Contents of Spaceflight Magazine Volume 38

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VOL. 38 NO. 1 JANUARY 1996
Space Anniversaries Remembered.
BRITISH INNOVATION IN ASTRONAUTICS On the 50th anniversary of the reconstitution of the British Interplanetary Society into a national society. Kenneth W Garland writes about the events of that time. 12
CHALLENGER DISASTER REMEMBERED Ed Hengeveld's photo selection recalls the tragic events of January 1986. 18
APOLLO 14: 25 YEARS ON George A. Soften takes a nostalgic trip back to the mission that put Apollo back on track. 20
TOP COVER, Origins and Evolution of the Defense Support Program - Part 1 On the 25th anniversary of US early warning satellites. Dwayne A. Day reveals their silent role. Features. 22
A LUNAR OBSERVATORY Thomas J. Feeling foresees a compelling near-term reason for returning to the Moon. 13
BASICS OF INTERNET Helpful advice by Aart-Jan van Amerongen on Internet as a worldwide source of space information. 14
THE WORLD BRAIN OF H.G. WELLS William I. McLaughlin writes about a book with a concept much of which is fulfilled by the Internet. 27
LAUNCH SITE INFRASTRUCTURE Exclusive report by Charles Vick on US surveillance of the Soviet lunar programme launch site. News and Events. 28
SPACE AMBITIONS IN A CHANGING WORLD Theo Pirard reports from the 46th IAF Congress and International Space Technology Exhibition. 2
MODULE FOR MIR: STS-74 Pre-launch preparations for this important Atlantis mission are detailed by Roelof L. Schuiling. 5
ATLANTIS RETURNS TO MIR Neville Kidger writes about life aboard Mir at the time of the second space shuttle docking. 6
SHUTTLE ASTRONAUT HAMS SET FOR 1996 SCHOOL CONTACTS Will Marchant lists SAREX flights for 1996 and explains how schools can participate. 8
MICROGRAVITY SCIENCES BY SHUTTLE: STS-73 A report by Roelof L. Schuiling on this 16-day mission and the experiments carried out in orbit. 9
ASTRONAUTS AT STAR CITY Neil Da Costa writes about his visit and the astronauts in training for 1996-97 Shuttle-Mir missions. 11
SATELLITE DIGEST - 284 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings. Astronomy Arena. 36
GALILEO AT JUPITER On 7 December 1995. the Galileo Probe entered the atmosphere of Jupiter. 16
SATURN The Hubble Space Telescope images northern and southern auroral bands. Space Miscellany. 17
CORRESPONDENCE A selection of readers' letters. 30
SOFTWARE: Book Notices A review of the 'Apollo 13 - A Race Against Time' CD-ROM. A selection of books on astronautics and astronomy likely to be of interest to readers. 33
'OLD AND NEW SPACECRAFT' COMPETITION Book are offered as prizes for this month's competition. 35
VOL. 38 NO. 2 FEBRUARY 1996
Soviet/Russian Rocketry and Space.
THE MOST FAMOUS SPACE INDUSTRY The 50-year history of the industry now known as RKK Energiya/KSCE is reviewed by Theo Pirard. 39
HOW TO SEE COSMONAUTICS IN MOSCOW The Soviet Union's space exhibitions were impressive. Times have changed writes Theo Pirard with some helpful advice. 43
THE BURANS E. Rudolf van Beest with camera goes in search of Buran programme remains in Moscow and at Baikonur. 43
KOROLEV: FACTS AND MYTHS Previously undisclosed and little published information about this architect of Soviet space achievements is presented by Bart Hendrickx. 44
SOVIET ROCKETRY THAT CONQUERED SPACE, Part 2 The development of space rockets for sending probes to the Moon is traced by Timothy Varfolomeyev. Features. 49
THE NEXT STEP IS STILL A GIANT LEAP AWAY We need to make the public aware of the usefulness of space is the view of Ron Noteborn. 53
SPACE STATION HARDWARE Fabrication is finally underway in both East and West for the International Space Station reports Joel W. Powell. 54
TOP COVER, Origins and Evolution of the Defense Support Program - Part 2 The steps taken to maintain the US early warning satellite system over the decade 1974-1984 are recounted by Dwayne A. Day. 59
BIOPAN AND BIOBOX How ESA experiments are flown on Russian recoverable capsules is described by Joel W. Powell. News and Events. 66
UK SPACE NEWS News from UK industrial and research organisations with a stake in space. 38
INTERNATIONAL Space Report The situation inside the Russian space industry is highlighted. 64
LAUNCH REPORT News of forthcoming Shuttle launch preparations. 65
SATELLITE DIGEST - 285 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings. Astronomy Arena. 72
OFF TO FIRST LAGRANGE POINT The SOHO spacecraft heads for the "halo orbit" from which it will be able to continuously observe the Sun. 57
ISO IN ORBIT A new era of astronomy begins with ISO's first observations in the far infra-red. 57
BOOK NOTICES A selection of astronomy books likely to be of interest to readers. Space Miscellany. 58
BIS NEWS The BIS has created two new awards and presentations to the first recipients have been made. 67
CORRESPONDENCE A selection of readers' letters. 68
'ESA SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS' COMPETITION. 71
VOL. 38 NO. 3 MARCH 1996
Next Steps in Space.
KISTLER AEROSPACE Theo Pirard has details of a development programme for launching reusable rocketships to orbit. 75
SMALL AND REUSABLE OSC and Rockwell aim at lower costs to orbit with their X-34 project described by David Ian Wade. 76
COMMERCIAL STEPS TOWARDS ALPHA Spacehab Incorporated pioneers production facilities in orbit writes Gerard van de Haar. 78
SPACE TOURISM: AN UPDATE David Ashford of Bristol Spaceplanes Limited discusses what is now seen as a respectable subject. 80
TRIP TO ORBIT Peter Smolders visits Moscow where members of the public will soon be able to take a simulated flight in the Buran space shuttle. 81
INTERPLANETARY PROPULSION Nuclear fission with low fuel utilisation offers a valid rocket technology writes Jaro Franca. Features. 82
TOP COVER, The Origins and Evolution of the Defense Support Program - Part 3 Dwayne A. Day reveals the shortcomings and amazing technical success of DSP in the years after 1984. 95
INTERNET AND SPACE FLIGHT NASA features prominently in this first-hand account by Marcel-Jan Krijgman. News and Events 74 UK SPACE NEWS. 106
SECOND SHUTTLE DOCKING WITH MIR: STS-74 A report by Roelof L. Schuiling of activities on-board both Atlantis and Mir. 90
SCHOOL CONTACTS TOP 100% WITH STS-74 Will Marchant reports on a landmark in the increasing success of schools participating in SAREX. 92
MIR HIGHLIGHTS Three crew members of Mir end 1995 with an EVA and Progress M-30 docking writes Neville Kidger. 93
LAUNCH REPORT. 94
EUROPE BACKS SPACE STATION Ton van Rooij reports on ESA presentations of astronauts and the International Space Station. 100
SATELLITE DIGEST - 286 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings prepared by Phillip S. Clarke. Astronomy Arena. 108
Book Notices A selection of astronomy books likely to be of interest to readers is presented by L.J. Carter. 84
A MYRIAD GALAXIES UNVEILED New results from the Hubble Space Telescope as it looks into deepest space. 85
GALILEO PROBE First measurements on Jupiter's atmosphere lead to some surprising findings. 86
VENUS RADAR IMPLIES TELLURIUM DEPOSIT An explanation has been suggested for the brightness of Venus highland areas writes Richard L.S. Taylor. 87
MISSION TO EROS Details of the first mission to orbit an asteroid and the first launch in NASA's Discovery Program. 88
FAREWELL, PIONEER Patrick Moore comments on the Pioneer 11 mission now that the spacecraft's transmitter is failing. Space Miscellany. 89
Correspondence. 101
50 YEARS OF "RE-BORN" BIS MARKED BY MEDAL AWARD An evening at the Society's HQ to celebrate three distinct but related events is described by Eric Waine. 103
TWO SOCIETY SYMPOSIA FOCUS ON SMALL SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY The proceedings of two related symposia are reported by Dave Fearn. 104
'NUMBER OF ORBITS' COMPETITION. 107
VOL. 38 NO. 4 APRIL 1996
Yuri Gagarin, Spaceflight presents:
IT MADE SENSE TO BUILD A SPACE STATION The designer of Gagarin's Vostok spacecraft speaks to Peter Smolders about manned space flight in the Soviet Union and his doubts about Russia's role at the present time. 113
Space Station: lt's Full Steam Ahead 111 ISS: NEXT STAGES International plans for keeping this major project on course are updated by Neville Kidger.
SPACE STATION ASSEMBLY TESTS: STS-72 Roelof Schuiling at the Kennedy Space Center reports on the many aims of this Shuttle mission. 116
SCIENCE TASKS AND EVA FOR CREW 'New chapter for Europe after ESA astronauts long stay at Mir station: details by Neville Kidger. Space Exploration Challenge. 140
STAR TRAVEL, Part 1 - Stars and Distances Our place in the universe and the need for star travel are explained by G.R. Richards. 126
SPACE FLIGHT IN EDUCATION Space in the classroom and at Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry by Francis French. 131
RUSSIAN SPACE CAMP A first-hand account by J.K. Andersen of training as a cosmonaut on a visit to Star City. 133
REMOTE SENSING Hormuz Mama writes about the many important applications of satellites for India's future. 136
AUSROC II IS UP, UP AND AWAY The successful launch of Australia's largest amateur rocket is described by Kwan Hee Lee. Features. 137
THE ASTRA FUTURE FOR SATELLITE BROADCASTS Launch plans and new work are discussed by Technical Director. Milton Torres. with Theo Pirard. 121
THE REAL NEED FOR SPACE Michael Martin-Smith has views on human migration into space and a project for the Millennium. News and Events. 142
UK SPACE NEWS 110
LAUNCH REPORT. 120
SATELLITE DIGEST - 287 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings prepared by Phillip S. Clark. Astronomy Arena. 144
PROJECT SERENDIP Jordi L. Gutierrez writes about current efforts to detect interstellar radio communications. 122
PLANET SEARCH Recent interest in extra-solar planetary systems is reviewed by Richard L.S. Taylor. 124
THE 1994 LARGE-SCALE STORMS IN SATURN'S ATMOSPHERE Storms on Saturn could be more frequent than previously supposed writes Richard L.S. Taylor. 124
THE YEAR OF CHIRON Patrick Moore writes about an unusual asteroid whose closest approach to Earth is this April. Space Miscellany. 125
Correspondence A selection of readers' letters. 138
OBITUARIES. 139
'SLOGAN' COMPETITION An exquisite model of the Shuttle Columbia is the prize for this month's competition. 143
VOL. 38 NO. 5 MAY 1996
BEFORE THE SHUTTLE ERA Ed Hengeveld recalls a magnificent era of US space history with photos from the NASA archives. 161
APOLLO HISTORY ON THE INTERNET Much hard work has been going into a definitive history of the Apollo missions writes David Woods. 164
SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS OF 1995 Highlights of the seven space shuttle missions of 1995 are presented by Keith T. Wilson. 165
SHUTTLE WEATHER WATCH The story of Air Force Weather Officers who failed to make it into space is told by Bert Vis. 170
THE FIRST US ASTRONAUT CREW PATCHES Keith T. Wilson tells how Gemini astronauts started something that still continues today. 172
SHUTTLE DAMAGE GAVE RISE TO U-2 LAUNCH SHOTS How two shuttle launches came to be recorded from a U-2 aircraft is told by Glen E. Swanson. Feature. 174
ARIANE 5 - EUROPE'S NEW HEAVY PAYLOAD LAUNCHER With the first flight due in May 1996, Theo Pirard sets the background to this major project. News and Events. 147
UK SPACE NEWS. 146
LAUNCH REPORT. 151
CREW CHANGE AT MIR Mir's 10th anniversary is followed by a change of crew. Neville Kidger has the details. 152
EUROMIR 95 - END OF MISSION PHOTO RECORD Scenes from the return of Thomas Reiter and his Russian crewmates are presented by Rolf. H. Schoevaart. 154
INTERNATIONAL Space Report 180 SATELLITE DIGEST - 288 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings. Astronomy Arena. 155
COMET OBSERVATIONS NEEDED TO SUPPORT RENDEZVOUS MISSION Paul Weissman writes from JPL how comet observers can support the International Rosetta Mission. 157
GALILEO PROBE An update of the continuing analysis of data obtained on Jupiters atmosphere. 157
LARGEST BLACK HOLE The Hubble Space Telescope observes stars with exceptionally high orbital velocities that lead to an interesting conclusion writes Richard L.S. Taylor. 157
EUROPE'S NEW SPACE TELESCOPE IN ACTION Astronomers receive the first images from ESA's Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). 158
THE NIGHT SKY FROM MARS Patrick Moore considers what awaits astronauts on Mars when they come to view the night sky. Space Miscellany. 159
Book Notices A selection of astronautics books likely to be of interest to readers. 160
Correspondence A selection of readers' letters. 175
'PREFLIGHT BREAKFAST' COMPETITION. 179
VOL. 38 NO. 6 JUNE 1996
TRIUMPH THAT TURNED TO TRAGEDY A routine procedure ended fatally due to a valve opening too soon writes E. Rudolf van Beest. Features. 186
HOW NASA LOST THE CASE FOR MARS IN 1969 Stephen Baxter analyses the issues that decided that Mars would not be the follow-up to Apollo. 191
STAR TRAVEL, Part 2 - Ways and Means New propulsion concepts that have been proposed are described by G.R. Richards. 201
SOVIET ROCKETRY THAT CONQUERED SPACE, Part 3 A programme of launchings to impact and photograph the Moon is described by Timothy Varfolomeyev. 206
PLESETSK Stefan Wotzlaw outlines the development of Russia's northern cosmodrome. 207
GOING COMMERCIAL India's remote sensing data are much sought after in today's world market writes Hormuz P. Mama. News and Events. 209
UK SPACE NEWS. 182
LAUNCH REPORT News of recent launches and forthcoming launch preparations. including. 183
SHUTTLE-MIR: PLANNED MISSIONS by G. van de Haar and A. van den Berg. 183
AMERICA JOINS RUSSIA IN PERMANENT HUMAN PRESENCE IN SPACE Neville Kidger reports on docking and EVA events at Mir during the third space shuttle visit. 188
ASTRONAUT TELLS BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY ESA astronaut Ulf Merbold talks about working on the Shuttle and on Mir. Darren Burnham reports. 190
STS-75: TETHERED SATELLITE LOST Roelof L. Schuiling reports from the Kennedy Space Center on a notable microgravity mission. 212
SATELLITE DIGEST - 289 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings prepared by Phillip S. Clark. Astronomy Arena. 216
X-RAY COMET How an X-ray satellite was called upon to observe Comet Hyakutake is told by Richard L.S. Taylor. 195
COMET HYAKUTAKE AND STS-76 LAUNCH Donald F. Trombino describes comet observations that coincided with a shuttle launch. 196
FIRST MAP OF PLUTO'S SURFACE Images from ESA's Faint Object Camera aboard the Hubble Space Telescope give 85% coverage. 197
COMET HALE-BOPP The Hubble Space Telescope and ESO's New Technology Telescope (NTT) both record 'firsts'. 198
GRAVITATIONAL LENSING A double image of a high luminosity quasar is recorded by ESO's New Technology Telescope (NTT). 198
DYING STAR PRESENTS A KNOTTY PHENOMENON The Hubble Space Telescope sees gigantic gaseous 'knots ' in the Helix nebula. 199
NEW SATURN MOONS MAY BE TRANSIENT How many moons has Saturn? Recently discovered small moons leave the answer less than clear. Space Miscellany. 199
HOTEL ALPHA John Silvester puts forward his ideas for advancing the future of manned space flight. 210
'US MAN-RATED ROCKETS' COMPETITION A book prize is offered for this month's competition. 142
BIS NEWS The Society gives its views on future UK space policy. 214
VOL. 38 NO. 7 JULY 1996
APOLLO-15: MISSION TO THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON Highlights of the fourth lunar landing mission are recalled by Ed Hengevelt. Early US Space Milestones. 234
AMERICA'S FIRST ASTRO-CHIMPS First steps in the US towards man-in-space are described by Colin Burgess and Simon Vaughan. 236
US NAVY'S UNTOLD STORY OF SPACE-RELATED FIRSTS Peter Pesavento interviews Dr John Nicolaides about the early space work of US Naval engineers. 239
SECRETS REVEALED ABOUT THE EARLY US NAVY SPACE PROGRAMME Recently declassified information and photographs are presented by Peter Pesavento. News and Events. 243
UK SPACE NEWS. 218
LAUNCH REPORT: ARIANE 501 LAUNCH FAILURE Theo Pirard reports from the Guiana Space Center. 219
A 'FIRST AT BAIKONUR The first commercial launch of a Proton rocket is described by Theo Pirard. 220
ISS AND PROTON IN THE MAKING Theo Pirard visits the Khrunichev factory which is in production to meet international launch commitments. 221
ARIANE 5 The technical failure of the first launch directs attention to Ariane 5's many component parts and European space industry's involvement. Theo Pirard has the details. 222
COMSAT NEWS Communications satellite news from around the world. 224
THIRD MIR DOCKING: STS-76 Roelof L. Schuiling reports from the Kennedy Space Centre. 225
MISSION SUCCESSFUL BUT NOT WITHOUT HITCHES Peter Gualtieri details some of the problems that were encountered on mission STS-76. 228
TETHERED SATELLITE MISSION (STS-75) DISCUSSED AT NOORDWIJK Ton van Rooij reports on results from the tethered satellite which carried a European research protect. 246
SATELLITE DIGEST - 290 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings prepared by Phillip S. Clark. Astronomy Arena. 252
COMET PHOTOGRAPHY Ken Matesich photographs Comet Hyakutake under the ideal conditions of a clear desert sky. 229
EUROPE'S TITAN PROBE ESA's Huygens probe learns lessons from NASA's Galileo probe as design and testing proceed. 230
HOW GALAXIES FORM Richard L.S. Taylor reports the first HTS evidence of small star clusters to support the accretion theory of galaxy formation. 230
HST: EXPANSION RATE OF THE UNIVERSE Astronomers move towards pinning down the value of the Hubble Constant. 231
SOHO Three instruments on board the SOHO solar observatory in space show an impressive performance. 232
THE MILLENNIUM COMETH Patrick Moore shares some interesting thoughts about the start of the new Millennium. Space Miscellany. 233
Correspondence. 247
BIS NEWS. 249
A PLACE IN SPACE Proposals for achieving and maintaining a populated large-scale toroidal space structure are put forward by A. R. Thompson. 250
'EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE' COMPETITION A book is offered for this month's competition prize. 251
VOL. 38 NO. 8 AUGUST 1996
Return to the Moon and Mars.
TOWARDS THE MOON AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM Japan is preparing missions with lunar and interplanetary probes. Theo Pirard presents the details. 270
MARS '96: RUSSIA'S RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET Darren Burnham and Andy Salmon review the history and current status of this up-coming mission. Features. 272
KOROLEV'S LUNAR MISSION PROFILE An exclusive report by Charles Vick on Soviet plans for a manned lunar landing. 264
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Lee Robert Caldwell has details about the resting places of past American astronauts. 283
VISITING ARLINGTON Alan Lawne goes in search of the graves of Americas military astronauts. 285
ASTEROID NAMES Elöd Both picks out asteroid names with a space connection and proposes a few new ones. News and Events. 286
UK SPACE NEWS News from UK industrial and research organisations with a stake in space. 254
GERMAN INDUSTRIES MAKE THE SHOW Theo Pirard reports on the International Aerospace Exhibition. ILA 96. held in Berlin in May. 255
VOLNA: A NEW FACILITY FOR MICRO-G RESEARCH Andy Salmon describes a German-Russian arms conversion project that launches a microgravity rocket from a Russian submarine. 257
STS-77: RENDEZVOUS DURATION RECORD FOR ENDEAVOUR Roelof L. Schuiling writes about the in-flight activities on board Endeavour. 258
LOADS OF PAYLOADS! Roelof L. Schuiling writes about the payloads on board Endeavour. 261
MODULE FOR MIR Neville Kidger presents Mir Mission Report for the period from late March to the end of April when Mir received its final module. 265
EUROMIR '95: THE FUTURE OF ESA'S MANNED SPACE PROGRAMME ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter returns to Germany and talks about his stay on Mir and future ESA manned missions. Manus Werner reports. 267
LAUNCH REPORT News of recent launches and forthcoming launch preparations. 275
SATELLITE DIGEST - 291 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings prepared by Phillip S. Clark. Astronomy Arena. 287
HST: CRAB NEBULA CENTRAL REGION REVEALED Hubble observations show dramatic changes arising from the presence of a central neutron star. 268
CALLING THE COSMOS Patrick Moore takes an optimistic view of life existing on planets in other solar systems. Space Miscellany. 269
BIS NEWS The Patrick Moore Medal is presented to Mr Eric Waine. 276
Correspondence A selection of readers' letters. 277
'X-RAY TELESCOPES' COMPETITION A book is offered for this month's competition prize. 281
Book Notices A selection of astronautics books likely to be of interest to readers. 282
VOL. 38 NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 1996
SALUTE TO DRYDEN Test flying to the edge of space and in support of space missions is recalled by Ed Hengeveld. Space Station Partners Plan Ahead. 314
CANADA SPACE NEWS New astronaut positions signal long-term space presence. 290
JAPAN'S ISS MODULE The JEM's first Critical Design Review sets it on course to arrive at the International Space Station in year 2000. 291
ESA: MIR OPERATIONS PREPARE FOR ISS Thomas Reiter talks about the experience that his long-duration flight brings to ESA's manned space programme. Ton van Rooij gives the details. 299
EUROMIR 95 IN RETROSPECT The main events of this mission are summarised by Marius Wemer. Features. 300
EUROPE'S MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS Theo Pirard describes how road haulers manage their vehicle fleets from a central dispatcher. 306
A STRATEGY FOR SPACE Dwayne A Day writes about the events and aims of the US space programme in the 1950s and 1960s. 308
SOVIET ROCKETRY THAT CONQUERED SPACE - Addendum The detailed system of launch vehicle designations is presented by Timothy Varfolomeyev. 317
APOLLO CHERISHED Construction of the Apollo/Saturn V Center at KSC is the subject of a photo report by Peter Gualtieri. News and Events. 321
ESA-JAPAN PLANS Inter-orbit relay satellites head up long-term opportunities for cooperation. 292
LONG-LIFE BATTERY FOR SATELLITE USE Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries replace Nickel-Cadmium ones in Japan's OICETS satellite. 293
NASA SCIENCE COMES TO MIR Neville Kidger has details of crew activities during May and June as work with the space station's new module starts up and five EVAs are carried out. 294
LAUNCH REPORT News of recent launches and forthcoming launch preparations. 301
SATELLITE DIGEST - 292 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings prepared by Phillip S. Clark. Astronomy Arena. 324
FLYBYS OF JUPITER'S MOONS BEGIN: X-RAY ASTRONOMY Recent results and forthcoming developments are presented. 304
LARGE VOIDS IN THE UNIVERSE ARE REALLY EMPTY The Universes missing matter is still missing after the speeds of over 2000 galaxies have been measured and analysed. Space Miscellany 313 HUMANITY'S GOAL The detection of extra-terrestrial life and intelligence is given top priority by Christopher Tilley. 305
'SOVIET SPACECRAFT' COMPETITION A book is offered for this month's competition prize. 316
Correspondence A selection of readers- letters. 319
BIS NEWS. 320
Book Notices A selection of astronomy books likely to be of interest to readers. Mars and Extraterrestrial Life. 322
VOL. 38 NO. 10 OCTOBER 1996
LIFE ON MARS? Dwayne A. Day reviews the series of events that led to the discovery and announcement of a fossil life form in a Martian meteorite. 327
LETHAL WORLDS With Mars making the headlines. Patrick Moore surveys other extreme worlds in the Solar System where conditions are far less welcoming. 329
EXPLORATION AND PRESERVATION OF MARS The discovery of possible Martian microfossils calls for a cautious approach to plans for terraforming the planet writes Jordi L. Gutierrez. 331
BEFORE THE SCIENCE THERE WAS THE DREAM The -Visions of Mars" CD-ROM is reviewed by Andy Salmon and Darren Burnham who explain why it is due to land on the surface on Mars in 1997. Feature. 334
ACCESS TO SPACE David Milligan identifies three areas that he considers to be important for the future of space: Training. Space Industrialisation and Space Tourism. News and Events. 355
UK SPACE NEWS News from UK industrial and research organisations with a stake in space. 326
STS-78 MISSION REPORT Roelof L. Schuiling reports from the Kennedy Space Center on Columbia's record breaking mission. 336
SEEN AROUND THE CAPE IN JULY Readers contribute to this photo report of events in the Cape Canaveral area. 342
BONNIE DUNBAR Ton van Rooij interviews this distinguished US astronaut about some key space issues. 344
LAUNCH REPORT News of recent launches and forthcoming launch preparations. 346
INTERNATIONAL Space Report Agreements: Rockwell-NPO Yuzhnoye: ESA-Portugal: Astra-Arianespace: Kistler Aerospace. 354
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HATCH Mir Mission Report continues with a letter home from Shannon Lucid about her role on Mir when her two cosmonaut companions are performing an EVA. 356
ESA'S FLUID PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS ON STS-78 Vladimir Pletser summarises the studies that were undertaken on this Shuttle mission. 357
SATELLITE DIGEST - 293 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings prepared by Phillip S. Clark. Space Miscellany. 360
BIS NEWS Patrick Moore Medal presentations are held at the Society's headquarters. 349
Correspondence A selection of readers' letters. 350
'MARS EXPLORATION' COMPETITION A book is offered for this month's competition prize. 359
VOL. 38 NO. 11 NOVEMBER 1996
RETURN TO MARS '96: ON THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD TO MARS Russia's mighty mission to Mars is to be launched this month. Mission payload and operations are presented by Darren Burnham and Andy Salmon. Astronaut/Cosmonaut Look-Back. 378
STORY MUSGRAVE The almost 30-year long career of a veteran astronaut. whose next flight is this month, is outlined by Anne van den Berg. 377
RUSSIAN SCIENTIST COSMONAUTS Igor Marinin and Igor Lissov explain how no Soviet or Russia scientist has had the opportunity to work in orbit during the whole of the 35 years of manned space flight. 388
MANNED SPACE FLIGHT LOG TO 31 DECEMBER 1995 A detailed listing of astronaut and cosmonaut missions prepared by A.P. Tyzzer. Features. 392
GEOSPACE OBSERVED Spectacular auroral images from space are part of NASA's POLAR satellite mission described by Joel W Powell. 370
THE DELTA FAMILY David Ian Wade presents details of 'big and little brother' versions of the Delta II launcher which aim to meet the needs of a widening launcher market. News and Events. 373
UK SPACE NEWS News from UK industrial and research organisations with a stake in space. 362
LAUNCH REPORT News of recent launches and forthcoming launch preparations. 363
MIR VISITED Neville Kidger continues Mir Mission Report for the months of July and August when France's first female astronaut was launched to the space station. 365
ITALIAN LOGISTICS MODULE FOR ISS A module for carrying supplies to the ISS by the US shuttle is described by Manus Werner. 369
STS-80 CREW MEET THEIR PAYLOAD Marius Werner views the German scientific payload for this shuttle mission at Daimler-Benz Aerospace in Munich along with the crew who will operate it. 386
SATELLITE DIGEST - 294 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings prepared by Phillip S. Clark. Space Miscellany. 396
Correspondence A selection of readers' letters. 383
'EARLY US ROCKETS' COMPETITION A book is offered for this month's competition prize. 391
THE SPORTING LIFE David Sivier sees the role of the individual and the sporting ethos as factors to be considered in the development of space travel. Return to the Red Planet. 387
VOL. 38 NO. 12 DECEMBER 1996
A DECADE OF MARS MISSIONS Developments in NASA's programme to send probes to Mars at every 26-month launch opportunity are described in the light of recent Martian meteorite findings by Darren Burnham and Andy Salmon. Features. 400
SELECTING THE X-33 The politics behind the decision to award the X-33 contract to Lockheed Martin are analysed by Roger Handberg and Joan Johnson-Freese. 407
SOLID ROCKET PROPELLANTS Significant advances in a field once thought to have reached its plateau are described by Hormuz P. Mama. 409
COSMOS LAUNCHER Anatoly Zak presents the little-known story of a Soviet space workhorse. 416
DOGS WHO RODE ROCKETS Early Soviet space flights with dogs and their role in paving the way for manned space flight are described by Colin Burgess. 421
THIRD WORLD FIRSTS Much political capital has been made out of space flights by astronauts from third world countries. Jeff Dugdale tells how postage stamps have played a major role. News and Events. 426
CHINA SPACE NEWS Recent international links in space applications are helping China to expand its space industry. 398
LAUNCH REPORT Upcoming missions to Mars: Ariane 4 launch programme. 399
ENLARGING THE SCOPE OF SPACE APPLICATIONS Theo Pirard reports on the 47th IAF Congress. Beijing during which China celebrated 40 years of modem rocketry developments and showed its international space aspirations. 404
ALFLEX: AUTOMATIC LANDING FLIGHT EXPERIMENT A photo presentation of the first of a series of drop tests during 1996 to establish the basic technology for automatic landing of the proposed Japanese space shuttle HOPE. 414
UK SPACE NEWS News from UK industrial and research organisations with a stake in space. 420
SATELLITE DIGEST - 295 This month's listing of recent spacecraft launchings prepared by Phillip S. Clark. Astronomy Arena. 430
SURPRISE, SURPRISE ! Patrick Moore picks out some surprising changes in our knowledge of the Solar System which the Space Age has brought about; and takes a look at the years ahead. Space Miscellany. 411
Correspondence A selection of readers' letters. 412
GRAVITATIONAL MANOEUVRING Harty O. Ruppe gives a personal analysis of how the gravitational encounter technique evolved to enable probes to explore to the limits of the Solar System. 419
Book Notices Selections of astronomy and astronautics books likely to be of interest to readers. 424
'SPACE ROCKET PIONEERS' COMPETITION A book is offered as this month's competition prize. 429
SOCIETY ANNOUNCEMENTS. 431
INDEX FOR 1996. 432