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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.astro,net.space,net.graphics
Subject: Re: Space Telescope
Message-ID: <7203@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Oct-86 13:45:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: utzoo.7203
Posted: Thu Oct  9 13:45:03 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 9-Oct-86 13:45:03 EDT
References: <1322@rayssdb.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 48

> 	(1)  Will the transmissions from the ST be PUBLIC
> 	     DOMAIN? (free to be recieved by anyone with
> 	     the satellite equipment to pick them up)

My understanding is that they are technically private.  Space Telescope
data is the property of the investigator for some relatively short period
(six months?  two years?) and then becomes public domain.  This is intended
to protect things like publication rights while making sure that the results
eventually become available to everyone.  Eavesdropping on the ST should
thus fall under the general rule that radio transmissions not intended for
public broadcast may be listened to but may not be passed on to others.
(Note that various bits of legislation like local anti-scanner laws and the
recent obnoxious anti-interception bill in Congress may modify this.)

> 	(2)  Will the transmissions be scrambled or encrypted
> 	     in any way to prevent interception? (other than
> 	     encoding necessary to send the video data to
> 	     earth)

The transmission encoding probably isn't going to be trivial, but I don't
think there is any plan to deliberately encrypt.

> 	(3)  What Image Processing equipment would be required
> 	     to obtain a suitable input to a PC or VCR.

Basically you'd need something to capture the digital data coming down --
I think the ST transmissions will be all-digital -- into memory or a
storage medium.  After that, output onto a screen should be trivial, and
onto a VCR will involve no more than the normal problems of transferring
a computer-generated image to a VCR.  The hard part will be deciphering
the transmission in the first place, since the ST people probably haven't
worried much about being compatible with existing standards.  I'd also
be surprised if they were using commercial-satellite frequencies, although
the relay from White Sands to Goddard may.

>	...Who needs HBO when you can watch the STARS!!!

Bear in mind that most of the ST data is going to be exceptionally dull
except to the astronomer who's waiting for it.  Pictures of random star
fields will pall quickly.  It may be difficult to get sufficiently detailed
advance information to pick interesting observing times.  I believe the
ST's slew rate is rather slow, also, so it will be "in transit" from one
viewing direction to another quite a bit.  Finally, note that only two
of the five sensors aboard the ST are cameras; data from the others is
going to be *really* uninteresting to the casual observer.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,decvax,pyramid}!utzoo!henry