Archive-name: space/intro Last-modified: $Date: 95/02/01 20:19:20 $ Compilation copyright (c) 1994 by Jonathan P. Leech. This document may be redistributed in its complete and unmodified form. Other use requires written permission of the author. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON SCI.SPACE.*/SCI.ASTRO INTRODUCTION This is the long FAQ for the sci.space hierarchy. It will soon be split across the newly created sci.space.{tech,science,policy} groups, but for now, it's being posted to all of them. The sci.space.tech moderator posts a more frequent short FAQ with concise answers; this is the place to go for more detail and references. If you have corrections or answers to other frequently asked questions that you would like included in this posting, send email to leech@cs.unc.edu (Jon Leech). If you don't want to see the FAQ, add 'Frequently Asked Questions' to your KILL file for this group (if you're not reading this with a newsreader that can kill articles by subject, you're out of luck). The current version of the FAQ is FTPable at ftp://explorer.arc.nasa.gov/pub/SPACE/FAQ/ along with more information expanding on topics in the FAQ. The hypertext version of the FAQ is at http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/space/top.html Good summaries will be accepted in place of the answers given here. The point of this is to circulate existing information, and avoid rehashing old answers. Better to build on top than start again. Nothing more depressing than rehashing old topics for the 100th time. References are provided because they give more complete information than any short generalization. Questions fall into three basic types: 1) Where do I find some information about space? Try your local public library first. The net is not a good place to ask for general information. Ask INDIVIDUALS (by email) if you must. There are other sources, use them, too. The net is a place for open ended discussion. 2) I have an idea which would improve space flight? Hope you aren't surprised, but 9,999 out of 10,000 have usually been thought of before. Again, contact a direct individual source for evaluation. NASA fields thousands of these each day. 3) Miscellanous queries. These are addressed on a case-by-case basis in the following series of FAQ postings. SUGGESTIONS FOR BETTER NETIQUETTE Read news.announce.newusers if you're on Usenet. Minimize cross references, [Do you REALLY NEED to?] Edit "Subject:" lines, especially if you're taking a tangent. Send mail instead, avoid posting follow ups. (1 mail message worth 100 posts). Internet mail readers: send requests to add/drop to SPACE-REQUEST not SPACE. Read all available articles before posting a follow-up. (Check all references.) Cut down attributed articles (leave only the points you're responding to; remove signatures and headers). Summarize! Put a return address in the body (signature) of your message (mail or article), state your institution, etc. Don't assume the 'reply' function of mailers will work. Use absolute dates. Post in a timely way. Don't post what everyone will get on TV anyway. Some editors and window systems do character count line wrapping: keep lines under 80 characters for those using ASCII terminals (use carriage returns). INDEX TO LINKED POSTINGS I've attempted to break the postings up into related areas. There isn't a keyword index yet; the following lists the major subject areas in each posting. Only those containing astronomy-related material are posted to sci.astro (indicated by '*' following the posting number). # Contents 1* Introduction (See "space/intro") Suggestions for better netiquette Index to linked postings Notes on addresses, phone numbers, etc. Contributors 2* Network resources (See "space/net") Overview Mailing lists Periodically updated information Warning about non-public networks 3* Online (and some offline) sources of images, data, etc. (See "space/data") Introduction Viewing Images Online Archives Center for Advanced Space Studies Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Infrared Processing & Analysis Center NASA Ames NASA Astrophysics Data System NASA Directory of WAIS Servers NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (Mission Information and Images) NASA Johnson Space Center (Manned Space Images) NASA Langley (Technical Reports) NASA Spacelink National Space Science Data Center Space Telescope Science Institute Electronic Info. Service Starcat Astronomical Databases Astronomy Programs Orbital Element Sets SPACE Digest Archives World-Wide-Web (WWW) GeoSphere Project (full Earth image) Landsat & NASA Photos Planetary Maps Cometary Orbits 4* Performing calculations and interpreting data formats (See "space/math") Constants and equations for calculations Computing spacecraft orbits and trajectories Computing planetary positions Computing crater diameters from Earth-impacting asteroids Map projections and spherical trignometry Performing N-body simulations efficiently Interpreting the FITS image format Sky (Unix ephemeris program) Nearby star/galaxy coordinates 5* References on specific areas (See "space/references") Publishers of space/astronomy material Careers in the space industry SL-9 Comet/Jupiter Impact DC-X single-stage to orbit (SSTO) program How to name a star after a person LLNL "great exploration" Lunar Prospector Lunar science and activities Mars Direct / Lunar Direct Orbiting Earth satellite histories Spacecraft models Rocket propulsion Spacecraft design Esoteric propulsion schemes (solar sails, lasers, fusion...) Spy satellites Space capsule locations Space shuttle computer systems SETI computation (signal processing) Amateur satellies & weather satellites Tides Astronomical Mnemonics 6 Contacting NASA, ESA, and other space agencies/companies (See "space/addresses") NASA Centers / Arianespace / CSA / CNES / DARA / ESA / NASDA / NPO Energia / RSA / Soyuzkarta / Space Camp / Space Commerce Corporation / Spacehab / SPOT Image Other commercial space businesses 7 Space shuttle answers, launch schedules, TV coverage (See "space/schedule") Shuttle launchings and landings; schedules and how to see them Why does the shuttle roll just after liftoff? How to receive the NASA TV channel, NASA SELECT Amateur radio frequencies for shuttle missions Solid Rocket Booster fuel composition 8 Planetary probes - Historical Missions (See "space/probe") US planetary missions Mariner (Venus, Mars, & Mercury flybys and orbiters) Pioneer (Moon, Sun, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn flybys and orbiters) Ranger (Lunar lander and impact missions) Lunar Orbiter (Lunar surface photography) Surveyor (Lunar soft landers) Viking (Mars orbiters and landers) Voyager (Outer planet flybys) Soviet planetary missions Soviet Lunar probes Soviet Venus probes Soviet Mars probes European planetary missions Japanese planetary missions Planetary mission references 9 Upcoming planetary probes - missions and schedules (See "space/new_probes") ASCA Cassini Clementine Galileo Hiten Magellan Mars Observer TOPEX/Poseidon Ulysses Other space science missions Proposed missions 10 Controversial questions (See "space/controversy") Space shuttle mission costs What happened to the Saturn V plans Why data from space missions isn't immediately available Risks of nuclear (RTG) power sources for space probes Impact of the space shuttle on the ozone layer How long can a human live unprotected in space How the Challenger astronauts died Using the shuttle beyond Low Earth Orbit The "Face on Mars" 11 Space activist/interest/research groups and space publications (See "space/groups") Network Groups and Resources Groups Publications Undocumented Groups 12 How to become an astronaut (See "space/astronaut") 13 Orbital and Planetary Launch Services (See "space/launchers") NOTES ON ADDRESSES, PHONE NUMBERS, ETC. Unless otherwise specified, telephone numbers, addresses, and so on are for the United States of America. Non-US readers should remember to add the country code for telephone calls, etc. CREDITS Eugene Miya (then under the authority of the Computer Systems Division, NASA Ames Research Center) started a series of linked FAQ postings some years ago which inspired (and was largely absorbed into) this set. Peter Yee and Ron Baalke have and continue to spend a lot of their own time setting up the SPACE archives at NASA Ames and forwarding official NASA announcements. Many other people have contributed material to this list in the form of old postings to sci.space and sci.astro which I've edited. Please let me know if corrections need to be made. Major contributors I've managed to keep track of are: ad038@yfn.ysu.edu (Steven Fisk) - publication refs. akerman@bill.phy.queensu.CA (Richard Akerman) - crater diameters alweigel@athena.mit.edu (Lisa Weigel) - SEDS info aoab314@emx.utexas.edu (Srinivas Bettadpur) - tides awpaeth@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Alan Wm Paeth) - map projections aws@iti.org (Allen W. Sherzer) - Great Exploration baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) - planetary probe schedules bankst@rata.vuw.ac.nz (Timothy Banks) - map projections, variable star analysis archive benhuset@skypoint.com (Ben Huset) - AAS info brosen@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (Bernie Rosen) - Space Camp bruce_dunn@mindlink.bc.ca (Bruce Dunn) - propulsion refs. bschlesinger@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov (Barry Schlesinger) - FITS format cew@venera.isi.edu (Craig E. Ward) - space group contact info chapin@cbnewsc.att.com (Tom Chapin) - planetary positions cunnida@tenet.edu (D. Alan Cunningham) - NASA Spacelink cyamamot@kilroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Cliff Yamamoto) - orbital elements datri@convex.com (Anthony Datri) - PDS/VICAR viewing software daver@sjc.mentorg.com (Dave Rickel) - orbit formulae dlbres10@pc.usl.edu (Phil Fraering) - propulsion eder@hsvaic.boeing.com (Dani Eder) - Saturn V plans, SRBs eugene@nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya) - introduction, NASA contact info, started FAQ postings frank.reddy@genie.geis.com (Francis Reddy) - map projections french@isu.isunet.edu (Patrick M. French) - space group contact info g@telesoft.com (Gary Morris) - amateur radio info gaetz@cfa.harvard.edu (Terry Gaetz) - N-body calculations, orbital dynamics glandis@lerc.nasa.gov (Geoffrey A. Landis) - survival in vacuum, AAS & Artemis Society info gmcquary@Ingres.COM (George F. McQuary) - nearby star refs grandi@noao.edu (Steve Grandi) - planetary positions greer%utd201.dnet%utadnx@utspan.span.nasa.gov (Dale M. Greer) - constants gregb@gemini.den.mmc.com (Greg Bollendonk) - space model catalog henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) - survival in vacuum, astronaut how-to, Challenger disaster, publication refs, DC-X higgins@fnal.bitnet (William Higgins) - RTGs, publishers, shuttle landings, spysats, propulsion, "Face on Mars", and general assistance with FAQ upkeep. hmueller@cssun.tamu.edu (Hal Mueller) - map projections, orbital dynamics jbh55289@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Josh Hopkins) - launch services jim@pnet01.cts.com (Jim Bowery) - propulsion, launch services jnhead@pirl.lpl.arizona.edu (James N. Head) - atmospheric scale heights jscotti@lpl.arizona.edu (Jim Scotti) - planetary positions kcarroll@zoo.toronto.edu (Kieran A. Carroll)- refs for spacecraft design ken@orion.bitnet (Kenneth Ng) - RTGs kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov (Ken Jenks) - shuttle roll manuever klaes@verga.enet.dec.com (Larry Klaes) - planetary probe history leech@cs.unc.edu (Jon Leech) - crater diameters lfa@ssi.com (Lou Adornato) - orbital dynamics maury.markowitz@egsgate.fidonet.org (Maury Markowitz) - propulsion max@west.darkside.com (Erik Max Francis) - equations mazz@ipac.caltech.edu (Joe Mazzarella) - IPAC mbellon@mcdurb.Urbana.Gould.COM - N-body calculations mcconley@phoenix.Princeton.edu (Marc Wayne Mcconley) - space careers msb@sq.com (Mark Brader) - Mariner 1 info. mwm@cmu.edu (Mark Maimone) - SPACE Digest nickw@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Dr. Nick Watkins) - models, spysats ohainaut@eso.org (Olivier R. Hainaut) - publishers, STARCAT oneil@aio.jsc.nasa.gov (Graham O'Neil) - Lunar Prospector panama@cup.portal.com (Kenneth W Durham) - cometary orbits, IAU paul.blase@nss.fidonet.org (Paul Blase) - propulsion pete@denali.gsfc.nasa.gov (Pete Banholzer) - Clementine pjs@plato.jpl.nasa.gov (Peter Scott) - RTGs pschleck@gonix.com (Paul W. Schleck) - AMSAT, ARRL contact info pwt@minnie.bell.inmet.com (Paul Tarr) - Shuttle computer refs rdb@mel.cocam.oz.au (Rodney Brown) - propulsion refs rja7m@phil.cs.virginia.edu (Ran Atkinson) - FTPable astro. programs rjungcla@ihlpb.att.com (R. Michael Jungclas)- models rosborne@uk.ac.ucl.ps (Richard Osborne) - UK-SEDS seal@leonardo.jpl.nasa.gov (David Seal) - Cassini mission schedule shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) - photos, shuttle landings smith@sndpit.enet.dec.com (Willie Smith) - photos stephen@gpwd.gp.co.nz (Stephen Dixon) - shuttle audio frequencies sterner@warper.jhuapl.edu (Ray Sterner) - planetary positions stooke@vaxr.sscl.uwo.ca (Phil Stooke) - planetary maps ted_anderson@transarc.com (Ted Anderson) - propulsion terry@astro.as.utexas.edu (Terry Hancock) - NASA center info thorson@typhoon.atmos.coloState.edu (Bill Thorson) - FITS info tm2b+@andrew.cmu.edu (Todd L. Masco) - SPACE Digest tom@ssd.csd.harris.com (Tom Horsley) - refs for algorithms veikko.makela@helsinki.fi (Veikko Makela) - orbital element sets Wales.Larrison@ofa123.fidonet.org (Wales Larrison) - groups & publications wayne@csri.utoronto.ca (Wayne Hayes) - constants weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener) - Voyager history yamada@yscvax.ysc.go.jp (Yoshiro Yamada) - ISAS/NASDA missions yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter Yee) - AMES archive server, propulsion In Net memoriam: Ted Flinn NEXT: FAQ #2/13 - Network Resources