Blackbird returns

Apparently I have been away for a while.  Blackbird has not been active on this blog for six years.  A lot has happened in that time.  The world of radio communication has changed. The world of amateur radio has progressed into the digital age, but the story of the Blackbird satellite remains the same.  There are more indications that the Blackbird constellation has been deployed, and the single satellite that was recovered in the story by the teens and their air force pilots has been replaced by multiple satellites with capabilities that only on the verge of imagination 6 years ago.  Cell phones were in there infancy still, and now they are ubiquitous.  There has been some concern in the computing world that the laws of increasing speed of the computers has not been followed.  Computers are no longer doubling their speed every 18 months as they had been for a decade.  But the digital transmissions on the internet have increased exponentially.  Broadband networks and broadband service with cable internet, fiber optic internet, and DSL have nearly completely made the dial-up telephone modem obsolete.  Yes, there are a few computer users who still rely on the dialup service, but the data transfers are limited.
     For those of you who have read the book, BLACKBIRD, the characters have moved on to the next adventure.  The space shuttle program has been mothballed, and all of the shuttles are in museums.  The only access the USA astronauts have to low earth orbit on the ISS is the Russian Proton rocket system and Soyuz vehicles.  American rocket science is progressing, but the current launches of Space X Dragon rockets only are verified for supplies to ISS and not yet rated for human transport.  There  have been 54 Expedition crews on the ISS, and the current crew of 3 Americans, 2 Russians, and one Japanese astronaut.
     There has still been no report of the Blackbird constellation on the usual media.  Even though Matryoshka has been present on the station for more than 6 years, there has been no report of its activities, missions, or any problems concerning its flight characteristics.  The Air Force is still denying all knowledge of such a craft.
    For those of you who are interested in following up on the secret satellite programs, there has been a new development in the world of radio listening.  Recently it was discovered that a simple chipset in a computer dongle used in remote areas for television reception has been found to be capable of receiving a wide range of radio signals.  The frequency range of the typical chipset is 24 MHz through 2 GHz, continuously, but newer versions of the chipset have been found to receive broadcasts  from the 1KHz through 2 GHz range.  The modes of transmission able to be received by this dongle include all FM, FM stereo, Narrow Band FM, AM, Upper Sideband, Lower Sideband, Double Sideband, and a host of digital communications.  The device is termed: Software Defined Radio, and the programs that run on the standard Windows or Apple computer are able to resolve and decode the radio signals with accuracy never before obtained at a fraction of the cost of similar conventional radio receivers.  These dongles can be obtained for sale on the internet, and the software to decode the signals is either free or inexpensive.  It now may be the time to scan frequencies commonly used for satellite command, control, and communication to be able to determine the nature of the Blackbird constellation described in the story six years ago.  Good luck with the listening.
     It is not well known, but there is an unabridged version of the Blackbird story that includes details not published in the first edition.  That version contains an additional three hundred pages of details concerning the exact mechanism of discovery of Blackbird, the nature of the cellphone systems at the time, and the background of the characters in the story.
     Each of the characters has moved into the next chapter of their life.  Major Tom has passed on to eternity, with a final word, solemnly written on his grave marker: "I expected this, but not just yet."
Christopher and Leonardo completed their college degrees; Chris in aeronautical engineering, and Leo in astrophysics, as that just made the most sense to him.  Honoria continued with a degree in electrical engineering and communications science, and is currently working on a deep space communications project in support of the Mars Cycler system of transport to the planet Mars.  Chris has been working on a project to use computers to detect folds in space, with the ultimate goal of using the information to shorten space travel time between planets and other star systems.  In his words: "You have to start somewhere."
     More to come.  Dr. John

Welcome to the REAL WORLD

 This is the Gemini 12 Team, Including Griffin, Lovell, Cernan, and Gordon.

 Astronaut Alan Bean, moonwalker.

 Apollo Astronaut Richard Gordon and Mercury Astronaut Scott Carpenter.

 John Kovac with the Explorer Space Shuttle, and a copy of my BLACKBIRD.

     There is a fine line between fact and fiction, as I have stated before.  I have had the good fortune to be able to meet with over 35 astronauts in the USA's real space program. These great American heroes have been part of the space program all the way back to the Mercury program and even before that.  The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation event at Kennedy Space Center was a tremendous success, honoring the crew and support staff for the 45th anniversary of the Gemini 12 mission.  This was the prelude to the first Apollo space craft, and ultimately the success of the Apollo program depended on the Gemini flights.  There are thousands of pages written about the space program over the past 50 years, but nothing can compare to sitting down to a nice dinner, or breakfast, and listening to the stories told by those people who have literally gone where few others have gone before.  I felt it an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to join in the celebration of the success of the space program of all those years ago.

Star Roamer 1962

I was going through my photos of days gone by and found this black and white photo of the original Star Roamer Shortwave Radio that I built in 1962.  That project helped to inspire the chapter about Kansas in 1960. This is the only known photograph of MY radio.  I will keep looking.

Blackbird Artifacts

The past weekend was a tremendous opportunity to present Blackbird to many of my ham radio colleagues who also have had interest in the space program over the years.  The HamCon 2011 in Torrance, California was a huge success for all who attended, but for me it was the first time I could see how important my passion for ham radio and the space program is shared by so many others.  The South Bay area of Los Angeles played a major part in the space program over the past 50 years.  There is no more fitting place to launch the story Blackbird then here in the heart of that space technology boom.  It was a joy to speak with many hams who purchased the novel, and I am truly honored to have autographed the book for them. 

Here is another blast from the past that contributed to the chapter that begins: Kansas 1960

This is a page from the Allied Radio Shack Catalog that carried the advertisement for the Star Roamer Kitset Shortwave radio that was the trigger to the whole idea of shortwave listening and amateur radio as a lifelong interest.  The description of the assembly of the radio in the Blackbird story is accurate as I remember it.  The radio traveled with me to college, had a BFO (beat frequency oscillator) constructed as an addition later to allow resolution of sideband ham radio transmissions, and continued to be a source of world news for me right through my college years in Nebraska.  The fictional part of the Star Roamer story is the part about Major Tom helping repair the radio.  I actually repaired the radio myself, and my real father had no particularly good understanding of electronics at all.  His primary hobby interest was Model Railroading.

You never know how close to the truth a novel may get.  These entries are designed to be small windows into the background of the story as it has evolved over the past 50 years.  Enjoy the ride!

Blackbird flies

Here we are, nearly 4 months after publication of BLACKBIRD, and I continue to be totally amazed as the response to the story.  For those of you who read the book here are some comments:

There is a little bit of the author in every one of the characters.

I am 83 years old, and thought all of my adventures were over. But now I renewed my ham radio license and dusted off the old ham radio equipment for the start of the rest of my life!  Thanks for the motivation!

Where did you get all of that technical detail?

I told my wife to read the last line:  "Are you ready for another adventure?"  When is the next one coming?

This weekend is the HamCon 2011 Amateur Radio Convention in Torrance California at the Marriott Hotel on Fashion Circle in Torrance.  I will be there with my books, and a lot of stories to tell.  You can also read about the book in the Beach Reporter, September 8, 2011 edition. 

I am looking forward to the next adventure, too.  Who knows? We may see it on the big screen one day!

John

Blackbird wings

   Another month has passed, and Blackbird continues to fly.  There are a host of things to discuss regarding that story, but there are two comments from readers that I would like to address.  One comes from a good friend and exercise partner who recently completed reading the story.  He says, "there is a little bit of you in each of the characters."  That is an amazingly kind thing to say; something every author wants to hear.  It means someone else has seen your heart and soul in the story.  The other reader absolutely made my month!  He is 83 and also a friend and acquaintance for more than 20 years.  He said, "I am getting on in years, and was looking for some motivation in my life.  I read the story, Blackbird, and it immediately triggered my desire to have that adventure back in my life, so I renewed my expired ham radio license with the FCC."  And he came over to show me his new license.  THAT is one of the reasons I wrote the story.  There is a place for everyone in amateur radio. The multiple modes of communication can appeal to the youngest and oldest among us.  We shall see what the future brings, but I am sure of one thing:  IT WILL BE AN ADVENTURE!

Venus Flower Basket

I have not written here for a while, as I have been at work, still thinking about Blackbird and some of the details of the story.  I thought it would be interesting to reveal some of where the ideas for the Matryoshka construction came from.  In the story, General Craig explains to his men that the stealth system of the Matryoshka shuttle came from research into the Venus Flower Basket sponge from deep sea.  Here is a brief comment concerning that, with the web citation at the end, just in case you get the bug to read more about this interesting organism:

Fiber-Optic Wonder

by Ruth Tenzer Feldman

Joanna Aizenberg, a scientist and one of Earth's most complex multicellular animals, entered a San Francisco store and encountered the elegant remains of Euplectella speciosa—a deep-sea sponge and one of Earth's simplest multicellular animals. Scientist and sponge might one day revolutionize fiber-optic cables, the thread weaving together our wired world.
Fiber-optic cables are basically bundled strands of optical fibers—filaments of glass and reflective cladding that transmit coded light. These fibers are crafted under high heat using expensive equipment. Because the fibers are not very flexible, the cable is hard to install and repair, and is prone to minute cracks.
The sponge Aizenberg encountered—called Venus's flower basket and other names—transmits light through resilient, flexible glass fibers made at sea temperature. Aizenberg and her colleagues aim to find out how.
Venus's flower basket is a type of hexactinellid or glass sponge whose skeleton is composed of needlelike spicules of silica. The sponge uses proteins to collect and arrange silica particles into hairlike glass fibers two to three inches long. Traces of sodium are added, making the glass fiber better able to conduct light. Organic material and concentric shells of glass encase the fibers for protection. According to Aizenberg, “You could tie [the fibers] in tight knots and, unlike commercial fiber, they would still not crack.”
This sponge lives in tropical waters and anchors itself to the ocean floor. It likely gathers luminescent (light-emitting) organisms and turns itself into a “fiber-optic lamp” to attract the plankton that it eats. Seeking protection from predators, other creatures live inside this cuplike sponge with a lattice top. Often, a mating pair of shrimp will swim in and remain for the rest of their lives.
As scientists like Aizenberg realize, connectivity means more than communication among humans. There's a sea of information to be learned when we connect with the unwired world as well.

http://www.eduplace.com/science/hmsc/6/f/cricket/ckt_6f172.shtml