L5 News, November 1978
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November 1978 L-5 NEWS A PUBLICATION OF THE L-5 SOCIETY VOL. 3, NUMBER 11 , NOVEMBER 1978 In this issue: Carolyn Henson, Editor l Russia's Guest Cosmonaut Program: A Commentary Jim Oberg, Membership Services: an expert on the Soviet space program, documents his contention that the Janet E. Tarney USSR "guest cosmonaut" program is purely cosmetic. Linda Salisbury William Weigle, 3 What Are Solar Power Satellites? This special supplement to the L-5 Administrative Services News is an in-depth treatment of the most controversial future space project. Board of Directors: The lead art£cle outlines the ABC's of power satellites. Solar Power Satellites: Isaac Asimov Boon or Boondoggle (pg. 5) is a lively debate over issues of cost, feasibility, Barry Goldwater, Sr. military hazards, environmental impact, and more. With SPS in the Time of Robert A. Heinlein Timidity (pg. 7) laser pioneer Arthur Kantrowitz lambasts antitechnologists. Barbara Marx Hubbard A Solar Power Satellite Bibliography (pg. 13) is a guide to those who wish to Gordon R . Woodcock get deeper into the topic. What is the L-5 Society position on SPS? Find out Philip K. Chapman on page 14. Arthur Kantrowitz Konrad K. Dannenberg 15 News Briefs A modern day Robin Hood tries to finance space colonies in Edward R . Finch, Jr. ]. Peter Vajk Far Out Crime. A more socZ:ally responsible method is outlined in LA Space jack D. Salmon Capitalists Form Investment Club. Folks who've been holding their breath Harlan Smith waiting to hear what Carter's space policy will be, can end the suspense by Norie Huddle reading Carter Announces Space Policy. And another nation prepares to Mark Hopkins enter the space age in 'Egypt to Put Small P a yloads Aboard Space Shuttles. H. Keith Henson Carolyn Meinel Henson 16 Inside the L-5 Society job o'f?portunities and local action are featured. William Weigle Ph£llip Parker 17 Letters Publz"cation office: the L-5 Society, 1060 E. Elm, Tucson, Arizona 85 719. Published monthly. Cover: Record breaking second crew of Salyut-6, Vladimir Kovalyonok and Subscription: ¢12. 00 per year, Aleksandr lvanchenkov, who hosted visits by Polish and East German "guest included in dues ($20. 00 per year, cosmonauts". (Photo courtesy Novasti.) (Note this is a mockup of Salyut.) students $15.00 per year). Second class postage paid at Tucson, Arizona and additional offices. Copyright © 1978 by the L-5 Society. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written consent of the L -5 Society. The opinions expressed by the authors do not necessar£ly reflect the policy of the L-5 Society. Membership Services: L-5 Society, 1620 N. Park Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85719. Telephone: 6021622-6351 . Change of address notices, undeliverable copies, orders for subscriptions, and other mail items are to be sent to: L-5 Society Membership Services 1620 N. Park Tucson, AZ 85719 Russia's ''Guest Cosmonaut'' Pr- A Commentary • I Triumphant return of Czech cosmonaut Vladimir R emek. (Photo courtesy Orbis.) by ] ini Oberg With the t•nd o f Lhe recent token spa<l' sha11ercd. and Ill' \\' Sm it·t launches break purely politi cal " hit ch - hik~ r · stunt:.. They fli ghts by East Euro p1:an cosmonauts. rt'cords et only mo nth!> before by previo u seemed to have been desigrwcl l>olely fo r thr Moscow has o nce again dcmonstr<ltl'd its Russian spacC' cr<·ws. purpo:.c of strengthening the hand ~ of till' skill in thl' po litical explo ita ti on of spacC' But howt·vc r importalll thC'se long pro-Soviet r('gim('s in each co11n11 y. t•vt · nt~ . Nt•w :spatC' firsts' haw bel'n flights are, they clt·arly do not have tht' Nothing appeared 10 have bt•t•n do ne that rat·kc<l up, and world a11e111i on has again g lamo ur of tht• 'for<•ig-n cosmo nauts". who could not just as easily have bl'tn done by b ttn foe u s{' d o n Sovi C' t :. p an· ha\•(' a 11rnned am ·111io 11 t<> an otherwise all-Ru:.sian crt·ws. lnde<'d . li11k was achi('vrments. But Western ob !>t0 n1 l· 1 ~ haw dull space C'Xpedition. accomplished tha t wo uld havd x·cn missnl bc(·n 11 ying to dett:ormine tht· rral Three wct·k-lo ng "guest-cosmo na ut" if th<' fli ghts had not taken plan· at all. significance and purpose of thil> l>t'rit'l> of fli ghts were madl'. o ne each in March. Fo1 :.ome myst('rio us rtC1son probably COl>mo na ut launchings. June. a nd August. On Soyut-28, Czech Ai r connec ted with low level of trnining of the T hci.<' intcm a tio na l flights haw lx•t•n Force pilot Vladimir Rr mek was co-pilot: pilo ti. (tht• East Europeans each got li11l(• madt a~ an adjunct to tht• ongoing on oyut-30. it wa:. Poli:. h pilot :\Iiroslaw more than a ytar of p1 <'par.11ion . whilr expeditions involving the Sal)'llt-6 span· Hennaszcwski ; o n Soyui-3 1. it was East Rus:. ian:. haw had from fou1 1<> t1·n yt•at:. of statio n. For almost a year. So,·il't pilcm·d German Air Forrt· offi n ·r Sigmund .Jahn. training), all three fli ghL~ wcrt· launclwd at and h 11ma11-rclatt'd spacC'cr.1ft haw bt·1·11 All the actual rtying was done by nearly tht samt time of day. la tt· in th(' laundwcl to orbit at a ratt' o f abc)llt one pt·r experienced Sovi l't cosmonauts. aftt rnoon . Since th is conditio n i:. only met month. O ld American rt'cortb haw b1·c 11 Superfida ll y. tlw mission:. looked likl' once every two months, the requirement oftt·n dinat<·d that thC' fligh1i. 0<c11t at fligh t. \\'Quid ruin thl' whole valm· or the Span·lab £lights in 1981. inC'Oll\'t'nit•nt and USC' k SS phaSt'!> 0£ the d£ort. So instead 0£ q1wlifif'd indi\'iduals. Aftt'I a )'l'ar or scrC'C'lling. thrt't' Eu1C1· marathon t'iqx·ditions. safe indi"iduab ,,·t·rc· chosen . 1x·a n~ han· aln·ady begun spa<T training in ' ll1at i,, th<' Ctt'Ch flight wa:. launched Renwk 's background :.t•ems typical 0£ Europt• and America. ·111ey alt' all on l ~ a \\'('(0 !- bdot(' till' t'nd o r tlw 96-day thCl>C' standanh. I k is a swunch nwmbet of qualirit·d 1·11gint"t0 rs and ~cil'lllil>t:.: l 11£ t•xpl'dition last i\larch. a timing \\0 hich the Czech communist t•stablishmen1. the ~krbold from West Germany. \\'uhho co u I d ha \'(' ha cl no I o gist i ca I . son of tht' dl'puty dt"ft·n s<· 111inis1<0 r. Aher 0l'Ckds from I lolland, and C:lamlt· psychological, or practical justification. thC' Russian invasion of 1968. flight rndC't Nicollier from Switzerland. T hey will T lw Po lish flight was la 11 ndll'cl 011 l y day:. Remek (he then was only 19) W<lS pan of a take turns fl ying on sequential Space aft('t till' hl'ginning 0£ tilt' Sl'COlld long· small cadre o r pro-Soviet loyalists who Shuttle missions which carry European ll'flll t'Xl)('di tion, again without a1i y toured armed forcl'i. units lecturing on why Spacelab experiments. pta( tical IH't'<L Only in thC' cast• or tlH' the Soviet takeova was a blessing. And Thnc· £11t11rt· European ai.11011a11t~ German £light was tlwn· anything prior to his sdt'ction a) a cosmonaut· achil'wd thl'ir stalllS through pro£t'l>:. ional MIU!>tantial accomplisht'd. wlwn thl' trninee. ht· had spc· nt many years in So"irt sta ndatd~. and arc going to lw a~ rully \'i,iting c1<·w ldt thei1 m·,,· "Soy\I/" naft military school:. and in~titutt·s. trai11nl a' tl1l'i1 American co ll<·agul' ~. Thq and H't lll llt'tl to Earth in tht' old Soyu1 uM·cl HermasLC'\\'~ki . too. i~ a llll'lllbe r or the will makt· gt•twine co ntrib11tio11 ~ to tlw hy tht· Russians in J une. H tlwrl' lwd bt•t•n Polish communist ruling class. H is su«<':.s of tlw Spacelab mil>sion:.. h t tht·s<· 110 " £01l'ign cosmonaut" program at all. brother is a top Ai1 Fofft' general. ThC' anti otlwr ways. this program is marknJI) only tlw last of these 1lirC't' fliglw. nl'l'd l'\'l'r background or tlw East Gnm:rn is bdit'ved superior to the Sovit't "gu<"st cosmonatll" hav(' bt·t·n flown . to ht' si milar. program, with one major q ualification: 'J'lw p11rdy symbolic na tun· of tht·st· Li11 k is known about tht' backup tlw H 11ssi1111s did it first. £ligh t!> is furthtr underscon·cl by till' ran cosmonauts £rom E a~tl'l'll Europt'. t'XCl'pl C:uriously. tkspite the Soviet priority £or that only om· fligh t will br mad<· for t"ach that 1ht'ir spacdlight diancl'sare now 7.C'l'O. Lill' sl'!t•ction or foreign 11atio11a l itit'~ ror Sovi< 0 l·hlcx- country. In ca:.t' of accidt·ms. Tht• Czl'rh ba< kup Olch i< h Pt'kzak. thl' Olll'·tinw space dt'huts.