NASDA initiates feasibility study for a dedicated cellular-phone comsat for Japan, with a 10m antenna. Preliminary experiments will be run on ETS-N, an experimental comsat slated for 2001 launch.
Arianespace gets the contract to launch two large Japanese broadcastsats being built by Hughes for 1997-8 launch.
Paul Kaminski nominated to replace John Deutch as DoD chief of acquisition and technology. [Why is this space-related? Because Deutch opposes SSTO development and nearly killed DC-X by sitting on its flight-test funding despite direct orders from Congress. Kaminski might be better; he could hardly be worse.]
Advertiser Sponsored Market Supplement titled "Civil Space Survey"; not much of interest.
Sequence of TOMS ozone-mapper images showing the movement of the volcanic cloud from the 17 Sept 1992 eruption of Mt. Spurr in Alaska. TOMSes (such as the one on the now-defunct Nimbus 7 that got these pictures) see the sulfur dioxide in the clouds because it absorbs ultraviolet much as ozone does; there are enough differences in the absorption pattern to separate the two. The FAA is very interested in using TOMS images to track volcanic ash clouds, since they endanger aircraft and are difficult to separate from ordinary clouds in conventional weather-satellite images. The ash and the sulfur dioxide seem to stay together fairly well until the ash falls out after a day or so.
Story on the upcoming [well, not quite as upcoming as folks had hoped] Endeavour reflight of the Space Radar Lab. SRL-2's first six days will try to duplicate SRL-1 very closely, imaging most of the same areas, to assess the effects of seasonal changes. The last four days will try something new: repeating previous orbits within 850m to do radar interferometry, potentially giving 3D imagery with 1m vertical resolution and the ability to detect movements of land or ice as small as 1cm. This has been done occasionally with existing satellites, but opportunities to do it systematically have been scarce [the existing satellites rarely repeat their orbits that precisely]. It will be a considerable challenge for the trajectory people, who normally work to this precision only on rendezvous missions, where there is a visible, trackable target to help.
Martin Marietta begins work on Mars Global Surveyor, which is on a tight schedule for a Nov 1996 launch on a Delta. MGS will use a composite primary structure and will employ aerobraking to lower its initial Mars orbit, permitting it to carry six of the eight spare Mars Observer instruments and still fit on a Delta (which can launch 1020kg to Mars, compared with MO's 2200kg which required a much more expensive Titan). MM plans to simplify MGS development by using quite a bit of MO hardware and software, and this will also permit use of existing MO ground-support software. The propulsion module will be based on MM's design for Cassini. MGS will end up in the same orbit planned for MO, and will fly the same nominal one-Mars-year mapping mission, although there is some discussion of extending the mission to use its data-relay package with later Mars landers. MGS will carry the MO camera, thermal-emission spectrometer, laser altimeter, radio-science system, magnetometer/electron-reflectometer, and data-relay system. The missing instruments are the pressure-modulated infrared radiometer and the gamma-ray spectrometer, which together weigh 67kg compared to a total of 75kg for the other six. There are vague plans to fly them later.
NASDA endorses Mitsubishi study strongly supporting development of reusable launchers (and stressing international development, since Japan lacks experience with such projects). This is the first hint of a coherent plan for Japanese space transportation after the H-2 and the 1999 test flight of the HOPE mini-spaceplane.
Several European countries to participate in flight tests of a Microwave Landing System installation (at Aberdeen, Scotland) modified to also transmit differential-GPS correction data.
Rockwell is having an interesting time working with the Russians on the shuttle-Mir docking mechanism. They found they needed to pull all the relevant specs into a single document, rather than referencing dozens of US military and NASA specs, to have a complete and coherent description of what was wanted and who was responsible. They're constantly being surprised by new Russian government paperwork (and new tax issues!). They're also finding that the Russians tend to rely much more heavily on actually testing things than on paper analyses when it comes to certifying hardware for flight; this also results in a strong bias toward using proven existing technology wherever possible.
Congress rejects another attempt at station cancellation (after a GAO report claims cost savings due to Russian hardware are largely illusory) by a substantial margin. The opponents are starting to lose heart, and Goldin's reforms have convinced some long-time skeptics that the project is finally under control.
DC-X is back at Huntington Beach being repaired. Its remaining flight funding is largely committed to the repair work, which will include new skin parts and patching a 2in crack in the LH2 tank. Completion expected in Oct; DC-X could fly again late this year, if somebody agrees to pay for it. NASA wants to see at least one more flight (to verify the repairs) and preferably four (to complete the test sequence originally planned) before it assumes ownership, but this would cost perhaps another $3-4M. ARPA is sitting on $34.9M supplied for DC-X followon work, but has other ideas of what it should be spent on.
NASA and McDD sign 28-month cooperation agreement for conversion of DC-X to DC-XA and flight testing, with about a 2.5:1 split of funding, flights to start around the end of next year.
Successful launch of a standard Pegasus carrying the USAF's APEX electronics-test satellite, after analysis of the Pegasus XL failure confirmed a problem unique to the XL. APEX is the first satellite to use OSC's scheme of keeping the satellite attached to the third stage, so that the payload doesn't have to duplicate the third-stage electronics. This is also the first Pegasus launch at maximum payload.
The Pegasus XL may be cleared for flight in late Sept. OSC considering more wind-tunnel tests in a general effort to improve robustness of the Pegasus autopilot; tests so far have emphasized debugging the computer model of the XL aerodynamics.
China plans to start Apstar-1 checkout in early Sept and denies that there will be any interference with Japan's Sakura 3A or Tonga's Rimsat 1. The usual ITU assessment of interference possibilities has not been done due to lack of information from China. China says that a "satisfactory" solution will be found.
Japan's advisory Space Activities Commission calls for a doubling of Japan's space budget over the next 15 years, emphasizing initiation of lunar and planetary missions, development of space robotics, upgrading the H-2 for deep-space missions, acquiring a leadership position in Earth observation, and committing to a larger followon to the HOPE mini-shuttle demonstrator.
Justice for groups that doesn't include justice | Henry Spencer for individuals is a mockery. | henry@zoo.toronto.edu