Aucbvax.5829 fa.space utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!space Mon Jan 18 06:11:00 1982 SPACE Digest V2 #83 >From OTA@S1-A Mon Jan 18 03:25:31 1982 SPACE Digest Volume 2 : Issue 83 Today's Topics: News Query newswire stuff G. Harry Stine Re: life from comets Firms sign up to use less costly European rockets Dean Machine History Harry Stine and the Dean Drive ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun Jan 17 10:25:48 1982 To: Space at MIT-MC From: mhtsa!alice!sjb at Berkeley Subject: News Query Source-Info: From (or Sender) name not authenticated. There has recently arisen at SRI-UNIX a gateway between the space digest at MIT-MC and a USENET newsgroup (net.columbia) that came into existence a bit before STS-2 for the primary purpose of keeping people informed about the space program (and the space programs of other countries -- most noticeably now is the ESA Ariane booster). Mostly, news summaries from the news wires (AP, etc.) have gone through it and also some other informative blurbs (I don't recall any discussion going through it though that wouldn't have mattered) With the new gateway, I need a decision from ARPAland whether or not to continue posting these news things to net.columbia or to net.space (the new group), which feeds into the mailing list. If I take the former action, you will not see the news; the latter will get the news to you. Please mail replies to me (research!sjb at Berkeley) -- for the time being, I'll start posting news to net.space unless I hear complaints. Adam Buchsbaum UUCP - ucbvax!research!sjb ARPA - research!sjb at Berkeley ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jan 1982 1153-PST From: Bob Amsler Subject: newswire stuff To: space at MIT-MC I disagree emphatically with decvax!watmath!jcwinterton@Berkeley re: posting of posting of "newswire stuff" to the space digest. FIRST! the digest is an internal communication without "public" distribution and as such probably qualifies for "fair use". Second, there happen to be many highly qualified people who are employed by the govt. who read this list and SHOULD be aware of space developments which appear in the wire services. The major concern is that nothing from this digest (or any other) be released to a public channel. As long as these discussions pass solely between individuals in a closed network I believe they are legal. Technically, there is NO "publication" taking place here. It is actually just a massive mailing list for communication between individuals. Access is restricted and controlled by govt. monitoring of the members of the net. Anyone who is on the net without such monitoring is in violation of the law. Their further misuse of the private communications which take place on the net would constitute further violation. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jan 1982 1827-CST From: Jonathan Slocum Subject: G. Harry Stine To: space at MIT-MC While we're on the topic, and since I haven't heard it mentioned... Space Power, by G. Harry Stine, c. 1981, 1st printing Sept. 1981, pub. by ACE, $2.50 ppb. I got mine in the Miami airport last October, hot off the press... Cover contains the following phrases, among others: THE NEWS THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY TRIED TO BURY! THE *TRUTH* ABOUT SOLAR POWER! Having read it (and his 3rd Ind. Rev.) my impression is that he is truly a hard-nosed engineering type, characterized by the potential short-sightedness (all problems can be solved through technology) for which such types are famed. Damn stimulating book, though. I recommend it -- with a grain of salt if you're a humanist. ------------------------------ Date: 18 January 1982 05:04-EST From: Jerry E. Pournelle Subject: Re: life from comets To: decvax!watmath!jcwinterton at UCB-C70 cc: SPACE at MIT-MC why listen? ------------------------------ Date: 18 January 1982 05:07-EST From: Jerry E. Pournelle Subject: Firms sign up to use less costly European rockets To: JoSH at RUTGERS cc: SPACE at MIT-MC Gary Hudson says this is substantially correct, but you ought to look at latest AVIATION WEEK for who wants to buy 5th orbiter... Date: 17 Jan 1982 0000-EST From: JoSH According to a news story (Gannet) under this title, three US companies, Western Union, Southern Pacific Comm., and GTE have signed up for a total of 5 satellites so far on the "mostly-French" Ariane. At $20 million a shot that comes to $100 million, instead of spending $125 to $135 million at NASA (which would have used McDonnell-Douglass Deltas). "Despite the shuttle's potential as an efficient cargo carrier into space, America's space transportation system could price itself out of the market by the end of the decade if--as expected--NASA raises its shuttle cargo rates due to escalating costs of the external tanks and solid rocket boosters." The story says the French completed the Ariane test flight program last month after four launches. The satellites are scheduled to go up in 83 and 84. --JoSH ------- ------------------------------ Date: 18 January 1982 05:10-EST From: Jerry E. Pournelle Subject: Dean Machine History To: Marvin Minsky at MIT-AI cc: SPACE at MIT-MC AS you loved Dean, so loved he we all.... ------------------------------ Date: 18 January 1982 05:42-EST From: Jerry E. Pournelle Subject: Harry Stine and the Dean Drive To: Onyx.jeffc at UCB-C70 cc: SPACE at MIT-MC While I am prepared--aye, even eager--to believe that we FINALLY understand THE laws of physics, I must say, b given their history, that I ought to be prepared to accept heir radical negations. To sya that Harry, by challenging orthodoxy, has proved hiumself fundamentally silly is to say that one understands little of the history of science. Harry is very probably wrong; but to say he is uninteresting is to say more about yurself than I would... ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest ******************* ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.