Space Forum / Space History / June 2008

... should have been seen coming:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jqPDtAb3Pal2ozJB8Z4GdVyoZBxg
Getting filled up with housekeeping data is what caused the Spirit MER
to freeze up shortly after it landed on Mars.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062002986.html
Obituaries
Roger E. Wheeler, 88; NASA Intelligence Specialist
Saturday, June 21, 2008; Page B06

There are a lot of press reports about Ham Sunstrand finally losing
their suit monopoly to Oceaneering, but I can't find any information
as to the design itself.  From the artist's conceptions, it looks like
a hard suit.  Anyone in the know?

Ran into this regarding the solid rocket booster used on the B-52H
carrier aircraft to get the drone up to ramjet ignition speed:
"The program called for the use of a solid rocket _which had been
previously qualified and man-rated for the Apollo program._

I'M MAD AS HELL......
It's just insane. Oil was as low as $8 a barrel under Pres Clinton.
It increased by $60 a barrel just in the /last year/.
Let's just extrapolate that price increase out a few years, to...say...about the

Maybe I'm missing something, but as I understand it here's the
scenario.  Hubble service mission for whatever reason can't come
home.  "Rescue" Shuttle is launched, to same orbit, they slide up next
to one another.......then what???????.  Does anybody have a ref or

I just got sad news via email from Pat Kelley:
"Len took his final journey this morning, passing peacefully.  His
family is going to have his ashes interred at Arlington cemetery, but
I have no schedule.  For those who wish to express condolences, you

They are going to check up on what the stuff does in regards to a
gravity field:
http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn14120-would-an-antimatter-apple-fall-up.html
Pat

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Does anyone have recommendations for a usenet newsreader that runs on
the Mac? (yes, I'm switching...)

R & D for it funded by Air Force:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080611135049.htm
Pat

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Apollo_11_launch.jpg -
take a look at the tip of the LES - it looks like it's glowing, but A-11 was
travelling at just under Mach 1 at the time (note the condensation cloud
around the interstage).

Is there always on orbit arounfdearth geostationnary or polar satellites
transmitting weather images in analog mode
or all are now transmitting in digital mode ?
thanks

I have read and am in the process of reading some books on the history
of the space program.
I enjoyed Andrew Chaikin's A Man on the Moon tremendously.  I am also
in the process of reading This New Ocean and am enjoying it a great

...A while back, someone posted a link to an image taken of one of the
Shuttle reentries, but viewed above from ISS. Pat and I tried to find
this one, but so far no luck. The reason I'm interested in this one
now is because the Mars Phoenix team is claiming that the Odyssey