Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V13_7/V13_783.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #783

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 13 : Issue 783

Today's Topics:
         NASA Headline News for 06/17/91 (Forwarded)
            Re: Beanstalk analysis reprise
        Re: Solar Flares Affecting the Planet?
               * SpaceNews  24-Jun-91 *
             Re: Please Don't Go!

Administrivia:

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

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

Date: 22 Jun 91 01:00:07 GMT
From: att!pacbell.com!news.arc.nasa.gov![e-mail]  (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: NASA Headline News for 06/17/91 (Forwarded)

[Finally starting to catch up on my backlog of things to do. -PEY]

             Headline News
Internal Communications Branch (P-2) NASA Headquarters

  Monday, June 17, 1991 Audio Service: 202 / 755-1788

This is NASA Headline News for Monday, June 17, 1991 . . .

Ferry preparations on Columbia at the Dryden Flight Research
Facility are coming along well.  The Kennedy Space Center crew
expects to have Columbia ready for departure to the Cape by
Wednesday, with arrival at KSC on Thursday.  Columbia will then be
serviced and prepared for another ferry flight in mid-August, this time
back to the Rockwell orbiter facility in Palmdale for a series of
modifications and refurbishments.  Columbia is expected to be
returned to KSC in February, 1992.  The STS-40 medical subjects --
Rhea Seddon, James Bagian, Millie Hughes-Fulford, and Drew Gaffney
-- remain at Dryden and are about half-way finished with their seven-
day post-landing medical testing.

Activity associated with the Atlantis STS-43 mission also continues to
progress smoothly.  The payload, Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-E,
was moved to the launch pad this morning.  Atlantis is being prepared
for transport to the vehicle assembly building tomorrow night for
stacking.  KSC officials note that this turnaround processing for
Atlantis, 60 days, is the fastest and cleanest they have performed to
date.  Everything looks good to support a July launch of Atlantis to
deliver the TDRS-West replacement satellite.

                   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Last week the Gamma Ray Observatory was maneuvered to point at
its first scientific target of opportunity -- the Sun.  The 17-ton
observatory was repositioned by Goddard Space Flight Center
controllers to gather data from two X-class solar flares that occurred
last week.  The X-class is the largest and most powerful type of solar
flare and while much is known about the composition and magnitude
of solar flares, surprisingly little is known about their thermonuclear
processes.  All four of GRO's instrument teams received good data on
the solar activity.  GRO is in a 287-by-280 statute mile orbit.

                   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Flight controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory report the X-band
telemetry link from the Ulysses spacecraft was lost Friday, June 14,
for approximately two hours beginning shortly before Columbia landed.

After loss of the downlink telemetry, the spacecraft went into a safing
mode, which switched off all nine science experiments.  The telemetry
link was reestablished at 1:01 pm EDT.  No science data have been
acquired since the link was lost.  JPL Ulysses mission operations will
reestablish a stable thermal environment on the spacecraft and begin
turning the science instruments back on early this week.  The cause of
the incident currently is being investigated.

                   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The launch of Joust 1, a commercial suborbital rocket carrying 10
material and biotechnology experiments,  is scheduled for 7:00 am EDT
tomorrow, June 18 from Launch Complex 20 at the Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station.  The Joust 1 mission is sponsored by the University
of Alabama in Huntsville.  Orbital Sciences Corp., Space Data Division,
under a contract with UAH CMDS, is providing the Prospector rocket
and launch services.  The launch will be carried live on NASA Select
TV.

Here's the broadcast schedule for Public Affairs events on NASA Select
TV.  Note that all events and times may change without notice, and
that all times listed are Eastern.    indicates a program is transmitted
live.

Monday, 6/17/91
         1:00 pm NASA radio programs will be transmitted.

Tuesday, 6/18/91
          6:30 am Coverage of Joust-1 launch preparations begins.
          7:00 am Scheduled launch time of Joust-1 from Cape Canaveral
          Air Force Station

This report is filed daily at noon, Monday through Friday.  It is a
service of NASA's Office of Public Affairs.  The contact is Charles
Redmond, 202/453-8425 or CREDMOND on NASAmail.  NASA Select
TV is carried on GE Satcom F2R, transponder 13, C-Band, 72 degrees
West Longitude, transponder frequency is 3960 megaHertz, audio is
offset 6.8 MHz, polarization is vertical.

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

Date: 20 Jun 91 13:52:04 GMT
From: ssc-vax!bcsaic!hsvaic![e-mail]  (Dani Eder)
Subject: Re: Beanstalk analysis reprise

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>
>There was a science fact article in ANALOG Science Fiction/Science Fact a
>couple of years ago that concluded that, given our understanding of chemical
>bonds, there was no material theoretically strong enough to build a beanstalk
>on Earth (on Mars or the Moon, yes; on Earth, no), but that pinwheels would be
>feasible.  Anybody out there who can point us to the appropriate issue of
>Analog?
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't know about Analog, but take a look at the current issue of
'Science'.  There is a paper on observation of transparency changes
in graphite being subjected to 18 GPa (2.61 million psi) in a diamond
anvil cell.

Therefore pure diamond has a demonstrated compressive strength of
at least this much.  The specific gravity of diamond is 3.513 g/cc,
or 0.127 lb/cubic inch.  Thus the scale height in compression is
20.56 million inches, or 324 miles.

Graphite fiber has a commercial tensile strength of 1 million psi
and a density of 1.84 g/cc.  This gives a scale length in
tension of 15.04 million inches, or 237 miles.

In theory, if we allow an area ratio of 100 for each of a 'tower
of babel' from the ground and a 'jacob's ladder' from orbit, we
can build to 4.6 scale lengths with an optimal exponential taper.
This means that the combined structures can be built to 2583 miles
in 1 g.  Since the Earth's gravity well is equivalent to 3963 miles
at 1 g, we can build 65% of a beanstalk.  This is with no factor
of safety in design, but is intended to show that we are within a
factor of 2 of being able to build a beanstalk.

Dani Eder

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

Date: 21 Jun 91 08:10:15 GMT
From: cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!emory!wa4mei!ke4zv![e-mail]  (Gary Coffman)
Subject: Re: Solar Flares Affecting the Planet?

In article <9106160352.AA19559@phys> [e-mail] ("Jason Epel [Consultant]") writes:
>
>   It may be more non-scientific based rumor than fact, but I've heard
>that some scientists believe the run on plate disturbances can be
>attributed to the extraordinary solar flare activity we have experienced
>in the past weeks.  There's more to linking the two together than is
>implied, physically speaking such is 'possible' though may as in this
>case be improbable.
>
>   Is there any evidence to make this claim legitimate?  Or are people
>losing all sense of [scientific] reality?

Well, a non-scientific speculation on a non-scientific rumor. :-)
The one gross effect of solar flares we are sure of is the distortion
of the Earth's magnetic field. The Earth's field is weak by laboratory
standards, but it is vast. Quite a bit of energy must be stored in so
large a field. It's possible that warping the field could trigger some
tectonic event that was poised to happen anyway. Thus the volcanos in
the Philippines and Japan going off in near succession. Certainly
geomagnetic induction can disrupt power and communications grids,
perhaps it can trigger subsurface events as well.

Gary

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

Date: 22 Jun 91 02:40:43 GMT
From: cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!masscomp!ocpt!tsdiag!ka2qhd![e-mail]  (John Magliacane)
Subject: * SpaceNews  24-Jun-91 *


SB NEWS @ AMSAT < KD2BD $SPC0624
* SpaceNews  24-Jun-91 *

Bulletin ID: $SPC0624


                              =========
                              SpaceNews
                              =========

                         MONDAY JUNE 24, 1991


SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA.  It
is published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution.



* UoSAT-F NEWS *
================
UoSAT-F will fly with a European remote sensing satellite and some other
microsats. Intended orbit will have a height of about 780km and a 98 degree
inclination.  UoSAT-F will be called UoSAT-5/OSCAR-22 after launch.

The main mission is to provide store-and-forward communications for a group
called SatelLife who will use it for a non-profit electronic mail network for
health professionals.  Initially, 5 African medical schools will use "Health-
Net" for E-mail and to receive up-to-date medical literature.  When not serving
HealthNet on commercial frequencies, UO-22 will QSY to Amateur Satellite
channels sending AX.25 data at 9600 bps.  Uplink is 2m and downlink is 70cm
(same as frequencies planned for UoSAT4/OSCAR-15).  Stations using UO-14 will
be able to receive UO-22 with the same software and hardware.  Telemetry,
status messages and files will be transmitted in the same pattern and format
as UO-14.

UO-22 will have a similar role to UO-9, UO-11 and WEBERSAT.  Instead of
providing 2-way communications, it will transmit experimental data and
telemetry.  UO-22 carries a CCD camera with a wide-angle lens (110 deg)
giving a broad field of view.  Images will represent 1600 x 1800 km.  Ground
features will be more detectable than on previous cameras (UO-9 and WO-18).
The image will be 578 x 576 pixels, giving about 2 km ground resolution.  A
pixel is 8 bits, giving a black and white image with 256 grey levels.  UO-22
will broadcast CCD images using the PACSAT Protocol.  Two Transputers in the
camera unit will send the image to the main 80C186 On Board Computer.  The OBC
will make an image file, with 256 bytes of header information and a PACSAT
File Header, which will then be sent. Interested in writing display programs?
Complete technical file details will be published soon.  When UoS confirm the
camera works, they'll release a display program for PC compatibles.

FREQUENCY PLAN:

Downlink : 435.120 MHz 9600 bps FSK 1200 bps AFSK (backup) 5 W or 2 W
Uplink   : 145.900 MHz 9600 bps FSK 1200 bps AFSK (backup)

The uplink will only be used by groundstations transmitting "hole lists" and
requests for the PACSAT Broadcast Protocol.

Launch has been postponed until at least mid-July while Arianespace check an
anomaly in the Ariane rocket's third stage and modify it.  The extra time will
be used to continue development and testing of flight software.  UoS hope to
bring UO-22 on-line rapidly, perhaps returning the first CCD images a couple
of weeks after launch.

Incidentally, the French SARA satellite which has no connection with amateur
radio, on same launch as UO-22, uses 145.995 MHz as a downlink!!

73 Richard G3RWL (GB7HSN, OSCARS 14/16/19/20) 14JUN91

[Story via OSCAR-11]


* VOYAGER RADIO LINKS *
=======================
Voyager Spacecraft Radio Telecommunications Subsystem:

                                Transmitting Frequency (MHz)

Transmitting Parameters:          2295          8415

Transmitter power
 - Low Power                      6.5W          12W
 - High Power                     19W           18W
Transmitting antenna gain         35dB          47dB
Transmitting Polarization         RCP           RCP or LCP

Receiving Parameters:

Receiving frequency               2115 MHz
Receiving antenna gain            35dB
Noise temperature                 2000K
Receiving polarization            RCP


Performance Parameters of a 64-meter NASA DSN Tracking Station

                                Receiving Frequency

Receiving Parameters:             2295          8415

64-meter antenna gain             61dB          71dB
Noise temperature at zenith       22K           25K
Receiving polarization            RCP/LCP       RCP/LCP

Transmitting Parameters:

Transmitting frequency            2115 MHz
Transmitter power                 20 to 100 kW
64-meter antenna gain             60dB
Transmitting polarization         RCP


* FEEDBACK WELCOMED *
=====================
Feedback regarding SpaceNews may be directed to the editor using any one
of the following paths:

UUCP     : ...!rutgers.edu!ka2qhd!kd2bd
VOICE    : 908-842-1900 ext 607
PACKET   : KD2BD @ NN2Z.NJ.USA.NA
PRODIGY  : GHNS63D
INTERNET : [e-mail] -OR- [e-mail]

MAIL     : John A. Magliacane, KD2BD
           Department of Electronics Technology
           Advanced Technology Center
           Brookdale Community College
           Lincroft, New Jersey  07738
           U.S.A.


/EX
--
John A. Magliacane                 FAX  : [phone]
Electronics Technology Department  AMPR : KD2BD @ NN2Z.NJ.USA.NA
Brookdale Community College        UUCP : ...!rutgers!ka2qhd!kd2bd
Lincroft, NJ  07738  USA           VOICE: [phone] ext 607

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

Date: 22 Jun 91 01:33:25 GMT
From: bbn.com!nic!kira!emily![e-mail]  (Garrett Wollman)
Subject: Re: Please Don't Go!

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Fraering Philip) writes:
>The title says it all. Any of the NASA employees out there posting,
>whether or not it is self-serving propaganda or not, please continue
>reading and posting. Please ignore the more inflammatory people on
>this list. They don't speak for everyone.

"I wish to associate myself with the remarks
of the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana."

(Not that I think Congress things any better...)

>I don't think NASA is perfect, but I do think it can be part of the
>solution.

Depending on who you listen to (and believe me, I got past the
"/szabo/hK:j" stage a while ago), the Evil Space Bureaucracies may be
harmful to your long-term health.  However, as the overused cliche
goes, "they're the only ones we've got."  (Now if only we could get
the Soviet space people... perhaps I should write Vadim Antonov a
note...)  Unlike many of the pie-in-the-sky dreams of the
net.space.arch-capitalists, NASA, ESA, and the rest have worthwhile
things going on in space RIGHT NOW, and I want to hear about them!
That's why I will definitely vote for a separate space-politics
newsgroup, no matter what it ends up being called.  [It would be nice
if we could get Gene Miya back...]  It is nice to be able to see
comments from people who actually work with space, instead of
continuous rantings from employees of major *computer* manufacturers,
no matter how well-informed that may be.

-GAWollman

Garrett A. Wollman - [e-mail]

Disclaimer:  I'm not even sure this represents *my* opinion, never
mind UVM's, EMBA's, EMBA-CF's, or indeed anyone else's.

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

End of SPACE Digest V13 #783
*******************