henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (11/20/90)
Augustine commission will probably examine the question of whether the shuttle -- now seen as still an R&D vehicle -- is really suited to being the supply ship for an operational space station. Pratt&Whitney (the part of United Technologies involved in Cape York) says its success at Cape York will depend on how flexible the Bush administration is about what constitutes "fair" pricing, and in particular on adequate recognition of the need for introductory discounts to get things rolling, the legitimately low costs of Zenit production, and the cost benefits of modern launch processing. P&W has approval for an export license covering its role in the next phase of the project -- planning and financial studies -- and negotiations between the Cape York Space Agency and the USSR (delayed to permit P&W to participate) for Zenit purchases are underway. The license approval from the State Dept required restrictions on technology transfer, a commitment from the Soviets that Soviet launchers will be offered only at Cape York for ten years, and access to the details of P&W dealings with CYSA (the meaning of that last provision is still being negotiated [!]). CYSA would like P&W to invest in Cape York, but P&W has refused. The "Outreach Program" to look at innovative ideas for Moon/Mars is looking at ideas which avoid use of the space station. Ex-astronaut Tom Stafford, head of the study group, says "...when I went to the Moon and back on Apollo 10, I did not have to stop at a space station". There is wide sentiment that space-station involvement could be a drag on early stages of a return to the Moon, although Earth-orbit studies of the physiological issues would eventually be important. The AIAA, one of the major sources of input for Outreach, finds that a return to the Moon could be done by 1999 for short stays, with a more permanent outpost started by 2002. NASA will make another try to get Columbia up on Sept 18 [another hydrogen leak scuppered it], after convincing the USAF to give Astro priority over the secret Titan IV mission slated for that day. (This suggests that the Titan mission is not considered crucial to the Gulf crisis, since the USAF could have bumped the shuttle in that case.) The earlier leaks are now thought to be the result of a valve seal that was damaged when it was replaced in April as part of a check for plumbing contamination. NASA has decided to change its criteria for hydrogen leaks, based on indications that the external leak sensors are unreliable in the rather variable winds around the pads. The sensors will not be ignored, but their outputs will be treated with more caution, and TV cameras have been added to give visual confirmation (via condensation streamers) of possible leaks. The Freon leak aboard Discovery is now considered minor enough to permit Ulysses to go on schedule. The cooling system is losing about 1% of its fluid per day, and for a four-day mission NASA feels confident that just topping it up before launch will suffice. Pictures of the aftermath of the Titan SRB accident at Edwards. USAF says it will not affect current launch schedules. An SRB segment fell about 20m, slid down a hillside, ignited and burned for some time. Tentative cause is overbalancing of the crane being used to lift the segment; the crane also fell, and the boom and cable appear to have been intact at impact. One man was killed, hit by the crane. The segment was a test article, being moved as part of procedures checkout for testing of the new Hercules SRBs for the Titan. The first firing of the Hercules SRB is still scheduled for that test stand later this year, although this may slip if the accident has caused too much damage. There should be no delay otherwise; the accident is not considered to be related to the rocket hardware. Florida legislature approves funding to bring the Cape San Blas sounding- rocket site on the Gulf of Mexico back to operational status. The Florida Spaceport Authority is also interested in renovating an old pad at the Cape as a commercial orbital-launch site. It plans to fund six small sounding-rocket launches from Cape San Blas, with the payload space made available to university researchers, as a way to get things rolling there. First launch is tentatively set for late this year. Magellan is back in full communication with Earth after its conniption fit earlier, and mapping is set to start Sept 15. NASA Langley shows a segment of an elevon made entirely from carbon-carbon composite, suitable for "hot section" use in hypersonic aircraft. This is a research project not aimed at any specific vehicle, although the technology has relevance to NASP among others. They chose an elevon because it is a transition case between secondary structure and primary structure, and it involves various interesting fabrication problems. This is the first large carbon-carbon structural component built anywhere (at least, the first not classified!). -- "I don't *want* to be normal!" | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology "Not to worry." | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
nickw@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Nick Watkins) (11/22/90)
From article <1990Nov20.060453.7733@zoo.toronto.edu>, by henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer): > the secret Titan IV mission slated for that day. (This suggests that the > Titan mission is not considered crucial to the Gulf crisis, since the USAF > could have bumped the shuttle in that case.) The earlier leaks are now > thought to be the result of a valve seal that was damaged when it was And indeed it probably isn't crucial if it is, as reported, a DSP early warning satellite. These are useful for spotting tactical missile launches & it will undoubtedly be useful to have this one positioned in a geostationary slot where it has a good view of the gulf, however. Reports have said that an existing one will have been moved to get a better view. Nick --