🚀 go-pugleaf

>From OTA@S1-A Tue Dec 22 03:25:59 1981

SPACE Digest                                      Volume 2 : Issue 67

Today's Topics:
				Flywheels
	   Private manufacturing of satelites -- News clipping
				radiation
			   Electric Satellites
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Date: 21 Dec 1981 1201-CST
From: John Otken <CC.Otken at UTEXAS-20>
Subject: Flywheels
To: space at MIT-MC

They have a flywheel as a power source for the Tokamac here at U.T. also.
Although the numbers I recall for it are 160V @ 400KA, what is
important is that this was suppose to be peanuts for flywheel industry.

So don't buy a nuke (unless it is on sale) or an SPS, rather buy
a gigawatt worth of flywheel(s) and purchase power at night .
Ready for a morning launch....

What's not very obvious to me is the receiving end of this thing.
It has to absorb a gigawatt over a period of ninety seconds.
Could someone give a sketch of this device?
-------

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Date: 21 Dec 1981 1452-PST
Sender: BILLW at SRI-KL
Subject: Private manufacturing of satelites -- News clipping
From:  William "Chops" Westfield <BillW@SRI-KL>
To: space-enthusiasts at MC
Message-ID: <[SRI-KL]21-Dec-81 14:52:36.BILLW>

e617 12:21  21-Dec-81

-u.s. firms plans to build its own satellites

   washington -(dj)--the american satellite co., a
pioneer in the development of high-speed satellite
communication networks for businesses, asked regulatory
permission monday to build and launch its own satellites.
   the proposal, filed with the federal communications
commission (fcc), asks permission to build three satellites.
one would be launched in 1985; the second in 1986, and the
third held as an on-ground spare. the project will cost more
than 225 million dlrs if approved, the company said.
   american satellite, a joint venture between the
continental telephone corp. and fairchild industries, based
in rockville, maryland, has become one of the largest
satellite operators in the u.s. by leasing or buying space
on satellites built by other firms and then building
specialized networks for its customers.
   most recently, the company purchased a 20 pc ownership
position in western union's westar satellite system. through
its parent companies, it also has the right to use up to 50
pc of the commercial capacity of two new advanced westar
satellites now under construction.
   in its application to the fcc, american satellite said
it intended to build special 'hybrid satellites,' which have
the capability of operating on two different bands of radio
frequencies. the satellites will have a 10-year design life
instead of the 7-year life that is now the industry norm,
and will be capable of being launched by either the space
shuttle, an american delta rocket or the european space
agency's ariane rocket.
   if approved, the satellites will be controlled through
new facilities to be built at america satellite's existing
operations center in vernon valley, new jersey, the firm
added.
   the fcc's response to the application filed monday may
be governed in part by a proceeding launched recently to
explore the technical problems that might arise if the
orbital spacing between existing satellites is reduced. the
commission has said it may have difficulty authorizing new
satellites without such a reduction.
-0-
-(dj-12-21-81 2021gmt

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Date:     21 December 1981 1706-cst
From:     Bill Vaughan               <VaughanW at HI-Multics>
Subject:  radiation
To:       JPM at SAIL
Cc:       SPACE at MC

Gee, sorry you don't like electromagnetic radiation.  I tend to be a
little more fussy about the kinds of EM radiation I don't like.  E.g.:
  Gamma rays: NO!  
  X-rays: only under my doctor's orders.
  Short-wave ultraviolet: only to erase EPROMs with, thanks.
  Long-wave UV: good in moderation for suntans, special effects at parties.
  Visible: enough to read by, thanks.
  Short-wave infrared: good for radiant heat; the sun puts out a lot.
  Long-wave IR: as long as I'm not dead, I emit a lot of that myself.
  Microwaves: please keep them in the oven! 
              (And don't walk in front of big radars.)
  UHF, VHF: I like my television, telephone, & marine radios to work.
  HF, MF, LF: Ditto for broadcast (except for a few stations) etc.
  VLF on down: Not enough information (though lightning generates a lot
               of VLF, so it probably isn't too bad for me).

Saying "I don't like radiation" sounds nice, but it's either demagogic
or ignorant.  BTW - was it an infrared, visible or UV laser you didn't
like the EM radiation from?

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Redistributed-Date:  21 December 1981 17:42 cst
Redistributed-By:  VaughanW.REFLECS at HI-Multics
Redistributed-To:  Space at MIT-MC
Date:  15 December 1981 12:37 cst
From:  Bibbero.PMSDMKT at HI-Multics
Subject:  Electric Satellites
To:  {mbx >udd>reflecs>bv>ARPA_fwd} at HI-Multics (Space-Enthusiasts at MIT-MC)

I don't recall hearing about a space elevator until reading
Arthur Clarke's book, but there was a joke going around missile
circles circa 1956 about the "electric satellite -- they haven't
gotten around to inventing the extension cord yet."  This joke
inspired me to calculate the feasibility of such an extension
cord from earth to synchronous altitude, using a tapered
construction.  With steel, I recollect the diameter at apex
was several thousand feet.  The calculations are long gone but
my results are more in line with Hans Moravec's message of
11 December than those of wildbill ("several times the diameter
of earth.")

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End of SPACE Digest
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