Date: Thu, 25 Nov 93 04:30:44 PST
From: Ham-Space Mailing List and Newsgroup <ham-space@ucsd.edu>
Errors-To: Ham-Space-Errors@UCSD.Edu
Reply-To: Ham-Space@UCSD.Edu
Precedence: Bulk
Subject: Ham-Space Digest V93 #90
To: Ham-Space
Ham-Space Digest Thu, 25 Nov 93 Volume 93 : Issue 90
Today's Topics:
Control of Amateur Satellites
MIR Packet frequencies?
Satellites and Frequencys
SPACE TRIVIA LIST UPDATE - 19th November, 1993
SPACE TRIVIA LIST UPDATE - 23rd November, 1993
Send Replies or notes for publication to: <Ham-Space@UCSD.Edu>
Send subscription requests to: <Ham-Space-REQUEST@UCSD.Edu>
Problems you can't solve otherwise to brian@ucsd.edu.
Archives of past issues of the Ham-Space Digest are available
(by FTP only) from UCSD.Edu in directory "mailarchives/ham-space".
We trust that readers are intelligent enough to realize that all text
herein consists of personal comments and does not represent the official
policies or positions of any party. Your mileage may vary. So there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 24 Nov 93 20:28:25 GMT
From: news.larc.nasa.gov!sdd@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Control of Amateur Satellites
To: ham-space@ucsd.edu
For those of you who design, build, and operate amateur radio satellites --
What do you use for attitude control and knowledge? Is attitude control
even necessary for small satellites? Also, is thermal control strictly
passive, or are there heaters on board your spacecraft? Thanks!
--
Steve Derry
<s.d.derry@larc.nasa.gov>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 93 07:07:04 PST
From: portal!cup.portal.com!Larry_L_Ledlow@uunet.uu.net
Subject: MIR Packet frequencies?
To: ham-space@ucsd.edu
Mir packet is on 145.55 MHz. 1200 baud AFSK. The call is R0MIR-1.
You'll occasionally hear thecosmonauts working FM voice on this freq.
This usualy happens Friday/Saturday nights when they have some spare time.
73s, Larry
na5e@genie.geis.com
------------------------------
Date: 24 Nov 93 16:56:59 GMT
From: microsoft!wingnut!laurahal@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Satellites and Frequencys
To: ham-space@ucsd.edu
Shameless plug: you can get all this information and lots more
from AMSAT. Including useful introductory materials, a way cool
journal, and lots more.
73,
laura VE7LDH
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 1993 12:09:33 GMT
From: munnari.oz.au!metro!seagoon.newcastle.edu.au!scorch!lukpla@uunet.uu.net
Subject: SPACE TRIVIA LIST UPDATE - 19th November, 1993
To: ham-space@ucsd.edu
IF YOU POSSIBLY CAN, PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO THIS LIST. THIS LIST DEPENDS
UPON THE KIND DONATIONS OF ITEMS FROM PEOPLE ON THE NET.
We're back! Sorry about the delay folks, but this was due
mainly to my excruciating workload for the past few months. I let
even the reminders lapse so we haven't had much new Trivia for awhile,
although last weeks reminder prompted a few messages. They'll appear
in the next update.
I'm posting the full list with this update, just to remind you
how many items we have collected now. I would appreciate corrections
of any kind and SUBMISSIONS galore!
This list is now available via anonymous ftp from the following sites:
krakatoa.jsc.nasa.gov as /misc-docs/trivia.txt
ames.arc.nasa.gov as /pub/SPACE/MISC/trivia.txt
If at ANY time you want the latest update on the trivia list, then it
will be at one of these sites. I will be updating the complete list to
these sites each time an update appears in the newsgroups.
The news distribution of this file is now:-
sci.space
sci.space.shuttle
sci.astro
rec.radio.amateur.space
The last group will only be included when there are new items
of trivia are related to amateur radio in some way.
Luke Plaizier - Space Trivia List Moderator
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
* *
* SPACE TRIVIA - Interesting Trivia Information on Manned and *
* Unmanned Spaceflight from anywhere around the *
* Globe. (Or the Universe for that matter!) *
* *
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
(269) The remotest object visible with the naked eye is the great galaxy
in Andromeda known as Messier 31.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(270) The first double quasar (0957+56) among 1500 known quasars was
announced in May 1980.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(271) The Nearest star to Earth, excepting the Sun, is the very faint
Proxima Centauri, discovered in 1915, which is about 4.225 light
years away.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(272) The nearest star visible to the naked eye is the binary Alpha
Centauri or Rigel Kentaurus at 4.35 light years distant.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(273) The Alpha Centauri binary will reach a minimum distance from
Earth of 2.84 light years in the year 29700 AD.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(274) The present distance of the Solar System from the centre of the
Milky Way galaxy is 27 700 light years and it will reach a minimum
distance of 27 600 light years (perigalacticon) in about 15 million
years' time.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(275) The AVERAGE velocity of the Sun and nearby stars has been calculated
to be 792 000km/h. However, the Sun's actual velocity is
97 200km/h faster than this average.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(276) The largest known star is Betelgeux at 310 light years distance, and
is 500 times larger than the Sun.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(277) The heaviest known star is Eta Carinae, 9100 light-years distant in
the Carinae Nebula in our own Galaxy. It has a mass some 200 times
our own Sun.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(278) The smallest known star appears to be the White Dwarf L362-81 with
an estimated diameter of only 5600 km.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(279) The lightest and dimmest known star is RG 0058.8-2807, with a mass
of only 0.014 that of our Sun, and a total luminosity of only
0.0021 that of the Sun.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(280) The brightest Supernova ever seen by historic Man is believed to be
SN 1006, noted in April 1006 near Beta Lupi. It f;ared for two years
and attained a magnitude of -9 to -10!
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(281) The largest constellation is Hydra which covers 6.3% of the
hemisphere and contains 68 naked eye stars.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(282) The constellation Centaur, ranking 9th in area, has at least 94
naked eye stars.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(283) The smallest constellation is Crux Australis with an area of only
0.16% of the whole sky.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
* *
* SPACE RUMOURS - Interesting Rumours - True or Popular - that have *
* surfaced from anywhere around the globe concerning *
* space topics. *
* *
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
* *
* PURE GUESSWORK - Items that are awaiting verification for *
* placement into either rumour or fact trivia. *
* *
* *
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
(1) It seems that after STS-1 got in orbit, one of the astronauts was eager
to try out the (older, also expensive) toilet. I think it was Crippen.
Apparently all John Young heard was this "Whoosh AHHHHHH!!!!!".
There is a fan in it to suck down the contents. Apparently the
fan was verified to be working correctly (i.e. it spun up) but nobody
ever checked to see if it sucked or blew...
[From HOLLIS@TITAN.KSC.NASA.GOV]
(2) When trying to find a way to keep the water out of the parachute
compartment after splashdown, scientists ended up using a product
from a drug store. I saw this on a space travel special. The story
goes something like one of the project scientists sons was up with a
cold. So, the scientist mixed up a cold remedy gel (added water to a
powder) for his son late one night. This gave him the idea. When
itemizing the inventory for the project budget, they used the drug
store product code and used a backwards spelling of the product name.
Of course, they adapted it a bit for the spacecraft, but the same
principle of this gel was used.
[mark.blevis@qmail.dgrc.doc.ca]
(3) Supposedly, one shuttle launch was delayed due to a rare bird nesting
in the launch pad gantry. Does anyone know if this is true and if so
which launch ? (According to the guide on a KSC coach tour -
probably not the most reliable of sources 8-})
[Mark Grant <mark@isltd.insignia.com>]
(4) The Demise of Blue Streak and ELDO put paid to plans laid in 1968 to
launch leeches - 'the world's most ideal space travellers' - on an
extended flight.
"Give them a bloody meal before they go, and they'll need
nothing for a year-and-a-half!" was how one scientist characterized
the suitability of leeches for space travel. Posing no feeding or
waste disposal problems, leeches might even breed en-route -
providing researchers with a useful insight into the genetic side-
effects induced by exposure to radiation in space.
(5) In some respects, Neil Armstrong was fortunate to become the first
Moonwalker. In 1963, his place in the history books was under seige
from a chimpanzee named Howard!
After just one year of study at the US Space School, Howard
had broken the world's land speed record in a rocket propelled
sled, and had been banned from playing noughts-and-crosses with
visitors because he usually won!
The chances are that if a monkey had been selected to fly to
the Moon instead of a man, it would have been Howard.
(6) Under the direction of NASA's Ames Research Center in California, a
study was conducted into the viability of employing a 'vacuum cleaner'
type device in Low-Earth orbit to collect some of the particles of
Moonrock (tectites) that are dislodged from the lunar surface by
annual meteorite showers and sometimes find their way to the
Earth's surface.
Collected in orbit and returned to Earth by parachute, samples
gathered in this way would be free from the contamination caused by
passage through the Earth's atmosphere.
(7) In reference ot item 64 in the trivia list, Is the reason given true?
1978-1986 the rumor was that if ejected at 100 Kft then you would drift
up to 200 Kft before falling back. During the fall, the aero heating
would become so intense that helmet melting would be likely. I'd love
to know real reason the 100Kft limit was enacted.
[from rlove@raptor.rmnug.org]
(Can anyone come up with some sources for backing up/refuting the last
three items?)
*****************************************************************************
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Luke Plaizier - Entomological Toxophilist Extraordinaire
Editor - Newcastle Space Frontier Society UPDATE
Moderator - SPACE TRIVIA LIST
lukpla@scorch.apana.org.au
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1993 12:21:44 GMT
From: library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!gatech!swrinde!sgiblab!munnari.oz.au!metro!seagoon.newcastle.edu.au!scorch!lukpla@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: SPACE TRIVIA LIST UPDATE - 23rd November, 1993
To: ham-space@ucsd.edu
IF YOU POSSIBLY CAN, PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO THIS LIST. THIS LIST DEPENDS
UPON THE KIND DONATIONS OF ITEMS FROM PEOPLE ON THE NET.
Ever onward we surge - The Guiness Book of Records is
revealing quite a number of items, and it has pushed our total number
over the magic 300. We have over 45 pages of trivia and it is most
definitely NOT stopping here.
I'd appreciate it if there is anyone at all who may be able to
respond to the items in the 'pure guesswork' section of this list.
This section is devoted to 'unsourced' items of trivia that have been
suggested or read from various different sources.
This list is now available via anonymous ftp from the following sites:
krakatoa.jsc.nasa.gov as /misc-docs/trivia.txt
ames.arc.nasa.gov as /pub/SPACE/MISC/trivia.txt
If at ANY time you want the latest update on the trivia list, then it
will be at one of these sites. I will be updating the complete list to
these sites each time an update appears in the newsgroups.
The news distribution of this file is now:-
sci.space
sci.space.shuttle
sci.astro
rec.radio.amateur.space
The last group will only be included when there are new items
of trivia are related to amateur radio in some way.
Luke Plaizier - Space Trivia List Moderator
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
* *
* SPACE TRIVIA - Interesting Trivia Information on Manned and *
* Unmanned Spaceflight from anywhere around the *
* Globe. (Or the Universe for that matter!) *
* *
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
(269) The remotest object visible with the naked eye is the great galaxy
in Andromeda known as Messier 31.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(270) The first double quasar (0957+56) among 1500 known quasars was
announced in May 1980.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(271) The Nearest star to Earth, excepting the Sun, is the very faint
Proxima Centauri, discovered in 1915, which is about 4.225 light
years away.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(272) The nearest star visible to the naked eye is the binary Alpha
Centauri or Rigel Kentaurus at 4.35 light years distant.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(273) The Alpha Centauri binary will reach a minimum distance from
Earth of 2.84 light years in the year 29700 AD.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(274) The present distance of the Solar System from the centre of the
Milky Way galaxy is 27 700 light years and it will reach a minimum
distance of 27 600 light years (perigalacticon) in about 15 million
years' time.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(275) The AVERAGE velocity of the Sun and nearby stars has been calculated
to be 792 000km/h. However, the Sun's actual velocity is
97 200km/h faster than this average.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(276) The largest known star is Betelgeux at 310 light years distance, and
is 500 times larger than the Sun.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(277) The heaviest known star is Eta Carinae, 9100 light-years distant in
the Carinae Nebula in our own Galaxy. It has a mass some 200 times
our own Sun.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(278) The smallest known star appears to be the White Dwarf L362-81 with
an estimated diameter of only 5600 km.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(279) The lightest and dimmest known star is RG 0058.8-2807, with a mass
of only 0.014 that of our Sun, and a total luminosity of only
0.0021 that of the Sun.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(280) The brightest Supernova ever seen by historic Man is believed to be
SN 1006, noted in April 1006 near Beta Lupi. It f;ared for two years
and attained a magnitude of -9 to -10!
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(281) The largest constellation is Hydra which covers 6.3% of the
hemisphere and contains 68 naked eye stars.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(282) The constellation Centaur, ranking 9th in area, has at least 94
naked eye stars.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
(283) The smallest constellation is Crux Australis with an area of only
0.16% of the whole sky.
[Guiness Book of Records, 1992 Softcover edition.]
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
* *
* SPACE RUMOURS - Interesting Rumours - True or Popular - that have *
* surfaced from anywhere around the globe concerning *
* space topics. *
* *
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
* *
* PURE GUESSWORK - Items that are awaiting verification for *
* placement into either rumour or fact trivia. *
* *
* *
*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
(1) It seems that after STS-1 got in orbit, one of the astronauts was eager
to try out the (older, also expensive) toilet. I think it was Crippen.
Apparently all John Young heard was this "Whoosh AHHHHHH!!!!!".
There is a fan in it to suck down the contents. Apparently the
fan was verified to be working correctly (i.e. it spun up) but nobody
ever checked to see if it sucked or blew...
[From HOLLIS@TITAN.KSC.NASA.GOV]
(2) When trying to find a way to keep the water out of the parachute
compartment after splashdown, scientists ended up using a product
from a drug store. I saw this on a space travel special. The story
goes something like one of the project scientists sons was up with a
cold. So, the scientist mixed up a cold remedy gel (added water to a
powder) for his son late one night. This gave him the idea. When
itemizing the inventory for the project budget, they used the drug
store product code and used a backwards spelling of the product name.
Of course, they adapted it a bit for the spacecraft, but the same
principle of this gel was used.
[mark.blevis@qmail.dgrc.doc.ca]
(3) Supposedly, one shuttle launch was delayed due to a rare bird nesting
in the launch pad gantry. Does anyone know if this is true and if so
which launch ? (According to the guide on a KSC coach tour -
probably not the most reliable of sources 8-})
[Mark Grant <mark@isltd.insignia.com>]
(4) The Demise of Blue Streak and ELDO put paid to plans laid in 1968 to
launch leeches - 'the world's most ideal space travellers' - on an
extended flight.
"Give them a bloody meal before they go, and they'll need
nothing for a year-and-a-half!" was how one scientist characterized
the suitability of leeches for space travel. Posing no feeding or
waste disposal problems, leeches might even breed en-route -
providing researchers with a useful insight into the genetic side-
effects induced by exposure to radiation in space.
(5) In some respects, Neil Armstrong was fortunate to become the first
Moonwalker. In 1963, his place in the history books was under seige
from a chimpanzee named Howard!
After just one year of study at the US Space School, Howard
had broken the world's land speed record in a rocket propelled
sled, and had been banned from playing noughts-and-crosses with
visitors because he usually won!
The chances are that if a monkey had been selected to fly to
the Moon instead of a man, it would have been Howard.
(6) Under the direction of NASA's Ames Research Center in California, a
study was conducted into the viability of employing a 'vacuum cleaner'
type device in Low-Earth orbit to collect some of the particles of
Moonrock (tectites) that are dislodged from the lunar surface by
annual meteorite showers and sometimes find their way to the
Earth's surface.
Collected in orbit and returned to Earth by parachute, samples
gathered in this way would be free from the contamination caused by
passage through the Earth's atmosphere.
(7) In reference ot item 64 in the trivia list, Is the reason given true?
1978-1986 the rumor was that if ejected at 100 Kft then you would drift
up to 200 Kft before falling back. During the fall, the aero heating
would become so intense that helmet melting would be likely. I'd love
to know real reason the 100Kft limit was enacted.
[from rlove@raptor.rmnug.org]
(Can anyone come up with some sources for backing up/refuting the last
three items?)
*****************************************************************************
(255)
------------------------------
End of Ham-Space Digest V93 #90
******************************
******************************