Cassini is scheduled for launch in just a few hours, at 4:43 am Eastern time.
By the time many of you read this it has either launched or been postponed
again. (What do you think?)
In case you are up late and don't have a TV (I assume it'll be on TV):
CNN LIVE Webcast: Cassini launch coverage begins 2:30 a.m. ET
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/space/nasatv/
(requires a plug-in)
Thanks to all of you for your interest and energy - reading, faxing,
phoning, typing, brainstorming, networking, protesting... We can at least
say that we have tried; and we know that even if Cassini does launch we are
not done. NASA and the nuke contractors must be brought to heel, right
along with the rest of the nuclear industry, transnational rapists, and
military-industrial complex!
I have been sending everything out to my lists as its come in... My hope
has been, for the last few days, that something will come together - I have
been serving mostly as a cross-poster for numerous activist networks in
hopes that something will click somewhere.
But: We are basically out of time - just about 4 hours to *proposed*
launch. At this point I am hoping for a another computer glitch or a big
wind or something (*before* the thing get launched of course!) CNN is
saying the launch is still on, and I haven't heard otherwise.
STILL NEED A COUNTRY - working on finding a country to go to the International
Court of Justice to file against Cassini. Waiting for good news.... if you
have the hot tip please contact these people * A * S * A * P *
Francis Boyle
Professor Of International Law
Tel/FAX 217-333-7954/217-244-1478
e-mail FBOYLE@LAW.UIUC.EDU
Joan Russow (PhD)
President, Global Compliance Project
Tel/FAX (250) 598-0071
e-mail: jrussow@coastnet.com
Ross Wilcock
rwilcock@execulink.com
Tel: +1-519-537-8755
Fax: +1-519-537-8816Dr
Included below for your reading pleasure:
1. Re: Cassini - CNN misinformation
2. Thoughts on the EIS - (shouldn't they be required to get OK's before
spending all that money on a plan they will later have to "prove" safe?)
3. FCPJ FILES APPEAL IN FEDERAL COURT
4. CANADA FAILS TO ACT TO PREVENT THE CASSINI
5. Norwegian media WRONG on Cassini
6. CASSINI Vote !Update: Space Views website - VOTE!
7. ASTROLOGY
8. Quoting Russell Hoffman
9. A few notes on computer glitches
Peace!
-------------------------
1. Re: Cassini - CNN misinformation
-------------------------
CNN feeback page on the web
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/
email: <cnn.feedback@cnn.com>
---Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 20:00:33 -0400 From: Ross McCluney <rmccluney@alpha.fsec.ucf.edu> Subject: Re: Cassini - CNN misinformation To: Robert Cherwink <rc@vom.com>
Rob,
I just finished an interview with CNN, to air tomorrow morning "after the Cassini launches" about 3 hours ago. It was like pulling teeth to get them to let me talk about the solar options. She kept trying to get me to say how many people would die. She had just come from the Cape where she interviewed one or more Cassini scientists and wanted another view. I pointed out that I am a space enthusiast and a NASA lover, its just the decision to use RTGs that I'm against.
Had to do the interview in the public library, because my university wanted me not to do it on their property nor on their time, so I had to take annual leave too. Worked out better. I felt freer to say what was on my mind. Hope I didn't make too much of a fool of myself. I did squeeze some solar stuff in and left the interviewer with a folder full of written material, including the Stella report, the Wall Street Journal article, and some stuff on the Huygens and Rosetta probes to a comet beyond Jupiter and to one of Saturn's moons, all using solar instead of RTGs, or so my colleague Paul Jindra believes.
Now we see how much of the solar options and my concern for future launches they leave in it. Condensing a 20 minute interview into a 20 second sound bite is a bit of a struggle, so I don't envy the editor his or her job. I told her off mike that I was sick and tired of hearing CNN say that solar can not be used to go to Saturn. I admitted that it would probably be impossible to solarize the current Cassini spacecraft, but if they were to redesign it, splitting it into two or more missions, I felt solar could work. She kept pushing me to say if I wanted the launch tomorrow to be stopped. I said yes, so they could rethink their plans, or something like that.
Ross
Dr. Ross McCluney
Robert Cherwink wrote: > > CNN has been saying that RTG's are "safe and proven," and that solar isn't > an option. > > CNN International Desk fax: 404-827-1593 or voice 404-827-827-1700 ..[snip].. > > Space Related Incidents > >From "http://www.pgs.ca/pages/nlnucleg.htm" > > By 1997 there have been more than 40 launches of sattelites containing > radioactive material mainly by the Soviet Union and USA. > Russians designed nuclear engines and reactors for use in space eg. NERVA > and TOPAZ. The USA has been using Pu238 containing > Radioisotope Thermal Generators since the Apollo Moon Mission including on > Galileo and Voyager. > > SNAP-9A Satellite Launch Accident, 1964 of Transit 5BN-3 > navigational sattelite burned up on launch over > Mozambique Channel (Indian Ocean) releasing 2.1 lbs (1 kg) of > Plutonium 238 intended for radioactive thermal electricity > generation (RTG). The Pu238 dispersed worldwide especially in the > Southern Hemisphere. This Pu238 incident is now > recognised as a significant measurable fingerprint marker for global > Plutonium pollution. (See Plutonium in the Environment, > Ottawa 1994, Books and Journals). Pu238 and its daughter products > break down 272 times more rapidly by alpha decay so > it's biological hazard is much greater than the fissile Pu239 > isotope. "This incident tripled the amount of the dangerous > isotope Pu238 and increased the total amount of ALL plutonium > (including those released by earlier nuclear blasts) in the > atmosphere by 4%." (Atom Declassifed) > SNAP 10A Nuclear Reactor USA was launched in 1965 and worked for 43 > days. It is still orbitting the earth. > 31 Soviet spacecraft: Between 1970 and 1988 the Soviet Union alone > launched at least 31 spacecraft with onboard > nuclear power units into space. "29 of these carrying hundreds of > kilograms of spent highly active fuel have been fired away > into storage orbits (S. Afteguz et al. Nuclear Energy in Space, V > Mire Nauki, No 9, 1990, p 48-9 in Russian) but no one can > guarantee that this will not come down on our heads someday."(Atom > Declassifed) > In January 1978, Soviet Kosmos 954 fell out of orbit like a meteoric > shower, contaminating parts of North West Canada. In > 1983, Kosmos 1402 fell into the South Atlantic. > > Re: Solar Options (*and_much_more*) see: > > http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/cassini.htm > > The D. E. Rockey 1981 JPL Report on the Systems Impact of a concentrated > solar array on a Jupiter Orbiter. > We have now scanned in the full text of this famous report. > > The Solar Alternative > A noted solar scientist's discussion of the solar alternative for > Cassini, and a response by him to a pro-nuclear Cassini > statement by George William Herbert. By Dr. Ross McCluney, Ph.D., > Principal Research Scientist, Florida Solar Energy > Center. Additional debate between McCluney and Herbert posted 9/21/97.
> >I sent CNN a letter of complaint about broadcasting misinformation. > > > >Someone said "There has never been an accident" - that is a downright lie. > > > >It is important to let them know that the emperor has no clothes on this > >issue. > >CNN International Desk fax: 404-827-1593 or voice 404-827-827-1700. > > > >If the wrong agenda gets set - it could go like the Gulf War did. > > > >Ross Wilcock > >rwilcock@web.net > >http://www.pgs.ca/
---Comments: Authenticated sender is <hwasserm@pop.bos.us.gl3> From: "Harvey Wasserman" <hwasserm@dialb.greenpeace.org> Organization: Greenpeace To: rc@vom.com (Robert Cherwink) Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 23:43:46 +0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Subject: Re: Cassini - CNN misinformation; PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE Priority: normal
HEY CNN!!!
Why don't you guys get it straight.
NASA is taking a silly and indefensible gamble with the entire human race.
Saturn could be explored with solar panels.
This plutonium technology is not safe.
NO NUKES.. Harvey Wasserman, senior advisor, Greenpeace USA
---My note to CNN:
Thanks for putting Michio Kaku on screen; but its pretty sad how skewed your presentation of the controversey has been - mostly just towing NASA's line...
Hopefully you can get it straight in the future. There have been accidents, radioactive contamination of the planet occurs during the entire production cycle from mining to the launch pad (and disproportionately affects poor indigenous peoples), and solar *is* an alternative.
This mission should be scrubbed and redesigned.
------------------------- 2. Thoughts on the EIS -------------------------
from a friend -
An argument I just thought of regarding the claim some make that everyone should have protested sooner instead of right at the end after the money was spent is (besides the fact that FCPJ has been protesting for a long time) that NASA didn't write the wonderful environmental impact statement that NASA supporters point to as evidence of how safe it is until 1995 and didn't totally finish it till this spring -- both things happened after they'd spent money on the project -- so the EIS was likely done to justify the mission not unbiasedly analyze its safety. It would be easier to buy the idea the EIS was a fair, unbiased study, had it been done prior to the expenditure of funds on the project, say, back in 1990 when they wrote the plans. The EIS should have been studied and ok'd FIRST before going thru with paying for development of the mission, not at the last phase of the project. And besides, as Horst Poehler has pointed out in his essay called "Cassini Cancers," (which was apparently read by the LA Times writer), NASA exaggerated the reliability of projects before "to the risk of fantasy" per the findings of a scientist on the presidential Commision studying the Challenger accident, and as Dr. Kaku has pointed out, NASA's figures seem made up, so the risk assessment in the EIS seems an all around joke of a study. Anyway, I don't know if this thought about the lateness of the EIS will help anyone in argument any, but I thought I'd throw it into your arsenal of arguments in case there is something to this idea.
------------------------- 3. FCPJ FILES APPEAL IN FEDERAL COURT -------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 14:31:54 -0400 (EDT) From: Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice <fcpj@afn.org> Subject: FCPJ FILES APPEAL IN FEDERAL COURT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FCPJ FILES APPEAL IN FEDERAL COURT
The FCPJ and the Hawaii County Green Party will file an appeal today in San Francisco to stop the launch of the Cassini probe carrying 72.3 pounds of plutonium on its mission to explore Saturn.
Fueling the appeal is an October 9th article in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL revealing that federal indictments have been handed down against officials of Solid State Devices, Inc., a supplier of semiconductors used in various military and space systems, including the nuclear powered Cassini. According to the WALL STREET JOURNAL, the indictment accuses the officials of "falsifying or failing to conduct mandatory tests on parts." The article goes on to say that "Lockheed Martin is wrangling with the Air Force over who should pay to replace parts on its Titan rockets, the workhorse of U.S. space missions, each of which has about 1,000 SSDI parts." Cassini is scheduled to be launched on a Titan IV.
The launch was delayed from its scheduled October 13 date due to a computer malfunction and is now scheduled for lift-off early Wednesday morning.
------------------------- 4. CANADA FAILS TO ACT TO PREVENT THE CASSINI -------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 17:57:24 -0700 (PDT) Mime-Version: 1.0 To: rc@vom.com (Robert Cherwink) From: jrussow@coastnet.com (Joan Russow) Subject: Re: Cassini - FCPJ FILES APPEAL IN FEDERAL COURT (fwd)
Dear Robert
I sent this around Canada. Have you sent this around the media in the US and Internationally.
Any news.
Joan
CANADA FAILS TO ACT TO PREVENT THE CASSINI. COUNT-DOWN OF THE CASSINI AT 3:45 AM, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15 FLORIDA TIME.
In the Last few days, the Canadian government has received petitions from over 300 citizens and groups calling upon the federal government to intervene through the International Court of Justice to stop the Cassini.
It has been recently revealed in the Wall Street Journal that "federal indictments have been handed down against officials of Solid State Devices, Inc., a supplier of semiconductors used in various military and space systems, including the nuclear powered Cassini. According to the WALL STREET JOURNAL, the indictment accuses the officials of 'falsifying or failing to conduct mandatory tests on parts.' The article goes on to say that 'Lockheed Martin is wrangling with the Air Force over who should pay to replace parts on its Titan rockets, the workhorse of U.S. space missions, each of which has about 1,000 SSDI parts.' Cassini is scheduled to be launched on a Titan IV.(Press release from the FCPJ -Florida based group opposing Cassini, and the Hawaii County Green Party
On the basis of the above information the FCPJ (Florida based group opposing Cassini) and the Hawaii County Green Party have filed an appeal today in San Francisco to stop the launch of the Cassini probe carrying 72.3 pounds of plutonium on its mission to explore Saturn.
The Canadian government has been informed about the indictment against the Officials of Solid State Devices, and yet the government of Canada does nothing. When contacted about this new information, both the office of the Prime Minister and the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs have failed to comment.
A specialist in International Law, Francis Boyle, is willing to seek an Emergency Hearing of the International Court of Justice to "stay the Cassini test pending a hearing under the rules of the Court". Clinton would be obliged to obey the terms of the stay. The Order would be transmitted to the United Nations Security Council for enforcement. Francis Boyle will be taking the case on pro bono publico. Dr Helen Caldicott is prepared to be a witness.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy must not just "praise" but use international law. The rule of international law must also be used to address nuclear issues. Joan Russow, the National Leader of the Green Party of Canada, remarked that "whenever it is a question of nuclear, Canada is all rhetoric and no action".
Yesterday Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy condemned the United States Congress for failing to respect the United Nations, and the rule of international law. Yet, the Canadian government has been remiss in not using international law to address serious concerns about plutonium.
When the office of the Prime Minister and the office of External Affairs have been petitioned to intervene at the International Court of Justice "to seek an emergency hearing to stay the Cassini test pending a hearing under the rules of the Court", the Canadian government has ignored the petitions. It has failed to translate its rhetoric into action.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: JOAN RUSSOW (250) 598-0071
------------------------- 5. Norwegian media WRONG on Cassini -------------------------
Forwarded by the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice <fcpj@afn.org> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 00:37:53 +0200 (MET DST) From: "Fredrik S. Heffermehl" <fredpax@online.no>
************************************************** * Fredrik S. HEFFERMEHL * * President, Norwegian Peace Alliance * * Vice President, International Peace Bureau * * Board/Directors, IA Lawyers Ag. Nuclar Arms * * International Free Vanunu Committee * * * * N. Juels g. 28 A, N-0272 Oslo, Norway * * Phone +47-2244 8003 (fax: +47-2244 7616) * * E-mail: fredpax@online.no (NB - Note change!)* **************************************************
Oslo,October 14,1997
NTB (Norwegian News Agency)
Dear Editor
I have to inform you that you have been gravely misinformed and misused, probably by the NASA information service, on the now twice delayed "Cassini" launch from Florida.
After months of attempts to have media coverage, and getting some in the alternative press, the last couple of days even the national TV and mainstream media have finally brought some small notes on the Cassini launch, delays etc.
However, despite our information, the media are concealing an important part of the story. A key reason for the protests and a major risk factor connected with the "Cassini" launch is the "slingshot maneuver" in August 1999. The NTB-Reuter story omits that "Cassini" will return to the earth and, at an altitude of 500 kilometers, use Earth's gravitational force to gain speed and fling itself to Saturn.
The text in today¥s paper (attributed to NTB (Norway News Agency)- Reuter) runs like this:
"the speace probe will be launched for Saturn. On its way there it will pass Venus and Jupiter, with expected arrival at Saturn in July 2004."
In this evening¥s TV news (NRK 1) there was coverage and footage and again no mention of the "fly-by" of the Earth in 1999. Quite on the contrary there was a planetary animation (drawn images) showing two rounds around Venus and then on to Saturn!
This seems to me to be grave misinformation spread in the interest of NASA, and I find it important to make you aware of this and (NB) bring the missing facts.
Best greetings
Fredrik S. Heffermehl
------------------------- 6. CASSINI Vote !Update: Space Views website - VOTE! -------------------------
Cassini launch is scheduled for 4:43 am Eastern, tomorrow morning (10/15).
Cassini Vote "Do you believe that it is safe to launch Cassini as planned?" http://www.seds.org/spaceviews/cassini/index.html
Current Poll Results - October 14, 15:07 Pacific time:
Yes: 1222 (63.9%) No: 689 (36.1%)
Have you voted yet? Its staying about the same now - hundreds are voting and the percentages are virtually the same as on the 12th (after the opposition lost some ground) - and they are back to around where they were on September 30.
I will use this as a record for the opposition in the future. I think that better than a third voting "no" on a space-realted website which is pro-Cassini is actually pretty good.
If you haven't voted yet please do so now. We need to let them know that their plutonium agenda is something that we are concerned with and which we oppose! - let them know that its not OK for NASA and the nuke contractors to simply proceed with their plans!
---RECORD:
October 12, 13:02 Pacific time: Yes: 768 (63.4%) No: 443 (36.6%)
October 10, 11:06 Pacific time Yes: 460 (58.2%) No: 331 (41.8%)
As of October 8, 14:30 Pacific time: Yes: 412 (59.8%) No: 277 (40.2%)
"Note: because of a security violation, some results were lost over the weekend of October 4-5. We regret the error, and are working to make sure it does not happen again."
As of Thursday, 2 Oct, 12:42 Pacific time: Yes: 307 (58.1%) No: 221 (41.9%)
As of Wed, 1 Oct 1997 20:18 Pacific time: Yes: 294 (62%) No: 181 (38.1%)
Tue, 30 Sep 1997 12:22 Pacific time: Yes: 263 (64.3%) No: 146 (35.7%)
--Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to vote - good work! If you haven't voted yet: Please go vote now! We can show these guys that people do care about, and oppose, NASA and the nuke contractors proceeding with their "plutonium agenda."
http://www.seds.org/spaceviews/cassini/index.html
------------------------- 7. ASTROLOGY -------------------------
>From our resident Astrologist on the Nation-Talk list:
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 14:00:53 -0700 From: Anita Sands <astrology@earthlink.net> Organization: StarPower To: nation-talk@thenation.com Subject: Frying in the wires Sender: owner-nation-talk@thenation.com
If the USA/NASA picks Wednesday the 15th of October for a launch, they are certainly courting disaster according to astrology.
Moon and Sun oppose in Aries/Libra, a full moon, and the thing about full moons is that the other aspects 'work bigger.' Good or bad aspects.
These 'other aspects' are ALL BADDDDDD! The other aspects are: MARS semisquare NEPTUNE and Merc SQUARE the same Neptune, highlighting NEPTUNE which rules chemicals,vapor clouds of poison, TOXIDITY, death thru substances. That morning the Moon is ALSO afflicted, conjunct SATURN --which is terrible disasters, and in ARIES, meaning the disasters have to do with machine failures, disasters involved with fire, machines. Many planes and trains have crashed under this aspect. SATURN in ARIES has given us in LA such scenarios as linemen in the poles FRYING in the wires. Two in one day, in LA. Also Forest fires. Vehicle crashes. Better pray launch gets postponed rather than that we dubious non-launchniks end up right. That would be a case of DEAD right.
------------------------- 8. Quoting Russell Hoffman -------------------------
"Make no mistake about it, this is not a battle against Cassini. This is a battle against nuclear energy, not space exploration. This is a battle against proven bad technology, not technology in general. Certainly it is not a battle against the many wonderful things that HAVE come out of NASA and the many wonderful people that work there." - Russell D. Hoffman
"I am disturbed by the recent scrub due to software problems, although it doesn't really surprise me. I hope that this will cause the nation to be more cautious and reconsider the launch." (Russell is a software developer, and webmaster of the STOP CASSINI Web Site) - Russell D. Hoffman
Russell's STOP CASSINI Web Site: http://www.animatedsoftware.com/cassini/index.htm
------------------------- 9. A few notes on computer glitches -------------------------
While I am thinking about computer glitches: The current computer problem with Cassini makes me think about LEWIS - the poor little satellite who had a glitch, got lost, and then fell out of orbit to burn up in the atmosphere - all due to a guidance rocket misfire... NASA never was able to re-establish contact or regain control of that particular high-tech toy.
Fortunately: Lewis was not Cassini and did not endanger the health of the biosphere. Unfortunately: The same sort of thing *could* happen with Cassini - if it launches successfully we will have about 2 years to meditate upon the flyby and what might occur then.
>In a message dated 97-09-28 16:22:32 EDT, AOL News writes: > ><< LOS ANGELES (AP) - NASA's Lewis satellite plunged into Earth's > atmosphere Sunday and apparently burned up over the south Atlantic > off the coast of Antarctica, the U.S. Space Command reported. > The 890-pound satellite, which was intended for a 5-year mission > but went into an uncontrolled spin four days after its Aug. 22 > launch, re-entered the atmosphere at 4:58 a.m. PDT, Navy Cmdr. > David Knox said from the Space Command's Cheyenne Mountain > headquarters near Colorado Springs. > The Space Command confirmed that Lewis re-entered after its > detectors failed to find the satellite during three predicted > orbits. > Knox said it was impossible to determine how the satellite > interacted with the upper atmosphere but that it wasn't designed to > survive re-entry and probably burned up. > The satellite's final orbit took it 98 miles above the Earth's > surface at its highest point and 91 miles at its lowest point. It > was traveling at approximately 17,000 mph. > The Space Command has followed Lewis since its launch from > Vandenberg Air Force Base on the central California coast. Sixteen > ground-based radars and optical systems worldwide were tracking the > satellite. > The $64.8 million satellite went into an uncontrolled spin on > Aug. 26. Lewis was never heard from again and controllers were > unable to move it up out of its initial low ``parking orbit.'' > Excessive firing of one of the thrusters in the attitude control > system started the spin, NASA engineers believe..[SNIP]..
Lets hope that if Cassini launches and comes back towards the Earth for its "flyby" that no such "excessive firing" of its thrusters occurs!
>From The Real News Page "Cassini Debate" section (see the "computer miscalculation" link): http://www.rain.org/~openmind/cassini.htm
<< Citing the risk of hardware or software error, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) joins other concerned global citizens in calling for postponing the scheduled launch of the Cassini space mission to Saturn next month. Although the twelve-year mission promises to yield exciting scientific results, a delay for one to five years, until non-nuclear powered options can be developed is necessary to avoid the risk of highly radioactive contamination of the earth's atmosphere.
"The risks of computer error and the U.S.A. space program have concerned us for years," stated Aki Namioka, president of CPSR. "This launch with its Plutonium-238 onboard could be deadly to humans and dangerous to our planet. "
"CPSR supports space exploration, when done carefully and prudently. By delaying the Cassini launch at this time, we can work toward productive and safe power alternatives in space," Namioka added... >>
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility Homepage: http://www.cpsr.org/lib/htdocs/home.html
-------------------------
Good luck, All - will be in touch -
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
WHEN SPIDERS UNITE, THEY CAN TIE DOWN A LION --Ethiopian Proverb