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Archive-name: space/net
Last-modified: $Date: 93/12/01 23:08:14 $

NETWORK RESOURCES

OVERVIEW

    You may be reading this document on any one of an amazing variety of
    computers, so much of the material below may not apply to you. In
    general, however, systems connected to 'the net' fall in one of three
    categories: Internet, Usenet, or BITNET. Electronic mail may be sent
    between these networks, and other resources available on one of these
    networks are sometimes accessible from other networks by email sent to
    special 'servers'.

    The space and astronomy discussion groups actually are composed of
    several mechanisms with (mostly) transparent connections between them.

    One mechanism is the mailing list, in which mail is sent to a central
    distribution point which relays it to all recipients of the list. In
    addition to the general lists for space (called SPACE Digest for
    Internet users, and SPACE on BITNET), there are a number of more
    specialized mailing lists described below.

    A second mechanism is Usenet 'netnews'. This is somewhat like a bulletin
    board operating on each system which is a part of the net. Netnews
    separates contributions into hundreds of different categories based on a
    'group name'. The groups dealing most closely with space topics are
    called 'sci.space.news', 'sci.space', 'sci.space.shuttle', 'sci.astro',
    'alt.sci.planetary', and 'talk.politics.space'. Contributors 'post'
    submissions (called 'articles' in netnews terminology) on their local
    machine, which sends it to other nearby machines. Similarly, articles
    sent from nearby machines are stored locally and may be forwarded to
    other systems, so that an article is posted locally and eventually
    reaches all the Usenet sites interested in receiving the news group to
    which the article was posted.

    Gateway machines redirect the Usenet sci.space group into Internet and
    BITNET mailing lists and vice versa; the other Usenet groups are not
    accessible as mailing lists. If you can receive netnews, its more
    flexible interface and access to a wider range of material usually make
    it the preferred option.

MAILING LISTS

    SPACE Digest is the main Internet list, and is now being run by the
    International Space University (in only its second change of management
    in over a decade). Email space-request@isu.isunet.edu (message body
    should be in the format 'subscribe space John Public') to join. Note
    that the moderated SPACE Magazine list is defunct at present for lack of
    a moderator. Old copies of SPACE Digest since its inception in 1981 are
    FTPable from directory julius.cs.qub.ac.uk:pub/SpaceDigestArchive (get
    README to begin with).

    Elements is a moderated list for fast distribution of Space Shuttle
    Keplerian Elements before and during Shuttle flights. NASA two line
    elements are sent out on the list from Dr. Kelso, JSC, and other sources
    as they are released. Email to elements-request@telesoft.com to join.

    GPS Digest is a moderated list for discussion of the Global Positioning
    System and other satellite navigation positioning systems. Email to
    gps-request@esseye.si.com to join.

    Space-investors is a list for information relevant to investing in
    space-related companies. Email Vincent Cate (vac@cs.cmu.edu) to join.

    Space-tech is a list for more technical discussion of space topics;
    discussion has included esoteric propulsion technologies, asteroid
    capture, starflight, orbital debris removal, etc. Email to
    space-tech-request@cs.cmu.edu to join. Archives of old digests and
    selected excerpts are FTPable from directory
    b.gp.cs.cmu.edu:/usr/mnt/public/space-tech, or by email to
    space-tech-request if you don't have FTP access.

    Ssi-mail is a discussion group covering the Space Studies Institute.
    Email to listserv@link.com with a message saying "subscribe ssi_mail
    First Name Last Name".

    SEDS-L is a BITNET list for members of Students for the Exploration and
    Development of Space and other interested parties. Email
    LISTSERV@TAMVM1.BITNET with a message saying "SUBSCRIBE SEDS-L your
    name". Email saying "INDEX SEDS-L" to list the archive contents.

    SEDSNEWS is a BITNET list for news items, press releases, shuttle status
    reports, and the like. This duplicates material which is also found in
    Space Digest, sci.space, sci.space.shuttle, and sci.astro. Email
    LISTSERV@TAMVM1.BITNET saying "SUBSCRIBE SEDSNEWS your name" to join.
    Email saying "INDEX SEDSNEWS" to list the archive contents.

    Ron Baalke (baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov) runs a mailing list which
    carries the contents of the sci.space.news Usenet group. Email him
    to join the list.

    As a general note, please mail to the *request* address to get off a
    mailing list. SPACE Digest, for example, relays many inappropriate
    'please remove me from this list' messages which are sent to the list
    address rather than the request address.

PERIODICALLY UPDATED INFORMATION

    In addition to this FAQ list, a broad variety of topical information is
    posted to the net (unless otherwise noted, in the new group
    sci.space.news created for this purpose). Please remember that the
    individuals posting this information are performing a service for all
    net readers, and don't take up their time with frivolous requests.

    ASTRO-FTP LIST
	Veikko Makela (veikko.makela@helsinki.fi) posts a monthly list of
	anonymous FTP servers containing astronomy and space related
	material to sci.space and sci.astro.

    AVIATION WEEK
	Henry Spencer (henry@zoo.toronto.edu) posts summaries of
	space-related stories in the weekly _Aviation Week and Space
	Technology_.

    BUYING TELESCOPES
	Ronnie Kon (ronnie@cisco.com) posts a guide to buying telescopes to
	sci.astro.

    ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF THE ASA
	Editor Larry Klaes (klaes@verga.enet.dec.com) posts the monthly
	Electronic Journal of the Astronomical Society of the Atlantic to
	sci.astro, sci.misc, sci.space, and sci.space.news.

	The EJASA Volume Lists for ordering back issues may be requested
	from him, and back issues are also available from the ASA anonymous
	FTP site at chara.gsu.edu.

    FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL
	Swaraj Jeyasingh (sjeyasin@axion.bt.co.uk) posts summaries of
	space-related news from _Flight International_. This focuses more on
	non-US space activities than Aviation Week.

    IAU CIRCULARS
	The IAUC are copyrighted, and should normally not be posted to the
	net (sometimes they are posted, with Brian Marsden's permission).
	The best way to get all the IAUC is to subscribe: you get all the
	info by e-mail, and it helps the Minor Planet Center.

	A subscription is $7.50 per month for hardcopy or e-mail delivery
	(e-mail version includes log-in privileges to collect the Circulars,
	as well as orbits from the MPC files, and a facility for computing
	ephemerides).

	Enquiries (and checks) should be sent to

	    Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
	    Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
	    Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
	    Email: marsden@cfa.harvard.edu

	with checks (in U.S. dollars) made out to "Central Bureau for
	Astronomical Telegrams". Subscribers can also purchase the MPC's
	cometary orbit catalogue at half price. A more complete description
	of IAUC/MPC services is available from the email contact.

    LARGE ASTRONOMICAL PROJECTS
	Robert Bunge (rbunge@access.digex.com) posts a list describing many
	"Large Telescope Projects Either Being Considered or in the Works"
	to sci.astro.

    NASA HEADLINE NEWS & SHUTTLE REPORTS
	Peter Yee (yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov) posts a variety of NASA material,
	including NASA Headline News (with the schedule for NASA SELECT),
	shuttle payload briefings and flight manifests, and KSC shuttle
	status reports. For Usenet users, much of this material appears in
	the group sci.space.shuttle.

    NASA UPDATES
	Ron Baalke (baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov) posts frequent updates from
	JPL, Ames, and other centers on the Ulysses, Gailileo, Pioneer,
	Magellan, Landsat, and other missions.

    ORBITAL ELEMENT SETS
	TS Kelso (tkelso@blackbird.afit.af.mil) posts orbital elements from
	NASA Prediction Bulletins.

	Mike Rose (mrose@stsci.edu) posts orbital elements for the Hubble
	Space Telescope to sci.astro.

	Jost Jahn (j.jahn@abbs.hanse.de) posts ephemerides for asteroids,
	comets, conjunctions, and encounters to sci.astro.

    SATELLITE LAUNCHES
	Richard Langley (lang@unb.ca) posts SPACEWARN Bulletin, which
	describes recent launch/orbital decay information and satellites
	which are useful for scientific activities. Recent bulletins are
	FTPable from directory
	    nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov:ANON_DIR:[000000.ACTIVE.SPX]

    SHUTTLE MANIFEST
	Ken Hollis (hollis@titan.ksc.nasa.gov) posts a compressed version of
	the Space Shuttle launch manifest to sci.space.shuttle. This
	includes dates, times, payloads, and information on how to see
	launches and landings. These files are FTPable from directory
	    explorer.arc.nasa.gov:pub/SPACE/MANIFEST

    SOLAR ACTIVITY
	Cary Oler (oler@hg.uleth.ca) posts Solar Terrestrial reports
	(describing solar activity and its effect on the Earth) to
	sci.space. The report is issued in part from data released by the
	Space Enviroment Services Center, Boulder Colorado. The intro
	document needed to understand these reports is FTPable from
	solar.stanford.edu:pub/understanding_solar_terrestrial_reports and
	nic.funet.fi:/pub/misc/rec.radio.shortwave/solarreports.
	nic.funet.fi is an archive site for the reports (please note this
	site is in Europe, and the connection to the US is only 56KB). A new
	primary archive site, xi.uleth.ca, has recently been established and
	will be actively supported.

    SOVIET SPACE ACTIVITIES
	Glenn Chapman (glennc@cs.sfu.ca) posts summaries of Soviet space
	activities.

    SPACE ACTIVIST NEWSLETTER
	Allen Sherzer (aws@iti.org) posts a newsletter, "One Small Step for
	a Space Activist," to talk.politics.space. It describes current
	legislative activity affecting NASA and commercial space activities.

    SPACE EVENTS CALENDAR
	Ron Baalke (baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov) posts a calendar including
	anniversaries, conferences, launch dates, meteor showers and
	eclipses, and other space-related events.

    SPACE NEWS
	John Magliacane (kd2bd@ka2qhd.UUCP) posts "SpaceNews" (covering
	AMSATs, NOAA and other weather satellites, and other ham
	information) to rec.radio.amateur.misc and sci.space.

    SPACE REPORT
	Jonathan McDowell (mcdowell@cfa.harvard.edu) posts "Jonathan's Space
	Report" covering launches, landings, reentries, status reports,
	satellite activities, etc.

    TOWARD 2001
	Bev Freed (freed@nss.fidonet.org) posts "Toward 2001", a weekly
	global news summary reprinted from _Space Calendar_ magazine.


WARNING ABOUT NON-PUBLIC NETWORKS

    (Included at the suggestion of Eugene Miya, who wrote the item)

    NASA has an internal system of unclassified electronic mail and bulletin
    boards. This system is not open for public use. Specifically, NASA
    personnel and procurement operations are regarded with some sensitivity.
    Contractors must renegotiate their contracts. The Fair and Open
    Procurement Act does not look kindly to those having inside information.
    Contractors and outsiders caught using this type of information can
    expect severe penalities. Unauthorized access attempts may subject you
    to a fine and/or imprisonment in accordance with Title 18, USC, Section
    1030. If in fact you should should learn of unauthorized access, contact
    NASA personnel.

    Claims have been made on this news group about fraud and waste. None
    have ever been substantiated to any significant degree. Readers
    detecting Fraud, Waste, Abuse, or Mismanagement should contact the NASA
    Inspector General (24-hours) at 800-424-9183 (can be anonymous) or write

	NASA
	Inspector General
	P.O. Box 23089
	L'enfant Plaza Station
	Washington DC 20024

NEXT: FAQ #3/13 - Online (and some offline) sources of images, data, etc.