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Show Wednesday, August 17, 1988 Chronicle - Page Three explores mysteries out moon U. prof paced-ut- 1 By Edward Ruiz u-- " Chronicle assistant news editor The bumper sticker pinned to his office door reads: "I'm ,. . ,i I Vote." Pro-Space-A- nd Tf I t 1 If 1 "I'm interested in a lunar base project and I think that the space station is the technology we need in order to establish a man on the moon, and maybe eventually on Mars," Shorthill explained. jl'jf But Richard Shorthill, associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Utah, does more than just vote. As a space scientist who has worked on projects such as the Apollo and Viking pro- i if A 1 t i grams, Shorthill has been directly involved with America's space exploration. Having just recently returned from Helsinki, Finland, for a meeting of the Cooperation on Space Research, an international body he refers to as a "scientific U.N.," the U. space scientist is continuing his current research on asteroids. Shorthill said the biennial COSPAR meeting brought together 3,000 participants from 30 to 40 countries for symposiums on the latest interpretations of spaceprobe data on Venus and Mars, and for discussions on future planning of space missions. One three-da- y symposium focused on the Halley's Comet missions in which the Japanese, Soviets and European Space Agency all had aimed spacecraft directly at Halley's Comet. Other discussions centered on future missions to Mars including a Soviet project to put a lander on Mars' moon ....V , VLX ; t . , V - y - Chronicle photo by Aaron Ashcraft Richard Shorthill, University of Utah associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, believes the United States should build a permanent moon base rather than shoot straight for Mars. Phobos, Shorthill explained. He added that , the need the clean fuel, which is Helium-3.- " After receiving a doctorate in physics from the U. in Americans spoke mostly about a space station, and the d 1959, Shorthill worked for Boeing, spending 10 years Mars Orbiter project, which is schedfor 1994. uled researching the thermal properties of the moon. For NASA's Apollo program, Shorthill worked with He said the COSPAR meeting also provided a forum for reports on space research by individual countries the site selection group to determine the safest landing and discussion on cooperative space ventures such as a spot for the astronauts. NASA-approve- " Shorthill's measurements of the moon's photometric Mars mission. The group's 1992 meeting, to be held in Washington, properties (heat and light) were used in collaboration witn other data on radar, ultra-violrays, photography D.C., is especially significant because it will be the determine the where to astronauts should and geology anniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of land. America, Shorthill noted. It is also significant because of He then briefed the astronauts on what the moon rocks the Intemational Space Year, which will start that year in in order to avoid touchWashington and end at' the 1994 COSPAR meeting in might be like temperature-wisU.S.-Sovi- et et ar going for us is our openness and technology," and that "freedom is not free." ' He noted the importance of long-terthinking, saying that "if we live on the short-terif the only important thing is to solve our short-terproblems . . . then when future comes we don't have any reserve we haven't the built up the necessary background, information to proceed into the future with its bigger problems like pollution and the greenhouse effect." -- m m, m With space research, we can better understand our own planet, Shorthill explained, yet it means taking away from current problems. money ' But he added, "you only get what you give away." e, "V." -Moscow. ISY will provide "a chance for all countries to look at space in a cooperative and integrated way," he added. Meanwhile, Shorthill said he favors establishing a lunar base rather than a mission to Mars. "I'm interested in a lunar base project and I think that the space station is the technology we need in order to establish a man on the moon, and maybe eventually on Mars," he explained. "I'm not convinced of the purpose of a manned mission to Mars because I'm afraid it will hurt the space it's a dead end just like program after it stops-becawe had no follow up. It would be like the Apollo was-Lewis and Clark expedition coming to the West and then the West was just left untouched." However, Snorthill said because there's a certain mystery and romanticism about going to the red planet, led by astronomers like Carl Sagan, scientists are split on which missions America should begin first. As a result, Congress has been misled and confused on which prouse - wan-an- t priority funding. Still, Shorthill feels that a lunar base would be a project because the moon's soil contains an abundance of the isotope Helium-3- , which can be used to run clean fusion reactors. While the Earth has a small amount of Helium-3- , the moon, with its lack of atmosphere, has an essentially infinite amount, he explained. And that could lead to fusion reactors in space and on Earth. Although the Helium-- 3 would have to be mined from the lunar soil, Shorthill said "the cost is such that it could be profitable because by the year 2050-- if be using fusion reactors, and they tions are right-w- e'll ject cost-effecti- , a I il fib : EGP I n.a ' Hi lilt! miff). j ; However, Shorthill believes "the only thing we have going for us is our openness and tech" " nology, and that "freedom is not free. Following the Apollo project, Shorthill's research led him to work on the Viking program to Mars, where he was a principal investigator on one of the Viking lander experiments. He did physical properties experiments that he called a "Sherlock Holmes" deletion process. He used engineering data on temperature, pressure, velocity and accelerations to determine the nature of the Mars surface. In 1972, Shorthill left Boeing and began working for the U. He started a geospace sciences laboratory to do research on physics, rockets, fiber optics and lasers. His work for the U. led him to become a research associate professor in mechanical and industrial engineering in 1982. , ,: Currently, Shorthill is studying asteroids tb develop better infrared (heat) calibration sources to improve earth-base- d infrared detectors. , lies the future because is important Experimentation in the technology of space research, he feels, but he recognizes that America's priorities are in defense and social problems rather than in space. "It's no longer good enough to say the Russians are coming," he explained about America's lost direction in space and dedication of the Apollo era. However, Shorthill believes "the only thing we have ; CDC a -- t 'H(iMmX0 get behind this wheel and dial 3-- W IP!! more than 9.9 on your bank auto loan 581461 05 IT'S HAPPY HOURS 5 pm ALL DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED BEER 2 FOR I. If you're paying ; .; itao J T:, ing hot rocks. pEEEEE Hi V ; ; ve 'J J , .. , - If LL2 "fly-throug- h" 500-ye- - jbv , ' 'i : I ii i5 S K 'e S 1 I i " J i 11 , S l f : THE HUNGRY GUY 273 S 1300 E - OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Food purchase required by law ' J it University of Utah Credit! Union You can join! |
