henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (03/29/88)
[The moral of this week's summary is to make damn sure you sign up for
your Advanced Russian courses, and think about Introductory Chinese
while you're at it.]
Editorial claiming Reagan space policy is too little and too late: nice
words, but no specific projects, no solid push for funding, and no real
indication that Reagan himself is behind it. "Is the state of the US
space program such an embarrassment to the Reagan Administration that it
wants only to go through the motions of articulating a space policy?"
First Delta 2 is behind schedule but there are hopes of making up the
delays; first launch still set for Oct.
The long-wave infrared signatures of simulated ICBM plumes did not match
predictions in the SDI Delta 181 experiment. Details secret.
USAF safety officers brief Truly on USAF concerns that NASA safety area
for the shuttle is much too small if NASA sticks to its policy that
destruct systems will be used only if the orbiter is totally out of
control. USAF says that if this policy continues, all of KSC should be
considered at risk during a launch and uninvolved observers should be
outside it. This is particularly sticky because VIP and press sites
well within KSC are being built and renovated.
USSR is considering expanding its 1994 Mars balloon/rover missions to
include small return vehicles coming back to Earth from Mars orbit, as
a rehearsal for a later sample-return mission. The return vehicles
also would bring back high-resolution film from orbiter cameras, as a
supplement to radio image transmission. Other additions being thought
about are a 110-lb subsatellite for gravity measurements, ten small
weather transmitters to be dropped on the surface, a pair of penetrators
for subsurface science, and a 1m-resolution camera system for the orbiters.
All of this, including the return vehicles, is contingent on a decision
to use aerobraking for Mars-orbit insertion, which would greatly boost
the payload of the missions.
USSR is also thinking about missions further afield. Corona, possible
for 1995 launch, would do a Jupiter flyby to get within 5 million km
of the Sun. Also being looked at is a Titan probe mission, including
a surface probe and a balloon, possibly for 1999.
NASA would like to get both CRAF and Cassini (Saturn orbiter, Titan probe)
into FY90 budget, on the grounds that they use similar spacecraft and
doing them together would save money. [Don't hold your breath.]
Mir crew prepares for EVA to install a new experimental solar panel module
on Mir's third solar array, replacing one of the four modules already there.
The new section was delivered by Progress 34.
Redesigned SRB joints pass hot-firing tests with large deliberate flaws.
Massachusetts-based Payload Systems Inc books protein-crystallization
payloads onto Mir, starting 1989. They have their export licence already,
too, so this is real.
Kayser-Threde of West Germany books three flights aboard Soviet unmanned
recoverable capsules, with the intent of developing equipment and selling
the experiment capacity to others. They are still working on export
clearance. They say the Soviets were surprisingly easy to deal with.
Both PSI and K-T will supply their experiments in sealed cases which
the Soviets will not open. Soviets also say that round-the-clock
supervision by company representatives is possible if desired.
Intospace (European company) signs contract with China to fly its
multi-user protein-crystal-growth facility, COSIMA, on a recoverable
capsule on a Long March this August, with another flight within a year.
Matra (French) books another microgravity flight aboard Long March.
(Its first was last fall.)
Satellite owners call for major revisions in the usual launch-contract
terms. Current contracts impose penalty charges if payloads are not
ready but not if launcher is not ready. Payments begin years before
launch and must be complete before launch. And launch companies bear
little responsibility for the effects of launch failures. The customers
want all of these to change. Arianespace and Martin Marietta, who have
long waiting lists, say "impossible"; General Dynamics, hungry for
business, says "we'll make improvements".
CNES [French space agency] proposes to buy and operate a Caravelle (small
French jetliner) for microgravity flights. ESA is considering paying for
the maintenance in return for access. ESA has rented space on NASA's
microgravity KC-135 several times and would like more convenient flights.
ESA prepares to revise industrial work assignments for Columbus following
Britain's decision not to participate. The commitment deadline has passed
without a British commitment. Later entry into the program would require
unanimous consent of the other participants. Ariane 5 and Hermes also got
no British commitment, but Britain wasn't heavily into either one to
begin with, while British Aerospace expected to be prime contractor for
the Columbus polar platform.
NASA and DoD discuss future of Shuttle-C unmanned heavylift shuttle
derivative. Second-phase Shuttle-C study contracts are to go out by
late March, subject to funding (looking doubtful) and to outcome of turf
battles (notably with the USAF's ALS). Shuttle-C configuration has
settled down some [or been settled down by NASA's prejudices?], with all
participants agreeing on a side-by-side layout much like the shuttle.
To the shocked surprise of absolutely nobody, NASA's leased-platform specs
closely resemble those of Space Industries's ISF. Must be a single shuttle
payload with 2-3kcuft of pressurized volume, at least 30% available for
commercial use after accommodating the government, shirt-sleeve environment
with minimal help from the shuttle, normal autonomous operation for 4-6
months, contingency operation for three years without servicing or external
reboost, ability to dock with shuttle, orbital capability by end of FY93
with a bonus for earlier, firm five-year fixed-price lease (subject to
the vagaries of Congress, of course). US suppliers only. Decision mid-July.
USAF exercises first option on Delta 2 contract, adding 7 to initial order
of 7. Another option, for 6 more, remains.
Japanese CS-3A comsat launched by H-1 Feb 19, in Clarke orbit Feb 21.
Big spread on Space Industries and Spacehab. SI expect to win NASA's
lease contract and will start bending metal then. They expect the first
module to be ready for launch in 1991, with the first servicing mission
early 1992. A second module could be added later in 1992. ISF thinks
it can raise the $700M needed privately given a government commitment
to lease.
There is some government cynicism about SI, on the grounds that SI used
political pressure to get government business after it couldn't find any
commercial customers. SI counters that the major reason for the lack of
commercial customers is the Challenger mess.
Spacehab says the only government support it needs is launch slots.
They hope for regular government use but are not asking for guarantees.
They have offered to barter use of part of their modules in return for
launch service, to avoid NASA having to explicitly spend money on it.
Of note is that it now looks possible to fly Spacehab together with
Spacelab; Spacehab says this could provide extended crew quarters and
storage for long Spacelab missions. They also suggest fitting Spacehab
out as an animal facility, in hopes of solving some of the problems
with the Spacelab animal facilities. Spacehab is also proposing their
modules as space-station expansion modules.
Both SI and Spacehab are interested in selling capacity overseas, since
foreign interest in microgravity work is much stronger. They will need
government permission to do this. One major uncertainty affecting both
is future shuttle pricing (not resolved by either NASA or the White House
so far); another is excessive reliance on reliable shuttle operations.
JPL is flight-testing prototype equipment for the third shuttle radar
experiment, scheduled for spring 1991.
[Finally, this one is only marginally space news, but worth mentioning
for sheer entertainment value...]
Break Out The Photon Torpedos, Mr. Spock: SDI is funding studies of
"electromagnetic missiles", uncertain theoretical possibilities of
propagating radio energy in ways that partially avoid the inverse-square
law. Apparently the idea is not totally ridiculous, but to date nobody
is sure whether there is any physical reality behind the mathematical
speculation. Harvard is running experiments to check it out.
--
"Noalias must go. This is | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
non-negotiable." --DMR | {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,utai}!utzoo!henry