CENAP Infoline - no 068

Magazine Overview

This issue of cenap-infoline, number 68, is dated December 23, 1997. It is published by CENAP and is in German. The magazine critically examines UFO-related news and publications, often with a skeptical or analytical tone.

Cover Story: DR. FRANKENSTEIN ?

The main cover story, "DR. FRANKENSTEIN ?", focuses on a controversial article from "UFO-Nachrichten" (UFO News) Nr. 331 (Sept./Oct. 1997) by Hartwig Hausdorf. The article discusses a mysterious relic from the 18th century, a preserved fetus housed in a small museum in East Germany, which Hausdorf allegedly presents as evidence of alien-human hybrid experiments. The cenap-infoline author, identified as 'hkc', expresses dismay at what they perceive as sensationalism and speculation, criticizing authors like Peter Krassa, Walter J. Langbein, and Armin Risi for contributing to what they call 'ufological confusion'. The author hopes for more facts and less speculation in UFO research in 1998, referencing the 'Alien Autopsy' film as an example of past sensationalism.

The article "Geheimnisvolles Relikt aus dem 18. Jahrhundert" (Mysterious Relic from the 18th Century) presents the case, questioning if it represents a hybrid being between extraterrestrials and humans or a historical abduction case. An accompanying image shows Hartwig Hausdorf with the specimen, described as a 'Hühnermensch' (Chicken-human).

Other Articles and News Items

Science & Technology News

• Pannenserie im All - geht's wieder los? (Series of Mishaps in Space - Is It Starting Again?): Reports on the Russian space station "Mir" experiencing computer failures due to power problems. Cosmonauts managed to restart the system, but the old computer had crashed four times in a month.
• Früher schien auf die Erde kein Mond (Earlier, Earth Seemed to Have No Moon): New calculations by scientists at the University of Michigan suggest Earth existed for its first 50 million years without a moon. They dated the moon to 4.51 billion years old, slightly younger than Earth (4.57 billion years).
• Neue Galaxie ein Klecks im All (New Galaxy a Blot in Space): British and French scientists discovered a new galaxy ten million light-years away, nicknamed "Le blob" (The Blob) due to its appearance. The discovery was made using a new instrument at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh.
• Columbia-Crew birgt Satelliten (Columbia Crew Recovers Satellite): Two astronauts from the space shuttle Columbia, Winston Scott and Takao Doi, successfully retrieved the runaway satellite "Spartan" after it went out of control following its deployment.
• Hier fährt der schnellste Zug der Welt (Here Travels the World's Fastest Train): Introduces Japan's "Nozomi 500" Shinkansen train, capable of speeds up to 370 km/h, designed with aerodynamics inspired by the kingfisher bird. It is part of Japan's infrastructure program for the 1998 Olympics in Nagano.
• Gab es doch kein Leben auf dem Mars? (Was There No Life on Mars After All?): Geologists from Atlanta are questioning the findings of NASA regarding potential Martian life. John Bradley and colleagues suggest that supposed fossilized microorganisms found in a Martian meteorite are actually inorganic carbon crystals, not evidence of biological activity.
• 6000 Meter in die Tiefe (6000 Meters Deep): A team of geologists discovered the steepest cliff ever recorded in an oceanic rift system between South Africa and Antarctica, dropping from 150 meters to 6000 meters.
• Herrje, mein Ballon ist ohne mich geflogen... (Oh dear, my balloon flew away without me...): Richard Branson's attempt to circumnavigate the Earth non-stop by balloon failed again when his balloon detached and flew away before he could board.
• Elektronen auch vom Jupiter (Electrons Also from Jupiter): Scientists have confirmed that Jupiter, like the Sun, bombards Earth with electrons that can cause power outages and damage satellites. These electrons originate from Jupiter's magnetic field and travel towards Earth at near light speed.
• Meteorit? Vier Kinder Im Haus verbrannt (Meteorite? Four Children Burned in House): A suspected meteorite impact in Colombia is believed to have caused a house fire that killed four children. The impact left a hole in the roof with sulfur traces.
• Waldbrand war Mondlicht (Forest Fire Was Moonlight): A false alarm in Rodenbach, Germany, where a woman reported a forest fire, which turned out to be caused by the rising moon.
• Mond mit Laser vermessen (Moon Measured with Laser): An international research team precisely measured the distance to the Moon (381,000 km) with an error of only 2.5 cm using lasers and mirrors, to test Einstein's theory of relativity.
• "Mir" - wie eine uralte Garage voller Gerümpel ("Mir" - Like an Ancient Garage Full of Junk): Astronaut Michael Foale describes the Russian space station "Mir" as cluttered and chaotic, especially after a collision with a transport vehicle that caused a hull breach, computer failure, and fire.
• GALILEO-MISSION Vulkanausbruch auf Jupitermond lo (GALILEO MISSION Volcanic Eruption on Jupiter's Moon Io): The Galileo probe has detected significant volcanic activity on Jupiter's moon Io, identifying a large dark spot near the volcano Pillan Patera.
• MARS-MISSIONEN Pathfinder sendet nicht mehr (MARS MISSIONS Pathfinder No Longer Sends): NASA has ended the Pathfinder mission after the Mars probe stopped transmitting. The mission, along with the Sojourner rover, was considered a great success.
• System fehlerhaft (System Faulty): The German-Russian robot "Inspector", deployed from the Mir space station, became inoperable due to navigation system failure, and the crew had to abandon attempts to fix it.
• Solargenerator ausgewechselt (Solar Generator Replaced): Russian cosmonauts Anatoli Solowjow and Pawel Winogradow replaced a solar generator on the Mir space station that had failed to deploy automatically, resolving the station's energy problems.

Other Mentions

• Lese-Tip: Recommends books: "Fliegender Pfannkuchen" (Flying Pancake) from Flug-Revue 1-1998, GEO-MAGAZIN 1/1998, and Uli Thieme's "50 Jahre-Roswell - Ein Mythos stürzt ab" (50 Years-Roswell - A Myth Collapses).
• KAUF IN MOLDAWIEN MiG-29 für die US Air Force: The USA purchased 21 MiG-29 aircraft from Moldova, ostensibly to prevent them from falling into the hands of nations like Iran, but possibly for training purposes.
• AEROSPATIALE Hyperschallrakete im Test: Aérospatiale is developing hypersonic missiles, with a first test of the DHV (Démonstrateur Hyper Véloce) conducted several months prior.
• Flexus von Dornier: Dornier's Flexus satellite systems have been ordered by NASA.

"Diva" auf dem Weg ins All?

This article details the development of a small satellite named "Diva" by scientists from Heidelberg's Astronomical Calculation Institute and the Landessternwarte on Königstuhl. Led by Dr. Ulrich Bastian, the project aims to precisely measure the positions and distances of ten million stars and their brightness with unprecedented accuracy. "Diva" is planned for a two-year mission, starting around 2002, and is expected to be significantly more powerful than the ESA's Hipparcos satellite. Its findings will help map the Milky Way and the universe, potentially leading to the discovery of planets around nearby stars. "Diva" also serves as a precursor to a larger ESA project planned for 2015. The development involves several studies focusing on optics, control, data transmission, and system integration, with a budget of approximately 400,000 Mark for the next six months of work. Funding for the overall project, estimated at 600,000 Mark, is not yet fully secured, but support is anticipated.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently exhibits a critical and analytical approach to UFO phenomena, often questioning sensationalist claims and emphasizing the need for factual evidence. There's a clear distinction made between speculative UFO literature and scientific endeavors in astronomy and space exploration. The editorial stance appears to favor rigorous scientific investigation over unsubstantiated theories, as seen in the critique of Hausdorf's work and the balanced reporting of space agency news. The publication also seems to be a platform for sharing news and research from various scientific fields, not solely focused on UFOs, as evidenced by the inclusion of articles on trains, geology, and ballooning.