HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: bjohnson@casper.cs.uct.ac.za (B Johnson)
Subject: UFO's
Organization: Computer Science Department, University of Cape Town
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 09:43:54 GMT

It strikes me that either UFO's are non-existent (UFO in the ETI sense)
or the universe is so crowded with inhabited planets as to make earth
uninteresting.

Lets look at it this way. What would you do if you're the captain of
an interggalactic space exploring vessel. You encounter a planet that
plainly exhibits several life forms ( Intelligent or not).

Do you

a) get all excited, jump up and down, and "radio" base for further 
   instructions.
b) go have a quick squiz, grab a couple of specimans, and bug out.
c) tell all your intergalactic explorer buddies, so they come have
   a look.
d) do a detailed survey, and after determining intelligence, try
   and make contact. 
e) Say "ho-hum another bunch of bi-peds, how boring."

So the qustion is... if life is as rare as everyone would make it 
out to be, and UFO's are around, why aren't we the major attraction
in the galactic fairground.

Bruce
<bjohnson@casper.cs.uct.ac.za>
From: clements@vax.oxford.ac.uk
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: ESA Future
Date: 22 Jul 92 16:25:47 GMT
Organization: Oxford University VAXcluster

In article <1992Jul21.160023.20724@en.ecn.purdue.edu>, dominop@en.ecn.purdue.edu (Philippos A. Peleties) writes:
> In article <63941@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprmd@prism.gatech.EDU (Matthew DeLuca) writes:
>>In article <Brp9K9.3IF@zoo.toronto.edu> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes:
>>>In article <63877@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprmd@prism.gatech.EDU (Matthew DeLuca) writes:

>>>>Well, yes, but then they don't have independent acess to space, which was one
>>>>of the reasons ESA was founded in the first place.  Sort of pointless.
>>

The Arianne series would still be running with or without Hermes. There's your
independent access to space.

>>>Not at all.  Just make Russia an ESA member.  It *is* a European country!
>>
>>Well, geographically it is partly in Europe, (it's as much Asian as
>>European, if we want to get picky) but socially, economically, and 
>>culturally it is pretty far off...I can't see them getting into the ESA, 
>>especially with all the petty bickering and infighting among the member
>>nations.
>>
> The point is this: ex-Soviet (Russian/Ukranian) technology most likely
> will be used in some rather substantial capacity and some combination
> of the above countries will become ESA members whether they are geographically
> located in Europe or not.


Geography never mattered anyway. Canada's a member of ESA and ESA's launch
facilities are in south america. ESA's just a name, and that never stopped
politicians before...

-- 
================================================================================
Dave Clements, Oxford University Astrophysics Department
================================================================================
clements @ uk.ac.ox.vax			|  Umberto Eco is the *real* Comte de
dlc      @ uk.ac.ox.astro		|           Saint Germain...
================================================================================
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: rkornilo@nyx.cs.du.edu (ryan korniloff)
Subject: Re: ET's amd Radio
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 06:16:01 GMT




My only arument is simply this. In the typical galaxy there are 10's of
BILLIONS of stars and there is something like a billion trillion galaxies
in the observable universe. Don't you think that aout of all of thoes
possible combinations that there would be AT LEAST ONE other life form
with higher intellegence? I personally think that there are other
intellegent beings on our Milky Way galaxy alone. I think that 100+
billion combinations is sufficient to allow enough chance that there woul
be other intellegent beings in our galaxy.


          -- Ryan Kornloff
          -- rkornilo@nyx.cs.du.edu

Xref: sparky sci.space:10734 news.answers:2235
Newsgroups: sci.space
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 23:19:59 -0400 
From: David O Hunt <dh4j+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Red-blooded ET's :)


> I mentioned iron for two reasons. First, it's necessary for oxygen
> transport via the blood. Second, and this is opinion, it's needed
> for the planet to have a significant magnetic field to redirect energetic
> radiation from the planetary surface. Now iron is the result of supernova
> explosions. Population II stars formed *before* supernovas became common
> enough to supply heavy elements.

I'll buy the iron argument about magnetic fields, though I think that
some other light metal might work...I'm admittedly ignorant about geomagnetics,
but isn't it the currents in the core rather than the composition of
the core?

As to requiring iron to carry oxygen - NONESENSE!  Spock did it with
copper!  :)  Seriously, the horseshoe crab has _copper_ based blood.
Magnesium, among other light metals, could also work (don't know the
exact energetics, alas...shouldn't have slept through chem! :)  And
why do we assume it must be a _metal_ carrying the oxygen - there are
non-metals with oxygen-affinity.

> The great extinction, due to oxygen liberation, took another
> 4 billion years, before oxygen based life became dominant. I think we
> can safely assume that intelligent life would require the energetics
> only possible to oxygen breathers.

What about other bi-elemental gasses?  Cl2 may be too energetic, but we
can't assume not...the main problem I see to this is the relative
abundances of the elements.  Perhaps N2?

> >Also, why insist on it being life as we know it?
>
> Because we wouldn't recognize any other kind. Any lifeform not based on
> carbon chemistry would be very strange indeed.
>
> Gary
Maybe, maybe not.  We may not understand its biology, but a lithium
skeleton lying on the ground of an extra-solar planet might be a clue.

And I highly suspect, given numerous examples of convergent evolution on
earth, that similar structures would evolve elsewhere.



David Hunt - Graduate Slave | My mind is my own.          | Towards both a
Mechanical Engineering      | So are my ideas & opinions. | Palestinian and
Carnegie Mellon University  | <<<Use Golden Rule v2.0>>>  | Jewish homeland!
============================================================================
Email:  dh4j@cmu.edu            Working towards my "Piled Higher and Deeper"

Democracy is based on the theory that the people know what they want...and
they deserve to get it - GOOD AND HARD!
From: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Subject: DSN Update - 07/23/92
Date: 23 Jul 92 23:33:09 GMT
Reply-To: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4


                         Deep Space Network Status Report
                                July 23, 1992

     The 70 meter antenna at Goldstone (near Barstow in California) returned
to operations early this morning, supporting the Galileo mission with no
problems.  The antenna has been down since June 28 when the two large
earthquakes damaged its subreflector.
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Most of the things you 
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | worry about will never
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     | happen.
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Subject: Galileo Update - 07/27/92
Keywords: Galileo, JPL
Date: 28 Jul 92 05:17:32 GMT
Reply-To: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4


                            GALILEO STATUS REPORT
                                July 27, 1992

     The Galileo Spacecraft is operating normally in the dual-spin mode and
transmitting coded telemetry at 40 bps.

     Over the weekend, no spacecraft activity was scheduled.  Tracking was
performed over DSS-43 (Canberra 70 meter antenna).

     Today, July 27, 1992, no spacecraft activity is scheduled.  Tracking is
scheduled over DSS-43.

     Tomorrow, no spacecraft activity is scheduled.  Tracking is scheduled
over DSS-43.
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Most of the things you 
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | worry about will never
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     | happen.
From: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Subject: Galileo Update - 07/21/92
Keywords: Galileo, JPL
Date: 22 Jul 92 02:00:15 GMT
Reply-To: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4

Forwarded from Bill O'Neil, Galileo Project Manager

                             GALILEO STATUS REPORT
                                 July 21, 1992

     The Galileo Spacecraft is operating normally in the dual-spin mode and
transmitting coded telemetry at 40bps.

     Yesterday, the uplink of the Dual Drive Actuator (DDA) pulse/Low Gain
Antenna-2 (LGA-2) stow mini-sequence along with real-time commands to update
telemetry map variable packets were performed, as planned.  Tracking was
performed over DSS-43 (Canberra 70 meter antenna).

     Today, July 21, 1992, the turn to the warming attitude in preparation for
the Dual Drive Actuator (DDA) pulse is scheduled to begin at approximately
10:57 PDT.  The first of the two Dual Drive Actuator pulse turn ons is
scheduled at 12:46 PDT for approximately a 2-second duration.  Tracking is
scheduled over DSS-43.  Tomorrow, the second Dual Drive Actuator pulse is
scheduled at 11:01 PDT for approximately a 2-second duration.  Additionally,
the turn back from the warming attitude is scheduled to begin at approximately
11:07 PDT.  Tracking is scheduled over DSS-63 (Madrid 70 meter antenna) and
DSS-43.
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Most of the things you 
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | worry about will never
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     | happen.
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: KSC Weather Report for 07/28/92 (Forwarded)
Apparently-To: sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 19:15:29 GMT

          FROM: George H. Diller
                NASA-KSC  407/867-2468


                                 Weather Forecast for STS-46
                                 Forecast prepared on L-3 day
                                 Tuesday, 7/28/92



          Synopsis: High pressure will dominate.


               During the launch window from 09:56 a.m. - 12:26 p.m. on
          Friday, July 31, the conditions are forecast to be:

          Clouds:

          3,000-6,000 scattered cumulus
          25% sky coverage

          Visibility: 7 miles or greater

          Wind - Pad 39B:  SW becoming SE, 5 knots increasing to 8 knots

          Temperature:  91 degrees

          Dewpoint:     74 degrees

          Humidity:     58%

          Precipitation: none expected

          Probability of launch weather criteria violation: 10%
          Probability of tanking constraint violation: 5%

          Chance of violation at launch time on Saturday  20%
                                                tanking:  5%

          Chance of violation at launch time on Sunday :  25%
                                                tanking:   5%


          Developed by Cape Canaveral Forecast Facility, USAF
From: yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee)
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Subject: Astronaut Hilmers leaves NASA to study medicine [Release 92-120] (Forwarded)
Date: 22 Jul 92 03:30:57 GMT
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Apparently-To: sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov

Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.         July 21, 1992
(Phone:  202/453-1134)

Barbara Schwartz
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone:  713/483-5111)


RELEASE:  92-120

ASTRONAUT HILMERS LEAVES NASA TO STUDY MEDICINE


     Astronaut David C. Hilmers (Col., USMC) is leaving NASA in the
fall and retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps November 1 to pursue a
medical degree.  Hilmers will attend the Baylor College of Medicine in
Houston.

     Hilmers has flown on four Space Shuttle missions, logging more
than 493 hours in space.  In September 1988, he served as a mission
specialist on STS-26, the first flight to be flown after the Challenger
accident, which deployed a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite.

     More recently, Hilmers was a crew member on the STS-42
International Microgravity Laboratory-1 mission in January 1992,
working on experiments in a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines
provided by investigators from 11 countries.  Two of the missions,
STS-51J in October 1985 and STS-36 in February 1990, were Department of
Defense flights.

     Selected as an astronaut in 1980, Hilmers has served in a number
of technical assignments, including work on upper stage vehicles,
Shuttle software verification, astronaut office training coordinator,
spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM), Space Station Freedom issues and Head
of the Mission Development Branch within the Astronaut Office.

     "As I leave NASA, I reflect on 12 years filled with grand
experiences, great joy and occasional sorrow.  Above all else, I will
miss my co-workers in the space program who stood by me throughout, and
whose efforts were responsible for anything I might have achieved.  At
this time, I feel that I have been assigned to a new mission in the
field of medicine, and my hope is that my service to others would
someday approach the support I have enjoyed here," Hilmers said.

     "Dave is a brilliant and totally unselfish person.  I'm sure he
will be successful in his new career as a doctor.  His aspiration to
new goals typifies the intrinsic striving to explore new horizons and
to accept new challenges that made him an outstanding astronaut and an
asset to the space program," Donald R. Puddy, Director of Flight Crew
Operations, said.
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Playalinda Beach to open following launch of Atlantis [Release 103-92/KSC] (Forwarded)
Apparently-To: sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 19:24:22 GMT

          Bruce Buckingham                               July 29, 1992
          (407) 867-2468

          KSC Release No. 103 - 92


          PLAYALINDA BEACH TO OPEN FOLLOWING LAUNCH OF ATLANTIS


               Playalinda Beach will be reopened to visitors as of sunrise
          the day following the launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on
          mission STS-46. Launch is currently scheduled for 9:56 a.m.
          Friday, July 31 from pad 39B. If launch occurs as scheduled,
          Playalinda Beach will be open to visitors Saturday morning.

               The beach is closed whenever an orbiter is at NASA's
          northern-most pad. Once the vehicle is gone, the southern part of
          the Canaveral National Seashore will reopen and begin operating at
          normal hours.

               Beach goers who plan to visit Playalinda Beach around this
          time should call the Canaveral National Seashore office at (407)
          267-1110 for additional information on any changes.

               Other Canaveral National Seashore beaches such as Apollo
          Beach remain open. They may be reached through the north beach
          entrance, located south of New Smyrna Beach.
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Magellan Update - 07/29/92
Followup-To: sci.space
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   
Keywords:  Magellan, JPL
Reply-To: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 05:00:45 GMT

Forwarded from the Magellan Project

                       MAGELLAN STATUS REPORT
                           July 29, 1992

1.  Magellan continues to operate under the M2206 command
    sequence, which consists of only starcals (star calibrations)
    and desats (desaturations of the reaction wheels).  No
    radar mapping is being performed.

2.  During yesterday's power cycle test of Transmitter B, the
    transmitter was turned on near the start of the Goldstone
    tracking pass.  The transmitter temperature was at 23.4
    degrees C as the power cycle test began, and the carrier AGC
    (Automatic Gain Control) at DSS-15 (Goldstone 34 meter
    antenna) was -140 dB (the predicted value).

3.  The purpose was to test a transmitter operating mode in
    which the temperature was kept low by turning the
    transmitter on only during playback periods.  This test
    continues today and tomorrow.

4.  Magellan scientists are hoping to fill the only
    significant gap in Magellan's global coverage of Venus, a
    10-day mapping segment at the end of the cycle.  Obtaining
    this coverage would raise the percentage of Venus surface
    imaged to about 99%.
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Most of the things you 
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | worry about will never
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     | happen.

Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: Goldin calls for NASA procurement reform [NTE 92-65] (Forwarded)
Apparently-To: sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 22:13:53 GMT

Bill Livingstone
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                               July 23, 1992
(Phone:  202/453-1898)


EDITORS NOTE:  N92-65

GOLDIN CALLS FOR NASA PROCUREMENT REFORM

	In a major speech to be delivered in Los Angeles before the National 
Contractor Managers Association, NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin will 
outline plans for major reform within the NASA procurement system.

	The speech will be given at 8:15 a.m. PDT, Friday, July 24, at the Los 
Angeles Airport Hotel, Century Boulevard.  Following the speech, at 
approximately 9 a.m. PDT, Goldin will be available to meet with the press.
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Subject: SAMPEX Update - 07/22/92
Date: 23 Jul 92 00:19:06 GMT
Reply-To: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4


                             SAMPEX STATUS REPORT
                                July 22, 1992

     The SAMPEX POCC (Payload Operations Center) had declared a spacecraft
emergency on July 21 due to high voltage readings which were out of limits
on their LEICA (Low Energy Composition Analyzer) instrument.  DSS-66
(Madrid 26 meter antenna) and DSS-46 (Canberra 26 meter antenna) were used
to support the spacecraft emergency.  The spacecraft emergency was lifted
by SAMPEX POCC on July 22 at 1555Z.
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Most of the things you 
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | worry about will never
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     | happen.
From: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Subject: Mars Observer Update - 07/27/92
Keywords: Mars Observer, JPL, KSC
Date: 28 Jul 92 07:43:27 GMT
Reply-To: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4

Forwarded from Glenn Cunningham, Mars Observer Deputy Project Manager

                          MARS OBSERVER
                 DAILY ACTIVITIES STATUS REPORT
                            FROM THE
      KENNEDY SPACE CENTER/CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION

                      Launch Minus 51 Days

Date of report:     7-27-92        Time of report:     5:00 pm EDT


            [There were no reports on 7/25 and 7/26.]


Mechanical closeout and mechanical support equipment readiness
operations were accomplished over the weekend.  The pyro circuits
in the TOS (Transfer Orbit Stage) adapter harness were checked.
The adapter bushings were fit checked and some additional analysis
needs to be performed relative to their clearances.

Preparations for and measurement of the wet mass and center-of-
gravity determination were conducted today.

The battery review telecon will be held tomorrow morning.

Mating to the TOS adapter is scheduled for late tomorrow.
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Most of the things you 
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | worry about will never
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     | happen.
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
From: yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee)
Subject: KSC Weather Report for 07/30/92 (Forwarded)
Apparently-To: sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 23:59:08 GMT

          FROM: George H. Diller
                NASA-KSC  407/867-2468


                                 Weather Forecast for STS-46
                                 Forecast prepared on L-1 day
                                 Thursday, 7/30/92



          Synopsis: High pressure will dominate providing dry, stable
          weather conditions.


               During the launch window from 09:56 a.m. - 12:26 p.m. on
          Friday, July 31, the conditions are forecast to be:

          Clouds:

          3,000-6,000 scattered cumulus
          25% sky coverage

          25,000-28,000 scattered cirrus
          40% sky coverage

          Visibility: 7 miles or greater

          Wind - Pad 39B:  SW becoming SE, 8 knots increasing to 12 knots

          Temperature:  87 degrees at window open, 92 by window close.

          Dewpoint:     75 degrees at window open, 73 by window close.

          Humidity:     70% at window open, 55% by window close.

          Precipitation: chance of thunderstorms after 1 p.m.

          Probability of launch weather criteria violation: 5%
          Probability of tanking constraint violation: 5%

          Chance of violation at launch time on Saturday  20%
                                                tanking:  5%

          Chance of violation at launch time on Sunday :  25%
                                                tanking:   5%


          Developed by Cape Canaveral Forecast Facility, USAF
Newsgroups: sci.space.news