Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!xanth!lll-winken!uunet!portal!cup.portal.com!mmm
From: mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: GEOS-6 dies.
Message-ID: <14215@cup.portal.com>
Date: 2 Feb 89 05:16:34 GMT
References: <AXrTkzy00UkZI0RUwa@andrew.cmu.edu>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 27

In the Jan 31 issue of the San Jose Mercury-News, page 1E, there is a story
on the failure of GOES-6 which reveals the following information:

"The aging GOES-6 satellite, which for over five years has snapped weather
pictures day and night, was forced into retirement 10 days ago when a crucial
light bulb in one of its components burnt out."

and later:

"But some satellites have suffered repeated problems with the light bulbs in
an instrument the satellite uses to keep itself oriented."

A light bulb?  I'm surprised.  That's like hearing a piece of string broke
or a rubber band snapped.  Does anybody have more specific information on
what this lightbulb was being used for?

While I'm on the subject of crudely-built satellites, you may be interested
to know there is a twin of the Telstar satellite in the main lobby of
Bell Labs, Murray Hill, New Jersey.  When I first saw this thing, I was
amazed how klugey it looked.  It looks like it's held together by solder.

There is sort of a little museum there.  The first transistor is there, as
well as an old copy of the NY Times which has the first description of
negative-feedback amplifiers scribbled in the margin.  There are a number
of automated displays, where you push a button and a demonstration takes
place.  About half the displays are out-of-order!  What a great advertisement
for AT&T!