Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Talk with NASA scientists
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Interested in any of the following?
* live webchats about Mars with NASA experts:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/events/interact.html
* an email service in which NASA experts answer your individual
questions:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/ask/question.html
* archives of answers to previously asked questions about Mars:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/ask/
* biographies of NASA experts and stories about their work days:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/team/
* background sections and Mars mission information:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/background/
* a Mars photo gallery:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/photos/
These resources are open to anyone without cost. To get involved, visit
the Mars Team Online web site at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/ and
jump in.
This popular Sharing NASA project involves NASA's current and future
missions to Mars. The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft took off in
November and reached the orbit of Mars on September 11, 1997 to begin an
orbital mission that will provide detailed mapping and weather
information. The Mars Pathfinder spacecraft blasted away in December and
landed on the Red Planet on July 4, 1997. The micro-rover Sojourner has
wandered its way around the Martian terrain, returning a wealth of new
science data.
By participating in the Mars Team Online project, you can join the Mars
team in their exploration of the Red Planet! The project was originally
designed for students and teachers, but we've found that adults are also
particularly interested, especially in the email question and answer
service.
Our other Sharing NASA projects also allow anyone from the general
public to share in the excitement of NASA's authentic scientific and
engineering pursuits, like flying the shuttle, spacecraft explorations
of distant planets, and space-based life sciences research. The focus of
these projects is the enthusiastic people of NASA. For these other
projects, see http://quest.arc.nasa.gov
[If you would like more information about Sharing NASA or Mars Team
Online, please remove "DESPAM" from the email address when you reply to
this post. I'll be happy to field any questions. Or just email me to let
me know that you found this information useful.]
Dan Helfman
Mars Team Online
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/
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=SANA=
Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: WDC-A R&S Launch Announcement 12924: UFO F/O F8
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COSPAR/ISES
WORLD WARNING AGENCY FOR SATELLITES
WORLD DATA CENTER-A FOR R & S, NASA/GSFC
CODE 633, GREENBELT, MARYLAND, 20771. USA
SPACEWARN 12924
COSPAR/WWAS USSPACECOM NUMBER
SPACECRAFT INTERNATIONAL ID (CATALOG NUMBER) LAUNCH DATE,UT
UFO F/O F8 1998-016A 25258 16 MARCH 1998
..JOSEPH H. KING, DIRECTOR, WDC-A-R&S.
[PH: (301) 286 7355.
E-MAIL: KING@NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV
17 MARCH 1998, 14:50 UT]
Dr. Edwin V. Bell, II
_/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/ Mail Code 633
_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ NASA Goddard Space
_/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ Flight Center
_/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Greenbelt, MD 20771
_/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/ +1-301-286-1187
ed.bell@gsfc.nasa.gov
NSSDC home page: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/
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=SANA=
Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Spacecraft Carrying Human Hair and DNA Planned For Interstellar Flight
Subject: Spacecraft Carrying Human Hair and DNA Planned For Interstellar Flight
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Contact: Charles Chafer
Tel: 1 (800) 522-3217
E-mail: Celests@iah.com
Local Contact: Jim Spellman
Tel/Fax: (760) 379-2503
E-mail: WSpaceport @aol.com
SPACECRAFT WITH HUMAN HAIR AND DNA
PLANNED FOR INTERSTELLAR FLIGHT
Companies expect to reap $225 million in privately financed venture
(Houston, TX) -- March 17 -- A new U.S. commercial space project is planning
to launch samples of human hair from as many as 4.5 million people worldwide
on a trajectory to Jupiter and beyond. The project's backers hope to make up
to $225 million from people who will pay $50 each to have their DNA-laden hair
launched on a spacecraft to be flung by Jupiter's gravity out of the solar
system into interstellar space.
Called "Encounter 2001," the spacecraft is scheduled to be launched in 2001 as
a payload on a Ariane 5 rocket launched from Kourou Space Center in French
Guiana. The lower "blub" portion of each hair, which contains the most DNA,
will be processed by a laboratory in California already gearing up to preserve
the DNA in millions of hair samples.
"Individuals will be charged $50 to submit hair samples along with their
pictures and small messages for launch," said Charles Chafer, president of
Encounter 2001. Mr. Chafer is also president of the Celestis Foundation
affliiated with Celestis, Inc., the same company that has made a business of
launching symbolic portions of cremated remains of humans into orbit as a
"space burial." The other partner in the Encounter 2001 venture is AeroAstro,
a company experienced in building small innovative spacecraft.
Participants will be able to launch up to six strands of hair along with
digitized pictures and short messages. Hair from people's pets will not be
allowed. "This is for humans only," Chafer stated.
"The mission would be preceded by radio telescope transmissions beamed from
Earth -- radioing, in effect, 'Here we come, ready or not' -- to any
intelligent lifeform in deep space that might take an interest in the hair/DNA
mission," Chafer said. Those transmissions are to start as early as Dec. 31
and will include the names of those who have paid to participate.
The Encounter 2001 limited-liability corporation formed by Celestis and
AeroAstro hopes to realize $75-225 million. Initial maket studies by the
project indicate 1.5-4.5 million people worldwide could pay to participate in
the flight. The group last week signed a contract with a major international
advertising firm to run a series of ads across the U.S. starting in April to
obtain more precise market data.
"Spacecraft development and launch costs are extimated at $10-12 million and
the Encounter 2001 project has already secured the $500,000 in financing,"
said Jim Spellman, one of the West Coast representatives for the Houston-based
Celestis, Inc. "No additional financing will be required if public response
equals our expectations. A final decision to proceed with the project is set
for later this year, and spacecraft fabrication is expected to begin the first
part of 1999."
The French space agency (CNES), and the European Space Agency's (ESA)
Arianespace consortium will use an Ariane 5, Europe's new heavy-lift space
booster to launch the Encounter 2001 spacecraft into an elliptical
geosynchronous transfer orbit along with one or two communications satellites
unrelated to the deep space mission.
Following launch, the Encounter spacecraft would orbit the Earth for weeks or
months waiting for an optimum trajectory to Jupiter. The spacecraft's escape
engine would be fired when the Earth and Jupiter come into proper alignment,
requiring two years to reach Jupiter where the planet's gravity would fling it
on a trajectory out of the solar system.
"Encounter 2001 is the first opportunity for all of us to reach out beyond our
solar system with our dreams, thoughts, and essence," said Mr. Chafer, who is
also the president of Encounter 2001. "It's only appropriate that as new and
innovative ways for public participation in spaceflight are developed,
Celestis offers them."
In April 1997, Celestis launched the cremated remains of Star Trek creator
Gene Roddenberry, 1960's pop icon Timothy Leary and 22 other individuals into
Earth orbit using a Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) "Pegasus XL" rocket.
It was released over the Canary Islands from a converted L-1011 jumbo jet that
is based at Meadows Field/Kern County Airport in Bakersfield, California.
On February 10, an OSC "Taurus" rocket rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air
Force base in Santa Barbara County, Calif. placing the remains of 30 more
individuals aboard the Celestis-02 spacecraft into Earth orbit. Another
mission, Celestis-03, is planned for late July from the Kennedy Space Center
in Florida aboard another OSC "Pegasus XL" rocket.
Once in space, the same stage that carries the Celestis spacecraft and the
rocket's primary payloads separate and enter Earth orbit. Neither the
capsules nor the ashes ever escape into space; the capsules remain attached to
the final stage. The cremated remains launched on Celestis flights will stay
on orbit between 18 months and 10 years before they re-enter the atmosphere
and harmlessly vaporize. At a cost of $4,800 per person, Celestis services
are comparable to most conventional funeral services.
"With the 'Earthview Commemorative Spaceflight,' our Celestis mission is a
secondary payload on a typical commercial space flight. Therefore, we will
not contribute to orbital pollution," Chan Tysor, president of Celestis, Inc.
said. "Eventually, those satellites will re-enter the atmosphere. . .blazing
like a shooting star in final tribute."
A portion of the proceeds -- including the Encounter 2001 project -- goes to
the Celestis Foundation which contributes to entrepreneurial space
enterprises, educational organizations, and other charities which promote a
positive future on Earth.
For a video replay of the previous Celestis "Founders' Flight" and
"Celestis-02" launches, point your Internet web browser to:
http://www.celestis/com/
More information on Celestis and Encounter 2001 is available from Celestis,
Inc. at 1 (800) ORBIT-11.
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=SANA=
Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: STARDUST Update - March 13, 1998
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STARDUST Status Report
March 13, 1998
Ken Atkins
STARDUST Project Manager
The live video feed from the high bay assembly area at Lockheed Martin
Astronautics is now on the Stardust website
(http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/construction.html) for public
viewing. The images are currently being updated every 2 minutes. For
orientation, the scene shows the gray propellant tank sitting in front of
the three (vertical) black side-panels. These side panels are mounted on the
ground handling "strongback" supports. The strongback provides a foundation
for handling and moving the spacecraft during assembly. There are two
electronic boxes visible above and slightly left of the tank. These boxes
are the power control assembly (PCA) and the Command and Data Handling
(C&DH) unit. These are the central "heart" of the spacecraft that power and
communicate with the other units that will be appearing in the scene as time
goes on. We welcome you to the Assembly, Test and Launch Operations (ATLO)
activities. Hope you enjoy watching hardware that will actually fly to the
comet come together as a spacecraft.
[Editor's note: the camera used for the live video feed is used in the ATLO
testing and is often moved around within the assembly area. The view may
not always be on the spacecraft.
]
The ATLO activities continued to make excellent progress this week. The
Telecom subsystem testing of compatibility with the Deep Space Network (DSN)
was completed very successfully. This success demonstrates the ability of
the flight spacecraft to communicate from space through the worldwide system
of antennas comprising the DSN. The flight pyro initiation unit (PIU) was
delivered and has been installed on the spacecraft. This element of the
electric power subsystem triggers the various releases and deployments
during the mission (e.g. Sample Return Capsule (SRC) separation from the
spacecraft.)
The assembly of the flight Sample Return Capsule (SRC) was completed! It was
placed in its "clean tent" or "glove box" environment and run through
functional testing of the capsule and deployment of the aerogel collector.
This was successful and the SRC has now been moved to the acoustics facility
for testing today against environmental frequencies representative of the
launch vehicle.
For more information on the STARDUST mission - the first ever comet sample
return mission - please visit the STARDUST home page:
http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/
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=SANA=
Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: SJI's Sky And Space Update - March 15, 1998
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SAN JUAN INSTITUTE'S SKY AND SPACE UPDATE
Summary information about the night sky and recent findings and events
in solar system exploration and science. Updated every 2 weeks.
LAST UPDATED: SUN. MAR. 15, 1998
Prepared by: Dr. Bruce Betts and Andre Bormanis
OBJECTS TO LOOK FOR IN THE NIGHT SKY (MID-NORTHERN LATITUDES)
MERCURY rises to greatest elongation -- some 19 degrees from the Sun --
on Mar. 16. Look for it in the west shortly after sunset. By the end of
the month, Mercury will have faded in brightness to the point that it is not
readily viewable.
VENUS is visible in the low east-southeast in the pre-dawn sky, looking
like an extremely bright star. It reaches greatest elongation (47 degrees
from the Sun) on Mar. 27.
MARS is very low in the southwest in the early evening. It looks like
a dim yellowish-orange star.
JUPITER reappears from its conjunction with the Sun low in the east
just before dawn. Look for it to the lower left of Venus about half an hour
before dawn. Just before dawn on the morning of Mar. 26, observers on the
East coast of the U.S. may be able to glimpse Jupiter emerging from behind
the dark limb of the Moon.
SATURN is low in the west shortly after sunset. It looks like a
yellowish star.
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE OBSERVERS: Planets located in the southern part of
the sky for northern hemisphere observers will appear higher in southern
hemisphere skies; those in the north will appear lower.
THE MOON
Last Quarter Moon occurs Mar. 20 at 11:38 p.m. PST (UT - 8 hours).
New Moon occurs Mar. 27 at 7:14 p.m. PST.
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE REPORT
SJI Program Development Assistant Andre Bormanis, and long-time SJI
volunteer Dick Kenealy traveled to Aruba to witness the total eclipse of the
Sun that occurred on Feb. 26. Both report spectacular views. At the
southern tip of Aruba, totality lasted 3 minutes and 32 seconds. All five
naked-eye planets were visible during the eclipse! Mercury and Jupiter were
just a few degrees away from the Sun. Photos and a more detailed account of
the eclipse will eventually be posted on the SJI web site. Other accounts
of the eclipse can be found on the Sky & Telescope website,
http://www.skypub.com, along with links to other eclipse-related websites.
PLANETARY SPACECRAFT UPDATE
LUNAR PROSPECTOR: Data from the Lunar Prospector spacecraft strongly
suggest that water ice is abundant at both the north and south poles of
Earth's Moon.
Prospector's neutron spectrometer detected low concentrations of water
ice across a significant number of polar craters. Due to the low angle of
the Sun at the poles, parts of the floors of these craters are permanently
in shadow. The ice crystals appear to be mixed into grains of lunar soil
(regolith) that cover the crater floors.
Mission scientists estimate that the total amount of ice detected
ranges from 10 billion to 300 billion metric tons. The north pole contains
twice as much ice as the south. The scientists theorize that ice has been
deposited on the Moon over the last several billion years by comets crashing
into the lunar surface.
Just 30 billion tons of lunar ice would be able to support the water
needs for a colony of 2000 people for 100 years, even without recycling. In
addition to providing drinking and bathing water, the water could be broken
down into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The oxygen could be
used for breathing, and the hydrogen could be used for rocket fuel.
Lunar Prospector has also mapped the gravitational field of the Moon to
great accuracy. This "gravity map" will be extremely useful for plotting
the orbits of future lunar spacecraft, as well as for determining the
structure of the Moon's interior. Lunar Prospector will continue to conduct
its primary mission for the next ten months. Prospector's orbit will then
be lowered to an altitude of just ten kilometers, allowing the spacecraft's
instruments to gather even higher resolution data on the Moon's composition
and gravity. More information about this mission can be found at the NASA
website http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov.
GALILEO: Analysis of images from the Dec. 16, 1997 Europa fly-by
bolsters the theory that liquid water exists beneath the moon's icy surface.
Galileo made its closest pass ever (200 kilometers) over Europa during
this encounter. The images it obtained show evidence of slush on the
Europan surface, along with ice cliffs as tall as America's Mount Rushmore,
and plates of ice that have broken apart and moved around. The presence of
slush and moving ice plates implies a warmer, possibly fluid layer of water
recently existed, and may still exist, beneath the moon's surface.
For more information on the Galileo mission, see
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo.
THESE WEEKS IN SPACE HISTORY
MAR. 18, 1965: Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov becomes the first man to
"walk" in space.
MAR. 25, 1655: Saturn's giant moon Titan was discovered by the Dutch
astronomer Christiaan Huygens. Titan features an atmosphere thicker than
Earth's, comprised primarily of nitrogen. In the year 2004, the Cassini
spacecraft will release a probe named in Huygen's honor to study the
atmosphere and surface of Titan.
MAR. 29, 1974: The U.S. Mariner 10 spacecraft becomes the first, and so
far the only spacecraft to fly-by Mercury, closest planet to the Sun.
Mariner 10 passed by Mercury three times, photographing a total of 54
percent of the planet's surface.
RANDOM SPACE FACT
The first experimental confirmation of Einstein's General Theory of
Relativity was made during the total solar eclipse of May 29, 1919. During
an eclipse, bright stars become visible. Einstein had predicted that
gravity from the Sun would slightly bend the path of starlight passing close
to the Sun. Astronomers tested this assertion by measuring the positions of
several stars that appeared close to the Sun during the 1919 eclipse. The
deviations in the observed positions of these stars due to the Sun's gravity
matched Einstein's predictions.
**********************************************************************
The San Juan Institute (SJI) is a non-profit corporation headquartered
in San Juan Capistrano, CA with divisions there and in Tucson, AZ. SJI
carries out research and education in planetary and Earth sciences and
astronomy, with funding provided by government grants and private donations,
which are always needed. Partial funding for the SSU has been provided by
NASA's Solar System Exploration Division.
San Juan Capistrano Research Institute Ph: 714-240-2010, Fax: 714-240-0482
31882 Camino Capistrano, Suite 107 Email: educate@sji.org
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 Web site: http://www.sji.org
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=SANA=
Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Two Studies Will Refine and Expand Solar Monitoring Task
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Douglas Isbell
Headquarters, Washington, DC March 19, 1998
(Phone: 202/358-1753)
RELEASE: 98-47
TWO STUDIES WILL REFINE AND EXPAND SOLAR MONITORING TASK
The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, and the
University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space
Physics in Boulder have been selected by NASA's Office of Earth
Science to conduct parallel six-month definition studies of a
new small satellite to monitor variations in the amount of
radiant solar energy that reaches Earth.
The precise measurements to be obtained by the Total Solar
Irradiance Mission (TSIM) will help scientists better
understand the relationship between the Sun's variable energy
output and its effects on Earth's climate. The six-month
feasibility studies will focus on the development of a
preliminary system design and operations concept for the cost-
capped $23 million mission.
NASA has been measuring the total radiative output of the
Sun from the unique perspective of space since the late 1970s.
The current sensor being used is called the Active Cavity
Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM). NASA has flown two
ACRIM instruments, including the ACRIM-II instrument onboard
NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. A third ACRIM
instrument is scheduled for launch aboard a dedicated small
satellite in October 1999.
TSIM will extend the broad data set gathered by the ACRIM
series while exploring a new capability to measure solar
irradiance in two discreet spectral bands. Once proven, this
operationally oriented capability is a candidate for flight
aboard future National Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite
System missions being planned by a tri-agency partnership among
NASA, the Department of Defense and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
"TSIM will be developed in 36 months or less using the same
key principles of 'faster, better, cheaper' spacecraft
demonstrated by the agency's Discovery Program," said Dr.
Ghassem Asrar, NASA Associate Administrator for Earth Science.
"We hope to obtain an instrument payload that is lighter and
more technologically advanced, yet provides an exciting
additional capability that will give us new knowledge about our
climate and why it varies."
TSIM is part of NASA's Earth Observing System, a series of
advanced remote-sensing satellites designed to provide
simultaneous measurements of a broad range of physical,
chemical and biological processes to enable researchers to
study the Earth's land, oceans, air, ice and life as a total
system. TSIM also will serve as NASAХs contribution to the
joint small Science Satellite (SciSat) program with the
Canadian Space Agency. NASA and Canada have committed to
developing independent science research missions to be launched
on a NASA-funded launch vehicle in December 2001, with shared
data after launch.
The two selected teams will document their analyses for
NASA review by the end of 1998, with one team being selected
to proceed with development. TSIM program management will be
provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.
-end-
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=SANA=
Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: NASA's TRACE Mission Set To Study The Sun's Turbulent Upper Atmosphere
Subject: NASA's TRACE Mission Set To Study The Sun's Turbulent Upper Atmosphere
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Donald Savage
Headquarters, Washington, DC March 19, 1998
(Phone: 202/358-1547)
Donna Drelick/Jim Sahli
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
(Phone: 301/286-8955)
RELEASE: 98-48
NASA'S TRANSITION REGION AND CORONAL EXPLORER MISSION SET TO
STUDY THE SUN'S TURBULENT UPPER ATMOSPHERE
NASA's Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE)
mission, scheduled for launch at 9:40 p.m. EST (6:40 p.m. PST)
March 30, 1998, will greatly improve understanding of events in
the Sun's atmosphere, including intense storms and flares,
which can have an impact on power and communications systems on Earth.
The TRACE mission will join a fleet of spacecraft studying
the Sun during a critical period when solar activity is
beginning its rise to a peak early in the new millennium. The
Sun goes through an 11-year cycle from a period of numerous
intense storms and sunspots to a period of relative calm and
then back again. The coming months in the Sun's cycle will
provide solar scientists with periods of strong solar activity
interspersed with periods when the Sun is relatively passive
and quiet. This will give TRACE the chance to study the full
range of solar conditions, even in its relatively short planned lifetime.
TRACE will train its powerful telescope on the dynamic so-
called 'transition region' of the Sun's atmosphere, between the
relatively cool surface and lower atmosphere of the Sun where
temperatures are about 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and the
extremely hot upper atmosphere called the corona, where
temperatures are up to 16 million degrees Fahrenheit. Using
instruments sensitive to extreme-ultraviolet and ultraviolet
wavelengths of light, TRACE will study the detailed connections
between the fine-scale surface features and the overlying,
changing atmospheric structures of hot, ionized gas, called
plasma. The surface features and atmospheric structures are
linked by fine-scale solar magnetic fields.
The power of the TRACE telescope to do detailed studies of
the solar atmosphere makes this observatory unique among the
current group of spacecraft studying the Sun.
"The spacecraft has roughly ten times the temporal
resolution and five times the spatial resolution of previously
launched solar spacecraft. Its findings are eagerly awaited by
the solar science community," said Dr. Alan Title, TRACE
principal investigator from the Stanford Lockheed Institute for
Scientific Research in Palo Alto, CA. "We can expect to
resolve some present mysteries of the Sun's atmospheric
dynamics as well as discover new and exciting phenomena."
TRACE will be launched into a polar orbit to enable
virtually continuous observations of the Sun, uninterrupted by
the Earth's shadow for months at a time. This orbit will give
the mission the greatest chance of observing the random
processes which lead to flares and massive eruptions in the
Sun's atmosphere.
The TRACE telescope is really four telescopes in one. Its
30-centimeter (12-inch) primary and six-centimeter (2-inch)
secondary super-polished mirrors are individually coated in
four distinct quadrants to allow light from different
bandwidths (colors) to be reflected and analyzed. An
electronic detector collects images over a 231,000-by-231,000-
mile field of view, nearly 25 percent of the Sun's disk. A
powerful data handling computer enables very flexible use of
the detector array including adaptive target selection, data
compression and image stabilization.
"TRACE was completed on time, under budget, and met all
performance goals," said Jim Watzin, Small Explorer project
manager, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. "I'm
really proud of this team. They have produced a magnificent
observatory in a manner that saved NASA nearly $9.7 million
over the initial cost estimate." TRACE, which costs $49
million, is the third launch in the Small Explorer series of
small, quickly developed, relatively low-cost missions.
TRACE will be launched on an Orbital Sciences Corp.,
Dulles, VA, Pegasus-XL rocket released from an L-1011 jet
aircraft at the Western Range, Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.
The launch window is open for 10 minutes.
TRACE will be the first space science mission with an open
data policy. All data obtained by TRACE will be available to
other scientists, students and the general public shortly after
the information becomes available to the primary science team.
The TRACE telescope was designed and developed in
cooperation between Lockheed Martin Corp. and Stanford
University. The spacecraft was designed and tested at Goddard,
which manages the mission for the Office of Space Science at
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC.
Further information about the TRACE mission can be found on
the Internet at:
http://sunland.gsfc.nasa.gov/smex/trace
TRACE science information can be found at:
http://www.space.lockheed.com/TRACE/welcome.html
- end -
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=SANA=
Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Mars Global Surveyor Update - March 13, 1998
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Mars Global Surveyor
Flight Status Report
Friday, 13 March 1998
Aerobraking operations continue to proceed smoothly for the Mars
Global Surveyor spacecraft. Since arrival at Mars last September,
Surveyor has completed 174 orbits, and aerobraking has reduced the period
of revolution around the planet from its initial high of 45 hours down to
its current value of 13.2 hours. The flight team anticipates that
aerobraking will continue to proceed unimpeded due to the low probability
of another major dust storm at Mars.
The flight team is currently preparing for the temporary suspension
of aerobraking and the reactivation of the science payload. This
transition will occur about two weeks from now when the orbit period has
been reduced to 11.6 hours. At that time, Surveyor will fire its
thrusters to raise the low point of its orbit out of the atmosphere. This
temporary aerobraking hiatus will allow the science teams to collect data
during the spring and summer months of this year. In addition, the hiatus
is also necessary so that Mars will be in the proper position in its
orbit around the Sun when aerobraking finishes and mapping commences next
spring.
After a mission elapsed time of 491 days from launch, Surveyor is
218.63 million miles (351.85 million kilometers) from the Earth and in an
orbit around Mars with a high point of 12,453 miles (20,041 km), a low
point of 72.8 miles (117.2 km), and a period of 13.2 hours. The
spacecraft is currently executing the P175 command sequence, and all
systems continue to perform as expected. The next status report will be
released between March 25th and April 1st.
Status report prepared by:
Office of the Flight Operations Manager
Mars Surveyor Operations Project
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA 91109
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=SANA=
Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Mars Surveyor 98 Update - March 20, 1998
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1998 MARS SURVEYOR PROJECT STATUS REPORT
March 20, 1998
John McNamee
Mars Surveyor 98 Project Manager
Orbiter and lander integration and test activities are proceeding on
schedule with no significant problems. The orbiter spacecraft is being
prepared for thermal vacuum testing scheduled to begin on April 8. The
lander/backshell combination was mated with the cruise stage on March 16 and
the heat shield was installed on March 20. The lander spacecraft in full
cruise configuration will be transported to the acoustics lab at Lockheed
Martin on March 21. Modal testing of the lander is scheduled to begin on March
30
and acoustic testing on April 3.
The Tunable Diode Laser (TDL) element of the flight Thermal and Evolved Gas
Analyzer (TEGA) instrument suffered a failure during testing at the
University of Arizona. Extensive functional testing of the TEGA following
the pyroshock and vibration tests detected a near zero water spectrum
output. Troubleshooting of the instrument discovered a break in the
thermoelectric cooler on the water laser assembly in the TDL. The cooler
is being repaired and will be retested. This failure is not expected to
impact the TEGA integration on the lander in June.
For more information on the Mars Surveyor 98 mission, please
visit this website:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mars98/
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=SANA=
Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: New El Nino Image Shows Warm Water Pool Near Normal
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MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Contact: Mary Hardin
(818) 354-0344
INTERNET ADVISORY March 20, 1998
NEW EL NINO IMAGE SHOWS WARM WATER POOL NEAR NORMAL
The most recent image from the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite
shows the sea surface height along the central equatorial Pacific
has returned to a near normal state and remnants of the warm
water pool, commonly referred to as El Nino, are now situated to
the north and south of the equator.
The image shows sea surface height relative to normal ocean
conditions on Mar.14, 1998 and sea surface height is an indicator
of the heat content of the ocean. Oceanographers indicate this is
a classic pattern, typical of a mature El Nino condition that
they would expect to see during the ocean's gradual transition
back to normal sea level. These sea surface height measurements
have provided scientists with a detailed view of how the 1997-98
El Nino warm pool behaves because the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite
measures the changing sea surface height with unprecedented
precision.
Sea surface temperatures, as measured by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA), are still well
above normal throughout the tropical Pacific Ocean and are
expected to remain that way into April and May.
Using satellite imagery, buoy and ship data, and a
forecasting model of the ocean-atmosphere system, NOAA has
extended an advisory indicating that the so-called El Nino
weather conditions that have impacted much of the United States
and the world are expected to continue through the spring.
The Mar. 14 image is now available online at:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/elnino
The U.S./French TOPEX/Poseidon mission is managed by NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute
of Technology, Pasadena, CA.
#####
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=SANA=
Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: * SpaceNews 23-Mar-98 *
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SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0323
* SpaceNews 23-Mar-98 *
BID: $SPC0323
=========
SpaceNews
=========
MONDAY MARCH 23, 1998
SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It
is published every week and is made available for non-commercial use.
* UoSAT-OSCAR-11 NEWS *
OSCAR-11 celebrated its 14th birthday on 01-Mar-98. It is a wonderful
achievement by the UoSAT team who designed, built, and launched the satellite
in a period of only six months. Although there have been various component
failures during its long time in orbit, OSCAR-11 does have the habit of
bouncing back! Great credit to its design philosophy.
During the last week there have been some problems with OSCAR-11 and the
145 MHz beacon has been OFF. The beacon was heard on Monday 09-Mar-98 at
which time its telemetry was nominal. Nothing was heard on Saturday and
Sunday 14/15 March on 145 or 435 MHz. On Tuesday 17Mar-98 it was heard
on the 14:44 and 16:22 passes. On both passes, the 435 MHz beacon was
switched on after AOS. During the early part of the pass, binary data was
transmitted and then switched over to the 145 MHz beacon, indicating ground
control activities. During the latter pass, some binary telemetry was
received which showed the battery voltage rather low at 13.3 volts.
Nothing was heard on Wednesday pass at 05:46 UTC.
The shut down may be a recurrence of the watchdog timer problem, which was
prevalent about two years ago.
During the remainder of the reporting period (ie. 16-Feb-98 to 09-Mar-98),
good signals were received from the 145 MHz beacon. The battery voltage
has been slightly depressed at around 13.5 volts, but otherwise, telemetry
is nominal.
A single WOD survey has been transmitted, dated 06 January 1998. This
contains channels 10, 20, 30 ,40 (+Y, -X, +X array currents, and array
voltage). The array voltage is a very good indication of the solar eclipses,
changing rapidly as the satellite goes in and out of darkness.
Reception reports of the Mode-S beacon have been received from VK3BNC,
N0ZHE, and N5JDB. All are using the Drake MMDS downconverter.
Clive Wallis, G3CWV, has created an OSCAR-11 Web site that contains
information regarding the UoSAT-OSCAR-1 spacecraft. Clive recently added
some audio files including a 20-second recording of the Mode-S beacon as
received by KC6SZY. The other audio files are examples of each type of
data transmitted by OSCAR-11, and each plays for about ten seconds. All
the audio files are zipped so that they can be played off-line. They
should help listeners identify the various types of data transmitted by
the satellite, and give an indication of the signal quality required
for successful decoding. The web site also contains some software useful
for capturing data, and decoding ASCII telemetry and WOD. There is an
archive of raw data (mainly WOD) for analysis, which is continually
being expanded, as new data is captured. The URL for Clive's OSCAR-11
Web site is:
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/
UoSAT-OSCAR-11's operating schedule remains unchanged:
ASCII status (210 seconds)
ASCII bulletin (60 seconds)
BINARY SEU (30 seconds)
ASCII TLM (90 seconds)
ASCII WOD (120 seconds)
ASCII bulletin (60 seconds)
BINARY ENG (30 seconds)
There are also some additional status blocks transmitted after each bulletin
between the ASCII TLM and WOD transmissions.
The Mode-S beacon is ON transmitting an unmodulated carrier, but telemetry
indicates that it has partially failed, and delivering half power. This
beacon is a useful test source for those testing Mode-S converters, prior
to the launch of P3-D. It is considerably weaker than DOVE, which should
be used for initial testing due to its stronger signal. Any reports of
reception of the 2401 MHz Mode-S beacon should be directed to Clive Wallis
at: g3cwv@amsat.org.
The 435.025 MHz beacon is normally OFF, but can sometimes be heard when the
satellite is being commanded by ground control (ie. within range of Guildford,
UK). When the 435 MHz beacon is transmitting, the 145 MHz beacon is normally
OFF. The data transmitted is mainly binary.
[Info via Clive Wallis, G3CWV]
* ITAMSAT-OSCAR-26 NEWS *
On 16-Mar-98, ITAMSAT Command Stations IK2XRO and IW2EGC succesfully switched
the ITAMSAT-OSCAR-26 satellite ON from the safe MBL mode and reloaded the
high level IHT97 code. The spacecraft is now sending the full set of 64
telemetry channels and is collecting Whole Orbit Data surveys. After the
full check is completed, the digipeater will be turned ON, and the file
system code reload will begin. The satellite appears to be in an healthy
state, with all the subsystems working nominally. Telemetry can be copied
on 435.822 MHz at 1200 baud PSK.
[Info via Alberto E. Zagni, I2KBD - ITAMSAT (IO-26) Mission Director]
* FUJI-OSCAR-29 NEWS *
The JARL has announced that the Fuji-OSCAR-29 communications satellite
was switched into Mode JA (analog transponder mode) on the pass of 16-Mar-98
at 0800 UTC. The satellite is expected to remain in Mode JA until 23-Mar-98,
after which a new operating schedule is expected to be announced.
[Info via Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK]
* KITSAT-OSCAR-23 NEWS *
Richard, G3RWL, has reported that the KITSAT-OSCAR-23 satellite is currently
experiencing a lack of solar eclipses that are causing the internal
temperature of the spacecraft to increase, resulting in a distorted downlink
signal. KO-23 goes through a period of where it experiences no eclipses
about every five months. Eclipses are expected to begin again around the
end of March or beginning of April.
[Info via Richard W L Limebear, G3RWL]
* CORRECTION TO REPORT ON JOHN GLENN *
Gordon West has confirmed that US Senator John Glenn did NOT attend his
Amateur Radio licensing course at Fry's Electronics in Southern California
earlier this month. A message was left for Glenn's press aide last week
asking if Glenn has intentions of talking on ham radio while in orbit,
either with a license or as a third party, and no response has so far
been received.
[Info via Rich Moseson, W2VU]
* FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED *
Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John,
KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below:
WWW : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/
PACKET : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA
INTERNET : kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net
SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19, KITSAT-OSCAR-25
<<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>>
<<=- Serving the planet for 10 years -=>>
/EX
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- John A. Magliacane, KD2BD -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Internet : kd2bd@amsat.org | Voice : +1.732.224.2948
Satellite : AO-16, LO-19, KO-25 | Morse : -.- -.. ..--- -... -..
Packet : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA | WWW : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/
Video : 426.250 MHz/439.250 MHz | FAX : +1.732.224.2060
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Linux: An OS That Doesn't Break Like Glass -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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=SANA=
Дата: 24 марта 1998 (1998-03-24)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Economics of Interstellar Colonization
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The folowing paper is at: http://hanson.berkeley.edu/filluniv.pdf
Burning the Cosmic Commons:
Evolutionary Strategies for Interstellar Colonization
by Robin Hanson
Abstract:
Consider an expanding wave of interstellar colonization, where
"seeds" grow "colonies" at the "oases" surrounding stars, and
then launch a new generation of seeds toward more distant oases.
Without enforceable property rights in virgin oases, frontier
colonization behavior should eventually be given by a selection
effect: only leading edge colonists whose strategies implemented
the maximum sustainable average speed would tend to stay near
the leading edge.
Even with such maximal strategies, however, random factors would
cause some seeds to fall behind the leading edge. Since
eventually most of the colonized universe would be far behind
the leading edge, the strategies and values of such fallen-behind
colonists are of interest.
We assume that oases are uniformly-distributed, that risk-neutral
colonists with identical values and constant technology travel
much farther than the oasis spacing, and that seeds receive noisy
signals about which oases ahead are already occupied. We then
treat colonization as a game played out along a traveling wave of
colonization, and consider how colonists choices change as they
fall further behind.
At the very leading edge, great growth at oases is matched by
great death between them, and an incredible premium is placed on
seed hardness. As congestion increases behind the leading edge,
colonists stay longer at oases, grow more slowly there, launch and
deliver more slower-traveling seeds, land at a wider range of
oasis types, and spend more to see which oases are occupied.
There are limits, however, to how slow seeds fly, to how slow
colonies grow, and to the fraction of good oases that get
colonized. And any colonists left behind after a seed launching
try to leave as soon as possible. Thus this model allows for lone
oases like ours among large almost lifeless regions, though it
also predicts large numbers of used-up oases and crashed seeds
nearby.
Robin Hanson
hanson@econ.berkeley.edu http://hanson.berkeley.edu/
RWJF Health Policy Scholar, Sch. of Public Health 510-643-1884
140 Warren Hall, UC Berkeley, CA 94720-7360 FAX: 510-643-8614
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=SANA=
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