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    Архив RU.SPACE.NEWS за 20 октября 1998

    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: The Universe as seen by ISO (Forwarded) Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... European Space Agency Press Information Note No. 33-98 Paris, France 15 October 1998 "THE UNIVERSE AS SEEN BY ISO" Latest ISO results to be presented at an International meeting in Paris -- 20-23 October Nearly 400 hundred infrared astronomers will attend a conference in Paris from October the 20th to the 23rd to review and discuss the latest results from the European Infrared Space Telescope, ISO. This will be the first major scientific conference devoted to ISO since the end of its in-orbit mission last May. Thus, it's a long-awaited occasion for the scientists to come to conclusions and start picturing the infrared face of the universe in detail. The meeting, entitled "The Universe as seen by ISO", will be held at UNESCO, Place de Fontenoy, 75007-PARIS where nearly 300 scientific papers ranging over all fields of Astronomy, from Solar System to Cosmology, will be presented and analysed by infrared astronomers. Press interested in the ISO results presentations are invited to attend the conference and to contact Monica Salomone, the ISO press representative at the registration desk. For further information, please contact: ESA Public Relations Division Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155 Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690 Background The infrared universe is relatively poorly known because infrared light comes from dusty and cold regions that are invisible to other telescopes. ISO, the best infrared space telescope so far, finally has swept away the dust and seen all the way through. ISO scientists, therefore, are ready for surprises. The recent discovery by ISO of the presence of water throughout the universe was already a hint of what is still to come. More findings can be expected from this meeting, and a few results are already summarized below. Rings of Andromeda: "ISO unveils the hidden rings of Andromeda " The Andromeda galaxy, one of the closest companions of our own galaxy, has been hiding from the astronomers' eyes one of its secrets: while always considered a typical spiral galaxy, ISO sees it now as a spectacular ringed galaxy. Andromeda is thus structured in multiple concentric rings, made of very cold dust -- at about -260 degree C. The cold dust cannot be seen by optical telescopes, that's the reason why the rings have always remained hidden in the common views of the galaxy. The new data suggest that Andromeda might be undergoing a transition phase to become a ringed galaxy which would be seen as such also by conventional telescopes in the distant future Gravitational arcs: "ISO detects the first known infrared bright gravitational arcs and shows distant young galaxies in collision" ISO has detected the first known infrared-bright gravitational arcs, which may be the distorted and magnified images of distant young galaxies in collision. Before ISO no gravitational arc had been detected at these wavelengths, so these results make a nice victory for those who, against all pessimistic predictions, bet on ISO's sensitivity to detect gravitational arcs by infrared light. The newly-observed arcs number more than thirty, and the galaxies they reveal are some of the farthest objects ever seen in the mid-infrared. To all other telescopes these objects have remained deeply obscured by dust. This means that ISO is unveiling the hidden side of the early universe, the processes that took place when the cosmos was about one third of its present age or even younger. Ring of organic matter: "ISO sees a ring of organic matter surrounding a star" A huge ring of organic matter surrounding a young star has been observed by ISO. This kind of structure has never been detected before. With this finding ISO shows again a clear example of how the stars and their environment work as the Nature's chemical factories: not only water is being produced there -- as ISO demonstrated -- but also complex organic molecules are present; these molecules are, essentially, the basic building blocks of all living organisms. More information on these results is available at the ESA Science web-pages (http//www.sci.esa.int/iso) and the ISO web site (http://www.iso.vilspa.esa.es). About ISO ISO was put into orbit in November 1995, by an Ariane 44P launcher from the European space base at Kourou in French Guiana. As an unprecedented observatory for infrared astronomy, able to examine cool and hidden places in the Universe, ISO successfully made more than 26,000 scientific observations. The liquid helium supply, used to cool the telescope and instruments close to the absolute zero of temperature, lasted almost a year longer than expected, but ran out on 8 April 1998 (see ESA Press Information Note No. 11-98 of 9 April). Daily information from the meeting Daily updated information on the results being presented in the conference will be available on the ESA Science web pages (http://www.sci.esa.int ) and the ISO web pages (http://www.iso.vilspa.esa.es), where pictures and background information on ISO are also available. Andrew Yee ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: ESA astronaut to become first Spaniard in Space (Forwarded) Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... European Space Agency Press Information Note No. 34-98 Paris, France 15 October 1998 ESA astonaut to become first Spaniard in space European Space Agency astronaut Pedro Duque will become the first Spanish national to travel into space when he lifts off with an international crew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on 29 October. The crew of seven will also include US Senator John Glenn, the first American ever to orbit the Earth, back in 1962, and Japanese astronaut Chiaki Mukai. The main purpose of this nine-day space mission is to conduct a variety of science experiments, focusing on life sciences, physical sciences and advanced technology. ESA will have a good share of the payload on board, concentrated in a pressurised module where free-floating astronauts will perform experiments. This module, known as Spacehab, was built by industry, drawing on experience gained through ESA's Spacelab. During the mission, Duque will have the tasks of deploying communication antennae, switching on the Spacehab systems and looking after a record number of 19 portable computers being carried by Discovery to help run the Shuttle's systems and experiments. On 20 October, before this exciting mission begins, media representatives will have the opportunity to interview Pedro Duque in Houston from ESA's Satellite Tracking Station in Villafranca, near Madrid, via an audio-video link, between 15:00 and 16:00 hrs. To enable the press to follow the beginning of the mission on 29 October, a live video transmission of the launch is being organised and a press centre will be set up at ESA's Satellite Tracking Station at Villafranca. The event starts at 19:00 hrs, for a launch window opening at 20:00 hrs. Several ESA specialists and national and local VIPs will be present. During the mission there will be two link-ups between people on the ground and Pedro Duque in orbit, offering interesting opportunities for the media: * Monday 2 November: An educational event with Pedro Duque, the Shuttle Commander Curt Brown and Senator John Glenn talking to schoolchildren (location to be determined). * Thursday 5 November: in-flight news conference. Media representatives at ESA's Satellite Tracking Station at Villafranca will have 11 minutes to ask Pedro Duque questions in the framework of a 25-minute press conference with the whole crew. Note: All dates are based on a nominal launch on 29 October. Media representatives wishing to follow these events are requested to complete the attached reply form and send it to ESA Public Relations in Paris, fax. + 33 1 5369 7690. For further information on the mission and these events, contact: ESA Public Relations: tel + 33 1 5369 7155 ESA Villafranca: tel + 34 91 813 11 00 MINER Press Office, tel + 34 91 349 4838 For more information on the mission : htpp://www.pas.ksc.nasa.gov htpp://www.estec.esa.nl/spaceflight htpp://www.cdti.es htpp://www.shuttlepresskit.com Andrew Yee ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: John Glenn to conduct U.Alabama-Huntsville experiments aboard STS-95 s Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... University of Alabama-Huntsville For additional information: Ray Garner, (256) 890-6414 Dr. Marian L. Lewis, (256) 890-6553 Phillip Gentry, (256) 890-6414 John Glenn to conduct UAH experiments aboard STS-95 shuttle flight next month When Sen. John H. Glenn Jr. makes his second journey into space next month, some of his time aboard the shuttle will be spent conducting life science experiments managed by The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). The 77-year-old Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth 36 years ago. He returns to space aboard the shuttle Discovery for NASA's STS-95 mission. The launch is scheduled Oct. 29, 1998. Research scientists from The University of Alabama in Huntsville have spent hours with Glenn, conducting training sessions with Glenn on the experiments. These UAH scientists include project manager Marian L. Lewis and mission manager Niki Myers. Glenn will conduct several UAH experiments while aboard STS-95. The UAH experiment package, Biodynamics and Space Cell Culture, the "biodyn" payload for short, is expected to foster the commercial development of space through the production of bio-materials by living cells. Biodyn's experiments have been tailored to address medical conditions including those related to aging, such as heart and vascular disease, bone degeneration, diabetes and cancer. Biodyn includes experiments for UAH-affiliated companies involved in tissue engineering, such as bone implants and heart muscle patches. The experiment package includes plant cells capable of producing anti-cancer and anti- alcoholism compounds in a microgravity environment. Hardware aboard the shuttle, developed by UAH and its affiliates Synthecon Inc. and Space Hardware Optimization Technology Inc., will also grow cells that produce a genetically engineered protein that should help prevent rejection of organ and tissue transplants. "All of these biomedical products have great humanitarian value and together occupy an existing commercial market niche estimated in value in the billions of dollars," according to project manager UAH Research Scientist Marian L. Lewis. "The results could benefit millions of Americans and other people worldwide." For example, simple heart muscle patches can be developed on Earth, but multi-layered patches that could replace damaged heart muscle must be produced in a gravity-free environment, according to Lewis. Those multi-layered patches could eventually reduce the need for heart transplants, Lewis said. There are more than 50,000 people each year needing a heart transplant to survive and there are only 2,000 donors available annually. Another experiment involves UAH industry affiliate Millenium Biologix Inc. The company will prepare human bone transplants by seeding the company's artificial material with human bone cells. This tissue forms more readily in microgravity and could lead to revolutionary products from synthetic bone. These products have potential for dental implants, long bone grafts and coating for orthopedic implants, such as hip replacements. A California company will be flying an experiment in the UAH package that would improve the material used to surround insulin-producing cells in microcapsules implanted to combat diabetes. Research scientists with VivoRx Inc. believe the molecular structure of material used in those microcapsules could be more uniform in a microgravity environment and thus improve the product's effectiveness. The Biodyn payload is managed by UAH's Consortium for Materials Development in Space and is sponsored by the Space Processing Division of NASA's Office of Space Access and Technology. John Glenn returns to space Glenn's first trip into space took place on February 20, 1962, aboard a Mercury capsule, Friendship 7. He orbited the planet three times and spent almost five hours in space. The 77-year-old, four-term U.S. Senator from Ohio, will now return to space aboard the shuttle -- some 36 years after his initial flight into outer space. The STS-95 mission is expected to last eight days and 21 hours. Glenn is traveling as a payload specialist on the upcoming mission. He will take part in numerous experiments to study the connection between weightlessness and the aging process. "The basic purpose of why I'm going is not just to go sight-seeing," Glenn said earlier this year. "It's to do basic research and I'm going to do the very best I can do because I think it's important for millions of people into the future." Glenn will not be the first member of Congress to fly in space. Utah Senator Jake Garn flew on a shuttle mission in 1985 and Congressman Bill Nelson of Florida flew aboard the shuttle Columbia in early 1986. Glenn has more than 5,455 hours of flying time, including 1,900 hours in jet aircraft. Andrew Yee ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: MANTRA Balloon Returns (Forwarded) Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... [From October 13, 1998 issue of The Bulletin, University of Toronto.] MANTRA Balloon Returns A U of T investigator's wayward balloon came home last week -- bullet holes and all. The gondola from the MANTRA (Middle Atmosphere Nitrogen Trend Assessment) research balloon arrived in Toronto after retrieval from a small island in the Baltic Sea. The unmanned Canadian Space Agency balloon was carrying a $500,000 instrument package when its planned 18-hour flight on Aug. 24 to study the ozone layer unintentionally turned into an odyssey across half of Canada, the Atlantic Ocean and most of Europe. Despite being shot at by Canadian Forces aircraft trying to prevent the giant helium balloon from drifting into commercial flight lanes, it serenely rode high-altitude winds for nine days before landing on its own. Professor Kim Strong of physics, principal researcher for the MANTRA project, said all the instruments are still serviceable, despite one, maybe two obvious bullet holes in the gondola. "We should be able to reuse all the instruments," she said. The balloon's mission was to evaluate atmospheric composition by measuring the absorption of sunlight by atmospheric gases. All the data collected in the planned 18-hour flight was transmitted to a ground station before the gondola?s release mechanisms failed and the balloon sailed away. The investigators were lucky to retrieve the instruments at all, Strong said; if MANTRA had come to earth a few miles in any direction, it could have been irretrievably lost in the Baltic. Andrew Yee ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: Cassini Update - October 16, 1998 Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... Cassini Significant Events for 10/09/98 - 10/15/98 Spacecraft Status: The most recent Spacecraft status is from the DSN tracking pass on Monday, 10/12, over Madrid. The Cassini spacecraft is in an excellent state of health and is executing the C10 sequence nominally. The speed of the spacecraft can be viewed on the "Where is Cassini Now?" web page (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/today/). Spacecraft Activity Summary: Saturday, 10/10, routine maintenance was performed on the SSR flight software partitions. Sunday, 10/11, quarterly Periodic Instrument Maintenance was performed as planned on board the spacecraft. This activity involves 11 out of the 12 onboard instruments and runs for a 24 hour period. Wednesday, 10/14, the Solid State Recorder (SSR) record and playback pointers were reset. Upcoming events: Activities scheduled for the week of 10/16 - 10/22 include: Active IVP Vector Update and RTE 158 Test on 10/19, and an SSR Pointer Reset on 10/21. Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: NASA Selects 345 Innovative Small Business Projects Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... Michael Braukus Headquarters, Washington, DC October 16, 1998 (Phone: 202/358-1979) RELEASE: 98-191 NASA SELECTS 345 INNOVATIVE SMALL BUSINESS PROJECTS NASA has selected 345 research proposals for negotiation of Phase I contract awards for NASA's 1998 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The combined award total is expected to be approximately $24 million. SBIR goals are to stimulate technological innovation, increase the use of small business (including women-owned and disadvantaged firms) in meeting federal research and development needs, and increase private-sector commercialization of results of federally funded research. The 1998 solicitation closed on July 7, 1998. NASA received 2,335 proposals submitted by small, high-technology businesses from across the United States. NASA's ten field centers reviewed proposals for technical merit and feasibility and relevance to NASA research and technology requirements. The selected firms will be awarded fixed-price contracts valued up to $70,000 each to perform a six- month Phase I feasibility study. Companies that successfully complete the Phase I activities are eligible to compete for Phase II selection the following year. The Phase II award allows for a two-year, fixed-price contract up to $600,000. The NASA SBIR Program Management Office is located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, with executive oversight by NASA's Office of Aero-Space Technology, Washington, DC. Individual SBIR projects are managed by the NASA field centers. - end - EDITOR'S NOTE: A listing of the companies selected for the program can be accessed on the Internet at URL: http://sbir.nasa.gov Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: Sky & Telescope News Bulletin - October 16, 1998 Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... SKY & TELESCOPE'S NEWS BULLETIN OCTOBER 16, 1998 NEPTUNE'S RING ARCS AND IO'S AURORAS Solar-system specialists from around the world met this week in Madison, Wisconsin, for the 30th meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences. Recent imaging results from the Hubble Space Telescope and Galileo orbiter were presented that reveal impressive new details about outer solar-system worlds. Richard Terrile (JPL) described his team's success in using HST's NICMOS infrared camera to track down elusive clumps of matter, called arcs, in Neptune's ring system. Although not seen since the Voyager 2 flyby in 1989, the ring arcs turned up very close to the positions predicted from Voyager data and several stellar occultations. However, the sightings failed to match the locations predicted by Carolyn Porco (University of Arizona). Several years ago she developed a theory, now widely accepted, for how resonant interactions with the small moon Galatea cause the arcs form in the first place. This means that dynamicists still don't fully understand how the enigmatic arcs form and endure. Among the meeting's most colorful results came from Paul Geissler (University of Arizona) and his colleagues. Geissler showed long-exposure Galileo images of Io taken when this moon was hidden in Jupiter's shadow. These reveal that Io is immersed in a faint auroral glow. However, rather than peaking at the moon's poles, the aurora is strongest over the locations pointing directly toward and away from Jupiter. These correspond to where Io is "connected" to Jupiter by a tremendous electrical current of some 400,000 volts. A trillion watts of energy courses through the satellite via this current, and the electricity causes the tenuous gas in Io's atmosphere to glow. Geissler points out that the aurora appears strongest directly over the locations of known volcanic plumes. REBORN SOHO SHOOTS THE SUN Hopes are high for the full recovery of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. Nine of the spacecraft's 12 instruments have been turned on, and the first images since June 24th were received on October 12th. According to Bernhard Fleck, SOHO project scientist at the European Space Agency, four of the spacecraft's instruments are fully functional and five others are being checked out. He notes, "So far no signs of damage due to thermal stress during the deep freeze have been detected." COMET GIACOBINI-ZINNER IN THE SPOTLIGHT With Comet Williams (C/1998 P1) less than 20 degrees from the Sun, it's out of the running for observers. However, comet watchers report that Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner is between magnitude 9.5 and 10. It is predicted to brighten to a hair better than 9th magnitude by the end of November. This week, Giacobini-Zinner is about 35 to 40 degrees above the southwest horizon at the end of evening twilight in the constellation Ophiuchus. The farther south you are, the higher the comet will appear. For a finder chart, see page 107 of the November Sky & Telescope, or visit http://www.skypub.com/comets/comets.html. Here are positions for Comet Giacobini-Zinner for 0 hours Universal Time (2000.0 coordinates) for the coming week: R.A. Dec. October 17 18h 05m +03.4 deg. October 19 18h 11m +02.5 deg. October 21 18h 18m +01.6 deg. THIS WEEK'S "SKY AT A GLANCE" Some daily events in the changing sky, from the editors of SKY & TELESCOPE. OCT. 18 -- SUNDAY * The "Spring Star," Arcturus, has far outstayed its season. At this time of year it's the brightest star twinkling low in the west during late twilight. It sets soon thereafter. * Jupiter's Great Red Spot should cross the planet's central meridian around 8:23 p.m. EDT. Lately the spot has been very pale with a dark outline and a small, reddish-brown patch in its south side. For all predicted Red Spot transit times this observing season, see http://www.skypub.com/whatsup/redspot.html. OCT. 19 -- MONDAY * The Orionid meteor shower is getting under way. It's a long-lasting shower, displaying several peaks from about October 20th to 26th. The best time to watch is from 1 or 2 a.m. daylight saving time until dawn. This year the Moon is out of the sky. Under ideal observing conditions you may see about 15 swift meteors per hour radiating from the direction of Orion's upraised club. * The eclipsing variable star Algol should be in one of its periodic dimmings, magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1, for a couple hours centered on 10:53 p.m. EDT. Algol takes several additional hours to fade and brighten. For a list of all of its predicted minima through next winter, see http://www.skypub.com/whatsup/algol.html. OCT. 20 -- TUESDAY * New moon (exact at 6:09 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time). * Jupiter's biggest moon, Ganymede, crosses the planet's face tonight from 8:27 to 11:37 p.m. EDT, followed by its tiny black shadow from 11:52 p.m. to 3:02 a.m. EDT. A complete list of Jupiter's satellite events this month is in the October Sky & Telescope, page 106. * Jupiter's Red Spot should transit around 10:01 p.m. EDT. OCT. 21 -- WEDNESDAY * October is when the lonely "Autumn Star," Fomalhaut, is about as high in view during evening as it ever gets. Look for it twinkling well to the lower right of bright Jupiter. They're separated by two or three fist-widths at arm's length. OCT. 22 -- THURSDAY * Algol should be at minimum light for a couple of hours centered on 7:41 p.m. EDT. * Jupiter's Red Spot should transit around 11:39 p.m. EDT. OCT. 23 -- FRIDAY * Saturn is at opposition. OCT. 24 -- SATURDAY * Jupiter's moon Io emerges from eclipse by Jupiter's shadow just a little east of the planet around 8:37 p.m. EDT. THIS WEEK'S PLANET ROUNDUP MERCURY and VENUS are hidden in the glare of the Sun. MARS shines in the east before and during dawn, to the lower left of Regulus. JUPITER is the big, brilliant "star" in the southeast during early evening. You can't miss it! It's high in the south by about 10 p.m. and sets in the west during early morning hours. SATURN is the bright "star" far to Jupiter's lower left in early evening, and directly left of Jupiter later at night. The two planets appear 41 degrees apart (about 4 fist-widths at arm's length), on opposite ends of Pisces. URANUS and NEPTUNE, magnitudes 5.8 and 7.9 respectively, are in (or very near) Capricornus in the southwest during early evening. See the finder chart in the September Sky & Telescope, page 110, or at http://www.skypub.com/whatsup/urnepl98.html. PLUTO is disappearing into the sunset. (All descriptions that relate to the horizon or zenith are written for the world's midnorthern latitudes. Descriptions that also depend on longitude are for North America. Eastern Daylight Time, EDT, equals Universal Time minus 4 hours.) More details, sky maps, and news of other celestial events appear each month in SKY & TELESCOPE, the essential magazine of astronomy. See our enormous Web site at http://www.skypub.com/. Clear skies! SKY & TELESCOPE, P.O. Box 9111, Belmont, MA 02478 * 617-864-7360 (voice) Copyright 1998 Sky Publishing Corporation. S&T's Weekly News Bulletin and Sky at a Glance stargazing calendar are provided as a service to the astronomical community by the editors of SKY & TELESCOPE magazine. Widespread electronic distribution is encouraged as long as these paragraphs are included. But the text of the bulletin and calendar may not be published in any other form without permission from Sky Publishing (contact permissions@skypub.com or phone 617-864-7360). Illustrated versions, including active links to related Internet resources, are available via SKY Online on the World Wide Web at http://www.skypub.com/. In response to numerous requests, and in cooperation with the Astronomical League (http://www.mcs.net/~bstevens/al/) and the American Association of Amateur Astronomers (http://www.corvus.com/), S&T's Weekly News Bulletin and Sky at a Glance are available via electronic mailing list too. For a free subscription, send e-mail to skyline@corvus.com and put the word "join" on the first line of the body of the message. To unsubscribe, send e-mail to skyline@corvus.com and put the word "unjoin" on the first line of the body of the message. SKY & TELESCOPE, the Essential Magazine of Astronomy, is read by more than 200,000 enthusiasts each month. It is available on newsstands worldwide. For subscription information, or for a free copy of our catalog of fine astronomy books and products, please contact Sky Publishing Corp., P.O. Box 9111, Belmont, MA 02478-9111, U.S.A. Phone: 800-253-0245 (U.S. and Canada); 617-864-7360 (International). Fax: 617-864-6117. E-mail: custserv@skypub.com. SKY Online: http://www.skypub.com/. Clear skies! Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: National Space Day -- Come Celebrate Canada's Role in the Global Space Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... Canadian Space Agency St. Hubert, Quebec National Space Day -- Come Celebrate Canada's Role in the Global Space Program TORONTO, ONTARIO, October 16, 1998 -- National Space Day was set aside as Canada's time to recognize the ingenuity and expertise that has contributed to Canadian success in space and has made this country such a valuable partner in the global space program. As the facilitator of National Space Day, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is dedicated to encouraging research, development and education in the areas of science and technology. In a National Space Day press conference, held today and hosted by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Honourable John Manley, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency, CSA president Mac Evans, CSA astronaut Dr. Dave Williams and NASA astronaut, John Glenn congratulated those who participated in the national celebration of Canadian achievement and pride. As part of the celebrations, activities were held across Canada and broadcasted live on the Internet which included a virtual tour of the International Space Station from Houston with CSA astronaut Marc Garneau with over 1000 students participating across the country, the unveiling of a new and exciting webpage (KIDSPACE) and the launch of the Senior Student Challenge. Activities organized by the CSA were held across the country today. Municipalities and businesses also participated in National Space Day activities; for example, the City of Toronto's municipal council adopted a resolution declaring October 16 as Space Day. In addition, private and public sector organizations are hosting open houses. An interactive exhibit, featuring certain modules of the International Space Station, is stationed on Parliament Hill for public viewing from October 16 to 20. "The Canadian Space Program provides countless opportunities for academic, economic and social growth," says Minister Manley. "In 1996, the space sector employed 5,000 Canadians, contributed $1 billion in annual revenues and boasted a 30 per cent export ratio -- the highest in the world." "National Space Day honours Canada's continued involvement in space innovation," says Minister Manley. "Accomplishments like the experiments on board STS-95, RADARSAT and Canadarm demonstrate precisely what Canadians are celebrating today. We have a lot to be proud of." Glenn, present at the conference via video conferencing, spoke most specifically to the "Embrace Space" campaign, of which the CSA president Mac Evans is part of the Steering Committee. In 1999, in support of the educational program, the CSA plans to link its National Space Day celebrations with the international "Embrace Space" activities in May. Glenn also discussed his involvement with one of the three Canadian experiments -- OSTEO -- to be launched aboard the NASA Space Shuttle STS-95 on October 29, 1998. The STS-95 mission has been heralded as the mission dedicated to the study of aging. At the age of 77, Glenn's participation in the mission makes him the oldest astronaut to fly in space. OSTEO (Osteoporosis Experiments in Orbit) will study the underlying processes of bone loss from osteoporosis and evaluate a treatment for the condition. Osteoporosis affects 1.4 million Canadians, causing painful fractures for mature persons that can drastically alter their way of life. The other experiments will study how microgravity can enhance biological separation techniques and protein crystallization. The research will contribute to bone marrow transplant procedures and possibly to treatments for breast cancer, diabetes and meningitis. The Canadian Space Agency is working in a joint venture with Allelix Biopharmaceuticals, and is also supporting the participation of Millenium Biologix Inc., Mount Sinai Hospital, University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto in the Osteoporosis experiments. "I am looking forward to my second mission in space," says Glenn. "In 1962, aboard Friendship 7, I became the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth. This time, I get to be a pioneer again -- but in discovering new knowledge pertaining to osteoporosis. The Canadian Space Agency has always been a leader in space science. I am certainly excited and proud to be a part of STS-95 and the Canadian health experiments to be undertaken in space." Since its origin, the CSA has focused on the development and adaptation of space science to benefit the Earth and the daily life of Canadians and people around the world. Canadian scientists and engineers, working in partnership with Canadian business and research organizations, have already given us new insight into ozone depletion, global warming, pollution, ocean ecology, breast cancer and back pain. The CSA's dedication to research and discovery have made Canada a valuable partner in the global space program. The Canadian experiments on board STS-95 are just one example of Canada's achievements in a long list that includes RADARSAT and the Canadarm. -30- FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Canadian Space Agency Isabelle Hudon Manager, Public Relations and Media Relations Wk: (450) 926-4350 Cel: (514) 943-6808 or Canadian Space Agency Jacqueline Bannister Director of Communications Wk: (450) 926-4342 Cel: (514) 917-6509 Andrew Yee ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: Satellite Technologies to Help Manage B.C. Forest Fires (Forwarded) Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... Canadian Space Agency St. Hubert, Quebec Satellite Technologies to Help Manage B.C. Forest Fires MacDonald Dettwiler, Canadian and European Space Agencies will demonstrate the use of satellite technologies in cooporation with the B.C. Forest Service Protection Program VANCOUVER, BRITISH-COLUMBIA, October 16, 1998 -- The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced today that MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. has entered into an agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the B.C. Forest Service to undertake demo testing of the use of satellite technologies for emergency planning and management of forest fires in the province. The contract has been made possible through the Canada-ESA Partnership Program of the CSA. ESA's Real-time Emergency Management via Satellite (REMSAT) project is focussed on bridging the gap between technology and users. MacDonald Dettwiler and the B.C. Forest Service will work with ESA to provide a pilot demonstration of multiple technologies that prove the value of space data and services for emergency management. The Honorable Raymond Chan, MP for Richmond B.C. and Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) stated that: "This year was particularly bad for forest fires in the province of British Columbia due to the dry weather. The opportunity that Canada's Space Program is providing to MacDonald Dettwiler to advance cutting-edge space technologies is not only good for industry, but will prove instrumental in assisting the B.C. Forest Service in emergency management operations." Enthusiasm for the project was also expressed by the Honourable David Zirnhelt, B.C. Minister of Forests: "B.C.'s forest protection program is world-class. Together with MacDonald Dettwiller, ESA and CSA, we can demonstrate to the world the necessity and importance of applying satellite technology like REMSAT in fighting forest fires." The B.C. Forest Service Protection Program is tasked with fighting forest fires in B.C. Managing timber resources in an area of over 1 million square kilometres, the Forest Service responds to on average over 3,000 fires annually. B.C.'s timber resources, which represent $15 billion of annual economic activity, must be protected with a reliable emergency management information system. The B.C. Forest Service Protection Program is internationally-recognized as one of the world's leading emergency management programs. Teaming with MacDonald Dettwiler and ESA, themselves leaders in the satellite technology markets of the world, it is anticipated that the B.C. REMSAT program will bridge the gap between satellite service providers and emergency management end-users. In addition to enhancing the level of emergency management in B.C. while protecting a primary environmental resource, the program will advance Canada's technology export capabilities. MacDonald Dettwiler has identified several key requirements for more effective emergency management: enhanced local field communications (between fire crews in the field and firefighting control centres), augmented with data, video images and geographic location capabilities; up-to-date position and status information for all resources, including aircraft, heavy equipment and fire crews for fire attack planning; high-speed communications between mobile fire control centres and the B.C. Provincial Fire Centre for enhanced management and suppression of large fires; and additional background information on the fire area, in the form of satellite or air photo imagery for aid in fire modelling, prediction and suppression of large fires. The resulting REMSAT-based system will be a model for other emergency management systems, capable of being implemented anywhere in the world. The field simulation and tests are scheduled to be conducted in the summer months, when an average of 25 new fires occur across B.C. each day. On completion of the pilot demonstration and evaluation, the system will be fully tested through deployment to support fighting a major fire. The opportunity for MacDonald Dettwiler to bid on the ESA project is a result of the CSA's cooperative agreement with ESA. The Canada-ESA Partnership Program, managed by the CSA, provides opportunities to Canadian companies to bid for and obtain technology development contracts from ESA and to participate in major European space projects. The competition for the REMSAT project was open to all Canadian suppliers. 1998 marks the 20th anniversary of the partnership between ESA and Canada. For more than 60 Canadian companies and organizations, this co-operative agreement has resulted in over 400 ESA contracts worth in excess of C$250M. In addition to the industrial, economic, and technological benefits of this co-operation, Canada's long-standing participation in ESA programs has provided, and continues to provide, a window into an organization composed of 14 European Member States holding a budget of C$4.9 billion and employing some 1800 people (1996 figures). The Canadian Space Agency is committed to leading the development and application of space knowledge for the benefit of Canadians and humanity. -30- FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Canadian Space Agency Isabelle Hudon (450) 926-4355 Cellular: (514) 943-6808 isabelle.hudon@space.gc.ca or MacDonald Dettwiler Michael Harding (604) 231-2262 mharding@mda.ca Andrew Yee ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle contract awarded (Forwarded) Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... U.S. Department of Defense Washington, D.C. (703) 697-5737(public/industry) (703) 697-5131(media) IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 16, 1998 No. 538-98 EVOLVED EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE CONTRACT AWARD Acting Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten Peters today announced the award of four contracts valued at a total of $3.03 billion to Lockheed Martin Corporation, Denver, Colo., and The Boeing Corporation, Huntington Beach, Calif. "Today, with the award of EELV contracts, we are entering a new and exciting era, an era where government and industry have pooled their resources in order to serve a combined military and commercial market," Peters said. Each of the companies is being awarded a $500 million contract for Engineering and Manufacturing Development agreements. The two companies are also being awarded contracts for Initial Launch Services for the Department of Defense's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program, the next generation of space launch vehicles, that total $2.03 billion. Boeing will receive $1.38 billion, and Lockheed Martin will receive $650 million. During the development phase, fiscal year 1999-2002, the two contractors will complete launch vehicle development, establish manufacturing capabilities, construct and modify launch site infrastructure and activate launch sites as Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. During the initial launch service phase, the Air Force will acquire commercial launch services for 28 government payloads scheduled to launch between fiscal years 2002 and 2006. Boeing will conduct 19 launches and Lockheed Martin nine launches. EELV's objective is to improve the affordability and operability of the nation's expendable space launch systems beyond the turn of the century. It will replace the current fleet of medium and heavy launch systems (Delta, Atlas and Titan) with two modular families of launch vehicles. The EELV program is poised to provide more affordable and reliable access to space for America. EELV's operability improvements over current systems will include a standard payload interface, standardized launch pads and off-pad processing. These capabilities provide reduced launch costs and create a more operable and responsive domestic spacelift infrastructure. EELV will ensure America's access to space well into the 21st century. The government's investment ensures that validated military spacelift requirements will be met by the contractors, while stimulating the commercial launch industry and strengthening our launch infrastructure. Having two domestic sources will reduce risk and provide assured access to space for both government and commercial payloads. EELV enables the U.S. commercial launch service providers to become more competitive worldwide, not only from a cost standpoint, but also from vehicle availability and flexibility. Finally, the U.S. industrial base will be enhanced and two competitive launch vehicle families will be poised to capture increased international market share. The first commercial launch of the EELV medium-lift vehicle will occur in fiscal year 2001, and the first government operational payloads are slated for launch in fiscal year 2002. For more information, call Gloria Cales at (703) 693-9086 or Space and Missiles Systems Center Public Affairs Office, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., (310) 363-0255. Andrew Yee ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: ARIANE 503 launch put back 24 hours (Forwarded) Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... JOINT ESA/CNES/ARIANESPACE PRESS RELEASE No. 37-98 Paris, France 15 October 1998 Ariane 503: launch put back 24 hours Hydrazine filling of the first tank in the attitude control system, on Wednesday 14 October at the Guiana Space Centre, took longer than expected, although the filling operation itself was completed. In view of the pre-launch operations still to be carried out, the Ariane 503 launch has therefore been put back 24 hours. The next key event, the Launch Readiness Review, will take place on 16 October and will clear the way for rollout to the launch zone, now planned for Tuesday 20 October. In view of the above, the launch is now planned for: Wednesday 21 October: launch window 13:00 to 14:30 local time or 16:00 to 17:30 UT; 18:00 to 19:30 CET. Ariane-5 is an ESA programme for which ESA has delegated management responsibility to CNES. Flight 503, conducted under ESA responsibility, will be the last of the Ariane-5 qualification flights. The launcher used will be the first production-series unit ordered by Arianespace from European industry. Launch operations are managed by Arianespace at the ELA-3 launch site at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's space port. Andrew Yee ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: U.S. Air Force Procures Boeing Delta IV Launches for EELV Program (For Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... The Boeing Company Contact: Communications (714) 896-1301 Boeing Launch Hotline (714) 896-4770 98-078 U.S. Air Force Procures Boeing Delta IV Launches for EELV Program HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Oct. 16, 1998 -- The U.S. Air Force announced today the procurement of 19 Boeing [NYSE: BA] Delta IV launches for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program valued at $1.38 billion. This initial launch services contract covers small, medium and heavy payload-class launches from 2002 to 2006. It splits 28 missions in a dual-source procurement designed to encourage greater contractor investment and competition in the U.S. space launch industry, and to decrease the Air Force's overall development cost. The Air Force also entered into a $500 million agreement with Boeing, supplementing development of the Delta IV family of launch vehicles for meeting all Air Force EELV requirements. Acting Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten Peters made the announcement for the program during a press conference held at the Pentagon earlier today. The EELV program is a multi-year effort aimed at reducing space launch costs by more than 25 percent. "We are pleased to provide the Air Force with the next generation of space launch vehicles and to help reduce the cost of boosting payloads into orbit," said Jim Albaugh, president of Boeing Space and Communications Group. "The Delta IV program demonstrates the strengths of the new Boeing Company and our commitment to the space transportation business." Today's announcement follows a development and procurement cycle that began in 1995. During the first phase, four competitors completed a 15-month contract to validate low-cost concepts. In December 1996, two contractors were selected to participate in the second phase, known as the Pre-Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (Pre-EMD) phase, a firm, fixed-price 17-month contract worth $60 million for each company. In November 1997, the Air Force announced that it intended to introduce competition across the life span of the EELV program by using a dual-source procurement strategy. "We believe the Air Force's innovative EELV procurement process will benefit our national security interests as well as the commercial satellite industry," said Gale Schluter, vice president and general manager of Boeing Expendable Launch Systems. First launch of the Boeing Delta IV is scheduled for 2001 and support projects are well under way. Boeing is building a new 1.5 million-square-foot facility in Decatur, Ala., for low-cost production of the common booster core, a major component of the Delta IV. Start-up production is scheduled for February 1999. All variants of the Delta IV family will be able to launch from either Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla., or Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Boeing is building a new launch facility at Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla. Additionally, the company will modify Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., to handle west coast launches. To increase efficiency, both Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg sites will process rockets horizontally -- away from the launch pad -- to reduce pre-launch on-pad time from 24 days to only six-to-eight days. The Boeing Delta IV family includes five launch vehicles with payload capabilities ranging from 9,200 to 29,000 pounds: Medium, Heavy and three variants of the Medium vehicle known collectively as the Medium-plus variants. All vehicles use a common booster core (CBC) powered by the Rocketdyne RS-68 engine. The liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen-burning, 650,000-pound (2,900-kiloNewton) thrust engine is thirty percent more efficient than conventional liquid oxygen/kerosene engines, and is environmentally friendly, producing only steam as a combustion by-product. Designed for low-cost production, the RS-68 engine has more than 80 percent fewer moving parts than a Space Shuttle main engine. Modified Boeing Delta upper stages are added to the CBC to complete each vehicle, along with Delta common hardware and software. The Air Force selected the Delta IV Medium and Heavy vehicles as part of its EELV initial launch services award. The Delta IV Medium, which can lift 9,200 pounds (4,140 kilograms) to geosynchronous transfer orbit, adds a modified Delta III cryogenic second stage and the 13.1-foot (4 meter) diameter composite fairing for payload protection. The Delta IV Heavy, which can lift up to 29,000 pounds (13,050 kilograms) to GTO links three of the new CBCs together for liftoff, and adds a modified and enlarged Delta III upper stage. The Delta IV Heavy also uses the 16.67-foot (5-meter) diameter metallic fairing that Boeing manufactures for the Titan IV launch vehicle. Production and assembly of the Delta IV is a team effort for Boeing employees and suppliers throughout the country. The Boeing facility in Huntington Beach, Calif., houses program management, engineering and some manufacturing functions. A new manufacturing facility in Decatur, Ala., will produce common booster cores. Boeing designs and manufactures the RS-68 engine in Canoga Park, Calif., at its Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power unit. The company's plant in El Paso, Texas, will build electrical components. Medium fairing segments, fabricated in Huntington Beach, will be shipped to the company's Pueblo, Colo., plant for manufacturing completion. The Pueblo plant also will be responsible for assembly of the medium upper stage. The Delta IV production team includes major suppliers from throughout the United States: AlliedSignal Aerospace, Teterboro, N.J., Redundant Inertial Flight Control Assembly (RIFCA) for guidance control of all Delta IVs; Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Magna, Utah, and Iuka, Miss., first-stage strap-on solid-propellant rocket motors for the Medium-plus versions and composite CBC structures, respectively; Pratt & Whitney, West Palm Beach, Fla., second-stage engines for the Delta IV Medium and Heavy class vehicles. Andrew Yee ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: Lockheed Martin wins Air Force contracts to build, launch new rocket , Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... Lockheed Martin Astronautics FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Evan McCollum Pager: 888-617-1239 Phone: 303-977-5364 E-mail: Evan McCollum PRESS RELEASE: October 16, 1998 LOCKHEED MARTIN WINS AIR FORCE CONTRACTS TO BUILD, LAUNCH NEW ROCKET DENVER, Colo., -- Lockheed Martin Astronautics was awarded contracts from the U.S. Air Force today with a combined value of approximately $ 1.15 billion to complete development of the company's family of Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELV), and provide launch services for 9 missions of the new rockets between 2003 and 2005. This contract award comes almost two years after the Air Force awarded two development contracts for the EELV. The dual contracts were awarded to Lockheed Martin Astronautics and the Boeing Company's Expendable Launch Systems on Dec. 20, 1996. The Air Force envisions that the EELV will eventually replace the existing Delta, Atlas and Titan space launch vehicles for use in launching a wide range of government and commercial payloads. First launch of the EELV is planned for 2001. "This EELV award will help enable Lockheed Martin to provide our Air Force and other customers best value products well into the 21st century," said Thomas A. Corcoran, president and chief operating officer of the Space & Strategic Missiles Sector. "These new EELV rockets will enable us to reduce assembly time and improve operational capability while cutting costs," said Dr. Raymond S. Colladay, president of Lockheed Martin Astronautics. "As a result, we will enhance our ability to ensure Mission Success -- for our international and domestic customers." Lockheed Martin's EELV concept calls for a family of vehicles that will be used to launch commercial and government payloads to a variety of orbits or place them on interplanetary trajectories. The vehicles feature a number of common elements including the 12.5-foot (3.8-meter) diameter, 89.3-foot (27.15-meter) tall, structurally stable Common Core Booster TM , a common propulsion system featuring the RD-180 engine, common element upper stages, standard commercial payload adapters, standard commercial avionics as well as simplified launch pads and streamlined launch operations. Lockheed Martin's EELV will be launched from both Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV) configuration of Lockheed Martin's EELV will be capable of placing 18,900 pounds (8,573 kg) in low Earth orbit or 11,600 pounds (5,262 kg) in geostationary transfer orbit. For the largest payloads, three Common Core Boosters TM will be strapped together to form the Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV). The HLV will place 42,000 pounds (19,050 kg) in low Earth orbit or more than 14,500 pounds (6,577 kg) in geosynchronous orbit, 22,300 miles (35,890 km) above Earth. Lockheed Martin's EELV will use the highly reliable Centaur upper stage. Centaur continues to be the United States' only state-of-the-art upper stage in production that uses cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants. Centaur has a proven record of more than 133 flights. Lockheed Martin has established an international teaming relationship with the RD AMROSS, LLC joint venture that was formed by the Russian company NPO Energomash and Pratt & Whitney, an operating unit of United Technologies Corporation, to co-produce the RD-180 rocket engines under exclusive contract for Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin also uses the RD-180 to power its Atlas III boosters. The company expects to launch several Atlas III vehicles before the first EELV is launched, thus increasing confidence in the performance of the EELV. First launch of an Atlas III is scheduled for mid-1999. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, in Denver, Colo., has responsibility for program management, systems design, development and integration, booster final assembly, mission integration and systems test. The company's Harlingen, Texas, Operations builds payload fairings, interstage adapters and aft thrust structures. Astronautics' Launch Operations organization at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., provides launch site activation and launch operations. Other members of Lockheed Martin's EELV team, their locations and responsibilities include: * RD AMROSS, LLC (a joint venture of Pratt & Whitney, West Palm Beach, Fla., and NPO Energomash, Khimky, Russia) -- RD-180 engine for the Common Core Booster TM . Pratt & Whitney also provides the RL-10 engine for the Centaur. * Contraves Space, Zurich, Switzerland -- composite payload fairings. * Honeywell, Clearwater, Fla. -- avionics system. * Hensel Phelps, Greeley, Colo. -- general contractor for launch site activation. * AJT & Associates, Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- design of launch facilities. Astronautics is one of the operating units of Lockheed Martin's Space & Strategic Missiles Sector headquartered in Bethesda, Md. Astronautics designs, develops, tests and manufactures a variety of advanced technology systems for space and defense. Chief products include planetary spacecraft and other space systems, space launch systems and ground systems. # # # [NOTE: Images supporting this release are available at http://www.ast.lmco.com/astroweb/gallery_eelv.shtml] Andrew Yee ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: Mars Surveyor 98 Update - October 17, 1998 Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... 1998 MARS SURVEYOR PROJECT STATUS REPORT October 17, 1998 John McNamee Mars Surveyor 98 Project Manager Mars Climate Orbiter: Launch -54 days The Assembly, Test and Launch (ATLO) test unit Pyro Initiation Unit (PIU) was installed in place of the flight PIU at end of day Friday. No orbiter work was planned for Saturday. Mars Polar Lander: Launch -78 days Medium Gain Antenna (MGA) gimbal, thermal, UHF, and touch down sensor reverification testing was completed on Saturday (as opposed to COB Friday as reported in yesterday's report). UHF retesting, flight PIU reinstallation, and MGA reinstallation was accomplished by COB Saturday as well. For more information on the Mars Surveyor 98 mission, please visit our website at: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/ Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=
    Дата: 20 октября 1998 (1998-10-20) От: Alexander Bondugin Тема: NEAR Weekly Report for Oct. 16, 1998 Привет всем! Вот, свалилось из Internet... NEAR WEEKLY REPORT October 16, 1998 MISSION OPERATIONS: The NEAR spacecraft state/configuration has remained nominal (Flight Computer #1 and Attitude Interface Unit #1 active). NEAR's attitude mode continues to alternate between GS-4 (Earth pointing) during Earth pointing, high gain antenna tracks, and GS-5 (~Sun pointing) at all other times. The GS-5 off-sun pointing limit has remained at 10 deg. It should be noted that the new momentum biasing feature of the Flight Computer is in use while in GS-5. The target momentum vector is now user selectable. The Magnetometer and XGRS instruments remained on throughout this reporting period. TCM 15 executed successfully as planned on October 14 at 1659z . This was the first of what are referred to as "Fancy Burns", a new feature of the Flight Computer software to be used extensively next year for orbit control at Eros. All science and engineering data for the period was successfully recorded and played back. Completed the majority of ground system account changes and network modifications for Eros operations. Performance tuning other discrepancies will now take priority. Future Plans: October 27: NASA Headquarters Peer Review of NEAR readiness. Upcoming Spacecraft Activities: October 28: Fancy Momentum Dump Test #1 November 5: Monochrome Light Curve of Eros (First images of Eros) November 9: NIS/MSI Rotation Sequence Dry Run November 18: Fancy Momentum Dump Test #2 November 19: Monochrome Light Curve of Eros November 19: NIS Cal Target Observation November 20: Eros Optical Navigation A (16 frames) Debra Fletcher 240-228-8274/Washington 443-778-8274/Baltimore Fax: 240-228-3237 Email: debra.fletcher@jhuapl.edu `Bldg./Rm.: 2-155 The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory 11100 Johns Hopkins Road Laurel, MD 20723-6099 Hа сегодня все, пока! =SANA=

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