CENAP Infoline - no 063

Magazine Overview

Title: cenap-infoline
Issue: nr. 63
Date: August 6, 1997

This issue of cenap-infoline, a German-language publication focusing on UFOs and related phenomena, features a variety of articles covering space exploration, astronomical discoveries, and alleged unexplained events.

Mars Chronicles: Part 3

The "Mars Chronicles" continue with updates from the Mars missions. On July 30th, the 'Sojourner' rover on Mars experienced a programming error that caused it to miss its wake-up call and oversleep, leading to the cancellation of its planned exploration of a rock named 'Matterhorn'. The rover eventually became active when its solar cells were warmed by the sun, but it did not immediately follow commands. On August 2nd, NASA's Pathfinder probe discovered what appeared to be a piece of debris on the Martian surface, later identified by photo-expert Michael Malin as the discarded landing craft of the Mars probe itself, measuring approximately 2.40x1.80 meters. A NASA meteorologist also provided the first Mars weather report, with a high of -13 degrees Celsius and a low of -78 degrees Celsius, and warned of potential heavy dust storms in the autumn.

Crop Circles at Altrip/Pfalz

This section details the appearance of crop circles in a cornfield near Altrip, Germany, during the night of July 3rd/4th. CENAP (presumably a UFO research organization) was alerted by concerned bus passengers. The affected field was easily visible from the road. CENAP visited the site two days later, noting that a form of 'crop circle tourism' had already begun. The article describes the crop circles as having simple designs and notes the presence of holes in the center, possibly from 'center poles', and less neat edges compared to English crop circles. Some stalks were found to be bent, suggesting 'brute force'. The article also mentions crop circles appearing near Oggersheim, the hometown of the German Chancellor, and speculates they might be a prank by students. The farmer reported significant damage to his crop, estimating the loss at DM 15,000.

UFOs were USAF Jets: A Detailed Report

This article, based on a report by historian Gerald Haines, suggests that the fear and secrecy surrounding the Cold War significantly influenced the US military's and intelligence agencies' stance on UFOs. Haines, a historian at the National Reconnaissance Office, examined CIA documents from 1947 to 1990. He found that a CIA study group in 1952 expressed concern that the 'flying saucer' hysteria could negatively impact the US air defense system by confusing 'actual targets' with phantom UFOs. A 1953 committee of scientists concluded there was no credible evidence for extraterrestrial UFOs. Haines states that in 1956, the US Air Force determined that in 96 cases, alleged UFO sightings were actually US spy planes like the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird. The article notes that the U-2's original silvery hull reflected sunlight, making it appear as a glowing object from the ground, while later these aircraft were painted black. Haines believes the UFO topic will persist due to the emotional weight of the belief in extraterrestrial life and the deep-seated distrust in government.

Summer Hole Stories

Alien Voices?

A brief mention of exclusive tapes allegedly containing voices of alien beings, available via a premium-rate phone number, is dismissed as a "meanest joke" and "worst taste."

A Monster in the Everglades?

Over a dozen people, including a forest ranger, a fire chief, and six British tourists, reported seeing a bipedal creature in the swamps of Florida. Described as having glowing red eyes, shaggy black hair, and a brown, furry body, it was seen in the Big Cypress National Park, west of Miami. One witness, tour guide Don Roward, called it a mix of human and ape. Firefighter Vince Doerr stated it ran across the road in front of him. The police declined to launch a search, with the article noting that local indigenous people may have had legends about such creatures.

Crop Circles in the Netherlands

A Dutch farmer in the provinces of Drenthe and Zeeland placed a sign in his cornfield prohibiting UFOs to prevent crop circles, which had appeared multiple times. The article attributes these to 'ufologists' believing they are landing sites for extraterrestrials.

Science & Technology

Most Distant Galaxy Discovered

An international team of astronomers, using the Hubble Space Telescope and the W.M. Keck Telescope, has discovered the most distant galaxy yet, located 13 billion light-years away. This galaxy, observed as bright, dense knots of star formation, is believed to be one of the youngest in the universe and is ten times brighter than the Milky Way.

"Father of Comets" is Dead

Eugene Shoemaker, a renowned US astronomer known for co-discovering Comet Shoemaker-Levy, died at the age of 69 in a car accident in Australia. His wife, Carolyn, was injured in the crash.

MORGEN Section

Pioneer of the Skies Turns 85

An article celebrates the 85th birthday of Ludwig Bölkow, an engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur, who was a pioneer in German aviation and aerospace. He was involved in the development of the first jet-powered fighter aircraft during World War II and was a co-founder of Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm GmbH. He continues to work on renewable energy solutions.

Hollywood in Space: MIR Station to Become Film Studio

Director Juri Kara plans to film a movie titled "The Grand Prize: A Trip to Space" on the MIR space station next year. The crew will launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, and permission has been granted. The article also mentions ongoing repairs to a hole in the MIR station, with the spacewalk postponed due to crew exhaustion. Russian cosmonaut Wassili Ziblijew is suffering from heart rhythm disturbances.

"Mir" Spacecraft Visible Tonight

An announcement informs readers that the Russian space station "Mir" will be visible to the naked eye shortly after 11 PM, moving from west to east. The transport module "Progress M-3.5" and the "Sojus-TM-26" capsule will follow on the same trajectory.

Giant Bang in Space - Two Giant Stars Collided

Scientists have observed a "star crash" for the first time, occurring 17 million light-years away. The event, described as an unprecedented explosion of energy and debris, involved two dying stars, each with eight times the mass of our sun. The light from this cosmic collision will be visible from Earth in 2005.

Spaceflight Section

"Remote Agents" Conquer Space

NASA is developing new software called "Remote Agents" that will allow spacecraft to operate almost autonomously. The first agent will control the "Deep Space 1" probe, part of the "New Millennium Program." This agent will include a "Planner" to set operational sequences, an "Engineer" to diagnose system errors, and a "Manager" to execute plans. The "Deep Space 1" probe will also feature revolutionary analysis equipment, including a mini-spectrometer for chemical analysis, and will be powered by an ion engine using xenon atoms.

"Deep Space 1" Mission Profile

A diagram shows the trajectory of the "Deep Space 1" probe, which is scheduled to launch in July 1998. It will travel to the asteroid McAuliffe, then to a comet, and finally to Mars. The probe is designed to be lightweight, weighing 429 kilograms, and equipped with miniaturized cameras and analysis devices.

Glowing Droplet

Scientists at the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR) are using a strong electromagnetic field to levitate a glowing sphere of liquid nickel at 1500 degrees Celsius. This process, conducted in the "Tempus" facility on the European Spacelab, aims to investigate the production of high-purity, novel alloys. The technology will be used during a 16-day mission aboard the US Space Shuttle Columbia.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently covers topics related to UFOs, space exploration, and unexplained phenomena. There's a clear interest in both historical UFO cases and contemporary space missions. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on these phenomena, often with a critical or skeptical eye, particularly regarding the origins of UFOs and the potential for hoaxes (as seen with the crop circles). The inclusion of historical analysis, such as the report on US spy planes, suggests an effort to provide context and debunk sensational claims. The publication also highlights scientific advancements in astronomy and space technology, indicating a broad interest in the cosmos and humanity's exploration of it.