2. INJUCTION DENIED / NEED A COUNTRY - working on finding a country
to go to the International Court of Justice
3. An "AWARD FOR SPEED AND ACCURACY" goes to pro-Cassini
NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY
4. A great resource of Cassini information:
STOP CASSINI Newsletter & STOP CASSINI Web Site
--------------------
1. LAUNCH DELAY
--------------------
1. LAUNCH DELAY
A. Cassini Launch Delay Gives More Time For Organizing [from FCPJ]
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 14:57:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice <fcpj@afn.org>
Subject: Cassini Launch Delay Gives More Time For Organizing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CASSINI LAUNCH DELAY GIVES MORE TIME FOR ORGANIZING
The computer failure that has led to the dalay of the Cassini plutonium
mission is allowing the anti-Cassini movement time to expand their
organizing efforts.
According to FCPJ State Coordinator Bruce Gagnon, "During this two day delay
we are back in our office answering the hundreds of phone calls and e-mails
from all over the world. People see the computer glitch as confirmation
that, in spite of NASA assurances otherwise, things can go wrong with space
technology."
With each day the movement to Cancel Cassini is growing. Sen. John Kerry
(D-MA) has now joined 20 Congresspersons in Washington DC in calling for a
halt to launch plans.
Three cities in Washington State (Olympia, Tomwater and Lacey) have also
just passed resolutions opposing Cassini thus adding to a growing list of
cities, counties and state bodies coming out against Cassini.
A conjunction of interests is now pushing nuclear power into space. The
Department of Energy (DoE) laboratories; nuclear academia; corporate
interests like Lockheed Martin; and the U.S. Space Command all view space as
a big new market for nuclear power and weapons in the coming years.
More information on the Cancel Cassini movement can be found at the web site
www.afn.org/~fcpj/space
---1. LAUNCH DELAY B. FLASH: Cassini Mission Delayed [from NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY]
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 07:36:05 -0400 (EDT) From: WSpaceport@aol.com Sender: owner-democracy-now@igc.apc.org Subject: {DN} FLASH: Cassini Mission Delayed
NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY Western Spaceport Chapter
NEWS FLASH
Contact: Jim Spellman Tel/Fax: (760) 379-2503 E-mail: WSpaceport@aol.com
CASSINI LAUNCH DELAYED Upper Atmospheric Winds and Technical Glitches Stall Seven-Year Journey to Saturn
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL (October 13 [3:30 a.m. Pacific]) -- NASA has decided to delay today's launch a controversial nuclear-powered space probe because of technical problems and high winds over Cape Canaveral. A spokesman says the Cassini probe will not take off until Wednesday.
A U.S. Air Force Titan rocket was to have carried the probe aloft at about 5:55 a.m. EDT, but that launch was pushed back for an hour before the second postponement was announced. In addition to strong high-level winds, NASA cited problems with ground support equipment and an onboard computer in announcing the delay.
Cassini is scheduled to make a seven-year trip to the ringed planet in 2004 for a four-year study of the planet Saturn. However, anti-nuclear groups holding a candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C. and "bearing witness" in front of the White House on Sunday say its plutonium-238 power source used in Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) would be a threat to the environment if the rocket explodes at launch, or during a planned "fly-by of Earth in 1999.
-------------------- 2. INJUCTION DENIED / NEED A COUNTRY - working on finding a country to go to the International Court of Justice --------------------
>What is the current status of the injunction application?
INJUCTION DENIED U.S. judge refuses to delay nuclear-powered launch HONOLULU, Oct 11 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Saturday refused to delay NASA's Monday launch of a nuclear-powered space probe to Saturn, rejecting two activist groups' argument that it posed a threat to the ..[snip]..
[more on this below in ""AWARD FOR SPEED AND ACCURACY" goes to pro-Cassini NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY"]
>>>SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE CASE. WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR A COUNTRY. >>> >>>THE CLOCK IS TICKING >>> >>>I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED >>> >>>JOAN
>We are still working on finding a country to go to the International Court >of Justice. All missions at the UN have been contacted by e-mail with >follow-up phonecalls, and many others have personally contacted. Also the >media around the world. Helen Caldicott is willing to testify. > >Francis Boyle is almost finished preparing the case. > >We are just waiting for a country that is prepared to go to the >International Court of Justice to enable an emergency hearing. > >Joan Russow (PhD) >National Leader of the Green Party of Canada >1250 598-0071
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 13:09:28 -0700 (PDT) Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 1 (Highest) To: rc@vom.com (Robert Cherwink) From: jrussow@coastnet.com (Joan Russow) Subject: Re: STILL LOOKING FOR A COUNTRY [Was Re: Great work on filing Injunction]
Dear Robert
Yes we are still looking for a country. Getting lots of support. Many people lobbying. I sent out a letter to the ambassadors at all the UN Missions on Friday. I have all the e-mail addresses of the missions. Would you like to add something to the letter. I am working on a draft now.
Also we have been in contact with senior level politicians of a number of states.
I will put your name on a short list of Cassini cc. so that you can be informed of progress.
Joan
>Well, we get another 2 days... Any good news? > > >I said: << GOOD LUCK! I hope you can come up with something, but I am >fairly well resigned to watching the launch occur shortly... we will have >some time to work on stragies to get the flyby cancelled... will be >offline until tomorrow late a.m. Thanks for the great work. <<
---X-Sender: amalten@pop4.inter.nl.net Date: Thu, 09 Oct 1997 09:08:02 +0100 To: rc@vom.com (Robert Cherwink) From: Ak Malten <A.Malten@net.HCC.nl> Subject: Looking for Governments opposing Cassini. Mime-Version: 1.0
Dear Robert,
Can you help us. This would be a great opportunity, If we find an answer to Francis Boyles request. (see below)
I could make a list of State parties to the Genocide Convention. You might be able to find out which countries really are opposing Cassini officially. If we find a match then BINGO!!!
Peace, or saved by the pigeon,
Ak Malten,
Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance
---original E-mail follows--- >From FBOYLE@LAW.UIUC.EDU Mon Oct 6 18:13:32 1997 Return-Path: <FBOYLE@LAW.UIUC.EDU> From: "Boyle, Francis" <FBOYLE@LAW.UIUC.EDU> To: "'Ak Malten'" <A.Malten@net.HCC.nl>, "'A-Days@knooppunt.be'" <A-Days@knooppunt.be> Subject: FW: Stopping Cassini! Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 11:16:19 -0500 Return-Receipt-To: "Boyle, Francis" <FBOYLE@LAW.UIUC.EDU>
Francis A. Boyle Law Building 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Champaign, Ill. 61820 Phone: 217-333-7954 Fax: 217-244-1478 fboyle@law.uiuc.edu
> ---------- > From: Boyle, Francis[SMTP:FBOYLE@LAW.UIUC.EDU] > Reply To: FBOYLE@LAW.UIUC.EDU > Sent: Monday, October 06, 1997 10:47 AM > To: 'A-Days@knooppunt.be'; 'NUKENET@envirolink.org'; 'Rich Winkel' > Subject: Stopping Cassini! > Importance: High > > Dear Friends: > I am writing to the world anti-nuclear community with a proposal > to stop the threatened Cassini catastrophe. I need you to get me one > State party to the Genocide Convention with the guts to give me the > authority to sue the United States of America at the International > Court > of Justice over the threatened Cassini catastrophe. I can file the > lawsuit and request an Emergency Hearing of the World Court to stop > this > threatened catastrophe. We do not have much time! You will need to get > me permission from that State's President, Prime Minister or Foreign > Minister. I will not discuss my strategy here on line. But I will be > happy to discuss the strategy with a President, Prime Minister or > Foreign Minister of an interested state. > I am the only "government" in the seventy five year history of > the International Court of Justice to have single-handledly won two > World Court Orders overwhelmingly in favor of my client (i.e., Bosnia) > and in under six months. I can stop the Cassini catastrophe. But I > need > a government with the guts to let me do it. I ask you all to find me > that Government! > Please circulate this message as widely as possible among the > anti-nuclear news lists. > Yours very truly, > Francis A. Boyle > Professor of International Law > University of Illinois College of Law at Urbana-Champaign > > Francis A. Boyle > Law Building > 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. > Champaign, Ill. 61820 > Phone: 217-333-7954 > Fax: 217-244-1478 > fboyle@law.uiuc.edu >
---end---
============================================================= The Global Anti-Nuclear Alliance (GANA) -- is a member of The Abolition 2000 Network, A Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
Address: c/o Ak Malten Irisstraat 134 Tel:+31.70.3608905 2565TP The Hague Fax:+31.70.3608905 The Netherlands E-Mail: A.Malten@net.HCC.nl
GANA's website:
http://www.inter.nl.net/hcc/A.Malten/welcome.html
The ICJ Advisory Opinion on Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, **including ALL the Separate Opinions of ALL the Judges**, the Canberra Report and the CTBT Text and Protocol can be found at:
http://www.inter.nl.net/hcc/A.Malten/docs.html =============================================================
-------------------- 3. AWARD FOR SPEED AND ACCURACY --------------------
Cc: abolition-caucus@igc.org Date: Sun, 12 Oct 1997 11:51:41 -0400 From: Peace through Reason <prop1@prop1.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Precedence: bulk Sender: owner-abolition-caucus@igc.org Subject: AWARD FOR SPEED AND ACCURACY To: jacobs@hgea.org X-Sender: prop1@prop1.org (Unverified)
AWARD
The pro-Cassini NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY (Western Spaceport Chapter) gets the prize for the most timely updates on the legal front. On Sat, 11 Oct 1997, they wrote:
>>>> >On Tuesday, October 7, the Hawai'i County Green Party and the Florida >Coalition for Peace and Justice filed suit in Honolulu federal court in an >effort to stop NASA from launching the Cassini mission. Due to the impending >launch date of Monday, October 13 at 1:55 a.m. (Pacific), a second action was >filed requesting the court to grant a temporary restraining order delaying >the launch and providing more time for the litigation. [snip] > >The presiding judge has determined that the space agency has taken the >necessary measures and precautions to ensure the safety of the launch, and >have proven the benefits of the mission outweigh the perceived risks. > Similar measures have been initiated by the Florida Coalition -- and >rejected by the Federal Court System -- during the Galileo mission of 1989 >and the Ulysses mission of 1990. <<<<
It wasn't until several hours later that word was received from the anti-Cassini side.
>>>> > Attorney Lanny Sinkin said 72 pounds of radioactive plutonium on board > the probe pose a potential threat to the environment and the public's > safety. > > Since the 1960's, the United States has launched 24 devices carrying > nuclear material into space. Three of these met with accidents. That's > an accident rate of 12.5%! Anti nuclear activists have been especially > vocal about the Cassini project, which will use more plutonium for the > seven-year journey through the solar system than any previous mission. > [snip] > Sinkin is seeking a temporary restraining order from U.S. District Judge > David Ezra to stop the launch at Cape Canaveral, Fla. The blastoff is > scheduled for 10 55 p.m. Sunday, Hawaii time. > > U.S. District Judge David Ezra scheduled a hearing on the request for 9 > a.m. Friday. > Judge Ezra denied our motion. >>>>
<<<<
The anti-Cassini crowd might take a few pointers from the SPACE SOCIETY folks -- many of whom claim to be against weapons and the militarization of space -- they write well, type well, and, most importantly perhaps, they're prompt, informative, and often factually correct. For example, on Sun, 12 Oct 1997 they wrote:
>>>>
VANDENBERG AFB, CA (October 11 [8:40 p.m.]) -- After holding the count at T-6 minutes for nearly an hour past it's targeted liftoff time, the launch of a Lockheed Martin Titan IV from Space Launch Complex-4 East (SLC-4E) was called off this evening by launch officials.
The mission to launch a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office was scrubbed due to unacceptable upper atmospheric winds.
No decision to reschedule has been made at the present time. It is thought it will be delayed until after Monday morning's pre-dawn launch of the Cassini mission aboard a Titan IV-B from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. That launch is set for 1:55 a.m. (Pacific). <<<<
On the other hand, there might yet be some reason to suspect that techno-progressives aren't entirely perfect either. Largely, pro-Cassini idealogues seem to pride themselves on their practical and/or "scientific" skepticism. Some like to chide the "anti-nuclear" and "environmental" idealogues about their "paranoid" fears that questionable government motives fuel the space program. The space cadets deny ... or at least don't admit to ... desires for militarizing space, yet their skepticism seems to run dangerously short when it comes to wondering about the peaceful desires behind a "mission to launch a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office."
Does this indicate inconsistant logic, is it just a case of being under(hypo)critical, or is there some other explanation?
Thomas
-------------------- 4. CASSINI INFORMATION --------------------
A great resource of Cassini information:
STOP CASSINI Newsletter Email "Russell D. Hoffman" <rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com>
STOP CASSINI Web Site http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/index.html
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Peace! Rob, Sector Air Raid Warden at Rob's Place A SITE DEDICATED TO SPIRIT, TRUTH, PEACE, JUSTICE, AND FREEDOM http://www.vom.com/rc/home.htm
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