The Federation Tribune - July 2003

Sun Jul 20 04:19:01 CEST 2003

                   ==== The Federation Tribune ====
                           ==== July 2003 ====

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=====================================================================
        USS Calhoun/Delta One Status Report by Adrian Rodd
=====================================================================
STARDATE

2391.03.03 / 2391.03.04
Soon to skip to 2391.03.07.

STORY

Having persuaded the Sikarians to help them locate their missing
crewmates, the crew of the Calhoun learn where they are being
detained - on a prison planet well inside Northok space. The Calhoun
is severely damaged by a single Northok ship intent on guarding the
border; nevertheless, the crew decide to break Northok law and rescue
their crewmates from prison.

Lieutenant-Commander Hart leads a shuttle team to the planet, and
retrieves the prisoners (T'Parh, Callahan, Spencer, Hatagami,
Summers, Qar and the newborn twins of the latter two), some of whom
are severely wounded. Callahan devises a plan to get away, but the
shuttle is damaged, and moving perilously close to the system's star.
The Calhoun retrieves them in time, and leaves Northok space at
transwarp, before more pursuers can close in. . .

=====================================================================
            USS Odyssey: Status Report by Dennis Church
=====================================================================
Stardate 2391.01.24

The USS Odyssey is responding to a distress call from the USS
Valkyrie,
which is currently disabled and in orbit of the New Amsterdam colony.
 Two away teams in shuttles have been sent to the planet's surface to
locate missing Valkyrie personnel and to help with earthquakes that
have been damaging the planet.  One team is made up of Commander
Bennek, Counsellor Sellser-Talchan, and Ensigns Pryce and Travian. 
The second team is made up of Ensigns Peck, Andrusia, and Byrne. Both
away teams have some members of security as escort as well. A
security team has been dispatched to the Valkyrie to neutralize an
intruder, led by
Lieutenant Commander Denebris and Ensign Rybek.

=====================================================================
            Pandora Station Status Report by Bram Peeters
=====================================================================

The crew is still working on something that will save Ensign Braff.
Ensign Braff was infected by a wormhole, and he will either die or be
taken away by the wormhole (or Vortagoma) if we don't find anything
to cure him. We are now preparing to kill Mr. Braff, because the
science department thinks that this is the way to save Braff. When
the wormhole thinks he's dead and doesn't return, he will be revived
(hopefully).

=====================================================================
           USS Valkyrie Status Report by Dr John Wenerowicz
=====================================================================
USS VALKYRIE STATUS REPORT - 2391.01.24:

Sudden catastrophic earthquakes have hit New Amsterdam.  On the
surface two shuttles from the away team are stranded and suffering
from massive casualties.  A major dam is about to break and Commander
Dal is suddenly missing. The third shuttle returned to the ship where
the Captain has not been heard from since heading for the computer
core.  The Valkyrie is suddenly left adrift as an intruder runs amok,
and the USS Odyssey is diverted to offer assistance...

=====================================================================
 	The Alpha Centauri Mystery - Part 2 by Ben Versteegt
=====================================================================
Summary: On Alpha Centauri, after the Dominion War, a Cardassian with
a phaser threatens to kill the Ferengi bartender Zaag, if he doesn't
help him... 

And now the continuation: 

"The time is seven thirty." The cold computer voice said. "This is a
wake up call. The time is seven thirty."

Sandra slowly woke up, still tired from the party last night, and
turned around in her bed again. "I really have to do something about
that stupid computer voice." she thought. "Maybe I can reprogram
it..." Finally, she got out of bed, and put on her uniform. "Tea,
hot." she ordered the replicator. She took a sip from it, but it was
too hot. "When I say hot, I don't mean this hot, computer."

"Please restate your request."

"Never mind." Sandra said. She put down the cup, and undressed again.
The tea had to cool down anyway, so she could use that time to take a
nice sonic shower.

While she was showering, she heard a voice through her commbadge that
was lying on the ground, together with the rest of the uniform.

"Lieutenant Graves to Ensign Burke. You are late, Ensign. We are
waiting for you in the Science Lab."

"That's right!" Sandra remembered. Her shift began half an hour
earlier today, to give the team enough time to study the samples they
had collected. She rushed out of the sonic shower, put on her uniform
in a hurry, and ran out of her quarters. There would be no time for
breakfast at Zaag's today. Maybe lunch.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant." Sandra said when she arrived at the Science
Labs. She had run the whole way from her quarters to the labs, and
had to catch her breath before she could continue. "I completely
forgot."

"I'll skip the court-martial this time, Ensign." Lieutenant Graves
said. "But make sure you're not late again. Next time I won't be
so... lenient."

"Aye Sir."

"Now get to work, Ensign." 

Sandra went to one of the containers where the samples were stored.
She carefully took one of them out of the container, and placed it
under a scanning device. "Begin scan." she ordered the computer.

"Be very careful with those samples, ensign Burke." Graves said to
Sandra. "They're not to be played with."

"I know, you Regullian snake-worm!" Sandra thought. But she didn't
say it. "I'm glad he's not a Betazoid..."

"What exactly is so special about these samples anyway?" she asked
Graves.

"That's your job to find out." was the reply.

Sandra sighed. This Lieutenant always had a reply ready. "He thinks
he's so smart..." she thought. "I'll show him... someday..." 

When it finally was time for her lunch-brake, Sandra decided to go to
Zaag's for lunc. She didn't really like the food there - it was just
food out of a replicator - but the place had an ambiance that
Starfleet lacked. It was always full of interesting people and alien
cultures. And she liked the bartender too.

She smiled while thinking of Zaag. The Ferengi exploited everyone he
met, he would do anything for profit and he asked way too much
latinum for his synthale, but... Well, Sandra thought he was cute.

She entered Zaag's bar, and looked around. The place was crowded, as
usual, but her chair at the bar was still not taken. "You can say
what you want about Zaag," Sandra thought, "But he sure knows how to
make his regular customers feel welcome." She sat down in her chair,
and waited for Zaag to notice her. 

"Sandra!" Zaag shouted when he saw her. He walked towards her,
pushing some of his waiters and customers aside. "How nice of you to
show up. What can I get you? An Alvanian Brandy?"

"No thanks." Sandra answered. "I have to get back to duty in a few
minutes. But I would like a Tarkalean tea."

"One Tarkalean tea coming up." Zaag said, as he walked to the
replicator. A few moments later he returned with the drink. "Here you
go." He waited a moment before he continued. He seemed to be thinking
about something. "I didn't see you here this moring." he said. "I
kind of expected you'd be here."

"Sorry." Sandra said. "I had to begin early today. We have received a
few weird samples yesterday, so today we had to begin our research.
Don't ask me why we had to research them this early, we just had to.
Researching samples and getting up early apparently go together like
bacon and eggs."

"Sounds interesting, those samples."

"It's quite boring, actually." Sandra laughed. Then, as she
remembered something, she looked more serious. "Although what is
interesting, is that we normally receive information about samples we
are researching. You know, where they were found... those kind of
things. With these samples, we didn't get that information..."

"That is interesting..." Zaag said. "Very interesting..."

There was something about the way Zaag had said that, Sandra felt.
Either Zaag wasn't the least bit interested, and acted - badly - like
he was, or he really was interested, and then there was something
going on Sandra didn't know about. "Why would Zaag be interested in
those samples?" she thought.

"Zaag..." she looked the Ferengi straight into his eyes. "Is there
something going on? Something I need to know?"

Zaag sighed. Then, after a moment, he moved closer to Sandra. "Listen
carefully." he said, whispering. "About those samples..." He paused
for a moment. "I need you help..." 

TO BE CONTINUED

=====================================================================
		  Science Facts by Bram Peeters
=====================================================================
This month there is news from only one week, July 3 - 10, but next
time there will be news from July 10 - August 10. ;-)

July 10 - Shuttle team attempts to recover Atlas 5 boosters

The odds of a successful catch are somewhere between slim and none,
but a space shuttle solid rocket motor retrieval team will sail into
the Atlantic Ocean next week in hopes of snaring the spent boosters
from Lockheed Martin's Atlas 5 rocket.

Full story:
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av003/030710srbretrieval.html

July 10 - Farthest and oldest known planet confirmed

Long before the Earth and sun existed, a Jupiter-sized planet formed
around a sun-like star. Now, 13 billion years later, NASA's Hubble
Space Telescope has precisely measured the mass of this farthest and
oldest known planet, and an international team of scientists has
determined the age and mass of a companion helium white dwarf.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0307/10planet/
See also: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3053165.stm

July 10 - Helios investigators issue interim mishap report

The NASA Mishap Investigation Board that is probing the causes of the
in-flight mishap that led to the loss of the Helios Prototype
solar-electric aircraft June 26 has completed the on-site portion of
their task at the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility on the
Hawaiian island of Kauai, and will now turn towards coming up with a
probable cause of the accident.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0307/10helios/

July 10 - Green light for Moon launch

Europe's first lunar adventure will begin on 28 August when the Smart
1 probe blasts off from Kourou in French Guiana. The move was rubber
stamped on Wednesday at a flight review at the European Space
Agency's research centre in the Netherlands (Estec).

Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3053319.stm

Related links:
Smart 1: http://sci.esa.int/home/smart-1/index.cfm

July 9 - Pluto's atmosphere is expanding, researchers say

Pluto's atmosphere is expanding even as it continues on its long
orbit away from the sun, a team of astronomers report. Scientists
said the new results seem counterintuitive, because observers assumed
Pluto's atmosphere would begin to collapse as it cooled. In fact, the
temperature of Pluto's mostly nitrogen atmosphere has increased
around 1 degree Celsius since it was closest to the sun in 1989.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0307/09pluto/
See also: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3052467.stm

July 9 - Opportunity sees Mars as it navigates through space

NASA's Opportunity spacecraft, the second of twin Mars Exploration
Rovers, has successfully reduced its spin rate as planned and
switched to celestial navigation using a star scanner.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/merb/030709update.html

July 9 - Cosmic evolution: How the Owl Nebula got its shape

Astronomers have assembled the first effective model for both the
shape and evolutionary history of the Owl Nebula, the well-known
planetary nebula in the constellation Ursa Major. Named for its
ghostly similarity to the face of the carnivorous bird of prey, the
Owl Nebula has a complex structure consisting of three concentric
shells.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0307/09owl/

July 8 - Mars Express power glitch a minor annoyance, ESA says

Europe's Mars Express orbiter is now over one month into its marathon
cruise to the Red Planet, and although the ground team has discovered
a few of the probe's quirks in testing, project officials contend the
spacecraft is performing well.

Full story:
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/marsexpress/030708update.html

July 8 - 2003 comet awards announced

An annual award of several thousand dollars for discoveries of comets
by amateur astronomers has just been announced for the fifth
consecutive year.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0307/08cometawards/

July 7 - Milestone for Mars lander

The Beagle 2 lander has passed its first routine "health check" on
the journey to Mars. Engineers made contact with the module at the
weekend to test various systems as it hurtled towards the Red Planet
onboard Mars Express.

Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3050848.stm

Related links:
Mars Express: http://www.esa.int/marsexpresslaunch
Beagle 2: http://www.beagle2.com/project/index.htm

July 7 - Foam impact test blows hole in shuttle wing panel

In a dramatic test that drew startled gasps from onlookers, engineers
fired a chunk of foam insulation at a mockup of a shuttle wing
leading edge Monday, blowing a gaping 16-inch-wide hole in the carbon
composite structure and putting to rest any lingering doubts a
launch-day foam strike was responsible for the Columbia disaster.

Full story:
http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030707impacttest/

See also:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3053336.stm
http://cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/07/07/sprj.colu.shuttle.investigation/

July 7 - Earth's Opportunity rover launched to Mars

Recovering from a last-second cliffhanger delay, NASA finally
launched its second state-of-the-art rover to Mars late Monday,
sending the $400 million "Opportunity" spacecraft on its way atop a
hot-rod Delta 2 rocket that lighted the night sky for dozens of miles
around.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/merb/030707launch.html

See also:
BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3048604.stm
CNN: http://cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/07/07/mars.rover/

Related links:
NASA Mars Exploration Mission (MER): http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/

July 7 - Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 rocket fitted with Rainbow

Fueled and ready to fly, the Rainbow 1 direct-to-home TV broadcasting
satellite was delivered to Lockheed Martin's Atlas 5 assembly
building and mounted atop its rocket launcher Monday for next week's
liftoff from Cape Canaveral.

Full story:
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av003/030707payloadmate.html

July 6 - Space sailing test could launch within months

The Planetary Society's efforts to build and operate the world's
first solar sail are pressing onward for what officials hope will be
a launch before the end of this year.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0307/06solarsail/

July 6 - 'Spacewalk squad' joins humans and robots

Humans and robots worked side-by-side this summer at NASA's Johnson
Space Center in Houston to evaluate the concept of using
human-robotic teams to improve the productivity of astronauts working
outside the International Space Station, other space vehicles, or on
the surface of other planets.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0307/06robonaut/

July 5 - Mars Global Surveyor catches autumn dust storm

Autumn on the martian northern plains means clouds and dust storms.
As autumn got underway in early May, large dust storms began to form
on the northern plains and sweep their way eastward -- and sometimes
southward -- bringing colder air down from the north polar cap, now
shrouded in darkness and clouds.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0307/05duststorm/
See also: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3051548.stm

July 4 - Celestial fireworks

Resembling the puffs of smoke and sparks from a summer fireworks
display in this image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, these
delicate filaments are actually sheets of debris from a stellar
explosion in a neighboring galaxy.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0307/04fireworks/

July 3 - Solar system 'most similar' to our own discovered

Astronomers looking for planetary systems that resemble our own solar
system have found the most similar formation so far. A team has
discovered a planet like Jupiter in orbit round a nearby star that is
very like our own Sun. Among the hundred found so far, this system is
the one most similar to our Solar System.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0307/03planet/
See also: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3041220.stm

July 3 - Minimal data loss expected from SOHO problem

Despite what at first appeared to be a serious problem with the SOHO
solar observatory, engineers have now discovered a way to save the
vast majority of science data that was once believed to have been
lost.

Full story: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0307/03soho/

=====================================================================
             Top Ten Posters in July by Clare Bradley
=====================================================================

#10. Kelley MacKinnon, 12 posts.
(CAL: 9, PS: 3)

#9. Martin Miller, 13 posts. 
(VALK: 3, ODY: 10)

#8. Sandy Alexander, 16 posts. 
(CAL: 16)

#7. Werner Kay, 18 posts. 
(CAL: 17, ODY: 1)

#6. Bram Peeters, 19 posts. (Tie)
(ODY: 4, PS: 15)

#5. Simon Osborn, 19 posts. (Tie)
(CAL: 19)

#4. David Susman, 23 posts.
(ODY: 15, PS: 8)

#3. Laura Elliot, 25 posts. 
(CAL: 25)

#2. Merijn Donders, 30 posts. 
(PS: 30)

AND THE NUMBER ONE POSTER IN JUNE IS:

#1. ADRIAN RODD, 54 POSTS!!!
(VALK: 2, CAL: 31, ODY: 3, PS: 18)

Top Three Posters of the USS Calhoun:
#3. Simon Osborn, 19 posts.
#2. Laura Elliot, 25 posts.
#1. Adrian Rodd, 31 posts.

Top Three Posters of the USS Odyssey:
#3. Dennis Church, David Church, and Kealy Doyle, 9 posts each. 
#2. Martin Miller, 10 posts.
#1. David Susman, 13 posts.

Top Three Posters of the USS Valkyrie:
#3. Clare Bradley, Martin Miller, and Brandon Allard, 3 posts each. 
#2. Jed Cohen, 4 posts. (TIE)
#1. John Wenerowicz, 4 posts. (TIE)

Top Three Posters of Pandora Station:
#3. Bram Peeters 15 posts.
#2. Adrian Rodd, 18 posts.
#1. Merijn Donders, 30 posts.

DutyStation Rankings:
USS Calhoun: 134 posts total.
Pandora Station: 113 posts total.
USS Odyssey: 97 posts total.
USS Valkyrie: 27 posts total.

Fleet Wide Stats:

1. Adrian Rodd, 54. (VALK: 2, CAL: 31, ODY: 3, PS: 18) 
2. Merijn Donders, 30. (PS: 30)
3. Laura Elliot, 25. (CAL: 25)
4. David Susman, 23. (ODY: 15, PS: 8)
5. Simon Osborn, 19. (CAL: 19)
6. Bram Peeters, 19. (ODY: 4, PS: 15)
7. Werner Kay, 18. (CAL: 17, ODY: 1)
8. Sandy Alexander, 16. (CAL: 16)
9. Martin Miller, 13. (VALK: 3, ODY: 10)
10. Kelley MacKinnon, 12. (CAL: 9, PS: 3)
11. Michael Smith, 11. (PS: 11)
12. Guido Dorssers, 9. (VALK: 2, ODY: 7)
13. Dennis Church, 9. (ODY: 9)
14. David Church, 9. (ODY: 9)
15. Kealy Doyle, 9. (ODY: 9)
16. Ben Versteegt, 8. (ODY: 8)
17. Rob Verlinden, 8. (ODY: 8)
18. Tom Shilakes, 8. (VALK: 2, ODY: 6)
19. Ivan Tsoi, 5. (CAL: 5)
20. Cody Ferro, 5. (CAL: 4, PS: 1)
21. Jonathan Hardy, 4. (ODY: 4)
22. Jed Cohen, 4. (VALK: 4)
23. Grant Lile, 4. (PS: 4)
24. Wes Buchanan, 4. (PS: 4)
25. Vincent Raposa, 4. (PS: 4)
26. John Wenerowicz, 4. (VALK: 4)
27. Aaron Delay, 3. (CAL: 3)
28. Clair Walsh, 3. (CAL: 3)
29. Brandon Allard, 3. (VALK: 3)
30. Clare Bradley, 3. (VALK: 3)
31. Mark van der Laan, 2. (VALK: 2)
32. Lauren Ragle, 2. (ODY: 2)
33. John Halligan 2. (PS: 2)
34. Walter Flaat, 2. (PS: 2)
35. Michelle Collette, 2. (PS: 2)
36. Chantal-Marie Sellers, 2. (ODY: 2)
37. Henry Ward, 1. (ODY: 1)
38. Jonas Ljungberg, 1. (PS: 1)
39. Matt Burton, 1. (PS: 1)
40. Linia Siddington, 1. (VALK: 1)
41. Dreamer Jopnes, 1. (VALK: 1)

=====================================================================
                      Member News by Clare Bradley
=====================================================================
-----------
Promotions:
-----------

>From Cadet to Ensign:
ACONN Travian Enar, USS Odyssey, played by David Church
ASCO Frederick Pryce, USS Odyssey, played by Kealy Doyle
ACEO Paul Velden, USS Odyssey, played by Ben Veersteegt

>From Ensign to Lieutenant junior grade:
COUNS Syllvianna T'Parh, USS Calhoun, played by Sandy Alexandra
Luke Callahan, USS Calhoun, played by Laura Elliot

>From Lieutenant Commander to Commander: 
John Hart, USS Calhoun, played by Werner Kay.

----------
Transfers:
----------
Ambassador T'Afek Sarin transferred from Pandora Station to the USS
Calhoun.

--------------------
UpComing Birthdays:
--------------------

June 21 – Mariette Hartley, Zarabeth, Star Trek
June 22 – Tim Russ, Tuvok, Star Trek: Voyager
June 28 – Bruce Davison, Menos, Enterprise
June 30 – Carel Struycken, Mr. Homn, Star Trek: The Next Generation
July 1 - Dominic Keating, Malcolm Reed, Enterprise
July 2 - Brock Peters, Joseph Sisko, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
July 9 - Linda Park, Hoshi Sato, Enterprise
July 13 – Patrick Stewart, Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next
Generation
July 16 – Camille Saviola, Kai Opaka, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
July 21 - Chantal Marie Sellers, COUNS Marie Sellser-Talchan, USS
Odyssey
July 22 – Louise Fletcher, Kai Admoni Winn, Star Trek: Deep Space
Nine
July 26 – Nana Visitor, Kira Nerys, Star Trek: Deep  Space Nine
July 29 – Wil Wheaton, Wesley Crusher, Star Trek: The Next Generation
July 29 – David Warner, Chancellor Gorkon, Star Trek: The
Undiscovered Country

=====
clarerose@yahoo.com
ICQ# 58898832

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