From: Russell D. Hoffman, Founder and Editor
Re: Stop Europa Orbiter: STOP CASSINI #179
Date: August 26th, 1999
Comment: This issue contains a sampling of the most interesting and important emails which have been received since the Earth flyby.
This Issue's Subjects:
From: "."
Subject: Stop Europa Orbiter
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 17:05:53 +0200
You enjoyed Cassini... you will love Europa Orbiter, Pluto Express and Solar Probe...
----- Original Message -----
From: Ron Baalke (baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov)
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Sent: Monday, August 23, 1999 11:07 PM
Subject: Europa/Pluto/Solar Probe AO To Be Released On Sep 10
Forwarded from Craig Tupper (dtupper@hq.nasa.gov)
Subject: Europa/Pluto/Solar Probe AO out Sept. 10
DEEP SPACE SYSTEMS PROGRAM
INCLUDING EUROPA ORBITER, PLUTO-KUIPER EXPRESS, AND SOLAR PROBE
AO 99-OSS-04
RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 10, 1999
PROPOSALS DUE: DECEMBER 10, 1999 THROUGH JUNE 6, 2000
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is releasing a NASA Announcement of Opportunity (AO 99-OSS-04) entitled Deep Space Systems Program Including Europa Orbiter, Pluto-Kuiper Express, and Solar Probe. This AO will solicit proposals for investigations that require the development of space flight instruments on the three different missions. In addition, the AO will solicit scientific participation as a member of facility science teams for the Europa Orbiter mission. Proposal due dates for the three missions will be staggered at approximately 90 day intervals: December 10, 1999 (Europa Orbiter), March 9, 2000 (Pluto-Kuiper Express), and June 6, 2000 (Solar Probe).
Participation is open to all categories of organizations, foreign and domestic, including educational institutions, industry, nonprofit organizations, NASA centers, and other Government agencies. Upon the release date, specific guidance for proposal preparation will be available via the World Wide Web site: http://spacescience.nasa.gov/research.htm
Further information about Europa Orbiter and Pluto-Kuiper Express can be obtained from Dr. Jay Bergstralh, Research Program Management Division, Code SR, Office of Space Science, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; E-mail: (jay.bergstralh@hq.nasa.gov); TEL: (202) 358-0313. Further information about Solar Probe can be obtained from Dr. W. Vernon Jones, Research Program Management Division, Code SR, Office of Space Science, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; E-mail: (Vernon.Jones@hq.nasa.gov); TEL: (202) 358-0885.
Subject: Re: Excerpts from the AO found on NASA Web sites
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 18:53:02 +0200
http://spacescience.nasa.gov/aodraft/planets/formats.htm
Just one comment: there is a difference between these missions. There are for me two categories:
I am convinced that Europa Orbiter can be done without a nuke. So you do not need to challenge the very principle of the mission, just the technical solution...
the second category is Pluto Express and Solar Probe. They are more tricky to discuss because you need to challenge the mission itself: they are really not feasible without a nuke... I think that it is very clever from NASA (from their standpoint of course) to propose a mission which is not feasible without a nuke...
Be seeing you.
PS please do not mention my name...I happen to work in connection with the space business. That is why I dare provide a technical opinion hereabove.
I think NASA has always purposefully proposed missions that are technologically just outside what can be done easily with solar, because that builds their excuse, when the real purpose of the RTGs is for the military (more on this has appeared in past issues of the STOP CASSINI newsletter, and will appear again soon).
Subject: Excerpts from the AO found on NASA Web sites
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 18:00:59 +0200
Europa Orbiter
The Europa Orbiter reference mission calls for an STS/IUS/Star48V launch in November 2003. The spacecraft will take a direct trajectory to Jupiter (see Figure 6), arriving between August 2006 and August 2007 (depending on launch date).
The opportunity to switch the launch order of Pluto/Kuiper Express (PKE) and Europa Orbiter (EO), however, is a key requirement of the program readiness strategy. If the option to switch the order of the PKE and EO launches is exercised, the PKE launch would be moved up to November 2003, and EO would move into the December 2004 slot. Arrival would be proportionately later, of course.
So no flyby, only the launch by the Shuttle.
Put a mark for Nov 2003 on your agenda!!!
Pluto-Kuiper Express
The reference Pluto-Kuiper Express (Pluto) mission calls for a launch in December 2004 and uses a Jupiter Gravity Assist (JGA) trajectory to send the spacecraft to Pluto and Charon (see Figure 4). The launch vehicle may be either the STS/IUS or Delta III class both with an additional Star-48V kick-stage. The performance of these launch systems, in conjunction with the estimated spacecraft system mass, results in a flight time to Pluto of 8 years. Figure 4 below illustrates the geometry and key dates of the 2004 JGA trajectory for the Pluto mission (the 2003 interplanetary trajectory would look similar). The opportunity to switch the launch order of the Pluto and the Europa Orbiter mission, however, is a key requirement of the program readiness strategy. If the option to switch the Pluto and Europa Orbiter launches is exercised, the Pluto launch would then be moved up to November 2003, and Europa Orbiter would move into the December 2004 slot. The 2003 JGA provides somewhat better launch vehicle injection capability for the same flight time as the 2004 JGA. Figure 5 below shows the flight system mass versus flight time to Pluto for both the 2003 and 2004 JGA trajectory opportunities.
So no flyby, only the launch by the Shuttle.
Put a mark for Dec 2004 on your agenda!!!
It seems that the protest against flybys had consequences:
they put the vehicle on what they consider their most reliable launcher (Shuttle) no flyby of Earth foreseen for any of the three
Subject: Solar powered Neptune orbiter studied by NASA
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 21:20:47 +0200
:
http://eis.jpl.nasa.gov/roadmap/site/missions/B/europa_ocean_observer.html
http://eis.jpl.nasa.gov/roadmap/site/missions/E/neptune_orbiter.html
Proof that NASA is looking at solar powered missions as far as Europa and Neptune (!).
Interesting...
We thank our source for bringing these links to our attention.
To: rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 06:59:22 -0700
From: "J"
Subject: Cassini newsletters...
Dear Mr. Hoffman:
I just saw some of your newsletters regarding Cassini. No offence but you seem a bit nutty in the head. Sure people should be concerned about what our governments are doing & will end up doing to our planet, but you seem to be making some people hysterical & panicky. This is not a good thing, nor is it conductive to solving the problems. In order to fight something peacefully & honorably you must first have calm before the storm. Still I wish you well with your endeavors, and ask only that you try to make peace with yourself first, as you obviously seem a wee bit troubled. These are troubled times for everyone, but we will get through them, with or without God's help. Although, I'm confident that it will be with God's help.
Yours sincerely,
J
Hi!
Thank you for your email [shown above].
First of all, define "honorably and peacefully" as you mean them. I think I fought both honorably and peacefully, throwing arrows only in the directions where they belonged. And the only damage was to the reputations of people who thought too highly of themselves. I did not offend anyone who had not offended themselves in kind [in other words, I generally try to turn their words back on them, maybe turned up a notch in intensity -- rdh]. I did not attack anyone who had not attacked the truth already. If my attacks were stronger, it is because my case was stronger and my experience in responding grew with each unfair barb. I think you should place yourself in my shoes and read the news reports about the flyby, some of which say the plutonium would be "harmlessly vaporized" while others say it would be contained in NASA's "sturdy" RTGs. If I point out that one of those statements is wrong, they will say the other is right, and if I say that one is wrong, they will say the other is right. But both are wrong, and the moving target NASA presents is not easy to aim at.
To further answer your statements, I will quote Sun Pin, great-grandson of Sun-Tzu, the great Chinese military philosopher:
"...if you want to engage in battle, act as if deranged."
-- Military Methods of the Art of War (Chapter 18), translated by Ralph D. Sawyer
I think you must admit, that I was able to bring "the enemy" into battle as few have been able to do in the past. And they have made fools of themselves for it. Sun Pin was right, it worked. (Interestingly, I only found that quote yesterday, but it certainly seems applicable.)
I think those that read my newsletters with any care and attention at all recognize that the dangers are VERY real and should be of GRAVE CONCERN to everybody. But show me someone who "panicked" or became "hysterical" because of my writing!
Lastly, I believe God expects us to do most of the work to solve the world's problems. I pray he will help us, but I don't rely on it being the only thing that will solve the problems. That means we have A LOT of work to do on our own.
Right now, the biggest threat to mankind is Y2K. It was also the biggest threat last week, as I tried to make clear even as Cassini hurtled ever closer. I do not believe I have misrepresented the dangers we face -- they are grave indeed. And the "call to arms" is for everyone -- you included. If you want peace on this planet, you had better help us to stop preparing for intense warfare instead, because most people are content to see civilization destroy itself, apparently on the faulty assumption that others are "minding the fort". They aren't -- it's our job.
Thank you again for writing and sharing your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Russell Hoffman
--grin-- Hi again!
I would just like to say your arguments were very well stated & just. You are correct in your assumptions and your quote was well placed. Let me apologize if I offended you in any way. You have given me much to think about & act upon. I would also like to point out that I have enjoyed your comments thus far.
Thank you.
Best regards,
J.
The Stop Cassini newsletter editor is deeply appreciative. -- rdh
We must note that none of these reports appeared to be the least bit fair!
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 06:39:35 -0700
To: Universe Today Newsletter (info@universetoday.com
From: Universe Today (info@universetoday.com)
Subject: Universe Today, August 19th, 1999
the
U N I V E R S E
T O D A Y
Space Exploration News From Around the Internet, Updated Every Weekday.
August 19th, 1999 - Issue #84
http://www.universetoday.com
info@universetoday.com
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the
subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER".
An HTML version of this Newsletter is available at:
http://www.universetoday.com/html/misc/today.html
**************************************
-- UNIVERSE TODAY STORY SUMMARY --
* Cassini Flyby Successful
* Astronomers Don't Know the Cause of Mysterious Light
* Tape Caused Titan Launch Failure
CASSINI FLYBY SUCCESSFUL
------------------------
On its long trip to Saturn, Cassini made its successful flyby of Earth and
used the gravitational slingshot to pick up extra speed. It passed only 728
miles above the eastern South Pacific, which was of great concern to
protestors
who feared the spacecraft could lose control and crash into the Earth with
its plutonium fuel.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/cassini_past990818.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_423000/423414.stm
http://cnn.com/TECH/space/9908/18/cassini.flyby.02/index.html
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/081899/cassini.sml
http://www.msnbc.com/news/301531.asp
http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/space/astronomy/cassini/
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/cassini-99c.html
http://www.spaceviews.com/1999/08/18a.html
ASTRONOMERS DON'T KNOW THE CAUSE OF MYSTERIOUS LIGHT
------------------------
Three years ago astronomers from Caltech discovered a mysterious light
in the constellation of Serpens. Strangely, they're unable to discern what
the object is, as its spectrum doesn't conform to any known patterns.
http://cnn.com/TECH/space/9908/18/spacemystery.ap/index.html
http://explorezone.com/snapshots/1999/08_18_mystery_light.htm
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/081899/strangelight.sml
TAPE CAUSED TITAN LAUNCH FAILURE
------------------------
Investigators have finally determined why the military satellite launched
April 9th was stuck in a useless orbit. It appears that a connector between
the two stages of the Inertial Upper Stage failed to separate as planned.
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/titan-99e.html
http://www.spaceviews.com/1999/08/18b.html
-------------------------
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the
subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER".
All contents copyright (c) 1999 Universe Today
Brought to you by communicate.com
http://www.communicate.com
The CNN report is particularly interesting because it links to four sites:
NASA/JPL's Cassini web site (of course)
Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space (aka fcpj)
The City University of New York (Dr. Michio Kaku)
Astronomical Society of India (huh?)
India? Why India? It's BANGLADESH where the Astronomical Society was concerned about Cassini, not India! I went to the web site indicated, did a search of "Cassini" and came up with NOTHING.
We believe CNN can't get the facts straight because CNN doesn't want to. We have told our readers repeatedly that CNN is a corrupt "news" organization, and these are just more examples. -- rdh
We are working on a new name for the newsletter and will announce it soon. We think we have enough suggestions now to pick a nice one from. Thanks to everyone who participated! -- rdh
NASA needs to be told in no uncertain terms NEVER to launch nuclear rockets of any type ever again!
To learn about the absurd excuses NASA used to launch Cassini and its 72.3 pounds of plutonium in 1997, ask them for the 1995 Environmental Impact Statement for the Cassini mission, and all subsequent documentation. At the same time, be sure to ask them for ANY and ALL documentation available on future uses of plutonium in space, including MILITARY, CIVILIAN, or "OTHER" (just in case they make a new category somehow!). To get this information, contact:
Cassini Public Information
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena CA 91109
(818) 354-5011 or
(818) 354-6478
Here's NASA's "comments" email address: comments@www.hq.nasa.gov
Daniel Goldin is the head of NASA. Here's his email address:
daniel.goldin@hq.nasa.gov
or
dgoldin@mail.hq.nasa.gov
Here's the NASA URL to find additional addresses to submit written questions to:
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/facts/HTML/FS-002-HQ.html
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT NASA IS DOING TO YOUR HEALTH.
Be sure to "cc" the president and VP and your senators and congresspeople, too.
President Bill Clinton
White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20500; Ph. (202) 456-1111, Fax (202) 456-2461;
e-mail -- president@whitehouse.gov
Vice President Albert Gore
White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.,
N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20500;Ph. (202) 456-1414, Fax (202) 456-2461;
e-mail -- vicepresident@whitehouse.gov
Secretary William Cohen
1000 Defense
The Pentagon
Washington D.C. 20301
703-695-6352
Secretary Bill Richardson
Department of Energy (DoE)
1000 Independence Avenue SW
Washington D.C. 20585
202-586-6210
fax 202-586-4403
Always include your full name and postal address in all correspondence to any Government official of any country.
Thanks for reading! Welcome new subscribers!
Home page of our STOP CASSINI movement:
http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/cassini.htm
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