12/27/19: paper, etc.

HA provided some comments on RS's draft.

DB needs to contact the person providing the data to get a citation for it.

HA recommended changing something so as to avoid citing Wikipedia.

The figures have rather small font in them. We discussed if this is ok.

DB needs to send RS the name of a potential reviewer.

Congratulations to HA on becoming a US citizen! And a grandpa!

MH's thesis has been drafted and is now undergoing revisions.

12/20/19: Paper based on VB thesis, etc.

1. Status: MH thesis.

2. We can discuss the paper we have been going through. We've done up to first paragraph of section 3 of Funk and Magee. Here is the next paragraph from Funk and Magee:

4. A paper based on VB's thesis: Here are some figures from RS based on VB's thesis that could be used: https://dberleant.github.io/RS.pdf. Let us discuss.

12/13/2019: Moving into winter break

• VB thesis status.
• MH thesis status.
• Paper based on VB thesis? If so what is the message of the paper? VB leaves on Dec. 26  until late January. RS suggests targeting WMSCI for the paper. He would like the thesis with the figures de-colorized, and would like the 4 excel data files labeled with independent and dependent columns.

Option A: Simply condense VB's thesis into a paper

Option B: Add some statistical analyses to VB's thesis figures for paper.

Option C: Build a paper based on the following outline:

Here are the key questions we could address in the paper, based in
part on what VB has found out in his thesis.

1) To what extent does it matter whether you measure lifespan in
years, in months, or in days? He has graphs showing curves based on
each of those time granularities.

2) What is the difference, if any, between
(i) measuring lifespan from launch date to SATCAT Status Date, and
(ii) measuring lifespan from launch date to death date (which we got
directly from McDowell as unpublished data).

3) What is the difference between measuring
(i) lifespan vs. launch date,
(ii) lifespan vs. SATCAT Status Date, and
(iii) lifespan vs. death date?

4) VB has some graphs that preliminarily address the question of
lifespans of US satellites vs. lifespans of Soviet satellites. This is
an extension of the article we just published.

5) If we apply error bounds to the curves in the just-published
article in The Space Review, does it strengthen the conclusion (USSR
started ahead but US improved faster) or muddy the waters?

Perhaps not all of these questions are addressable with the error bounds
RS proposes to apply. I don't know. I am interested to hear
thoughts on where to go next with this problem statement.

12/6/19: The just-published article, plus statuses

• The space race article. Let's read the comments and discuss.
• VB thesis status.
• MH thesis status. We decided that the published papers therein would best be contained as appendices, and references to them should give both the standard citation and a note that they are also in the appendices, as in (Authorlastname 2019, reprinted in Appendix C herein). It is not necessary to send the slides ahead of the defense per official rules but the committee would like him to do it anyway. 
• Paper based on VB thesis? RS would need the raw data, but first, we need to strategize on the message of the paper. The plan is to get the message settled and know what data we need from VB and get the data from him before he leaves on Dec. 26 since he won't be back until late January. DB will initiate an email thread on the paper and its message soon to get the process started. RS would like to target WMSCI for the paper. RS requests the latest final copy of the thesis which VB will send.
• We did not read an discuss any of the paper we have been going through. (Up to first paragraph of section 3 of Funk and Magee.)

Another paragraph from Funk and Magee: