Friday, 5 June 1992 Washington, DC

1. IS THE DOE BUDGET BOTTOM UP?
An internal DOE report on FY 93 science and energy priorities concludes that projects tend to be budgeted in inverse proportion to their importance. Projects were ranked primarily on 1) contribution to the energy supply, 2) contribution to US economic growth, 3) ability to reduce US "oil vulnerability," and 4) technical and market risk; none of which are appropriate to basic research. The SSC ranked 10th out of 11 programs in science; materials science ranked 2nd. But taking FY 91 as the base, the report says the '93 SSC request is for a 169% increase; the materials science request is for a 21% cut. The odd report contends this reflects "political sensitivities."

2. SDIO POORLY GROUNDED.
Responding to congressional criticism that SDIO is developing Brilliant Pebbles at the expense of vital ground-based systems, director Henry Cooper shifted nearly $1B to hurry a ground-based defense into operation by 1997. But in an internal DOD review, Assistant Secretary of Defense David Chu warns that SDIO risks failure by rushing development of a ground-based system, skipping vital performance tests. Chu wants a six year delay, putting the system on line in 2003. But Cooper says, "The risk is acceptable given the urgency related to uncertainty in predicting when we might actually be threatened with ballistic missile attack." To quote The Stones: "Gimmie Shelter."

3. TECHNOLOGY WATCHDOGS THROW FSU A BONE.
For 40 years the 17 COCOM members--Japan, Australia, and all NATO countries except Iceland--have guarded militarily useful technology against Soviet Union burgling. Now, they want the FSU to join the pack and help keep this stuff out of the hands of Iraq, India etc.

4. AFTER 20 YEARS, PIONEER 10 STILL RESPONDS TO CALLS FROM EARTH,
faithfully reporting on the last traces of the solar wind. Some of the graying scientists who attended a birthday party for the aging spacecraft this week spent their entire careers analyzing the data Pioneer sends back. NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin pledged a return to the "better, faster, cheaper" NASA of 20 years ago, "We can't let grad students turn into senior citizens as they wait for the work of their lifetime to get launched."

5. NEW GAO REPORT REKINDLES CONTROVERSY OVER SPACE DEBRIS HAZARD.
Over 3.5 million pieces of man-made junk, ranging from deceased satellites to flecks of paint, orbit Earth. But traveling at 10km/s, even a paint fleck has the impact of a bowling ball going Mach one. Two years ago, another GAO report warned that NASA's space debris model underestimated the hazard. The new report says there is a 36% chance of debris connecting with a vital component of Freedom during its 30 year lifetime. The shuttle Endeavor got dinged on its maiden flight. NASA contends the danger is slight.

YESTERDAY WAS THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE TIANANMEN MASSACRE.



Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.