Aucbvax.5365
fa.space
utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!space
Thu Dec 3 03:41:49 1981
SPACE Digest V2 #48
>From OTA@S1-A Thu Dec 3 03:25:37 1981
SPACE Digest Volume 2 : Issue 48
Today's Topics:
The National Air and Space Museum
Does anyone really care
Aviation Week excerpts
Oops ... forgot one
Attendence at the Air and Space Museum
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Date: 02 Dec 1981 1004-PST
From: Tom Wadlow <TAW AT S1-A>
Subject: The National Air and Space Museum
To: space at MIT-MC
The interest in the National Air and Space Museum is not a matter
of contrast. It is surrounded by the rest of the Smithsonian
and the rest of Washington, all of which are pretty spectacular,
themselves. I asked the people at one of the information booths
at NASM not too long ago about the crowds. She didn't know why
they came but the NASM bookstore/souvenir shop does more business
than most of the other Smithsonian trinket shops. Biggest sellers
are books on aviation/spaceflight and models of the same. So
perhaps the interest lies in the subject matter, not simply the
matter of presentation. I understand that this was Kennedy
Space Center's biggest year for tourism. The number has been
steadily growing, though. Not just because of the recent launches.
A somewhat less cheerful note: In my conversation with the lady
at the NASM Info desk, I mentioned that it was sad that Reagan
might be cutting back the NASA budget. She said, ''Well, that's
OK, we have a lot of problems to solve here on Earth before we
can afford to do that sort of stuff again.'' Sigh.
------------------------------
Date: 2 Dec 1981 08:29:42-PST
From: decvax!duke!unc!smb at Berkeley
In-real-life: Steven M. Bellovin
Location: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
To: decvax!duke!unc!space@Berkeley
Subject: Does anyone really care
I keep a "B.C." cartoon taped to my refrigerator door:
"Cutting the space budget really restores my faith in
humanity!"
"Why is that?"
"It eliminates dreams, goals, and ideals... and lets us get
straight to the business of hate, debauchery, and self-
annihilation."
------------------------------
Date: 02 Dec 1981 1438-PST
From: Tom Wadlow <TAW AT S1-A>
Subject: Aviation Week excerpts
To: space at MIT-MC
>From the November 30, 1981 issue of AWST
''Soviet Union's new antisatellite battle station in low earth orbit is
escalating its capability for space warfare. The antisatellite system is
equipped with clusters of interceptor vehicles that could destroy US spacecraft
and has been identified as Cosmos 1,267, which has been docked to Salyut 6
since June 19, ostensibly as a test of enlarging the Salyut station's
capabilities.'' . . . ''The Defense Dept. is concerned that future operational
spacecraft like Cosmos 1,267 will be launched into geosynchronous orbit to
threaten US communications and missle early warning spacecraft.'' . . .
''Docking of this antisatellite weapon platform with Salyut 6 means the USSR
would be able to use a manned Salyut to direct antisatellite attacks against
US spacecraft or to protect Soviet satellites against a US retaliatory attack.
US officials said the data on the new killer satellite system, which first
appeared in an intelligence report Sept. 17, are now "very hard from a variety
of sources and methods; harder than anything we've seen in a long time."''
================
There is also an article describing NASA efforts to initiate the
first phase of transferring the Shuttle ground processing to private industry.
================
Official Doubts Space Station Need
''A top Reagan Administration space policy official has told
Johnson Space Center personnel he foresees no need to establish a goal
of manned performance in space or the establishment of a space operations
center as the next National Aeronautics and Space Administration project
following the Shuttle program.''
The article (which is too long to type) goes on to report that
Victor H. Reis, assistant director for national security in the White House
Office of Science and Technology Policy, says that the US space goal should
be exploitation of the existing shuttle system, not a SOC.
''Although Reis' views do not necessarily rule out Reagan Administration
support for a large new space goal, they cloud the future on whether NASA will
be able to pursue advanced development of such systems under the Reagan
Administration.''
''Reis wants to stimulate the military space activity and military
uses of the space shuttle. He foresees more autonomous military space shuttle
operations than are currently possible with the NASA/Defense Dept. cooperative
program.''
================
Conceptual Design for a Mars Polar Orbiter will be conducted by RCA
NASA has given RCA Astro-Electronics $20K to research a MPO
to look for water and CO2 on Mars. Very useful stuff it you want
to spend some time on Mars.
================
There is also lots of stuff on STS-2 and a marvelous section
on computer graphics (CAD/CAM, Flight Simulators, Heads-Up Displays, etc)
------------------------------
Date: 02 Dec 1981 1445-PST
From: Tom Wadlow <TAW AT S1-A>
Subject: Oops ... forgot one
To: space at MIT-MC
Also from Aviation Week
USAF Undersecretary Edward C. Aldridge wants to transfer the Shuttle
to a different management structure once it is operational. He foresees a
''space command'' for defense space operations.
''Aldridge said the US must possess the ability to deny the use of
space to the Soviets when their systems threaten US interests.''
He also advocates expanding the fleet of orbiters, and the initiation
of a study of ''a Block 2 shuttle'' with more payload, volume and orbit
capabilities.
------------------------------
From: BRUC@MIT-ML
Date: 12/02/81 18:44:20
Subject: Attendence at the Air and Space Museum
BRUC@MIT-ML 12/02/81 18:44:20 Re: Attendence at the Air and Space Museum
To: Space-Enthusiasts at MIT-MC
Does anyone know real numbers for this along with attendence at other tourist
attractions? Such facts would be nice to include in letters to the powers that
be.
------------------------------
End of SPACE Digest
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