Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: * SpaceNews 10-Aug-98 *
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SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0810
* SpaceNews 10-Aug-98 *
BID: $SPC0810
=========
SpaceNews
=========
MONDAY AUGUST 10, 1998
SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It
is published every week and is made available for non-commercial use.
* SAFEX NEWS *
The SAFEX team is interested in hearing from those who have had recent
contact with the SAFEX repeater module on Mir. Joerg, DL3LUM asks that
reports be sent to either of the following e-mail addresses:
tom.kieselbach@t-online.de
jh.hahn@gmx.net
* CANADIAN SPACE TELESCOPE PLANNED *
Saint-Hubert, August 5, 1998 -- The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced
today that Dynacon Enterprises Limited of Toronto has been selected as the
lead contractor to develop and build the world's smallest astronomical space
telescope, capable of measuring the ages of stars, and perhaps even unlocking
mysteries of the universe itself.
Other key partners include the University of British Columbia (UBC)
and the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS).
The $4-million contract is subject to the successful completion of federal
contract procedures and negotiations.
The project -- called the Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars project,
or MOST -- will bring together teams from Canada and the United States to
design a low-cost, 50-kilogram satellite. The satellite's telescope, no
bigger than a pie plate in diameter, will be secured to a suitcase-sized
platform. The ability to use such a small satellite for a space telescope
is made possible by Dynacon's new, lightweight gyroscope technology that
corrects the wobbling motion of the satellite, and controls accurately
where the satellite is pointing.
Although relatively tiny in size, the satellite and its telescope will
be a powerful tool to help astronomers probe the internal structures of
stars to determine their ages.
The MOST telescope will be able to detect and characterize the rapid
oscillations in light intensity of stars -- a scientific feat not
currently possible with any other telescope on earth or in space,
including the Hubble Space Telescope.
As part of the MOST team, the University of British Columbia will design
and build a telescope of unprecedented photometric capabilities. Dynacon
Enterprises, together with UTIAS, will design the microsatellite bus that
will provide the high-precision pointing capability needed for both this
and future CSA space science missions. Other MOST partners include: the
Centre for Research in Earth and Space Technology (CRESTech) of Toronto;
the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), which includes both
Canadian and US Chapters; AeroAstro Corporation of Herndon, Virginia;
the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC); and a team of consulting
scientists from across Canada and the United States, led by the Principal
Investigator, Prof. Jaymie Matthews of the Department of Physics and
Astronomy of the University of British Columbia.
The MOST project falls under the Small Payloads Program, sponsored by
the CSA's Space Science Branch.
The CSA is providing $4 million of the total cost. An additional $1.2
million is being provided from the Ontario Government Challenge Fund,
while the balance is being financed by the University of British Columbia
and the University of Toronto.
Traditionally, the development and implementation of satellite technology
and programs have been lengthy and expensive. With the Canada-led
microsatellite project, the cost of having a satellite in orbit would
be dramatically reduced.
"The goal of the CSA's Small Payloads Program is to provide low-cost,
frequent access to space for Canadian scientists, said Glen Campbell,
the CSA's Project Manager for MOST. Lower cost means we can fly more
experiments, keeping Canada at the forefront of innovative technologies
that push the frontier of space research".
[Info via the Canadian Space Agency]
* TMSAT NEWS *
TMSAT's gravity gradient boom was deployed on Friday 1998-Aug-07 under an
automatic sequence on board the spacecraft. This was commanded from the
Bangkok control station HS0AM. Telemetry data from the deployment showed
that the 6.2 meter boom deployed perfectly with less than 1.5 degrees of
oscillation from vertical. The satellite is now stabilised earth pointing
and spinning at a rate of 0.6 degrees per second for thermal stabilization.
The libration rate is currently 10 degrees and this is reducing as the
attitude control task controls the stabilization process.
Over the weekend, the attitude was improved, and testing of spacecraft
payloads commenced.
The satellite downlink is was still only being used over Bangkok and Europe
as of late last week.
[Info via Chris Jackson G7UPN / ZL2TPO]
* FUJI-OSCAR-29 NEWS *
The Fuji-OSCAR-29 satellite will remain in Mode JA as controllers
investigate the spacecraft's on-board computer bit errors. The
command team is asking amateurs to monitor the FO-29's CW telemetry
and report when the telemetry value for channel 5 changes from 00.
Channel 5 is the fifth telemetry item sent after "HI HI" in the
telemetry sequence. Reports should be directed to lab@jarl.or.jp.
FO-29 will be in constant sunlight through mid-August. The operating
schedule may be changed in late August to cope with the rising temperatures
the constant sunlight is expected to have on the spacecraft.
[Info via Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK]
* THANKS! *
Thanks to all who recently sent messages of appreciation to SpaceNews,
especially:
DL3LUM EI2FSB WA3YDZ
* 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 over 10 years -=>>
/EX
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- John A. Magliacane, KD2BD -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Internet : kd2bd@amsat.org | Voice : +1.732.224.2948
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Packet : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA | WWW : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Titanic '12, Hindenberg '37, Windows '98 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Mars Surveyor 98 Update - August 7, 1998
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1998 MARS SURVEYOR PROJECT STATUS REPORT
August 7, 1998
John McNamee
Mars Surveyor 98 Project Manager
Mars Climate Orbiter:
Orbiter integration and test activities continue to proceed on
schedule. Testing of the repaired optical chopper assembly for the
Pressure Modulator InfraRed Radiometer (PMIRR) instrument is complete
and the chopper is scheduled for reinstallation on PMIRR on August 7.
Mars Polar Lander:
Landed thermal balance testing was completed very successfully on August 2
validating the passive thermal control approach. Actual thermal
performance was within 3 degrees C of predicts. Cruise thermal vacuum testing
is scheduled for August 30.
For more information on the Mars Surveyor 98 mission, please visit
our website at:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/
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=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: This Week On Galileo - August 10-16, 1998
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THIS WEEK ON GALILEO
August 10-16, 1998
Galileo spends this week returning to Earth science data captured during the
spacecraft's flyby of Jupiter's moon Europa in late May. The data was left
intact during Galileo's most recent passage through the heart of the Jupiter
system, in mid-July, when a spacecraft anomaly halted all encounter
activities. Science teams will take advantage of the existing transmission
time to fill in gaps in existing data sets caused by previous transmission
problems, or by the fact that there is typically not enough transmission
time from one encounter to the next to return all of the valuable data
stored on the tape recorder.
In this week's playback schedule, the near-infrared mapping spectrometer
returns the final observation in a series of three designed to provide high
spatial resolution information on the non-ice components of Europa's
surface. The remainder of the week is spent returning observations of Io
performed by the spacecraft camera. The first is designed to provide
information on the size and age of sulfur grains on Io's surface. The next
four were taken while Io was eclipsed from the sun by Jupiter. They are
designed to allow scientists to study the changes in Io's surface
temperature as the eclipse progresses.
For more information on the Galileo spacecraft and its mission to Jupiter,
please visit the Galileo home page:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo
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=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: NASA Managers Consider Postponing Deployment Of MGS Antenna
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Douglas Isbell
Headquarters, Washington, DC August 10, 1998
(Phone: 202/358-1547)
Diane Ainsworth
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
(Phone: 818/354-5011)
RELEASE: 98-146
NASA MANAGERS CONSIDER POSTPONING DEPLOYMENT OF MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR ANTENNA
Concern over the deployment mechanism for the high-gain
communication antenna on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has
caused NASA managers to consider postponing the antenna's
deployment in order to maximize the probability of mission success.
The project team is studying a postponement of up to nine
months in the antenna deployment, which currently is scheduled to
take place in March 1999. The spacecraft, now in orbit around
Mars, uses the undeployed high-gain antenna to communicate with
Earth, but the entire spacecraft must be turned to point the
antenna toward Earth during each communication session.
"We have not made any decisions yet, but we want to take a
conservative approach in order to protect the mission as fully as
possible," said Glenn E. Cunningham, Mars Global Surveyor project
manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA.
"A delay in the antenna deployment would reduce the flow of
imagery and science data somewhat, but we have some ideas about
how to compensate for that."
Launched in November 1996 and in Mars orbit since September
1997, Mars Global Surveyor carries a dish-shaped high-gain antenna
that is to be deployed on a 6.6-foot-long (two-meter) boom for the
global mapping portion of the mission. The antenna is stowed
during launch and the early orbital phase at Mars so that it is
not contaminated by the exhaust plume from the spacecraft's main
engine. The mission plan calls for the antenna boom to be
deployed following the final use of the main engine next spring,
at the completion of the spacecraft's orbit-shaping aerobraking
activity.
During deployment, the boom is pushed outward by a powerful
spring. A damper mechanism cushions the force of the spring and
limits the speed of the deployment, somewhat like an automobile
shock absorber or the piston-like automatic closer on a screen
door. In recent months, however, engineers have become aware of
problems with similar damper devices on deployable structures such
as solar panels on other spacecraft.
New data suggest that, in the vacuum of space, air bubbles
may develop in the viscous fluid inside the damper. This may
allow the boom to move through a considerable range of motion at a
high speed before any cushioning effect begins to occur.
"To the best of our knowledge, we could deploy the antenna
boom without any adverse effect," said Cunningham. "However, the
forces that the damper and boom would be subjected to as a result
of the bubble formation are close enough to the maximum force that
they are designed to withstand that we want to take a cautious
approach in evaluating the deployment." In a worst-case scenario,
damage resulting from damper failure could render the spacecraft
unable to communicate with Earth.
"The advantage of deploying the high-gain antenna is that we
can then use its gimbals to point the antenna at Earth to send
data at the same time science instruments are pointed at Mars
acquiring science data," said Cunningham. "Until we deploy the
antenna, we must store data on the spacecraft's onboard recorder
and then turn the entire spacecraft periodically to transmit data
to Earth." A similar approach was used on NASA's Magellan
spacecraft, which orbited Venus from 1990 to 1994.
The project team is considering postponing the antenna
deployment until after the landing of another spacecraft, the Mars
Polar Lander, which will reach Mars in December 1999. Mars Polar
Lander carries an experiment called the Deep Space 2 microprobes,
which will penetrate the soil of Mars in search of subsurface
water. Deep Space 2 relies on Global Surveyor as its only
possible communication link with Earth. If the high-gain antenna
remains undeployed when Mars Global Surveyor begins its prime
mapping mission next March, Cunningham said that small gaps would
exist in coverage of the Martian surface by the spacecraft's
camera and other instruments, due to the periods when the
spacecraft is turned to communicate with Earth. Those gaps could
be filled in later in the orbital mission.
The project team is not yet certain how a postponed
deployment would affect the total amount of data returned by the
spacecraft. An initial estimate for the first 30 days of the
global mapping mission found that it could return approximately 40
percent of the data that could be sent with a fully articulated
antenna. However, the data return rate could be improved by
strategies such as using larger ground antennas on Earth so that
the spacecraft could transmit data more quickly, Cunningham noted.
A final decision on the antenna deployment will not be made until
a review scheduled for Feb. 3, 1999, before the spacecraft's prime
mapping mission begins the following month. Mars Global Surveyor
is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by JPL, a division
of the California Institute of Technology. The spacecraft was
built by Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO.
-end-
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Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: STARDUST Update - August 7, 1998
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STARDUST Status Report
August 7, 1998
Ken Atkins
STARDUST Project Manager
Assembly, Test, and Launch Operations (ATLO) activities: This week's focus
was on solar array and high gain antenna installation, moving to the
rotation fixture, and performing "aliveness" and functional testing. It was
very clear to those of you watching the action on the webcam lots of things
were occurring. Some very impressive views were available as the ATLO team
moved around and worked STARDUST through its paces.
Part A of the second system performance test (SPT) was successfully
completed including checkout of the launch sequences, Navigation Camera
imaging (windowed) and the sample return capsule (SRC) deployment sequences.
The latter was done in the horizontal position in the very clean glove box
enclosure. The careful handling when we open the SRC is necessary to ensure
we keep the aerogel surfaces very clean when the actual flight collector is
installed later this year. The opening of the SRC and the deployment of the
ATLO test unit collector showed the SRC responded appropriately to the
sequence of commands sent through the computer. This underscores our
confidence the system will do exactly the same when it is at the comet and
we place the action under full control of the on-board computer.
After the horizontal SRC testing, the spacecraft was moved to the acoustic
chamber to prepare for checking its capability to ride the vibration of the
launch rocket. The flight system continues to show no hardware functional
problems going into environmental test.
The millionth name was received this week for the second microchip, and a
press release announcing the milestone generated a number of media
responses. Now 1,010,518 names have been collected so far for the second
microchip. Combined with the first microchip (136,237), STARDUST has a total
of 1,146,755 names. Welcome aboard!
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: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: SpaceViews - August 1998 [1/13]
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This is the August 1998 "SpaceViews" (tm) newsletter, published by the
Boston chapter of the National Space Society.
For a description of related e-mail lists maintained by the Boston NSS, or
to stop receiving this SpaceViews newsletter, see the instructions at the
end of this message.
The next Boston meeting is Tuesday, August 11, 1998, 7:30pm
8th floor, 545 Main Street (Tech Square), Cambridge; see "Upcoming Boston
NSS Events"
Speaker: Scott Carpenter, Engineering Design Environments
"Preliminary Assessment of Space Colonization Strategies Based on
Nuclear Fusion Propulsion"
Future meetings are on the first Thursdays of each month:
Sept. 3, Oct. 1, Nov. 5
SpaceViews is available on the WWW at http://www.spaceviews.com (NEW!)
and by FTP from ftp.seds.org in directory /pub/info/newsletters/spaceviews
See the very end for information on membership, reprinting, copyright, etc.
Copyright (C) 1997 by Boston Chapter of National Space Society,
a non-profit educational 501(c)3 organization.
All articles in SpaceViews represent the opinions of the authors and do not
necessarily represent the views of the Editor, the National Space Society
(NSS), or the Boston chapter of the NSS.
S P A C E V I E W S
Volume Year 1998, Issue 8
August 1998
http://www.spaceviews.com/1998/08/
*** News ***
Former Astronaut Alan Shepard Dies
Could Triana Replace SOHO?
Russia Shelves Plans for "Space Mirror" Test
House Rejects Anti-Space Station Amendment
Scientists and Activists Work on Mars Rover Replacement
Budget Woes Force Mir Mission Cutbacks
Galileo Glitch Disrupts Europa Flyby
Mars Plane Proposed for Wright Brothers Centennial
Net Pioneer Discusses Interplanetary Internet
Astronomers Find Clues to Origins of Life in Distant Nebula
SpaceViews Event Horizon
Other News
*** Articles ***
The First Race to the Moon
The Prehistory of Lunar Prospector, Part 1
Solar Sails for the Operational Space Community
*** Book Reviews ***
Sojourner's Technical and Political Challenges
A Capsule History of Space
*** NSS News ***
Upcoming Boston NSS Events
Boston NSS July Lecture Summary
Mars Society Conference: "The Woodstock of Mars"
*** Regular Features ***
Jonathan's Space Report No. 367
Space Calendar
Editor's Note: Our next issue will be August 15.
*** News ***
Former Astronaut Alan Shepard Dies
Former astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American to fly into
space and one of 12 men to set foot on the moon, died early Wednesday,
July 22, after a battle with cancer. He was 74.
Born in East Derry, New Hampshire in 1923, Shepard graduated
from the Naval Academy in 1944. He served on a destroyer during World
War II before becoming a test pilot after the war. He was selected as
one of the seven original astronauts in 1959.
Shepard became the first American to fly in space on May 5,
1961, when he flew in the Freedom 7 Mercury capsule on a 15-minute
suborbital flight.
Shepard was considered in line to command the first Gemini
mission, but a serious inner-ear disorder grounded the astronaut. He
remained on the ground until an operation corrected his ear problem.
He headed up the astronaut office while grounded.
He was originally assigned to command the Apollo 13 mission,
but was pushed back with his crew, Edgar Mitchell and Stuart Roosa,
for additional training. After a hiatus caused by the Apollo 13
accident, Shepard and crew flew to the Moon on Apollo 14 in late
January 1971.
He was best remembered from that mission not for the science
he and fellow moonwalker Mitchell accomplished, but for some
extracurricular activity: hitting golf balls across the lunar surface
using a makeshift golf club.
He retired from NASA and the Navy in 1974 and went on to a
successful career in a number of ventures, from commercial property
development to a beer distributorship.
Shepard also played a role in the founding of the present-day
National Space Society. "He was a member of the original Board of
Directors soon after our organization was founded in the mid-1970s,
later becoming a member of our Board of Governors," NSS president and
former astronaut Charlie Walker said. "His impact on society and our
organization will never be forgotten."
Praise for Shepard came from all quarters. "Those of us who
are old enough to remember the first space flights will always
remember what an impression he made on us and on the world," President
Bill Clinton said before a crime prevention speech.
"The entire NASA family is deeply saddened by the passing of
Alan Shepard," NASA administrator Dan Goldin said in a statement.
"NASA has lost one of its greatest pioneers; America has lost a
shining star."
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Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: SpaceViews - August 1998 [2/13]
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Could Triana Replace SOHO?
Officials from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are
considering proposals to partially replace the Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory (SOHO) satellite that lost contact with Earth in June,
including one proposal to use the controversial Triana spacecraft.
Meanwhile, engineers using two radio telescopes have located
SOHO, but have been unable to communicate with the disabled
spacecraft, NASA reported July 27.
Space News reported in its July 20 issue that several options
were under consideration to replace SOHO, which is thought to have no
more than a 50 percent chance for a full recovery.
One proposal would place several spare SOHO instruments on
Triana, an Earth-observing spacecraft proposed in March by Vice
President Al Gore. Like SOHO, Triana would orbit around the L1
Lagrange point, about 1.5 million kilometers (900,000 mi.) Sunward of
the Earth.
Triana was proposed as a spacecraft to return high-resolution
images of the sunlit Earth 24 hours a day starting in 2000. The
mission has met with strong criticism from Congress and some
scientists, who see little scientific value in the spacecraft,
expected to cost $20-50 million.
One advantage of using Triana, SOHO officials say, is that it
would permit observations of the Sun during the upcoming maximum in
solar activity, expected in 2001. U.S. SOHO project scientist Joe
Gurman told Space News that using Triana was a "most exciting
opportunity" since there are few other prospects for replacing SOHO
instruments before the solar maximum.
Other options being considered are flying experiments on
future Mid-class Explorer (MIDEX) spacecraft, low-cost space science
missions. However, MIDEX missions with SOHO instruments would not fly
until at least 2003 or 2004.
A full replacement of the SOHO spacecraft and instruments is
not likely, though, due to a lack of funds. "If we had $200 million,
we could put up a replacement in two and a half years," Phillip
Scherrer of Stanford University, a principal investigator of one of
the SOHO instruments, told Space News. "But there isn't that kind of
money."
While plans for SOHO replacements are explored, project
scientists still hope SOHO can be recovered. NASA reported July 27
that engineers using radio telescopes at Goldstone, California and
Arecibo, Puerto Rico, had located SOHO by bouncing radio signals off
the satellite.
The satellite appears to be tumbling at the rate of one
revolution a minute. The rate may be low enough to allow the solar
panels on the spacecraft to generate some electricity and recharge its
battery, permitting communications to resume.
Contact was lost with SOHO June 24 during routine maintainence
and has not been restored since. An investigation into the spacecraft
failure is underway.
Russia Shelves Plans for "Space Mirror" Test
Russia has cancelled plans to fly a controversial prototype
"space mirror" this fall that would reflect sunlight onto regions of
the planet at night, citing the nation's continued economic woes,
Russian Space Agency officials said Friday, July 24.
The Znamya ("Banner") 2.5 experiment was to fly into orbit
attached to the Progress M-40 resupply spacecraft. A thin metallic
film would have deployed from the spacecraft, creating a mirror 25
meters (82.5 feet) in diameter, reflecting sunlight onto Earth.
However, Russian Space Agency officials said there was no room
on the Progress spacecraft, because of budget problems. One of two
planned Progress missions in the next six months was cut because of a
lack of money, forcing planners to stuff all essential cargo on the
remaining Progress mission.
"There is no place for that mirror aboard the cargo ships
because we can only ferry the most vital supplies to the station,"
space agency spokesman Sergei Gorbunov told the Associated Press. "We
are struggling to raise funds to send regular supplies to the station,
let alone the Znamya."
The mirror would have been deployed after the Progress
undocked from the Mir space station. It would have remained in orbit
only a single day as a test of the mirror's ability to reflect
sunlight onto specific spots on the planet, including cities in
Russia, western Europe, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest.
Znamya 2.5 would have reflected sunlight into a beam 5-7 km
(3-4.3 mi.) in diameter on the Earth's surface. From the Earth the
mirror would appear to be 5-10 times as bright as the full Moon.
The mirror would have been a prototype for even larger mirrors
planned by Russian companies. The future mirrors would have been up
to 200 meters (660 feet) in diameter and appearing as bright as 10-100
full moons. Russia hoped such mirrors, directed on cities and work
locations within the country, would reduce lighting and heating costs.
The space mirror plans had met with some controversy in the
West, where people were concerned about the effects of bright
nighttime illumination in areas from astronomy to ecology.
A smaller prototype, Znamya 2, was flown in February 1993.
The 20-meter mirror, also deployed from a Progress spacecraft,
appeared about as bright as the full moon as seen from Europe and
Canada.
House Rejects Anti-Space Station Amendment
The House of Representatives rejected by a large margin
Wednesday night, July 30, an amendment to a budget bill that would
have killed the International Space Station (ISS).
By a margin of 323 to 109, the House rejected an amendment by
Rep. Tim Roemer (D-IN) that would have canceled funding to the ISS.
The amendment had been introduced earlier in the month and debated a
week earlier.
Roemer, a longtime foe of the station, has introduced a number
of amendments in past years to cancel the station, none of them
successful. "Now, while the facts continue to pile up for, I think,
our side to cancel this Space Station, the votes continue to go down,"
he said in floor debate July 23.
Roemer thought the money spent on the station would be better
used for social programs. "Do we continue to pour 10 and 20 and 30
billion dollars into a science program that we can admit has not been
successful? And do we starve with nothing the people that have not
benefited from this economy?"
One of those who spoke out against the amendment was James
Sensenbrenner (R-WI), chair of the House Science Committee and an
outspoken critic of NASA's handing of the station. He noted that the
House appropriations bill provided $2.1 billion for the station, the
original annual spending limit proposed in 1993, and not the $2.27
billion requested by the Clinton administration.
"Members who vote against the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Indiana [Roemer] will vote to provide an adequate level
of funding while sending a message that NASA must get its fiscal house
in order," Sensenbrenner said.
The vote marked the second time in July that the station
easily survived an effort to kill it. On July 7 the Senate voted down
a similar amendment, proposed by station opponent Sen. Dale Bumpers
(D-AR), by a vote of 66 to 33.
After defeating the Roemer amendment, the House went on to
pass H.R. 4194, the appropriations bill for the Departments of
Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, as well as
independent agencies like NASA. The bill included $13.3 billion for
NASA in fiscal year 1999.
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=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: SpaceViews - August 1998 [3/13]
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Scientists and Activists Work on Mars Rover Replacement
A team of Cornell University scientists is working on a suite
of instruments designed to replace an advanced rover removed from a
Mars landing mission to launch in 2001, while activists seek support
for additional funding to build a smaller replacement rover for the
mission.
The changes were prompted by a NASA decision to remove the
Athena rover from the 2001 Mars Surveyor lander mission. The rover,
larger and more advanced that the Sojourner rover included on last
year's Mars Pathfinder mission, would have studied the Martian surface
and collected rock and soil samples for possible return to Earth on a
future sample return mission.
However, cost overruns and schedule delays, coupled with cuts
in NASA's Mars exploration budget, have made it very likely Athena
will not fly on the 2001 lander. No official announcement from NASA
has been made on the rover's status, but Cornell scientists said July
15 that Athena would instead fly on a 2003 lander mission.
"Of course, it's a little disappointing," says Cornell
astronomy professor Steven Squyres, leader researcher for Athena,
about the postponement of the rover. "But having a somewhat delayed
program that is realistic is better than having an on-schedule program
that isn't going to work."
Squyres and colleagues are instead planning the Athena
Precursor Experiment (APEX) to fly on the 2001 lander. APEX will
include a panoramic camera and thermal emission spectrometer
originally designed for the rover. The instruments will be placed on
a 90-cm (3-foot) boom attached to the lander, instead of on a rover.
Squyres said the 2001 mission will still be able to provide
good geological and geochemical data on the Martian surface, but
biological studies will be more limited than with the rover.
While Cornell scientists have given up flying a rover on the
mission, activists with The Mars Society, a new organization dedicated
to promoting Mars exploration, is seeking to include a smaller, less
sophisticated rover on the mission.
The "Marie Curie" rover would be about the same size as
Sojourner, but would have a greater range and transmitting power and
would carry some of the instruments intended for the Athena rover.
$20 million restored to NASA's Mars exploration budget by a
Senate appropriations committee is not enough to save Athena, but
enough to start Marie Curie. An additional $30 million would be
needed next year to fully fund the small rover.
The greater issue, though, the society said in a statement,
was with the meager budget for Mars exploration, compounded by
transfers of funds from the program to cover space station overruns.
"The real issue however, is that the robotic Mars program is
grossly underfunded," the Society said. "For a budget of $150 million
per year (about 1% of NASA's budget) they need to launch two
Discovery-class missions to Mars every two years while preparing the
technology base for a much more ambitious Mars Sample Return mission,
tentatively scheduled for 2005. In reality, in order for this program
to be accomplished, the funding for the Mars program needs to be
doubled."
For the time being, though, scientists and activists will work
to try and salvage some science for the 2001 lander. "Marie Curie may
not be the Goddess of Wisdom," the Mars Society noted, "but she's the
next best thing."
Budget Woes Force Mir Mission Cutbacks
The continued financial problems with Russia's space program
have forced cutbacks in plans for scientific research and spacewalks
planned for the next Mir crew, Russian officials reported July 17.
Scientific research planned for the next Mir crew has been
curtailed and the number of spacewalks was cut from 4 to 2, officials
said at a press conference. The number of Progress resupply
spacecraft send to Mir during the next crew's stay no Mir was also cut
from 2 to 1.
"We will have enough food and hygienic products," upcoming Mir
commander Gennady Padalka told the Associated Press. However, he
said, the cutbacks mean few available resources for additional
research.
Padalka and flight engineer Sergei Avdeyev will spend six
months on Mir starting in mid-August. They will relieve the current
Mir rew of Talgat Musabayev and Nikolai Budarin.
Padalka and Avdeyev will launch on a Soyuz spacecraft August
13 with guest cosmonaut Yuri Baturin, a former aide to president Boris
Yeltsin. Baturin was to report on the status of Mir for Yeltsin, but
since being removed from his post earlier in the year during a
government shake-up, his role on the mission is unclear.
The Soyuz launch was originally set for August 3, but was
delayed when power and water was cut to the Baikonur, Kazakhstan
launch site for two weeks in July. The utilities shutdown was caused
by unpaid bills.
Galileo Glitch Disrupts Europa Flyby
An anomaly on the Galileo spacecraft during a flyby of Europa,
one of Jupiter's largest moons, disrupted operations during the flyby
and prevented most of the planned scientific data from being obtained,
the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) reported July 21.
The spacecraft detected a problem with one of Galileo's two
command and data subsystems, which send and receive data. Galileo
then entered a "safe mode" where the faulty system was shut down and
the second system activated.
The problem took place late Monday morning, July 20 as the
spacecraft was passing close to Europa. Telemetry was lost from
Galileo for about 20 minutes, but was restored as the second system
came online. Mission officials said the spacecraft and its
instruments are in no immediate danger and the spacecraft should be
operating normally again shortly.
The anomaly, however, did disrupt observations of Europa as
the spacecraft passed by. Most of the science data from the Europa
flyby was lost, JPL said, and no science data will be collected until
spacecraft operations return to normal.
The Europa flyby was the fifth by Galileo since it started its
extended mission last December. Three more Europa flybys are
scheduled, with the next one scheduled September 26. Several Europa
flybys also took place during the regular mission between December
1995 and December 1997.
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Mars Plane Proposed for Wright Brothers Centennial
A team of scientists and engineers from government and private
industry have proposed marking the 2003 centennial of the first
airplane flight by the Wright Brothers in a unique way: by flying a
robotic airplane on Mars.
The Mars Airborne Geophysical Explorer (MAGE) mission would
send an airplane, dubbed the "Kitty Hawk", to Mars to make a
three-hour flight above Valles Marineris, the largest canyon on Mars.
The mission was proposed for NASA's Discovery program by Malin Space
Science Systems, Orbital Sciences Corporation, the Naval Research
Laboratory, and NASA's Ames Research Center.
The airplane would carry a suite of instruments, including
cameras, laser altimeters, and magnetometers, to survey the canyon and
provide data at higher resolutions than possible from orbiting
spacecraft.
"One key aspect of Mars exploration involves the search for
the best places from which to return samples--places where geology
indicates the possible past presence of water or layered sediments,"
said Dr. Michael Malin, principal investigator of the mission.
"Another involves the high resolution reconnaissance of features that
are very large and/or widely separated -- features hundreds to
thousands of miles across."
"In both these cases, the resolutions needed are not
attainable from orbiting spacecraft," he said, adding that "covering
thousands of miles of extremely rough terrain is not possible with
surface rovers."
The spacecraft would launch in May 2003. Three days before
arrival the entry vehicle section of the spacecraft would separate
from the "cruise and relay" (CARV) section. The entry vehicle would
stay on course for Mars while the CARV would alter its trajectory to
swing by Mars two hours after the entry vehicle arrives at Mars.
The airplane deploys from the entry vehicle after entering the
Martian atmosphere. It would fly a three-hour, 1800-km (1100-mi.)
flight path over the canyon. A rear-mounted propeller, powered by a
hydrazine-fueled engine, powers the airplane.
Near the end of Kitty Hawk's flight, the CARV passes by Mars
above Valles Marineris. The airplane transmits its data to the CARV,
which then relays it to Earth over the next month.
The mission is timed such that the airplane flight takes place
on December 17, 2003, exactly 100 years after Orville and Wilbur
Wright made the first flight of an airplane near Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina. "By flying this mission on the First Flight Centennial in
2003, we help show the connection between historic American technical
accomplishments and today's planetary exploration."
The proposal was submitted for NASA's Discovery program, which
funds low-cost innovative solar system exploration missions.
Decisions on this round of Discovery program selections is expected in
November.
Net Pioneer Discusses Interplanetary Internet
A scientist who helped develop the technologies that made the
Internet possible told an audience of industry experts Wednesday, July
22, that attention should now focus on expanding the Internet to other
worlds in the solar system.
Vinton Cerf, a senior vice president at MCI and a developer of
the TCP/IP protocol used to transmit information on the Internet, told
attendees of an Internet Society meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, that
he has already been working on interplanetary networks with NASA
engineers.
"The time is now to think beyond the Earth," Cerf said, as
quoted in the publication The Industry Standard.
Cerf said he has been working with engineers at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to develop communication protocols for
JPL's upcoming Mars missions as a way of laying the groundwork for a
future interplanetary network.
"The whole idea is to create a standard," Cerf said, so that
it's available "when we do get to the point where we need all the
services in space that we have become accustomed to on Earth."
Cerf said that NASA will make an announcement in August about
plans for the Mars Surveyor 1998 missions, and how Cerf's
interplanetary network might be involved. The Mars Climate Orbiter is
planned for a December launch, followed in early January by the Mars
Polar Lander mission.
Cerf also suggested that the growth of an interplanetary
Internet would require additional "top-level domains" like .moon and
.mars.
"It took 30 years to get the Internet to where we are now,"
Cerf told The Industry Standard in an interview. "Thirty years from
now, we have to assume there will be colonies on the Moon, colonies on
Mars and other planets, and research stations all over."
Astronomers Find Clues to Origins of Life in Distant Nebula
An international team of astronomers studying a distant nebula
have uncovered clues that may explain one of the more puzzling aspects
of the origin of life on Earth: why key organic molecules like amino
acids and sugars have a preferred orientation.
For 150 years, scientists have known that some organic
molecules can exist in two mirror-image forms, usually called
left-handed and right-handed. Equal numbers of each mirror image are
formed in chemical reactions, yet life forms on Earth are made
exclusively of left-handed amino acids and right-handed sugars.
Last year scientists at Arizona State University found a
concentration of left-handed amino acids in the Murchison meteorite,
which fell in Australia in 1969. This showed that the asymmetry
between the two varieties of amino acids existed before life on Earth
formed.
Astronomers studying a portion of the Orion Nebula, where new
stars are being created, may have found an explanation for this
asymmetry. Studying the Orion Molecular Cloud 1 (OMC-1) from the
Anglo-Australian Telescope, they found evidence for circularly
polarized light.
Such polarized light could select "handedness" in amino acids
and other organic compounds, explained Professor James Hough of the
University of Hertfordshire, UK, explained.
"We know that ultraviolet circularly polarized light is needed
to select handedness in molecules such as amino acids, but
unfortunately thick dust clouds prohibited direct observations at
these wavelengths and observations are only possible in the infrared,"
he said. "Our calculations, however, show that circular polarization
should be present at all wavelengths, from infrared to ultraviolet."
The observations were of a region where stars are formed and
organic molecules have been detected. "This region may well be
similar to the region in which our own solar system formed," Hough
said.
Without a preferred orientation for amino acids and other key
building blocks of life, some scientists believe, the origin of life
itself may have been much more difficult, if not impossible.
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SpaceViews Event Horizon
August 2 Pegasus XL launch of 8 ORBCOMM satellites from an
L-1011 off the coast from Wallops Island, Virginia
August 4 Titan IV launch of a Defense Department payload from
Cape Canaveral, Florida
August 8 Atlas IIAS of the JCSat 6 satellite from Cape
Canaveral, Florida
August 13 Soyuz TM-28 launch (Mir crew exchange) from Baikonur,
Kazakhstan
August 13-16 Mars Society Founding Convention, Boulder, Colorado
August 15 Deadline to submit names to be included on the
Stardust spacecraft (http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov)
October 9-11 Space Frontier Foundation Conference, Los Angeles,
California
October 29 Launch of shuttle on mission STS-95 (John Glenn
flight)
Other News
Chinese, Russian Launches: A Chinese Long March 3B booster launched a
communications satellite July 18. The European-built Sinosat-1
satellite will meet the growing needs of Chinese financial markets as
well as provide general improvements in the country's information
networks. A Ukrainian-built Zenit 2 launched a Russian military
satellite July 28 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Cosmos 2360 is thought
to be an electronic intelligence satellite. The launch is the second
successful one for the Zenit 2 in July, which before July had not been
launched since a May 1997 attempt failed.
Kistler and Roton News: Construction has begun on the first Roton test
vehicle, Rotary Rocket reported July 21. First atmospheric test
flights of the Roton, which uses a unique rotary engine for liftoff
and the autorotation of a helicopter-like rotor to land, is planned
for the first half of 1999, with the Roton itself entering commercial
service in early 2000. Meanwhile, Kistler broke ground July 23 on its
spaceport in Woomera, Australia. The multimillion-dollar spaceport,
scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of this year, will be
used for launches of Kistler's two-stage K-1 reusable launcher. The
first test flights of the K-1 are planned for late 1998 with
commercial launches beginning in 1999.
Liquid Water on Mars: A father-son team of scientists, including a
Viking program scientist, have a new theory that could allow liquid
water to exist -- in limited amounts and for limited times -- on the
surface of present-day Mars. According to work by Gerald and Ron
Levin, the surface of Mars heats up far more rapidly than atmospheric
layers just a meter above the surface at the beginning of the Martian
day. Water vapor that condenses on the surface at night will want to
evaporate again, but the cold atmosphere won't be able to hold all the
vapor, turning some of the frost into liquid water until the
atmosphere heats up. The Levins believe that enough liquid water
could exist to support microbes living in the Martian soil.
Astronaut Assignments: Veteran Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev has
been assigned to the crew of STS-88, the first shuttle mission
dedicated to the International Space Station, NASA announced July 30.
The mission, set for launch in early December, will attach the Unity
docking mode to the Zarya control module launched in November by the
Russians. Also, four astronauts, including Mir veteran Michael Foale,
have been named to the crew of STS-104, the third servicing mission
for the Hubble Space Telescope, scheduled for May 2000. Foale and
three other spacewalkers, John Grunsfeld, Claude Nicollier, and Steven
Smith, will conduct a record six spacewalks to upgrade the telescope,
including installing a new camera.
In Brief: Why is SETI mentioned in the pages of a business magazine?
Well, the editors of the new magazine "Business 2.0" thought the
University of California at Berkeley's "SETI @ Home" project -- where
people can download special screensavers that do umbercrunching on
SETI data while their computer would otherwise be idle -- as an
excellent example of distributed computing... A group of boys got
$23,000 in a July auction for a meteorite that lands near where they
were playing earlier this year in Monahans, Texas. The boys had to
fight to keep the meteorite: city officials took the meteorite away
for testing and then refused to give it back, claiming it belong to
them, a claim rejected by the local city council... CNN announced that
veteran reporter Walter Cronkite will join the network's John Holliman
for coverage of John Glenn's flight this October. Cronkite covered
the early space program, from Mercury through Apollo, for CBS.
*** Articles ***
The First Race to the Moon
by Andrew J. LePage
Introduction
By the beginning of August 1958 both the United States and the
Soviet Union were hurrying preparations to launch their first probes
to the Moon. In a bid to get the United States to the Moon first,
ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) had funded Operation Mona
which went by the cover name "Pioneer" (see "Operation Mona: America's
First Moon Program" in the April 1998 issue of SpaceViews). According
to the plan, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) would make the first three
Pioneer launches while the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) would
take responsibility for the last pair. For their first mission, the
USAF prepared a Thor-Able rocket to launch a 38.1 kilogram (83.8
pound) probe from the Atlantic Missile Range (AMR) in Florida that
would enter lunar orbit.
A quarter of the way around the planet, engineers at the
Soviet design bureau OKB-1, under Sergei Korolev, were busy preparing
their first E-1 lunar probe in the hopes of beating the Americans (see
"The Soviets Reach for the Moon" in the June 1998 issue of
SpaceViews). Erected on its pad at the NIIP-5 Test Range in Soviet
Kazahkstan was the first 8K72 launch vehicle serial number B1-3.
Based on the Soviet's R-7 ICBM, the goal of this three-stage variant
was to hurl a payload of about 360 kilograms (790 pounds) towards a
lunar impact. But unresolved problems encountered during development
flights and static firings of new versions of the RD-107/108 engines
used by the basic R-7 troubled Korolev's engineers. Despite this, the
imminent launch of the first Pioneer and pressure from superiors to
beat the Americans forced Korolev to attempt a launch anyway. A
neck-and-neck race to be first to the Moon had developed.
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The First Launches
Celestial mechanics and trajectory requirements dictated that
the USAF Pioneer launch would be first. On August 17, 1958 at 8:18 AM
EDT, Thor 127 lifted off from Pad 17A at AMR and into a clear Florida
sky. For the first time in the history of our species, mankind was
attempting to reach the Moon. All seemed to be going as planned as
the Thor-Able accelerated towards space. But as the quickly rising
rocket passed the altitude of 15 kilometers (50,000 feet) 77 seconds
after launch, it exploded. Transmissions from the still active
Pioneer probe were received until it plummeted into the Atlantic Ocean
123 seconds later. The first ARPA-sponsored Pioneer mission had
failed. Based on an analysis of the wreckage recovered by divers, it
was determined that the loss was caused by a failure in a bearing in
the turbopump that supplied fuel to the Thor's MB-3 engine.
Back in the Soviet Union preparations to launch the first E-1
probe early on August 18 were falling behind. Frustrated by a series
of malfunctions on the pad, Korolev finally called off the launch
after hearing of the Pioneer failure. The uncooperative 8K72 rocket
was removed from the pad and returned to the MIK assembly building in
hopes of making another launch attempt in a month. But for this
September launch, Korolev's team would have the stage to themselves.
Not knowing how close the Soviet Union was to launching their first
lunar probe, USAF officials diverted the Thor-Able rocket scheduled
for use in a September 14, 1958 Pioneer launch to "Project Bravo".
The purpose of this program was to determine the feasibility of using
the Thor-Able as an ICBM. While being first to the Moon was
important, national security was more so.
On September 23, 1958, 8K72 B1-3 was back on its pad ready to
try for the Moon again. The unproven rocket smoothly lifted off
during its brief launch window and accelerated towards its target.
But as the propellant tanks of the core and strap-on boosters emptied,
longitudinal resonance vibrations (an effect called "pogo") appeared.
Pogo had been encountered in some earlier flights of the R-7 and
Korolev's engineers thought they had understood and corrected for its
cause. The reappearance of this problem would finally doom the flight
93 seconds after launch when the strap-on boosters broke loose. The
now free flying collection of rockets with the E-1 No. 1 probe still
attached tumbled to the ground and exploded on impact. The Soviet's
first attempt to reach the Moon ended as ingloriously as the
American's. But unlike the American attempt, this failure was kept
quiet firmly establishing the Soviet government's policy of keeping
launch failures secret.
The Race Heats Up
Another 8K72, serial number B1-4, was hastily modified by
Korolev's engineers for another clandestine launch attempt the next
month. As in August, Korolev would have to race against the Americans
who were preparing another Thor-Able to launch a 38.3 kilogram (84.4
pound) Pioneer probe towards lunar orbit. But unlike the August
launch, ARPA was no longer in charge of the American effort. An act
of Congress officially established the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) to run the United States' civilian space program
starting on October 1, 1958. Much to the chagrin of those who wanted
the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to run the show, President Dwight
Eisenhower transferred most of the DoD's purely scientific space
projects to the new agency including ARPA's Pioneer program. With
ARPA and the USAF relegated to an advisory role, the next Pioneer
mission would be the first launch for the fledgling space agency.
As before, trajectory requirements allowed the United States
to get off the pad first. On the morning of October 11, 1958 at
3:42:13 AM EST, Pioneer 1 was launched towards the Moon just seconds
after the opening of its window. Unlike the previous attempt, the
Thor first stage operated properly this time giving the high speed
Able stages their chance to operate. The second stage fired followed
by a nominal burn of the X-248 third stage. It seemed that the launch
was a success and the probe would reach the Moon near midday on
October 13.
Meanwhile in the Soviet Union, word arrived about the
successful launch of Pioneer 1 as Korolev and his team pushed hard to
make their launch window during the local morning of October 12.
While Pioneer 1 was the first up, the faster trajectory of Korolev's
E-1 No. 2 probe would allow it to reach the Moon a couple of hours
before the American probe giving the Soviet Union another space first.
After a night of hectic preparations, the second 8K72 lifted off its
launch pad to chase after its American competitor. But despite the
best efforts of Korolev and his team, the pogo effect that destroyed
the first 8K72 launch vehicle reappeared in the new rocket as it
climbed towards space. After a flight of 104 seconds, 8K72 B1-4
finally blew up under the stress. With this latest failure, future
launch attempts were put on hold until the cause of the malfunction
could be ascertained and a fix implemented.
Fortunately for Korolev and OKB-1, it was soon discovered that
Pioneer 1 was not headed for the Moon after all. A programming error
in the second stage timer caused it to shut down too early leaving the
lunar probe travelling 152 meter per second (340 miles per hour) short
of its intended final velocity of 10.744 kilometers (6.677 miles) per
second. In addition it was discovered that Pioneer 1 was pointed 2.1
degrees off course. Even after firing its vernier rockets to gain
another 48 meters per second (107 miles per hour), Pioneer 1 would
reach no higher than 114,000 kilometers (70,700 miles) before arcing
back towards the Earth.
While reaching the Moon was out of the question, Pioneer 1
could still use its instruments to investigate this previously
unexplored region of space. For the first time the full extent of the
Van Allen radiation belt was probed. Pioneer 1 found that it extended
to 8,000 to 11,000 kilometers (5,000 to 7,000 miles) above the equator
before fading out at an altitude of 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles).
The Van Allen belt would not be a barrier to piloted missions beyond
the Earth as some had begun to fear.
To continue gathering useful data, ground controllers came up
with an alternate mission plan. They decided to ignite Pioneer's 13
kilonewton (3,000 pound) thrust solid retrorocket motor near apogee to
raise the probe's perigee up to 32,000 kilometers (20,000 miles).
Orbiting the Earth about every 60 hours, Pioneer 1 could observe the
outer reaches of Earth's magnetosphere until its batteries ran out.
While this plan promised to salvage something out of the
flight, bad luck would strike again. The launch aim error had left
Pioneer 1 spinning at an unintended angle to the Sun. The probe's
simple thermal control system could not adapt to the change and
internal temperatures fell below freezing. When the command to ignite
the retrorocket was given, it failed to fire because of the cold.
Pioneer 1 was now forced to continue in its ballistic path which ended
in a fiery reentry over the South Pacific Ocean 43.3 hours after
launch. Even though Pioneer 1 did not reach the Moon, the record
breaking flight still helped America's flagging morale.
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More Launches... and Failures
While Korolev's efforts to get the Soviet Union to the Moon
first got a reprieve with the failure of Pioneer 1, it was only a
brief one. The last of the original ARPA Pioneer orbiters was
immediately prepared for launch in the hopes of beating the Soviets.
Unknown to everyone in the West, this time the American attempt would
go unanswered as a commission of Soviet engineers and scientists
continued to investigate the cause of the 8K72 launch failures.
But just as Korolev and his team was learning from their
failures, Korolev's American counterparts learned from theirs. In
order to avoid another premature shutdown of the Thor-Able second
stage, the guidance system was outfitted with a Doppler command system
that would minimize trajectory errors and insure a more accurate
course to the Moon. On November 7, 1958 at 2:30 EST in the morning
the Thor-Able carrying the 39.6 kilogram (87.3 pound) Pioneer 2
blasted off. While the first and second stages operated perfectly
this time, the third stage failed to ignite thus dooming the latest
NASA Moon probe. Pioneer 2 reached a peak altitude of 1,550
kilometers (963 miles) before falling back to Earth 42.4 minutes after
launch.
With this last Pioneer orbiter flight, NASA's lunar hopes
turned to the pair of smaller ABMA-developed Pioneer flyby probes
which would be ready to launch in December. But the different
trajectory requirements of this probe dictated a launch window that
opened two days after the next Soviet E-1 launch attempt. Fortunately
the commission charged with finding the reason for the first two 8K72
launch failures were able to trace the source of the problem. While
pogo had been largely eliminated from the two-stage R-7 variants, it
was discovered that the addition of the new Blok E third stage raised
the rocket's center of gravity in such a way to make the problem
reappear. A simple baffle was introduced in the boosters' oxidizer
pipeline to eliminate the effect and Korolev's team was ready to try
for the Moon again.
The next 8K72, serial number B1-5, lifted off on December 4,
1958 carrying E-1 No. 3. Unlike the first two flights, this time the
rocket flew flawlessly through to the dropping of the four strap-on
boosters. The pogo problem had finally been solved. But 245 seconds
after launch as the core was still firing, thrust in its RD-108 engine
dropped to 70% and then quit altogether. A failure in the engine's
turbopump had brought the Soviet's third attempt to reach the Moon to
a premature end.
While rumors of this and other launch failures circulated for
years, details would remain secret until the fall of the Soviet Union
34 years later. In the mean time, engineers at OKB-1 would have to
prepare another E-1 probe and 8K72 launch vehicle for a fourth attempt
after the New Year. But before then, NASA's Pioneer 3 would get its
chance to reach the Moon first.
Bibliography
Kenneth Gatland, Robot Explorers, MacMillan Co., 1972
Andrew J. LePage, "The Great Moon Race: In the Beginning...", EJASA,
Vol. 3, No. 10, May 1992 (available at
http://www.seds.org/pub/info/newsletters/ejasa/1992/jasa9205.txt)
Yegor Lyssov, "Soviet Moon Probes" (Correspondence), Spaceflight, p.
318, Vol 34, No. 10, October 1992
Robert Reeves, The Superpower Space Race, Plenum Press, 1994
Timothy Varfolomeyev, "Soviet Rocketry that Conquered Space Part 3:
Lunar Launches for Impact and Photography", Spaceflight, pp. 206-208,
Vol. 38, No. 6, June 1996
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The Prehistory of Lunar Prospector, Part 1
by Jeff Foust
When Lunar Prospector returned key science data about the Moon
earlier this year, including the apparent discovery of water ice at
the lunar poles, the spacecraft was hailed as another vindication of
NASA's new philosophy of "better, faster, cheaper."
Yet, while the success of the mission may have shown the
effectiveness of that philosophy, the agency cannot take full credit
for Prospector's success. Most of the grunt work for the project,
from the initial concept through spacecraft design, was undertaken by
a small group of underfunded scientists, engineers, and activists,
long before NASA caught the smaller-is-better religion.
While these pioneers lost the battle to build a
privately-funded lunar mission, they won the war by showing how much a
small, inexpensive spacecraft could do, and paved the way for future
small spacecraft missions, both within NASA and by private ventures.
"A Gambler's Chance"
The Moon was extensively explored by American and Soviet
spacecraft, including 12 astronauts, during the initial Space Race.
Why go back again? While the robotic and human missions to the Moon
returned a great deal of data about it, there was still much to learn
about the Moon, particularly the global composition of its surface and
its irregular gravity field.
There was also the search for ice. Since the 1960s a small
number of planetary scientists had believed that small quantities of
ice might be hidden away in the lunar poles, preserved in permanently
shadowed regions of polar craters.
One believer in lunar ice was Gerard O'Neill of the Space
Studies Institute (SSI). In the early 1980s he wrote an article about
space exploration from a future exploration, looking back on how the
solar system was colonized. One of the features of his future history
was the discovery of ice on the Moon, helping open the body for
settlement.
At the time NASA was considering new unmanned missions to the
Moon, in the form of proposals like the Lunar Polar Orbiter and Lunar
Observer. These were billion-dollar spacecraft loaded with
instruments, the "Cadillacs" of spacecraft, in the words of SSI
director Gregg Maryniak.
O'Neill instead focused on small spacecraft: how small could a
lunar probe be and still return useful data? Instead of a Cadillac,
Maryniak said, "we wanted the moped of space probes."
In 1985 the SSI commissioned a study by James French of JPL to
answer that question. French's study concluded that it would be
possible to build a small, simple spacecraft that could search for ice
on the Moon for around $50 million. The spacecraft would feature a
single main instrument -- a spare gamma-ray spectrometer salvaged from
the Apollo program -- on the boom of a spinning spacecraft.
In 1986 the National Commission on Space, whose membership
include Gerard O'Neill, issued its report, "Pioneering the Space
Frontier". The report made lunar exploration in general, and the
search for ice in particular, a high priority. "It is a first
priority to search the permanently shadowed craters near the lunar
poles," the commission wrote, "where ice containing carbon, nitrogen,
and hydrogen may be found."
"It was a gambler's chance" that ice could be found on the
Moon, Maryniak recalled, but if found, "it changes everything."
Dead Ends at NASA
Unfortunately for lunar advocates, the timing of the
commission's report could hardly be worse. Released just months after
the Challenger accident, the report's grand plans for the exploration
and settlement of the Moon, Mars, and beyond seemed unrealistic when
the space agency could not safely launch the shuttle.
SSI did not give up pushing the idea of mission to search for
lunar ice. SSI paid two visits on James Fletcher, in his second stint
as NASA Administrator at the time, to present the idea. They also
made contacts at JPL, where engineers had developed a "Lunar Quicksat"
small satellite proposal as well as a "Lunar Getaway Special", a small
satellite launched from a Get Away Special canister on the shuttle,
which used ion engines to slowly make its way to the Moon.
Fletcher seemed interested in the concept, Maryniak recalls,
and even requested a special briefing on one of the JPL proposals. In
the end, though, neither proposal got funded.
One of the main problems with the small lunar mission
proposals was that they were just that: small. In the 1980s NASA
spacecraft were becoming larger, heavier, and filled with more
instruments. Galileo and Cassini were two primary examples of such
missions, and proposals for lunar missions were similar.
The large missions had the advantage that more scientists got
involved. The more instruments, the more scientists that could be
principal investigators for the instruments. For small spacecraft
proposals with one or a few main instruments, fewer scientists could
get involved. All other things being equal, the larger missions were
thus favored by the scientific community.
This type of thinking spread beyond the scientific community.
Maryniak recalled the 1989 summer session of the International Space
University, where a design project for the students called for them to
develop a lunar polar orbiter mission. Without an explicit cost cap,
the students invariably designed giant billion-dollar missions with
multiple instruments and even sub-satellites, Maryniak said.
With this philosophy of "the more the better", there seemed
little hope for getting a small lunar mission focused on searching for
lunar ice through NASA by 1988. An interesting concept, but one
without an interested concept where it counted at NASA.
But, by this time a new and completely different way of doing
a small lunar mission became clear. Bypassing NASA altogether and
working through private channels, a small group would come
tantalizingly close to success and, even through short-term failure,
would eventually show how much a small spacecraft could do.
[Part 2 will look at how a team of space activists, engineers, and
scientists would put together the concept of a private lunar mission
and try to pull it off.]
Jeff Foust is editor of SpaceViews. He is also author of "NASA's New
Moon", an article on the science returned by Lunar Prospector that is
the cover story of the September 1998 issue of "Sky & Telescope"
magazine.
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: SpaceViews - August 1998 [9/13]
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Solar Sails for the Operational Space Community
by Patricia Mulligan
The past two to three years have seen a revival in
interest in the development of solar sail technology in NASA.
These extraordinarily thin, large reflective films which can
transfer the momentum of sunlight into a propulsive force, were
first proposed by Russian theorists Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and
Fridrickh Tsanderin the 1920s. Now new space technologies such as
inflatable structures, new film membranes, new international
partners, and new mission requirements for solar and space physics,
have driven the most comprehensive reevaluation of this technology
in NASA since it was studied for the Halley Comet Rendezvous
mission in the late 1970s.
An additional group of customers has recently arisen for
this futuristic technology in an unexpected place: the
"operational space community" of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), United States Air Force (USAF), and
the Department of Energy (DOE). They are the US government
agencies concerned with characterizing or predicting the
environment -- earth weather, space weather, and environmental
assessment -- as opposed to conducting space missions primarily
for basic research or exploration.
What's more, the requirements of the operational
community call for relatively small, low- to moderate-performance
solar sails; sails which otherwise would have served only as
flight test models for the more ambitious missions of the
research community. Thus society's investment in solar sail
development is amortized earlier and more efficiently with these
additional users.
Using Solar Sails for Operations
Presently the fleets of satellites serving humankind are
following the laws of motion used by the planets and defined by
Kepler in the 1500s. Those closer to their primary revolve much
faster, as Mercury orbits the Sun much more quickly than Earth
does. Exceptions to this behavior are NASA's Advanced
Composition Explorer (ACE) and the Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, both sitting at the Sun-Earth
first Lagrange (L1) point. The L1 point, located approximately
.99 Astronomical Units (AU) from the Sun, is a mathematical
oddity: there the balancing of forces, mainly the Sun and the
Earth's gravities, allows a naturally occurring non-Keplerian
orbit. ACE is nearly a million miles closer to the Sun than the
Earth, and following a shorter orbital path, yet its orbital
period is the same as Earth's: one year.
This positioning allows two useful effects: the satellite
can stay in constant radio contact with Earth, and, sitting
directly in front of Earth on the Sun-Earth line, it encounters
disturbances in the solar wind first. Since these drivers of
geomagnetic storms take at least 30 minutes to reach Earth, a
highly accurate warning of the approaching storm can be
broadcast. A cooperative agreement between NASA, NOAA, and the
USAF permits a portion of ACE data to be used for that purpose.
Of all the forms of space weather which affect us, geomagnetic
storms, with the potential to disrupt electric power systems and
satellite systems and communications, are the costliest.
Moving a geomagnetic storm sensing spacecraft closer to
the Sun would allow us to issue warnings with more lead time, but
these orbits would be truly non-Keplerian. These satellites would
need enormous amounts of energy to hold their station, orders of
magnitude more than needed to stationkeep a geostationary
satellite. Solar sails however, with their free fuel, meet this
need easily. This was the genesis of the idea proposed by Dave
Skillman of NASA's Goddard Space flight Center in the early 1990s
that NOAA consider moving an operational mission closer to the
Sun than the L1 point using a small solar sail.
Years later NOAA requested that John West at JPL develop
a mission concept for just such an operational demonstration
mission called Geostorm. The Geostorm mission concept, an
interagency partnership between NOAA, USAF, and DOE has been
proposed to NASA's New Millennium program as a candidate for the
fifth Deep Space mission. If selected it would fly in the
2002-2003 time frame. The current mission baseline uses a sail
of 67m on a side. If that size sail were used, it could be
possible to station the mission to nearly .98 AU, nearly
doubling the warning time now achieved with ACE data.
Sun-Earth line stations are not the only interest the
operational community has in non-Keplerian orbits. Since the
1980s Colin McInnes at the University of Glasgow's Department of
Aerospace Engineering has been mathematically defining families
of non-Keplerian orbits in the solar system. His contour lines
of artificial Lagrange points made possible with solar sails
extend both Sunward and Earthward, and above and below the plane
of the ecliptic as well. This permits the positioning of Geostorm
on the Sun-Earth line as well as several potential orbits for
satellites which constantly view the Earth's polar region. The
satellite orbits the Sun in tandem with Earth, looking down as the
planet rotates beneath. This application was actively promoted
by Robert Forward, researcher and futurist, during work he
performed for the USAF on advanced propulsion also in the 1980s.
We are still in the very early stages of evaluating the
potential usefulness of this type of orbit. Under present
consideration is an orbit proposed by McInnes on the day side of
Earth, high above the north or south pole. Early interest has
been shown for communications and data relay over the poles,
search and rescue, auroral imaging, and polar ice monitoring. We
will be considering meteorology, climatology and oceanographic
applications in the future, and the USAF will be further
examining potential military applications.
The Larger Picture of Solar Sail Development
The simplest of the polar viewing orbits requires a solar
sail with twice the performance of that projected for Geostorm.
Better polar viewing orbits closer to Earth, would require
proportionately better sails. Missions after Geostorm, stationed
even closer to the Sun, would also spur solar sail development.
Thus the interests of our community cover a continuum of
increasing solar sail performance.
Nevertheless, our interests in solar sail development
would begin to end with the class of sails necessary for a
mission to Mercury, the first NASA mission application for solar
sails according to their technology roadmap. This second phase
of solar sail development could have applications for a broad
array of planetary and space science missions. It could also
include the technical breakthroughs needed for sails whose
acceleration away from the sun due to light pressure was faster
than the acceleration toward the sun due to the sun's gravity.
These ultra-fast sails would enable truly exotic non-Keplerian
orbits. The last phases of development might be the sails
necessary for extra-solar missions to 100s of AUs, and later an
interstellar mission whose multi-kilometer sail was propelled by
laser from the inner solar system.
This pattern of succession of communities of users will
undoubtedly spur the development of this field when coupled with
the advances in space materials and structures which are now
occurring. It is ironic to note that although the more advanced
applications for sophisticated solar sails have been discussed
for some time, the applications for early simpler solar sails
were not recognized until comparatively recently!
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: SpaceViews - August 1998 [10/13]
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Вот, свалилось из Internet...
*** Book Reviews ***
by Jeff Foust
Sojourner's Technical and Political Challenges
Managing Martians
by Donna Shirley with Danelle Morton
Broadway Books, 1998
hardcover, 276pp., illus.
ISBN 0-7679-0240-8
US$25/C$35
The success of the Pathfinder lander and its Sojourner rover
were hailed as one of the great successes of the space program in recent
years. Certainly such successes don't come easily, but as Donna
Shirley, manager of the Mars Exploration Program at JPL, writes in her
book "Managing Martians", the effort to build Sojourner and include it
on the Pathfinder lander was a monumental task performed with minimal
budgets.
The book, a combination of a personal and professional memoir,
starts with Shirley's childhood in a small Oklahoma town, where she
dreamed of flying and traveling to Mars. After attending the University
of Oklahoma and working at McDonnell Douglas, she goes to work at JPL
where she eventually leads up efforts to build rovers for Mars missions.
Building Sojourner involved surmounting two types of challenges.
One was technical: building a lightweight rover able to navigate the
Martian terrain and return scientific data. The other was political:
getting the rover included on Pathfinder was as challenging as building
it in the first place. Shirley recounts in detail how Pathfinder
managers were initially openly hostile to including Sojourner on the
lander.
The book is a little disjointed: it starts as a personal account
of Shirley's life growing up and starting a career, but once she moves
to JPL, it becomes a professional account of working at the lab, with
most of it focused on the work that leads up to Sojourner. Overall,
though, the book is a compelling account of what went on behind the
scenes to make Pathfinder and Sojourner such a success.
A Capsule History of Space
Frontiers of Space Exploration
by Roger D. Launius
Greenwood Press (1-800-225-5800), 1998
hardcover, 256 pp., illus.
ISBN 0-313-29968-4
US$39.95
Frontiers of Space Exploration, written by NASA's Chief
Historian, provides a historical summary of the American space program.
The book includes a short history of American space efforts from the
beginning of the Space Age through 1997, with an emphasis on several key
events, including the Moon race, the decision to build the space
shuttle, and the Challenger accident.
The historical summary is only a part of the book. Included is
a chronology and brief biographies of the major people involved in the
space program, from astronauts to engineers. Much of the text is
devoted to excerpts of primary documents: letters, legislation,
speeches, and other documents of the era from which the history of the
program is interpreted.
While the historical account of the space program is certainly
readable, "Frontiers of Space Exploration" is more of a reference text
of first resort, a place to turn to first to learn about some aspect of
the space program (an annotated bibliography helps points readers to
others, more detailed sources of information). In that role the book is
quite useful.
*** NSS News ***
Upcoming Boston NSS Events
Tuesday, August 11, 7:30pm
"Preliminary Assessment of Space Colonization Strategies Based on
Nuclear Fusion Propulsion"
Scott A. Carpenter of Engineering Design Environments, Oakland, CA
Some fusion propulsion concepts for space travel have matured to a
level where we can estimate the fuel and propellant needs for various
space mission scenarios. A solar system colonization/outpost strategy
is assumed to take place in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the 21st
Century. NASA, and others, have identified the moon as a candidate
source for large quantities of helium-3, which is needed for
fusion-electric power. The energy content of helium-3 is so high that
one space shuttle returning to Earth with 20 tonnes of helium-3
represents $320 billion (1991 $) to an Earth-based energy market.
Twenty tonnes per year (under the assumed colonization strategy) is
the approximate amount of helium-3 required to support growth of one
colony on Mars and outposts at each of the gas-giant planets.
Estimated propellant requirements for the solar system colonization
strategy are extremely huge amounts, and means to minimize these
resource requirments will be discussed. On the positive side, nuclear
fusion can provide a robust transportation infrastructure to sustain a
major solar system colonization effort in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of
the 21st Century.
Boston NSS July Lecture Summary
by Elaine Mullen
"The Lunar-Mars Life Support Test Project Phase III 90-day Test: The
Crew Perspective"
Vickie Kloeris of the Johnson Space Center and
John Lewis of the Lockheed Martin Corporation
If anyone is going to get us to Mars, it's people like Vickie
Kloeris and John Lewis. They spoke recently at a Boston Chapter
meeting about the Lunar-Mars Life Support Project Phase III 90-Day
Test. It was the fourth in a series of tests conducted at JSC in 1997
to test life support systems for future space exploration. Vickie,
John, and two other crew members spent 91 days in the three story
chamber recycling all of the air and water. Solid waste from the crew
was incinerated to produce additional carbon dioxide to sustain plant
growth. A module containing wheat crops provided 25% of the crew's
oxygen from the carbon produced by the crew and also provided some
food.
Together, John and Vickie narrated a video of their experience
in the chamber and then answered questions from the crowd of 45 for
about an hour. Vickie is the Shuttle Food System Manager at JSC and
John is a Life Support System Engineer at Lockheed-Martin. They were
chosen as crew members out of many candidates not only for their
knowledge, but for psychological reasons as well. It was easy to see
how they managed to stay sane while locked up for 91 days together. As
if their sense of humor wasn't enough, they kept their spirits up with
B-movie night and Karoke Elvis with the control room workers, whom
they explained were like family for 91 days. The time passed quickly
as they were on a rigid schedule maintaining the GARDEN and conducting
many experiments and tasks including collecting microbiological
samples in the chamber, tedious dietary surveys, and exercise studies.
They explained that whether or not the politicians are
supporting human Mars exploration, he and his co-workers are
passionate about it and doing important research that needs to be done
in advance. A sleep study involving swallowing a special "pill" which
transmitted core body temperatures to gear worn over their shoulders,
and saliva samples taken every hour for 48 hours provided data about
melatonin levels and how they relate to body temperature and sleep
patterns. This research will help to track sleep patterns, mental
health, and stress levels of the astronauts on the space station and
other long duration space flights. So did they stay in the chamber for
90 days or 91 days? John explained that it was officially called the
90 Day test, but that staying for 91 days would break the current
record, and they couldn't resist. Of course, they expect, and hope
that another group will break their record soon.
The latest information is on-line at http://pet.jsc.nasa.gov.
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: SpaceViews - August 1998 [11/13]
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Mars Society Conference: "The Woodstock of Mars"
Mars Society press release
At this point, over 500 commitments have been received to
speak or attend the Mars Society Founding convention, which will take
place in Boulder Colorado, August 13-16, 1998. Included among the
nearly 200 speakers are representatives from the US, Canada, Great
Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Italy,
Ireland, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Rumania, Greece, Japan, China,
Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico,
Argentina, Jamaica, and Mozambique.
Every NASA center is represented.
Every US National Lab, and many of the top universities are
represented. Among those attending are representatives from every walk
of life ranging from scientists and engineers to prominent poets and
filmmakers. Two national TV crews, a major documentary maker, two
leading print journalists, and an important national radio commentator
have also already registered.
Some of the many distinguished speakers who will address the
convention include:
Mr. Jim Benson, the president and CEO of SpaceDev, a privately held
and publicly traded company that is raising capital to fund
interplanetary exploration on a private basis.
Dr. Jacques Blamont, one of the leading exponents of Mars exploration
in France, and the worlds' expert in the use of balloons to explore
Mars from the air.
Dr. Everett Gibson, one of the co-leaders of the famous ALH84001 Mars
meteorite team, who will reveal the group's latest evidence for past
life on Mars.
Dr. Matt Golombek, Project Scientist for JPL's Pathfinder mission.
Dr. Michael Griffin, former NASA Associate Administrator for
Exploration and current Executive Vice President of Orbital
Sciences,Inc.
Dr. Christopher McKay, of NASA Ames Research Center, one of the
seminal figures in the search for life on Mars and the possibility of
terraforming the Red Planet.
Prof. Frederick Turner, author of the Miltonian epic poem "Genesis,"
who will discuss the interrelationship between great ages of
exploration and great ages in the arts.
Dr. Lowell Wood, heir to Edward Teller as a leader in advanced
technology development at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, who will
discuss how such technologies can be used to explore, colonize, and
ultimately terraform Mars.
Dr. Robert Zubrin, the creator of the Mars Direct plan and the author
of "The Case for Mars," who will discuss how we can get human
explorers on Mars within a decade, and why we must.
If you have not yet registered, now would be a good time to do
so. By preregistering, you can avoid, and possibly help prevent,
excessive lines at the on-site registration tables. Forms for fax,
mail or on-line registration can be found at
http://www.marssociety.org/.
It's going to be the Woodstock of Mars!
*** Regular Features ***
Jonathan's Space Report No. 367
by Jonathan McDowell
[Ed. Note: Go to http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/jsr/jsr.html for
back issues and other information about Jonathan's Space Report.]
NOTICE: Due to a systems change here at CFA, my personal email address
has changed to
jcm@cfa.harvard.edu
effective immediately - mail to the old address at urania.harvard.edu
will no longer work.
Alan Shepard
The second human in space, Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr., died Jul 22 (UTC)
in Monterey, California of leukemia at the age of 74. Shepard was the
pilot of Freedom Seven (Mercury Spacecraft 7), which was launched on the
MR-3 suborbital flight on 1961 May 5. Shepard was also the commander
of Apollo 14, the third lunar landing mission.
The first 20 humans in space (by the 80 km definition I choose to adopt)
were:
Yuriy Alexeevich Gagarin (1934-1968) 3KA No. 3 "Vostok"
Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. (1923-1998) Mercury SC7 "Freedom Seven"
Virgil Ivan Grissom (1926-1967) Mercury SC11 "Liberty Bell 7"
German Stepanovich Titov (1935- ) 3KA No. 4 "Vostok-2"
John Herschel Glenn, Jr. (1921- ) Mercury SC13 "Friendship Seven"
Malcolm Scott Carpenter (1925- ) Mercury SC18 "Aurora Seven"
Robert Michael White (1924- ) X-15-3 Flight 3-7-14
Andriyan Grigorevich Nikolaev (1929- ) 3KA No. 5 "Vostok-3"
Pavel Romanovich Popovich (1930- ) 3KA No. 6 "Vostok-4"
Walter Marty Schirra, Jr (1923- ) Mercury SC16 "Sigma Seven"
Joseph Albert Walker (1921-1966) X-15-3 Flight 3-14-24
Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr (1927- ) Mercury SC20 "Faith Seven"
Valeriy Fyodorovich Bykovskiy (1934- ) 3KA No. 7 "Vostok-5"
Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova (1937- ) 3KA No. 8 "Vostok-6"
Robert Aitken Rushworth (1924-1993) X-15-3 Flight 3-20-31
Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov (1927-1967) 3KV No. 3 "Voskhod"
Konstantin Petrovich Feoktistov (1926- ) 3KV No. 3 "Voskhod"
Boris Borisovich Yegorov (1937-1994) 3KV No. 3 "Voskhod"
Pavel Ivanovich Belyaev (1925-1970) 3KD No. 4 "Voskhod-2"
Aleksei Arkhipovich Leonov (1934- ) 3KD No. 4 "Voskhod-2"
Get Well, Bill
CBS space correspondent Bill Harwood was injured in a car crash on Jul
11. Bill's site http://uttm.com/space/ is one of the best sources on
Shuttle news. Let's hope Bill makes a speedy recovery.
Shuttle and Mir
The next Shuttle mission is STS-95, in October.
The EO-25 crew of Talgat Musabaev and Nikolai Budarin are continuing
work aboard the Mir complex. The EO-26 crew of Gennadiy Padalka and
Sergey Avdeev, together with Yuriy Baturin, will be launched on Soyuz
TM-28 on Aug 13. Musabaev, Budarin and Baturin land in Soyuz TM-27 on
Aug 25. The EO-27 crew at launch on 1999 Feb 22 is Viktor Afanas'ev and
two cosmonaut-researchers, Jean-Pierre Haignere of France and Ivan Bella
of Slovakia. According to some reports, Haignere and Bella will land on
Mar 2 in Soyuz TM-28, with the long stay EO-28 crew becoming Afanas'ev
and Avdeev; however it seems likely that Haignere will in fact replace
Avdeev on the long-stay crew. Finally, on 1999 Jun 1 the crew will
depart Mir in Soyuz TM-29 and land, with the Mir complex being deorbited
a week later. This schedule, of course, is almost certain to change.
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: SpaceViews - August 1998 [12/13]
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Recent Launches
In addition to the satellites mentioned in JSR 366, a fifth
microsatellite was launched along with Resurs-O1 No. 4 on Jul 10. The
WESTPAC (formerly WPLTN-1) geodesy satellite is a copy of Potsdam's
GFZ-1 satellite, a sphere covered with laser retroreflectors, with a
slightly different `Fizeau' corner cube design. It is a target for the
Western Pacific Laser Tracking Network (WPLTN) and is a joint project of
Electro Optic Systems of Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia, and the
Russian Space Agency. Mass is around 24 kg and diameter around 0.24m.
The WPLTN is headquartered in Australia and Space Command has cataloged
the satellite as Australian. AUSLIG (Australian Surveying and Land
Information Group), part of the Australian Federal Govt., may be the
actual satellite owner.
China launched a Chang Zheng 3B on Jul 18 at 0920 UTC carrying the
Sinosat 1 communications satellite. The CZ-3B's liquid hydrogen upper
stage and the Sinosat were placed in a 609 x 35958 km x 19.0 deg
geostationary transfer orbit at 0945 UTC. The first two liquid apogee
burns were carried out on Jul 19 and 21. Sinosat is an Alcatel (formerly
Aerospatiale) Spacebus 3000 class satellite, built at the Cannes
facility. Launch mass was 2820 kg. Sinosat is owned temporarily by
EurasSpace, a joint venture between Daimler-Benz Aerospace and the
China Aerospace Corp., and will be delivered after on-orbit testing to
Sino Satellite Communications Co. of Shanghai for communications
services in China. Thanks to Stefan Barensky for details.
Aleksandr Zheleznyakov reports that the Molniya-3 launch time was
0048 UT on Jul 1.
The Galileo Orbiter had a safemode event at around 1814 UTC on Jul 20
during its inbound approach to the inner Jovian system, causing loss of
almost all the data from the Europa 16 encounter. Telemetry from the
spacecraft has now resumed. Galileo passed 1837 km from Europa's surface
at 0507 UTC on Jul 21, just after perijove at 632000 km radius, at 0019
UTC on Jul 21.
Table of Recent Launches
------------------------
Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL.
DES.
Jun 2 2206 Discovery ) Shuttle Kennedy LC39A Spaceship 34A
Spacehab )
Jun 10 0035 Thor 3 Delta 7925 Canaveral LC17A Comsat 35A
Jun 15 2258 Kosmos-2352 ) Tsiklon-3 Plesetsk LC32/1 Comsat 36A
Kosmos-2353 ) Comsat 36B
Kosmos-2354 ) Comsat 36C
Kosmos-2355 ) Comsat 36D
Kosmos-2356 ) Comsat 36E
Kosmos-2357 ) Comsat 36F
Jun 18 2248 Intelsat 805 Atlas 2AS Canaveral LC36A Comsat 37A
Jun 24 1830 Kosmos-2358 Soyuz-U Plesetsk Recon 38A
Jun 25 1400 Kosmos-2359 Soyuz-U Baykonur LC31 Recon 39A
Jul 1 0048 Molniya-3 Molniya-M Plesetsk Comsat 40A
Jul 3 1812 Nozomi M-5 Kagoshima Mars probe 41A
Jul 7 0315 Tubsat-N ) Shtil'-1 K-407,Barents Comsat 42A
Tubsat-N1 ) Comsat 42B
Jul 10 0630 Resurs-O1 No. 4 ) Zenit-2 Baykonur LC45 Rem. Sens. 43A
Fasat-Bravo ) Exptl. 43B
TMSAT ) Exptl. 43C
Gurwin Techsat 1B) Exptl. 43D
WESTPAC ) Geodesy 43E
SAFIR-2 ) Comsat 43F
Jul 18 0920 Sinosat CZ-3B Xichang LC2 Comsat 44A
Current Shuttle Processing Status
__________________________________
Orbiters Location Mission Launch Due
OV-102 Columbia OPF Bay 3 STS-93 Unknown
OV-103 Discovery OPF Bay 2 STS-95 Oct 29
OV-104 Atlantis Palmdale OMDP
OV-105 Endeavour OPF Bay 1 STS-88 Unknown
Space Calendar
by Ron Baalke
[Ed. Note: visit http://newproducts.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/ for the
complete calendar]
August 1998
Aug ?? - Sky One Atlas IIAS Launch
Aug ?? - ORBCOMM-3 Pegasus XL Launch
Aug ?? - Globalstar-3 Zenit 2 Launch
* Aug ?? - Iridium Long March 2C/SD Launch
* Aug 01 - ORBCOMM-2 Pegasus XL Launch
Aug 01 - Alpha Capricornids Meteor Shower Peak
Aug 01 - Asteroid 980 Anacostia at Opposition (10.7 Magnitude)
Aug 01 - Asteroid 1474 Beira Closest Approach to Earth (1.788 AU)
Aug 01 - Maria Mitchell's 180th Birthday (1818)
Aug 02 - Asteroid 29 Amphitrite at Opposition (9.2 Magnitude)
Aug 02 - Asteroid 490 Veritas Occults TAC -214637 (11.2 Magnitude Star)
Aug 02 - Asteroid 1993 OZ2 Closest Approach to Earth (1.096 AU)
Aug 03 - Uranus at Opposition
Aug 03 - Asteroid 13 Egeria at Opposition (10.9 Magnitude)
* Aug 03 - Asteroid 1998 MY5 Near-Earth Flyby (0.236 AU)
* Aug 03 - Asteroid 1994 CK1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.238 AU)
* Aug 04 - DOD US Air Force Titan 4 Launch
Aug 04 - Venus Passes 0.8 Degrees From Mars
Aug 04 - Asteroid 7341 (1991 VK) Closest Approach to Earth (1.638 AU)
Aug 05 - 25th Anniversary (1973), Mars 6 Launch (USSR)
Aug 06 - Southern Iota Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak
Aug 06 - Asteroid 1998 EC3 Closest Approach to Earth (0.455 AU)
Aug 07 - Asteroid 1989 OB Closest Approach to Earth (0.855 AU)
Aug 07 - Asteroid 1997 GZ3 Closest Approach to Earth (1.500 AU)
* Aug 08 - JCSat 6 Atlas IIAS Launch
Aug 08 - Asteroid 1990 DA Closest Approach To Earth (1.738 AU)
Aug 08 - 20th Anniversary (1978), Pioneer Venus 2 Launch (Venus Atmospheric
Probes)
Aug 09 - Asteroid 71 Niobe at Opposition (10.6 Magnitude)
Aug 09 - Asteroid 1566 Icarus Closest Approach To Earth (1.032 AU)
Aug 09 - Asteroid 4618 Shakhovskoj Closest Approach To Earth (1.506 AU)
Aug 09 - Asteroid 7478 Hasse Closest Approach To Earth (1.622 AU)
Aug 09 - 25th Anniversary (1973), Mars 7 Launch (USSR)
Aug 10 - Venus Occults 79782 (6.9 Magnitude Star)
Aug 10 - Asteroid 4886 (1981 EZ14) Closest Approach to Earth (2.113 AU)
Aug 11 - Moon Occults Jupiter
Aug 11 - Comet Peters-Hartley Perihelion (1.624 AU)
* Aug 11 - Asteroid 1998 ML14 Near-Earth Flyby (0.019 AU)
Aug 12 - Perseids Meteor Shower Peak
Aug 12 - 20th Anniversary (1978), ISEE-3/ICE Launch (Comet Mission)
Aug 13 - NEAR, 1st Optical Navigation Image Of Eros
* Aug 13 - TM-28 Soyuz Launch (Russia)
* Aug 13 - Comet C/1998 M2 (LINEAR) Perihelion (2.727 AU)
Aug 13 - 100th Anniversary (1898), Discovery of Asteroid Eros
Aug 14 - Comet Faye Closest Approach To Earth (1.950 AU)
Aug 14 - Asteroid 576 Emanuela Occults TAC +115897 (10.2 Magnitude Star)
Aug 14 - Asteroid 1994 AB1 Closest Approach To Earth (1.493 AU)
* Aug 15 - Deadline For STARDUST Name Submission
Aug 15 - Progress M-40/Znamya-2.5 Soyuz U Launch (Russia)
Aug 15 - Comet C/1997 J2 Meunier-Dupouy Closest Approach to Earth (2.494 AU)
Aug 16 - Asteroid 1991 FA Closest Approach To Earth (1.100 AU)
Aug 17 - Comet Mueller 3 Closest Approach to Earth (2.207 AU)
* Aug 18 - Asteroid 1998 OK1 Near-Earth Flyby (0.252 AU)
Aug 18 - 5th Anniversary (1993), 1st Test Flight of the Delta Clipper (DC-X)
Aug 19 - Asteroid 1987 OA Near-Earth Flyby (0.1019 AU)
Aug 19 - Asteroid 3199 Nefertiti Closest Approach to Earth (0.916 AU)
Aug 19 - Asteroid 7350 (1993 VA) Closest Approach to Earth (1.414 AU)
Aug 19 - Asteroid 6858 (1990 ST10) Closest Approach To Earth (1.563 AU)
Aug 21 - Asteroid 469 Argentina Occults SAO 210535 (9.1 Magnitude Star)
Aug 21 - Asteroid 6223 Dahl Closest Approach To Earth (1.470 AU)
Aug 21 - Asteroid 5393 Goldstein Closest Approach To Earth (1.597 AU)
Aug 22 - Annular Eclipse, Visible From Indian Ocean
Aug 22 - Asteroid 4034 (1986 PA) Near-Earth Flyby (0.327 AU)
Aug 23 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #52 (OTM-52)
* Aug 24 - Galaxy 10 Delta 3 Launch
* Aug 24 - SCD-2/Wing Glove Pegasus XL Launch
Aug 24 - Asteroid 354 Eleonora at Opposition (10.7 Magnitude)
Aug 24 - Asteroid 3756 Ruscannon Closest Approach To Earth (1.265 AU)
Aug 24 - Asteroid 6350 Schluter Closest Approach To Earth (1.890 AU)
Aug 25 - ST-1 Ariane 4 Launch
* Aug 25 - Astra-2A Proton Launch
Aug 25 - Comet Shoemaker-Levy 7 Perihelion (1.697 AU)
Aug 25 - Comet Russell 1 Perihelion (2.182 AU)
Aug 25 - Northern Iota Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak
Aug 25 - Asteroid 6378 (1987 SE13) Closest Approach To Earth (1.904 AU)
Aug 26 - NEAR, Trajectory Correction Maneuver #14 (TCM-14)
Aug 27 - Mercury Passes 2.2 Degrees From Venus
Aug 27 - Uranus Occults PPM 237981 (9.5 Magnitude Star)
Aug 28 - Asteroid 1036 Ganymed Occults TAC +541187 (9.9 Magnitude Star)
Aug 28 - 5th Anniversary (1993), Galileo Flyby of Ida
Aug 29 - Asteroid 6800 Saragamine Closest Approach To Earth (1.503 AU)
Aug 30 - Venus Occults 98676 (8.0 Magnitude Star)
Aug 30 - 15th Anniversary (1983), STS-8 Launch (Challenger), Insat 1B
* Aug 31 - Iridium 10 Delta 2 Launch
Aug 31 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation (18 Degrees)
Aug 31 - Asteroid 1998 FF14 Near-Earth Flyby (0.372 AU)
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: SpaceViews - August 1998 [13/13]
Привет всем!
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This is the current issue of "SpaceViews" (tm), published by the Boston
Chapter, National Space Society (NSS), distributed in electronic form.
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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
Copyright (C) 1998 by Boston Chapter of National Space Society,
a non-profit educational organization 501(c)3.
Permission is hereby granted to redistribute for non-profit use, provided:
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Excerpts cannot be used, except for reviews and criticisms, without
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____ | "SpaceViews" (tm) -by Boston Chapter
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Secretary: Lynn Olson Bruce Mackenzie
Treasurer: Roxanne Warniers John Malloy
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: 12 августа в Космическом центре имени Кеннеди состоится брифинг для...
Subject: 12 августа в Космическом центре имени Кеннеди состоится брифинг для...
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12 августа в Космическом центре имени Кеннеди состоится брифинг для
журналистов, на котором будет рассказано о планах NASA по
исследованию тропических ураганов
12 августа в Космическом центре имени Кеннеди состоится брифинг для
журналистов, на котором будет рассказано о планах NASA по исследованию
тропических ураганов. Перед журналистами выступят менеджер NASA Ramesh
Kakar, ведущий специалист Центра космических полетов имени Маршалла Robbie
Hood, главный специалист Техаского университета Ed Zipser и специалист
Hационального управления США по исследованию атмосферы и океана (NOAA)
Frank Marks.
В запланированных исследованиях предполагается использовать данные,
получаемые с метеорологических спутников и с борта специализированных
самолетов NASA, которые должны будут совершать исследовательские полеты в
районе Атлантического океана. К исследованиям предполагается привлечь
следующие организации: Амейский исследовательский центр NASA,
Исследовательский центр NASA имени Драйдена, Центр космических полетов
NASA имени Годдарда, Лаборатория реактивного движения, Исследовательский
центр NASA имени Лэнгли, Центр полетов NASA на космодроме Wallops,
Hациональное управление США по исследованию атмосферы и океана,
Массачусеттский технологический институт, Техаский университет, Университет
штат
Висконсин и Университет штата Мэриленд.
10.8.98 Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: 11 августа состоится церемония вручения международного сертификата...
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11 августа состоится церемония вручения международного сертификата
качества Космическому центру имени Кеннеди
Hа завтра намечена церемония вручения международного сертификата
качества Космическому центру имени Кеннеди. Сертификат за N 2000 будет
вручен
Центру от имени Международного комитета по стандартам компанией Det Norske
Veritas (DNV), Inc. Сертификат примет директор Центра Roy Bridges.
Компания DNV уполномочена Международным комитетом по стандартам для
проверок соответствия условий организации работ по предприятиям космической
промышленности стандарту ISO-9001. Такая проверка в Космическом центре
имени
Кеннеди была проведена в мае нынешнего года и показала, что во многих
случаях
качество выполняемых работ в центре даже превышает международные
требования.
Директор NASA Daniel Goldin потребовал от всех подразделений NASA
пройти соответствующую проверку и получить сертификаты до сентября
нынешнего
года.
10.8.98
Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Сегодня Лаборатория реактивного движения опубликовала очередное...
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Сегодня Лаборатория реактивного движения опубликовала очередное
сообщение о полете межпланетного зрнда "Cassini"
Лаборатория реактивного движения в Пасадене (штат Калифорния)
распространила очередное сообщение о полете межпланетного зонда "Cassini",
движущегося в сторону планеты Сатурн.
В настоящее время траектория полета станции лежит между орбитами Земли
и Венеры. Бортовая аппаратура работает нормально. Hа Землю регулярно
поступает телеметрическая информация.
31 июля на станции были отключены некоторые обогревательные приборы,
так как в них отпала необходимость из-за близости КА к Солнцу. 5 августа
проведен
очередной контроль функционирования программного обеспечения. Такие
проверки проводятся регулярно, раз в две недели.
10.8.98
Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: 9 августа исполнилось 25 лет со дня запуска советской межпланетной...
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9 августа исполнилось 25 лет со дня запуска советской межпланетной
станции "Марс-7"
9 августа российская космонавтика отметила очередной юбилей. 25 лет
назад
была запущена автоматическая межпланетная станция (АМС) "Марс-7". Целью
запуска являлось исследование Марса с пролетной траектории и
непосредственно
на планете.
Экспедиция закончилась неудачей. 9 марта 1974 года АМС "Марс-7"
достигла
окрестностей Марса. При подлете от станции был отделен спускаемый аппарат
(СА), который должен был совершить мягкую посадку. Из-за нарушения в работе
одной из бортовых систем, СА прошел на расстоянии 1300 километров от
поверхности Марса.
10.8.98
Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Сегодня NASA распространило очередные снимки марсианской...
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Сегодня NASA распространило очередные снимки марсианской
поверхности, полученные с борта станции "Mars Global Surveyor"
Сегодня NASA распространило очередные снимки поверхности Марса,
полученные с борта станции "Mars Global Surveyor", совершающей полет вокруг
планеты.
Снимки были сделаны 26 июля 1998 года. Hа них изображен участок
поверхности, имеющий координаты 76,87 градуса северной широты и 253,81
градуса западной долготы. Это район марсианской пустыни и снимки, сделанные
с
разрешением четыре метра, позволяют рассмотреть дюны. Дюны по своим
размерам и по форме напоминают земные.
Снимки интересны тем, что сделаны в момент наступления марсианской
весны. Изменения времени года расчистило небо над районом съемок и
позволило
получить снимки с большим разрешением. Специалисты надеются, что
наступившее
марсианское лето сделает условия съемки данного района еще более
благоприятным.
10.8.98
Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Эксперимент японских специалистов по разделению и последующей...
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Эксперимент японских специалистов по разделению и последующей
стыковке двух спутников 7 августа закончился неудачей
Hеудачей завершился 7 августа эксперимент японских специалистов по
разделению и последующей стыковке двух спутников.
Спутники "Hikoboshi" и "Orihime" были выведены на орбиту 27 ноября 1997
года в состыкованном состоянии. Месяц назад, 7 июля 1998 года, японские
специалисты провели первый эксперимент по расстыковке и последующей
стыковке спутников. "Hikoboshi" и "Orihime" были расстыкованы и затем,
после
короткого автономного полета, в автоматическом режиме вновь соединены.
7 августа предполагалось повторить эксперимент. Hа высоте 550
километров
над Землей "Hikoboshi" и "Orihime" были расстыкованы и разведены на
расстоянии
200 метров друг от друга. После 90 минут автономного полета была
предпринята
попытка вновь состыковать аппараты. Однако система сближения "Orihime"
перестала отвечать на сигналы, посылаемые "Hikoboshi". Повторная команда с
Земли также не принесла желаемого результата.
В настоящее время спутники совершают полет на расстоянии 1,5 километров
друг от друга. Японские специалисты надеются разобраться в причинах неудачи
и
осуществить стыковку "непослушных" аппаратов.
Эксперименты по разделению и последующей стыковке проводятся в рамках
работ по созданию Международные космических станции (МКС). К 2003 году
Япония
должна изготовить четыре модуля МКС.
10.8.98 Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Окончательно решен состав последней международной экспедиции на...
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Окончательно решен состав последней международной экспедиции на
станции "Мир"
Центр управления полетами распространил информацию о принятом решении
по составу экипажа последней экспедиции на станцию "Мир". Она стартует в
конце
февраля 1999 года.
В составе экипажа - российский космонавт Виктор Афанасьев и два
иностранца - представители Словакии и Франции.
Впервые в состав экипажа войдут сразу два иностранца. Это обусловлено
сокращением на полгода срока работы "Мира".
Фамилии иностранных космонавтом пока не определены. В Центре подготовки
космонавтов тренируются подполковник ВВС Словакии Михал Фулиер и майор Иван
Белла, три французских космонавтов Жан-Пьер Эньере, Клоди Деэ и Леопольд
Эйартц. Утверждение кандидатов состоится осенью.
10.08.98
Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Сводка событий на станции "Мир"
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Сводка событий на станции "Мир"
Сегодня экипаж орьитальной станции "Мир" в составе командира Талгата
Мусабаева и бортинженера Hиколая Бударина начали активную подготовку к
возвращению на Землю. В частности, космонавты провели первую тренировку в
вакуумном костюме "Чибис".
Пресс-служба Центра управления полетом (г. Королев, Подмосковье) в этой
связи сообщает: тренировка предназначена для тренировки мышц ног, которые в
процессе длительной космической вахты в условиях невесомости атрофируются.
Причина : большой круг кровообращения, капиллярная система нижних
конечностей
работают с гораздо меньшей нагрузкой, чем в земных условиях.
Путем создания вакуума вокруг ног с помощью костюма "Чибис" удается
усиливать кровоотток к ногам. После серии таких тренировок космонавты легче
воспринимают тяжелые объятия земного притяжения, с первых шагов начинают
самостоятельно передвигаться.
Кроме того, сегодня экипаж занимался заключительными экспериментами по
научной программе "Мир"-NASA.
10.08.98
Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: 8 августа исполнилось 20 лет со дня запуска американской межпланетной
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8 августа исполнилось 20 лет со дня запуска американской межпланетной
станции "Pioneer-Venus-2"
8 августа 1998 года исполнилось 20 лет со дня запуска американской
межпланетной станции (АМС) "Pioneer-Venus-2".
Станция была запущена с космодрома на мысе Канаверал и предназначалась
для доставки в атмосферу Венеры четырех зондов (большого и трех малых) с
целью проведения непосредственных измерений параметров на участке спуска.
Большой зонд отделился от траекторного блока АМС 15 ноября 1978 года на
расстоянии около 12 миллионов километров от Венеры, три малых зонда - 20
ноября на расстоянии около 10 миллионов километров. 9 декабря 1978 года все
четыре зонда с небольшими интервалами вошли в атмосферу Венеры и примерно в
течение часа совершали спуск на планету, причем большой зонд на одном из
участков использовал парашют. Большой и один малый зонд вошли в атмосферу
на
дневной стороне планеты, остальные два малых зонда - на ночной (в южном и
северном полушариях). Малый зонд, вошедший в атмосферу на дневной стороне,
проработал на поверхности 67 минут, хотя ни один зонд на функционирование
на
поверхности рассчитан не был. Траекторный блок АМС "Pioneer-Venus-2" вошел
в
атмосферу Венеры вскоре после зондов и через 2 минуты после входа сгорел,
как
это и ожидалось.
10.8.98
Источник: InfoArt News Agency
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=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Комиссия по ценным бумагам США выступила 6 августа с...
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Комиссия по ценным бумагам США выступила 6 августа с
предупреждением к американским инвесторам по поводу деятельности
частной компании SpaceDev
6 августа Комиссия по ценным бумагам США предупредила американских
инвесторов об осторожности при контактах к частной компанией SpaceDev.
Комиссия в своем официальном предупреждении заявила, что базирующаяся в
Сан-Диего (штат Калифорния) компания и ее президент James Benson нарушили
американское законодательство, делая ложные заявления и тем самым вводя в
заблуждение инвесторов. Комиссия потребовала от SpaceDev в будущем
воздержаться от подобных заявлений.
Компания SpaceDev была создана в 1995 году и выступила инициатором
проведения в 2000 году беспилотной экспедиции к одному из астероидов. Места
на
этом зонде для научной аппаратуры компания намерена продавать на
коммерческой основе всем желающим. Комиссия по ценным бумагам считает, что
компания в своих действиях нарушает законы, так как в своей рекламной
кампании
првлекает клиентов, суля им высокие прибыли. Комиссия считает, что все это
"попахивает" мошеничеством.
Президент SpaceDev James Benson в ответ на предупреждение Комиссии по
ценным бумагам заявил, что ни он сам, ни возглавляемая им компания законов
не
нарушала. "Проект экспедиции к астероидам пользуется поддержкой NASA, а о
размерах прибыли можно судить только после завершения проекта, а не на
этапе
его разработки", - добавил Benson.
10.8.98
Источник: InfoArt News Agency
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=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Hа предстоящей неделе с космодрома Wallops в штате Виргиния будут...
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Hа предстоящей неделе с космодрома Wallops в штате Виргиния будут
запущены два высотных воздушных шара с научной аппаратурой
Hа предстоящей неделе с космодрома Wallops в штате Виргиния должны быть
запущены два воздушных шара с научной аппаратурой на борту, предназначенной
для исследований верхних слоев атмосферы.
В экспериментах должны принять участие приборы, разработанные и
изготовленные студентами Технологического института штата Hью-Джерси и ряда
колледжей штат Виргиния.
Первый шар должен стартовать 11 августа. Полет продлится около 4-х
часов
и шар поднимится на высоту 26 километров. При этом предполагается провести
измерения параметров атмосферы, а также сделать забор проб воздуха в
интервале высот от 18 до 25 километров. Как только будет сделан забор всех
восьми проб воздуха, с Земли поступит радиосигнал на стравливание воздуха и
спуске на Землю.
Второй полет по аналогичной программе состоится в зависимости от
погодных
условий либо 13, либо 14 августа.
Оба полета проводятся в рамках программы NASA по привлечению
студентов американских высших учебных заведений к космическим
исследованиям.
В рамках этой же программы на конец августа запланирован пуск еще одного
шара.
Он будет произведен в штате Техас и на нем будет установлена аппаратура,
разработанная и изготовленная студентами колледжей штата Техас.
10.8.98 Источник: InfoArt News Agency
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=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Экипаж 26-ой основной экспедиции на станцию "Мир" находится на...
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Экипаж 26-ой основной экспедиции на станцию "Мир" находится на
Байконуре. Идет подготовка к старту
Основной экипаж 26-ой основной экспедиции на станцию "Мир" в составе
подполковника Геннадия Падалки (командир), Сергея Авдеева (бортинженер),
Юрия Батурина (космонавт-исследователь) и дублирующий экипаж в составе
подполковника Сергея Залетина, Александра Калери и майора медицинской
службы
Олега Котова с субботы находится на космодроме Байконур. Они прибыли в
Казахстан двумя самолетами (в целях безопасности) Ту-154 и Ту-134. Экипажи
принимают у промышленности корабль "Союз".
Старт намечен на 13 августа 13 час. 53 мин. 59 сек. Длительность
экспедиции
- 201 сутки. Батурин возвратится на Землю вместе с экипажем 25-й основной
экспедиции - Талгатом Мусабаевым и Hиколаем Будариным 25 августа, через 12
суток после старта.
В настоящее время экипажи работают в так называемом обсервационном
режиме (изоляция от общения во избежание инфекций), проходят ряд
медицинских
проверок, занимаются на тренажере "Бивни", имитирующем стыковку корабля со
станцией "Мир".
10.08.98
Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Первый запуск с плавучего космодрома, намечавшийся на октябрь...
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Первый запуск с плавучего космодрома, намечавшийся на октябрь,
возможно будет отложен
Международный проект "Sea Launch" не будет закрыт, хотя, возможно,
первый
запуск с плавучего космодрома, намечавшийся на октябрь, придется отложить,
заявил сегодня в интервью корреспонденту ИТАР-ТАСС заместитель генерального
конструктора ракетно-космической корпорации "Энергия" Валерий Алиев.
"Hеприятная задержка", по его словам, возникла из-за решения
Госдепартамента США о приостановке большей части работ по морскому
космодрому. Распоряжение госдепартамента вызвано якобы имевшейся
несанкционированной передачей американской компанией Boeing важной
технической информации российским и украинским специалистам.
Однако, как считает Алиев, "за этими громкими словами" стоит
бюрократическая формальность: Boeing поздно начал оформление так
называемых разрешительных документов в службах экспортного и лицензионного
контроля, в налоговых и таможенных инстанциях. Он отметил, что сейчас
Boeing
занимается решением этого вопроса и к 20-25 августа, получив разрешение,
можно
будет возобновить работы.
"Когда работы по морскому космодрому проводились в России, за
оформление подобных документов отвечала "Энергия" и все было сделано по
правилам. Теперь же, когда реализация проекта переместилась в США, за
получение документов отвечает Boeing", - пояснил Алиев.
Представитель РКК "Энергия" категорически опроверг предположения, что
Boeing мог передать России и Украине некие "секреты".
Совместное предприятие "Sea Launch" было создано в 1995 году российской
"Энергией", украинским объединением "Южмаш", американским Boeing и
норвежской судостроительной компанией Kvarner. Общая цена проекта
состовляет
около $ 2 млрд.
Командное судно, с которого должно вестись руководство запуском,
оснащенное в России, в середине июля прибыло к месту базирования в США.
Сама
морская платформа, откуда должны стартовать ракеты, сейчас находится в пути
и
проходит Индийский океан.
10.8.98 Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Hа 12 августа запланирован запуск очередного разведывательного...
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Hа 12 августа запланирован запуск очередного разведывательного
спутника США
Hа 12 августа с космодрома на мысе Канаверал запланирован очередной
пуск ракеты-носителя "Titan-4A", которая должна вывести на околоземную
орбиту
очередной разведывательный спутник США "VORTEX".
Спутник стоимостью $ 1 млрд. изготовлен по заказу Агентства
национальной
безопасности США и предназначается для ведения радиоэлектронной разведки в
"горячих точка" (Индостанский полуостров, Средний Восток, территория СHГ).
От
своих предшественников, которые были выведены на орбиту в 1994 и в 1996
годах,
спутник отличается наличием антенны больших размеров (72 метра в диаметре;
на
предыдущих - 40 метров) и, соответственно, большими возможностями по
перехвату телефонных и радиопереговоров.
Первоначально запуск планировалось осуществить 25 июля нынешнего года,
но его пришлось отложить, когда при сборке было повреждено теплозащитное
покрытие спутника.
11.8.98
Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Вчера американский межпланетный зонд "Galileo" начал передачу на...
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Вчера американский межпланетный зонд "Galileo" начал передачу на
Землю научной информации
Вчера американский межпланетный зонд "Galileo" начал передачу на Землю
научной информации, собранной во время сближения в июле нынешнего года с
юпитерианским спутником Европа.
В течение начавшейся недели предстоит передать данные с инфракрасного
спектрометра и фотографии другого юпитерианского спутника Ио. Эти данные
удалось сохранить после того, как 20 июля произошел сбой в работе
программного
обеспечения и большинство научных данных, на которые специалисты возлагали
надежды, были утеряны.
11.8.98 Источник: InfoArt News Agency
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=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: В Космическом центре имени Кеннеди продолжаются испытания...
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В Космическом центре имени Кеннеди продолжаются испытания
итальянского модуля "Leonardo"
В Космическом центре имени Кеннеди продолжаются начатые неделю назад
испытания итальянского модуля материально-технического обеспечения
"Leonardo". Модуль изготовлен на заводе в Турине (Италия) и 31 июля
специальным
рейсом был доставлен в центр имени Кеннеди. Предназначен для
транспортировки
на борт Международной космической станции (МКС) научного оборудования,
запасных частей и расходных материалов.
В настоящее время завершены проверки функционирования отдельных
частей модуля и началась комплексная проверка сопряжения модуля с
оборудованием кораблей многоразового использования, на которых он будет
устанавливаться. Параллельно ведется проверка программного обеспечения
бортовой аппаратуры модуля.
11.8.98
Источник: InfoArt News Agency
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=SANA=
Дата: 11 августа 1998 (1998-08-11)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Hа микрочипе космического зонда "Stardust" выгравировано уже более...
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Hа микрочипе космического зонда "Stardust" выгравировано уже более
миллиона имен землян
Близится к завершению сбор имен землян, которые будут выгравированы на
микрочипе американского космического зонда "Stardust". Когда два месяца
назад
специалисты NASA объявили, что будут размещены имена всех землян, "пусть
даже
их будет миллион", они не предполагали, что этот заветный рубеж будет
превышен.
Тем не менее 6 августа на микрочипе было выгравировано миллионное имя и за
оставшееся до завершения компании время (15 августа) предполагается
получить
заявки еще, по меньшей мере, от 100 тысяч людей со всего мира. Hо и эта
цифра
не является окончательной, так как чем меньше остается времени, тем более
интенсивно поступают заявки.
Зонд "Stardust" отправится в космос 6 февраля 1999 года. Ему предстоит
сблизиться с кометой Wild-2 и взять образцы кометного вещества, которые в
2006
году будут доставлены на Землю.
11.8.98 Источник: InfoArt News Agency
Hа сегодня все, пока!
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