Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V13_2/V13_201.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #201

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 13 : Issue 201

Today's Topics:
             Re: Terraforming, sun shield
         Re: Pioneers 7 & 8 Update - 02/11/91
          Re: Government vs. Commercial R&D
              Japanese Space Effort, II
              Re: Japan's Space Industry
             space news from Jan 7 AW&ST

Administrivia:

    Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to
  [e-mail].  Other mail, esp. [un]subscription requests,
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 24 Feb 91 21:16:06 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!news.cs.indiana.edu!maytag!watmath!watdragon!watyew![e-mail]  (James Davis Nicoll)
Subject: Re: Terraforming, sun shield

In article <[e-mail]> "Arnold G. Gill" <[e-mail]> writes:
>
>     Well, then, do what happened to the Earth -- get a bigger planetoid.  The
>big Earth impact was supposed to be Mars-sized -- you might even get a moon
>for Venus out of it.  If we are terraforming Venus, do we need Mars for
>anything anymore?  :-)
>
    I bet that the Post Smash Venus wouldn't be terraformable for
a long time as we bags of tainted water measure time. Besides, Mars is
a perfectly *nice* planet as it is; why destroy it to perhaps slightly
enhance the sewer that is Venus? Remember, we'd still have to Tform the
sucker.

    Besides, I bet it takes less energy to strip off Venus'
atmosphere than it does to move Mars from 1.5ish AU to .7 AU :)

    Ah, why not 'just' set up lots and lots of surface
based 'rockets', and jet the atmosphere away at very high velocities?
You might change the rotation rate *and* dump the excess gas at
the same time. Very high is defined as at least Solar Escape Velocity;
jetting 89 atmospheres of CO2 into the inner system might be seen
as pollution :)

                            James Nicoll

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Date: 25 Feb 91 04:41:36 GMT
From: usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!csri.toronto.edu![e-mail]  (Wayne Hayes)
Subject: Re: Pioneers 7 & 8 Update - 02/11/91

In article <[e-mail]>
[e-mail] (Ron Baalke) writes:
>
>                     PIONEER 7 & 8 STATUS REPORT
>                         February 22, 1991
>  Attempts to command the
>spacecraft were unsuccessful.  Three attempts were made at an uplink power of
>18 kW.  Telemetry received during the pass is being analyzed to evaluate the
>communications subsystem.  At the next tracking opportunity the uplink power
>will be increased.

I don't quite understand this.  Does "telemetry" require any active
participation by the spacecraft?  I would have thought that in order to
know precisely where the craft is (that's what telemetry is, right?)
you would need a signal coming from it.  If that's the case, what
is the problem?  Is it just mosying along saying "HERE I AM!" but not
responding otherwise?

--
"You ask me what I think about war and the death penalty. The latter question
is simpler. I am not for punishment at all, but only for the measures that
serve society and it's protection." -- Albert Einstein

Wayne Hayes     INTERNET: [e-mail]        CompuServe: 72401,3525

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Date: 25 Feb 91 03:20:51 GMT
From: zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!sequent!crg5![e-mail]  (Nick Szabo)
Subject: Re: Government vs. Commercial R&D

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Brian Yamauchi) writes:
[More examples of efficient, shorter-turnaround private R&D; notes government
funding of many university projects]

>Bringing this back to space exploration, maybe a step in the right
>direction would be to JPLize the other NASA centers, by having them
>administered by universities and companies with proven records of
>excellence in research, while remaining funded by the government.

This is an _excellent_ idea.  Wish I'd thought of it!
My guess is that this would entail a shift from engineering and
administration towards university-style scientific projects (which
would be in line with Augustine Commission reccomendations).  It would
also provide for healthy competition between labs, as well as cooperation
and an influx of new ideas.  I can't see anything wrong with it as a
direction to go; in its practical implementation it might face stiff
resistance from the larger more centralized projects.  Another source
of resistance will be geographical sites that have been picked for
political reasons, and don't necessarily correspond to good university
or corporate centers.  Fortuneately, we have a different set of people
from different states in power right now.  If we can match them to
good universities, perhaps we can get somewhere with this.

Keep the great ideas coming!


--
Nick Szabo            [e-mail]
Think long-term, act now.

------------------------------

Date: 20 Feb 91 15:41:38 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!pitt!nss![e-mail]  (Paul Blase)
Subject: Japanese Space Effort, II

(I am placing this in a new posting for emphasis)

(Aviation Week and Space Technology, August 27, 1990, pp72-83)
("Japanese Space Studies Focus On Stations, Lunar Bases, Launchers")
 "Japan's space agencies and major industrial companies have begun
  engineering studies on an autonomous Japanese space station, lunar base
  and other futuristic launch concepts for the 21st century.

  The studies are significant becouse they involve olmost all of the major
  companies that make up the industrial fabric of Japan - not just aerospace
  contractors.  Many of the firms are multimillion dollar engineering
  and architectural companies.

  The pursuit of major 21st century space initiatives is not just being
  emphasized by the space agencies and contractors - it is formal Japanese
  government policy as laid out by the Space Activities Commission (SAC).

  SAC's space planning objectives are considered so important to Japan's
  future that they are one of the few technological areas specifically
  coordinated with the prime minister's office. [!]

  Those projects targeted by the SAC for basic and applied research with
  federal funds through the year 2000 include:

  *An orbital servicing vehicle....

  *An orbital transfer vehicle or space tug....

  *Development of advanced space technologies such as magneto-plasma-dynamic
   thrusters for use in deep space missions....

  *Space factory concepts in which Japan would establish commercially viable
   materials processing plants in space."


 "Some of the more futuristic Japanese station, lunar base and launch
  vehicle studies are funded by the National Space Development Agency
  (NASDA)....Some examples are:

  *Autonomous Japanese space station....

  *Japanese lunar base....

  *Unusual launch concepts - Taisei Corp., a major Japanese construction
   company, has a concept that would involve building a launching structure
   [that would use] a 'linear motor car system' powered by superconducting
   magnets [to provide initial launch propulsion for a spaceplane orbiter].

   Another big Japanese engineering company, Hazama-Gumi, Ltd., has done an
   engineering study of a different concept - an 'underground rocket
   launcher.'

   Hazama propooses to use compressed air to blow a Japanese manned
   spaceplane and its booster out of a mile-deep silo at Mach 1."


 "The activities of Shimizu Corp., the largest construction company in the
  world, also are indicative of how nonaerospace companies here are forming
  small space teams to prepare for 21st century markets.

  The company has studied how concrete will perform in a lunar environment
  and how concrete structures can be built on the Moon using lunar soil
  as a primary constituent."



They are taking this stuff seriously folks, and they intend to make a profit
out of it!  By the way, notice the name of the Japanese space agency:
National Space Development Agency.
               -----------


--- via Silver Xpress V2.26 [NR]
--
Paul Blase - via FidoNet node 1:129/104
UUCP: ...!pitt!nss!Paul.Blase
INTERNET: [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 19 Feb 91 17:11:52 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!pitt!nss![e-mail]  (Paul Blase)
Subject: Re: Japan's Space Industry

>>Japanese companies also seem to have more of a long-term vision with
>>regard to space development.  I've heard that Shimizu has plans for an
>>orbital space station (for tourism), a lunar base, and a Mars base,
>>and that Ohbayashi has plans for a lunar mining complex.

 NS> The U.S. also has "plans" for this space mythology, for what it
 NS> is worth.  No profitable corporation in either country is
 NS> spending serious money for any of this.

WRONG!!! The Japanese ARE spending serious money on the subject.  They
intend to MAKE A PROFIT!!!!!!!!! (at our expense).

 NS> I challenge anybody on the net to present a business plan --
 NS> the market plan, R&D plan, projected financing and cash flows
 NS> will suffice -- for any one of the following:

 NS> * space station
 NS> * lunar base
 NS> * Martian base

Coming up.

--- via Silver Xpress V2.26 [NR]
--
Paul Blase - via FidoNet node 1:129/104
UUCP: ...!pitt!nss!Paul.Blase
INTERNET: [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 25 Feb 91 01:33:10 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utzoo![e-mail]  (Henry Spencer)
Subject: space news from Jan 7 AW&ST

Launch of the next Almaz radarsat slips to late Jan [I believe it has
since slipped further] due to delays in testing of the data-relay system.

Astro-1's Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope team, after first looks at UIT's
film, are very happy:  alignment on targets seems to have been excellent
and stability during long exposures was adequate.

Photograph of the Gulf area by moonlight, taken by the Astro-1 crew.

Both Spot and Eosat say the remote-sensing market is starting to grow
rapidly and they expect double-digit sales growth in 1991.  Spot sales
in the second half of 1990 exceeded total sales in 1989 [although the
Gulf might perhaps have had something to do with that...] and their
projected growth rate in 1991 is 30%.

NASA to establish a Nuclear Propulsion Systems Office at Lewis, as a
joint project with DoE and DoD, to resume work in advanced propulsion.
[About %$#$%#$%ing time!!!]  The official goal is a functional test
engine by 2005 to support Moon/Mars efforts.  Both nuclear-thermal
[classical nuclear rockets] and nuclear-electric [nuclear-powered
ion thrusters] are being considered, and the choice will be made late
this decade.  There will also be some funding for high-risk-high-payoff
concepts like gaseous-core reactors.  NASA's last formal nuclear-rocket
project died in 1973.

Japan's Superbird A, a nearly new large comsat, died Dec 23.  On Dec 18
a valve either malfunctioned or was left open, and most of the oxidizer
in the maneuvering system leaked off into space.  The loss of attitude
control made the satellite useless and it was shut down.  Massive
insurance claims are already being filed [with lawsuits to follow, I
shouldn't wonder...].  This failure is especially nasty because Superbird
B was lost in the Ariane failure last Feb, and a replacement cannot be
launched before November.  Space Communications Corp. is trying to lease
transponders on other satellites in the interim, and JC-Sat has agreed
to make capacity available on JCSat 1 and 2.

Postmortem on the Dedicated Display Units that failed aboard Astro-1
shows identical failures, tentatively the result of debris clogging
heat sinks.  The debris is still being analyzed but "...it looked
like it consisted of blue lint, human hair of several different colors,
several colors of paint chips, a piece of food that looked like a
piece of a peanut, and some clear bits, probably of glass and plastic".
The source of the debris is not known, but Astro-1 spent six months
waiting for launch due to hydrogen leaks and other problems, and there
was a lot of activity aboard the orbiter meanwhile.  [Also of note is
that the DDUs reportedly have a history of overheating problems.]

Pictures of Earth and Moon from the Galileo flyby Dec 8.  Nothing remarkable.

GAO says that NASA has not maintained its facilities adequately, and this
has led to recent incidents that are starting to threaten major failures.
Mission-critical facilities like the pads and the orbiter-processing
building are in good shape, but other buildings are starting to suffer.
KSC has had to install a net under the deteriorating ceiling of the VAB
to keep concrete fragments from striking workers or equipment.  Except
for JPL, which is operated by Caltech, NASA centers are spending only
about 1% of the replacement value of facilities annually on maintenance,
and 2-4 times that is needed.  (JPL spends 2.3%.)

Minor electrical fire at KSC due to an error during improvements to ground
power supplies in the Orbiter Processing Facility Dec 14.  Discovery
powered down 16 hours during troubleshooting.  No damage to flight hardware,
and no schedule impact is expected.

Aerospace Ambassadors, of Huntsville, a nonprofit tour organization, signs
with NPO Energia for exclusive rights to tours of Baikonur.  AA has already
done two test tours to Baikonur, which were allowed to visit facilities
like shuttle pads and processing bays that are typically off-limits in
the US.

Weather-satellite picture of the Gulf area, showing thunderstorm activity
that might affect military preparations.  [Not seriously, as it turned out.]
--
"But this *is* the simplified version   | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
for the general public."     -S. Harris |  [e-mail]  utzoo!henry

------------------------------

End of SPACE Digest V13 #201
*******************