Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V16_6/V16NO667.TXT

Internet Message Format | 1993-07-13 | 25KB

Date: Thu,  3 Jun 93 05:51:51
From: Space Digest maintainer <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
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
    "[e-mail]", and (un)subscription requests of the form
    "Subscribe Space <your name>" to one of these addresses: listserv@uga
    (BITNET), rice::boyle (SPAN/NSInet), utadnx::utspan::rice::boyle
    (THENET), or [e-mail] (Internet).
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 2 Jun 1993 23:27:12 -0400
From: Jon Leech <[e-mail]>
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
[e-mail] (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:

    [e-mail] (Steven Fisk)        - publication refs.
    [e-mail] (Richard Akerman)   - crater diameters
    [e-mail] (Lisa Weigel)    - SEDS info
    [e-mail] (Srinivas Bettadpur) - tides
    [e-mail] (Alan Wm Paeth) - map projections
    [e-mail] (Allen W. Sherzer)        - Great Exploration
    [e-mail] (Ron Baalke)    - planetary probe schedules
    [e-mail] (Timothy Banks)    - map projections,
    variable star analysis archive
    [e-mail] (Bernie Rosen)    - Space Camp
    [e-mail] (Barry Schlesinger)   - FITS format
    [e-mail] (Craig E. Ward)        - space group contact info
    [e-mail] (Tom Chapin)        - planetary positions
    [e-mail] (D. Alan Cunningham)    - NASA Spacelink
    [e-mail] (Cliff Yamamoto) - orbital elements
    [e-mail] (Anthony Datri)        - PDS/VICAR viewing software
    [e-mail] (Dave Rickel)        - orbit formulae
    [e-mail] (Phil Fraering)        - propulsion
    [e-mail] (Dani Eder)        - Saturn V plans, SRBs
    [e-mail] (Eugene N. Miya)    - introduction,
    NASA contact info, started FAQ postings
    [e-mail] (Francis Reddy)    - map projections
    [e-mail] (Patrick M. French)    - space group contact info
    [e-mail] (Gary Morris)        - amateur radio info
    [e-mail] (Terry Gaetz)        - N-body calculations,
    orbital dynamics
    [e-mail] (Steve Grandi)        - planetary positions
    [e-mail] (Dale M. Greer)   - constants
    [e-mail] (Henry Spencer)    - survival in vacuum,
    astronaut how-to, Challenger disaster, publication refs, DC-X
    [e-mail] (William Higgins) - RTGs, publishers, shuttle
    landings, spysats, propulsion, "Face on Mars", and general
    assistance with FAQ upkeep.
    [e-mail] (Hal Mueller)    - map projections,
    orbital dynamics
    [e-mail] (Josh Hopkins)    - launch services
    [e-mail] (Jim Bowery)        - propulsion, launch services
    [e-mail] (James N. Head) - atmospheric scale heights
    [e-mail] (Jim Scotti)    - planetary positions
    [e-mail] (Kieran A. Carroll)- refs for spacecraft design
    [e-mail] (Kenneth Ng)        - RTGs
    [e-mail] (Ken Jenks)    - shuttle roll manuever
    [e-mail] (Larry Klaes)    - planetary probe history
    [e-mail] (Jon Leech)        - crater diameters
    [e-mail] (Lou Adornato)            - orbital dynamics
    [e-mail] (Maury Markowitz)   - propulsion
    [e-mail] (Erik Max Francis)    - equations
    [e-mail]        - N-body calculations
    [e-mail] (Marc Wayne Mcconley)    - space careers
    [e-mail] (Mark Brader)            - Mariner 1 info.
    [e-mail] (Mark Maimone)            - SPACE Digest
    [e-mail] (Dr. Nick Watkins)    - models, spysats
    [e-mail] (Olivier R. Hainaut)    - publishers, STARCAT
    [e-mail] (Graham O'Neil)    - Lunar Prospector
    [e-mail] (Kenneth W Durham)    - cometary orbits, IAU
    [e-mail] (Paul Blase)    - propulsion
    [e-mail] (Pete Banholzer)    - Clementine
    [e-mail] (Peter Scott)    - RTGs
    [e-mail] (Paul W. Schleck)    - AMSAT, ARRL contact info
    [e-mail] (Rodney Brown)        - propulsion refs
    [e-mail] (Ran Atkinson)    - FTPable astro. programs
    [e-mail] (R. Michael Jungclas)- models
    [e-mail] (David Seal)    - Cassini mission schedule
    [e-mail] (Mary Shafer)    - photos, shuttle landings
    [e-mail] (Willie Smith)    - photos
    [e-mail] (Stephen Dixon)    - shuttle audio frequencies
    [e-mail] (Ray Sterner)    - planetary positions
    [e-mail] (Phil Stooke)    - planetary maps
    [e-mail] (Ted Anderson)    - propulsion
    [e-mail] (Terry Hancock)    - NASA center info
    [e-mail] (Bill Thorson) - FITS info
    [e-mail] (Todd L. Masco)    - SPACE Digest
    [e-mail] (Tom Horsley)    - refs for algorithms
    [e-mail] (Veikko Makela)    - orbital element sets
    [e-mail] (Wales Larrison) - groups & publications
    [e-mail] (Wayne Hayes)    - constants
    [e-mail] (Matthew P Wiener) - Voyager history
    [e-mail] (Yoshiro Yamada)    - ISAS/NASDA missions
    [e-mail] (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 <[e-mail]>
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 [e-mail] (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 [e-mail] to join.

    GPS Digest is a moderated list for discussion of the Global Positioning
    System and other satellite navigation positioning systems. Email to
    [e-mail] to join.

    Space-investors is a list for information relevant to investing in
    space-related companies. Email Vincent Cate ([e-mail]) 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
    [e-mail] 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
    [e-mail] 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
    [e-mail] saying "SUBSCRIBE SEDSNEWS your name" to join.
    Email saying "INDEX SEDSNEWS" to list the archive contents.

    Ron Baalke ([e-mail]) 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 ([e-mail]) posts an acronym list around the
    first of each month.

    ASTRO-FTP LIST
    Veikko Makela ([e-mail]) posts a monthly list of
    anonymous FTP servers containing astronomy and space related
    material to sci.space and sci.astro.

    AVIATION WEEK
    Henry Spencer ([e-mail]) posts summaries of
    space-related stories in the weekly _Aviation Week and Space
    Technology_.

    BUYING TELESCOPES
    Ronnie Kon ([e-mail]) posts a guide to buying telescopes to
    sci.astro.

    ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF THE ASA
    Don Barry ([e-mail]) posts the monthly Electronic Journal
    of the Astronomical Society of the Atlantic to sci.astro.

    FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL
    Swaraj Jeyasingh ([e-mail]) 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 ([e-mail]) 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 ([e-mail]) 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 ([e-mail]) posts frequent updates from
    JPL, Ames, and other centers on the Ulysses, Gailileo, Pioneer,
    Magellan, Landsat, and other missions.

    ORBITAL ELEMENT SETS
    TS Kelso ([e-mail]) posts orbital elements from
    NASA Prediction Bulletins.

    Mike Rose ([e-mail]) posts orbital elements for the Hubble
    Space Telescope to sci.astro.

    Jost Jahn ([e-mail]) posts ephemerides for asteroids,
    comets, conjunctions, and encounters to sci.astro.

    SATELLITE LAUNCHES
    Richard Langley ([e-mail]) 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 ([e-mail]) 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 ([e-mail]) 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 ([e-mail]) posts summaries of Soviet space
    activities.

    SPACE ACTIVIST NEWSLETTER
    Allen Sherzer ([e-mail]) 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 ([e-mail]) posts a calendar including
    anniversaries, conferences, launch dates, meteor showers and
    eclipses, and other space-related events.

    SPACE NEWS
    John Magliacane ([e-mail]) 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 ([e-mail]) posts "Jonathan's Space
    Report" covering launches, landings, reentries, status reports,
    satellite activities, etc.

    TOWARD 2001
    Bev Freed ([e-mail]) 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
------------------------------