SPACE ACTIVIST NEWSLETTER Allen Sherzer (aws@iti.org) posts a newsletter, "One Small Step for a Space Activist," to talk.politics.space. It describes current legislative activity affecting NASA and commercial space activities. SPACE EVENTS CALENDAR Ron Baalke (baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov) posts a calendar including anniversaries, conferences, launch dates, meteor showers and eclipses, and other space-related events. SPACE NEWS John Magliacane (kd2bd@ka2qhd.UUCP) posts "SpaceNews" (covering AMSATs, NOAA and other weather satellites, and other ham information) to rec.radio.amateur.misc and sci.space. SPACE REPORT Jonathan McDowell (mcdowell@cfa.harvard.edu) posts "Jonathan's Space Report" covering launches, landings, reentries, status reports, satellite activities, etc. TOWARD 2001 Bev Freed (freed@nss.fidonet.org) posts "Toward 2001", a weekly global news summary reprinted from _Space Calendar_ magazine. WARNING ABOUT NON-PUBLIC NETWORKS (Included at the suggestion of Eugene Miya, who wrote the item) NASA has an internal system of unclassified electronic mail and bulletin boards. This system is not open for public use. Specifically, NASA personnel and procurement operations are regarded with some sensitivity. Contractors must renegotiate their contracts. The Fair and Open Procurement Act does not look kindly to those having inside information. Contractors and outsiders caught using this type of information can expect severe penalities. Unauthorized access attempts may subject you to a fine and/or imprisonment in accordance with Title 18, USC, Section 1030. If in fact you should should learn of unauthorized access, contact NASA personnel. Claims have been made on this news group about fraud and waste. None have ever been substantiated to any significant degree. Readers detecting Fraud, Waste, Abuse, or Mismanagement should contact the NASA Inspector General (24-hours) at 800-424-9183 (can be anonymous) or write NASA Inspector General P.O. Box 23089 L'enfant Plaza Station Washington DC 20024 NEXT: FAQ #3/13 - Online (and some offline) sources of images, data, etc. ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 16 : Issue 667 ------------------------------