HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: colint@spider.co.uk (Colin Tinto)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Aurora
Date: 15 Dec 92 14:17:54 GMT
Organization: Spider Systems Limited, Edinburgh, UK

In article <n112bt@ofa123.fidonet.org> David.Anderman@ofa123.fidonet.org writes:
>Some other reports on Aurora from southern California:
> 
>On many Thursday mornings, this area is being shaken by earthquake-like
>tremors which are supposedly sonic booms from some secret plane.
> 

In todays Scottish Daily Express, there was a small report about Aurora.

I don't have the paper here with me, but I'll quote from memory:

People of the Shetlands and Orkney Islands (Far north of Scotland) have 
recently been hearing a lot of rumbles etc, which some experts suggest may
be the Aurora.

For the last couple of years, people of the Western Isles (Last islands of 
Scotland before the open Atlantic) have been plagued by loud noises and
rumblings which rattle the windows of their houses.

Technical stuff :   Mach 8, (Picture shows Delta shaped craft, relatively
small wings), Spokesman from "Janes Defence Weekly" said he thinks it
may run on liquid methane, and have a range of 5000 miles.
An aircraft of this speed takes a while to get up to speed, and the experts
suggest the noises could be the plane getting up to speed for trans-Atlantic
crossing.

---

Hang on - 5000 miles - that means it can just reach Scotland from the East
Coast USA before having to turn back ?   Something not quite right...


-- 
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\
!   Colin Tinto			!  Time Travel Parcel Deliveries Inc          !
!   colint@spider.co.uk		!  The only courier with previous day service.!
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: rbw3q@rayleigh.mech.Virginia.EDU (Brad Whitehurst)
Subject: Re: DoD launcher use
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 16:27:12 GMT

In article <1992Dec13.212814.14887@iti.org> aws@iti.org (Allen W. Sherzer) writes:
>In article <1992Dec13.183545.9958@ke4zv.uucp> gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman) writes:
>
>>>for many applications satellite is better. Recon aircraft are too easy
>>>to shoot down...
>
>>We're talking about Iraq right? No air opposition right? Complete Coalition
>>domination of the airspace right? 
>
>>What can a satellite do for tactical recon that a SR71 can't?
>
>Updates of the tactical situation with SR-71 would take about 6 to 8 hours
>to get and would be several hours old by the time they get to the local
>commanders. Satellite images take seconds to get and are fresh. In the Gulf
>war, images just a few hours old would have been useless.
>
>  Allen
	Actually, as I recall, one of DoD's new goals is integration
of Joint-STARS and other airborne intelligence systems with real-time
intelligence/command/control/communications down to the tactical field
unit level.  They've already achieved that with Joint-STARS,
transmitting radar imagery in near real-time right to the field
commanders.  I assume satellites are part of that system.  The main
problem with satellites is inability to redirect, unlike recon planes
(remember the SR-71 was just one of many recon craft!).  I wonder how
close the spooks really are to doing surveillance like they showed in
the movie Patriot Games?  Don't look up folks, who knows who's
looking! :-)

-- 

Brad Whitehurst    |   Aerospace Research Lab
rbw3q@Virginia.EDU |   We like it hot...and fast.
From: gary@ke4zv.uucp (Gary Coffman)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: DoD launcher use
Date: 11 Dec 92 17:10:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: ke4zv.1992Dec11.171055.24364
Reply-To: gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman)
Organization: Gannett Technologies Group

In article <1992Dec10.150004.20940@iti.org> aws@iti.org (Allen W. Sherzer) writes:
>
>The USAF Space Command is being briefed on DC and they are very interested.
>The current head of Space Command ran the air war against Iraq and was
>hampered by lack of access to satellite images. A vehicle with DC's
>turnaround time is just what he needs.

This puzzles me somewhat. DC would allow a short notice launch of a LEO
satellite, but such satellites have very short, and fixed, looks at a
given combat theatre. If would seem to me that recon aircraft are still
a better choice for tactical recon. Outside of the former SU there isn't
any system with a good chance of downing an SR71 28 years after it was
first fielded. In a situation like the Gulf War where US forces totally
dominated the air, it would seem that many types of photorecon aircraft
could deliver the needed pictures at any arbitrary time of any arbitrary
bit of terrain that needed a look see. Using DC itself as a recon platform
seems like serious overkill, but then the military always likes overkill
I suppose. I'd suspect that DC would be much more suited to being an
ASAT weapons platform than a spy carrier.

>Equally important, DC is a real kick-the-tires kind of vehicle which
>has appeal for the ex-fighter types who run the Air Force.

This sounds a lot more like the real reason.

Gary
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: shafer@rigel.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer)
Subject: Re: Shuttle thermal tiles
Organization: NASA Dryden, Edwards, Cal.
	<BzHEJ7.8t6@zoo.toronto.edu>
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 03:59:14 GMT

On Sat, 19 Dec 1992 00:54:41 GMT, henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) said:

HS> A lot of people were surprised when the Soviets brought the first Buran
HS> to the Paris air show -- flying it in atop a Mriya, straight through a
HS> rainstorm.  (What *really* made jaws drop:  after landing, they got
HS> directions to their parking place... and one million pounds of aircraft
HS> turned off the runway and taxied across the *grass* to the right spot.
HS> You won't see NASA's 747 doing that...)

You won't see anybody's 747 doing that!

That's the disadvantage of civil aircraft--rarely can the big ones go
anywhere but a well-paved surface.  

(I write "big" there so that no smart alec will say "What about
Markair's L-100 (civilian C-130) service onto the gravel above the
Arctic Circle?"  I know you all too well!)

Now I think that the C-17 could at least carry the weight of the
Shuttle and it certainly has a big enough vertical stab for
lateral-directional stability.  If we really want forward airfield
capability, maybe we should be looking in that direction.  Of course,
the real question is how badly do we want to taxi on the grass?

--
Mary Shafer  DoD #0362 KotFR NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
shafer@rigel.dfrf.nasa.gov                    Of course I don't speak for NASA
 "A MiG at your six is better than no MiG at all."  Unknown US fighter pilot
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: rjn@FC.HP.COM (Bob Niland)
Subject: Re: Apollo laser disk
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 18:44:53 GMT
Reply-To: rjn@FC.HP.COM
Organization: Hewlett-Packard/WSY Ft.Collins,CO,USA
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.8 PL6]

Ralph Buttigieg (ralph.buttigieg@f635.n713.z3.fido.zeta.org.au) wrote:

> Can anyone help on the location of a NTSC CAV format laser disk called
> "Apollo".  Its supposed to cantain just about every moment of the Apollo
> lunar space walks and other stuff.  If you have a suppliers address I
> greatly appreciate it.

I could probably answer questions about the following discs, but except
for "For All Mankind (Rienert, 1989), they are apparently out of print.

For All Mankind (CAV) Voyager V1019L
For All Mankind (CLV) Voyager V1018L

  Both have the complete 78 minute documentary assembled from NASA archives,
  digital surround sound, dual-analog sound (commentary by Reinert).  The
  CAV also has still-frame supplements.
 
Space Archives:
Vol.1: Space Shuttle STS 5,6,7        (CAV,dual analog) 1983 two sides
Vol.2: Apollo 17                      (CAV,dual analog) 1984 two sides
Vol.3: Mars and Beyond        (CAV,dual analog,Some 3D) 1985 two sides
Shuttle Downlink                      (CAV,dual analog) 1984 two sides
Vol.5: Greetings from Earth  (CAV,stereo & dual analog) 1985 one side
Vol.6: Encounters                          (CAV,stereo) 1986 two sides

  The Space Archive discs were produced by Video Vision Associates (now
  Optical Data Corp) and bear no catalog numbers.  They are rudimentary
  multi-media, containing alternating motion and still sequences.  These
  discs are apparently out of print.  Used copies are worthwhile, as they
  were all manufactured by 3M.

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland      Internet: rjn@FC.HP.COM               3404 East Harmony Road
                CompuServe:  71044,2124               Ft Collins CO 80525-9599

This article represents only the opinion[s] of its author, and is not an
official or unofficial position of, or statement by, the Hewlett-Packard
Company.  The text is provided for informational purposes only.  It is
supplied without warranty of any kind.
From: pcs@m-net.ann-arbor.mi.us (Paul Schuytema)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: {pace power systems
Date: 19 Dec 92 17:50:38 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.BzIpLo.M8n.1
Distribution: sci
Organization: [via International Space University]
X-Added: Forwarded by Space Digest
Original-Sender: isu@VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU

Call for help:
I am a freelance writer and I am currently working
on an article for Omni on space power systems.
I am interested in solar, nuclear, and other power
systems which will be used for basic power
(life support, computers, etc.) for manned missions,
especially such things as space stations, Mars runs,
and deep space xplorations.  I am interested not only in what
is currently being developed, but also "far flung" ideas.
I would like to correspond with interested researchers and
elp.
-Paul C. Schuytema
From: roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov (John Roberts)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Micro-g in KC-135
Date: 20 Dec 92 18:22:04 GMT
Distribution: sci
Organization: National Institute of Standards and Technology formerly National Bureau of Standards
X-Added: Forwarded by Space Digest
Original-Sender: isu@VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU


-From: stick@lopez.marquette.MI.US (Stick,CommoSigop)
-Subject: Re: Micro-g in KC-135
-Date: 15 Dec 92 22:19:31 GMT
-Organization: Great White North/UPLink

-In <Bz7v1M.6DC@zoo.toronto.edu> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes:

->In article <1gfti1INNaqj@rave.larc.nasa.gov> claudio@nmsb.larc.nasa.gov (Claudio Egalon) writes:
->>What causes the microgravity in the KC-135, the centripetal 
->>acceleration at the top of the parabola, which may cancel the gravity 
->>acceleration,  or something else???

->You don't "cancel" the gravitational acceleration, you fall with it.  The
->KC-135 flies the exact trajectory that it would follow if it were falling
->free in a vacuum.

->That trajectory isn't exactly a parabola; it is in fact a segment of an
->elliptical orbit (one that intersects the Earth's surface).  It's very
->close to being a parabola.  It would *be* a parabola if the Earth were
->flat and gravity did not diminish with altitude.

-   Interesting.  The way I see it, the -135, after nosing up, pushes over
-in such a manner that its acceleration towards the Earth's surface exactly
-matches the acceleration of gravity.   And, I don't know for sure if its
-flight path would be that of a parabola, it doesn't maintain its lateral
-velocity vector.  The speed vector parallel to the Earth's surface would be
-at its greatest when the aircraft was in level flight.

The horizontal velocity vector *has* to remain essentially the same, or
you won't get zero-G.

While the trajectory might technically be an ellipse, I think it's more
practical to use the approximation that the Earth is flat, the gravitational
field is constant, and the trajectory is a parabola. After all, over the
course of a 30-second zero-G trajectory, the local intensity of the Earth's
gravitational field should show an altitude-related variation of only about
one part in 3000, and the Earth beneath the airplane should curve by only
about 1/16 of a degree. The trajectory of the plane isn't precise enough
to reflect such small differences.

Approximations of this type are useful in many fields of engineering. For
instance, among those who build their own amateur telescopes, a 4-inch f/10
primary mirror used to be one of the popular choices, in part because for
that size mirror, a spherical curvature (much easier to grind than a parabolic
curvature) is sufficiently close to a parabola that further figuring isn't
really needed.

John Roberts
roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov
From: roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov (John Roberts)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: NASA Select mission coverage
Date: 12 Dec 92 21:09:26 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.Bz604C.MJI.1
Distribution: sci
Organization: National Institute of Standards and Technology formerly National Bureau of Standards
X-Added: Forwarded by Space Digest
Original-Sender: isu@VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU


-From: tffreeba@indyvax.iupui.edu
-Subject: SSF Deputy Dir. Interview
-Date: 12 Dec 92 18:27:45 GMT

-          This is a short piece on an interview I had with Martin Kress of
-          NASA.  I am sorry if it is not very good but I whacked it out
-          when I should have been studying for finals.
-          Thomas Freebairn
          
-          Some of the problems he sees with NASA communications are the
-          over use of technical jargon and acronyms.
          
-          Kress would like to see a little English brought to NASA's video
-          feed, too.
          
-          "When you watch a mission on NASA Select, I would really like to
-          see a narrator who is not a scientist or an engineer to give a
-          narrative in simple terms," Kress said.
          
They did a very good job of that on STS-53 - the acronyms and the projects 
they represented were explained many times.

Another innovation was text periodically placed on the screen reading
"next mission summary at <time>". This was very useful, because I typically
leave the VCR recording when I go to work, and play it back in fast-forward
mode, looking for the interesting parts. What would *really* be ideal would
be text reading "voice originating from Mission Control" while the summary
is actually going on - that way, those of us who use a VCR to scan mission
coverage could scan at the maximum rate, looking for that graphic.

John Roberts
roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov
From: BrianT@cup.portal.com (Brian Stuart Thorn)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Shuttle alternatives (was Re: Terminal Velocity of DCX?)
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 92 20:11:09 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

>This is not true primarily because Titan IV cannot carry most Shuttle pay-
>loads.
>
>1) Titan IV cannot carry the payload of the Shuttle.  Titan IV's payload is
>only 38,500 lbs to a 100 nmi orbit, while Discovery and Atlantis can loft
>52,000 lbs to a 150 nmi orbit.  Endeavour can launch a few thousand lbs more.
>While I don't have the equations on hand, raising Titan IV's standard orbit
>to 150 nmi would cause its payload to drop to about 30,000 lbs, barely half
>that of Endeavour.

    Two problems here, Mike. 
    First, what Shuttle payloads weighed this much? TDRS? I doubt it.
    Titan 34D/IUS launched an equivalent payload (two DSCS-IIIs.) 
    The only payload I can think of that was above this, very debatable
    Titan IV lift capacity, was the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory.
    Second, I think Endeavour is heavier than Discovery or Atlantis,
    since it has the EDO modifications, so it's max payload is lower.

>5) The Titan IV's launch rate is very low.  It has flown six times since its
>1989 debut, while the Shuttle has flown over 20.  All available Titan IVs
>for the near future will be used for launching Air Force payloads.  None are
>available for NASA or commercial uses for quite some time.

    Agreed. Titan IV is a turkey which exists only because the Air
    Force can launch one without all the publicity of the Shuttle.
    I sure hope they think it's worth it. (We don't know what 
    Titan IV No.6 launched, and we don't know what STS-53 launched.)
    
    -Brian
From: fiddler@concertina.Eng.Sun.COM (steve hix)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: DoD launcher use
Date: 18 Dec 1992 00:16:37 GMT
Organization: Sun
NNTP-Posting-Host: concertina

>In article <1992Dec14.221347.3359@iti.org> aws@iti.org (Allen W. Sherzer) writes:
>
>>I don't think much if any recon was flown [ in Iraq]. 
>>The Air Force had better things to do with its aircraft.

What do you call a military force in combat who doesn't conduct recon
(having better things to do)?

The loser.

--
-------------------------------------------------------
| Some things are too important not to give away      |
| to everybody else and have none left for yourself.  |
|------------------------ Dieter the car salesman-----|
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: zowie@daedalus.stanford.edu (Craig "Powderkeg" DeForest)
Subject: Re: Galileo's atmospheric probe
Organization: Stanford Center for Space Science and Astrophysics
Distribution: sci
Date: 16 Dec 92 18:24:05

In article <foo> roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov (John Roberts) writes:
   -How does NASA and JPL expect the probe to survive the deceleration? It must
   -be pretty close to slamming into a piece of boilerplate! 

   "Smart" artillery shells experience accelerations *much* greater than 350G -
   tens of thousands of gravities might be considered typical.

   Striking an immovable object at even modest velocity also results in 
   acceleration greater than 350G.

Agree agree.

If you drop a Timex watch (``takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'\ '') from
a height of 1m onto a cement floor, carefully holding it so it falls flat,
and it stops in 1mm, then it underwent 1000G's of acceleration!  

And, being a Timex, it (usually) still works!

We talked about this about a year ago on sci.physics.  Everyday things
undergo a lot more acceleration than we give 'em credit for.

Other examples:  a light aluminum hunting arrow experiences 1000G's on 
release from a good compound bow; a car piston with a 10cm stroke 
undergoes 900G's at the top and bottom of its stroke, at 3000rpm (and
a whopping 3600 at 6000 rpm!); and dropped personal stereos routinely 
take >300 G's and survive.
--
DON'T DRINK SOAP! DILUTE DILUTE! OK!
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.geo.meteorlogy
From: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
Subject: TOPEX Data Show Role of Eddies in Ocean Circulation
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   
Keywords:  TOPEX, JPL, CNES
Reply-To: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 07:07:17 GMT

From the "JPL Universe"
December 18, 1992

TOPEX data show role of eddies in ocean circulation
By Mary Hardin

     Preliminary results from the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite's
radar altimeter have enabled scientists to create a global image
of the world's oceans that shows how swirls of ocean currents,
called eddies, change over distances of tens to hundreds of
kilometers during time periods that range from weeks to months.
     "Eddies play an important role in ocean circulation because
they transport an enormous amount of heat, salt, nutrients and
other chemicals in the ocean," said JPL Project Scientist Dr.
Lee-Lueng Fu. It is this process of ocean circulation that helps
to shape the global climate, he continued.
     "The data were collected during a 10 day period from Oct. 3
to 12, 1992 and were processed using preliminary algorithms that
have not yet been adjusted based on post-launch calibrations," Fu
said.
     The altimeter measures the height of the sea surface along
the satellite's ground track which covers the entire global ocean
every 10 days.  After subtracting a model of the mean sea surface
height from the satellite measurements, JPL's Oceanography Group
produced the image showing sea surface height due to changes in
ocean current.
     "This is a snapshot that doesn't coincide with the multi-
year average of past ocean observations," Fu said, "It shows that
the ocean changes constantly."
     Areas of sea surface height greater than 25 cm occur mainly
in regions of the following strong currents: The Gulf Stream off
the east coast of the United States, the Kuroshio current off the
east coast of Japan, the East Australian Current, the Agulhas
Current south of South Africa, the Somali Current off Somalia,
and the convergence of the Brazil Current and the Falkland
Current off the central east coast of South America. A chain of
secondary highs can be seen north of Antarctica.
     ___    _____     ___
    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
 ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   M/S 525-3684 Telos | Choose a job you love, and
/___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /| Pasadena, CA 91109 | you'll never have to work
|_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     | a day in you life. 

Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro,alt.sci.planetary
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Galileo's Atmospheric Probe Passes Health Checks
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 22:59:55 GMT
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology

I wrote:
>>... I also have some knowledge of the
>>accellerations experienced by the Sprint system and HIBEX experiments...
>>none of which came CLOSE to 350G! 
>
>Smart artillery shells experience thousands of gees at launch.  A few
>hundred is no big deal...

Note, by the way, that Galileo's 350 isn't even a record.  The steepest
of the trajectories used for the Pioneer-Venus probe mission exposed one
of the small probes to 458.
-- 
"God willing... we shall return."       | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
       -Gene Cernan, the Moon, Dec 1972 |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry
From: lc2b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Lawrence Curcio)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Hypergolic Hybrids?
Date: 12 Dec 92 15:08:55 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.Uf_coba00WB7IkVVct
Organization: Doctoral student, Urban and Public Affairs, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

I was wondering if anyone ever played with the idea of hypergolic hybrid
rockets. It seems to me this would solve a lot of problems. I even have
a family of propellant combinations in mind.

Diphenyl amine, when reacted slowly with warm, dilute nitric acid yields
a tarry sludge that breaks up into delightful free radicals when heated.
This sludge can be mixed with monomers (e.g.; styren) to form materials
with more desireable physical properties. In fact, the sludge takes the
place of a curing agent (free radical initiator). Said materials would
likely be hypergolic with N2O4 or RFNA. 

The system could then be programmed with paper tape...