A Salute to the “QIAN Xuesen School” of Systems Engineering

QIAN Xuesen published the article Technology of Organization and Management: Systems Engineering on September 27, 1978, pointing out that systems engineering is the technology of organization and management system that can be applied in all systems. The origin, formation and evolution of the systems engineering theory accompanied QIAN Xuesen's whole life. The systems engineering theory is the concentrated reflection of QIAN's achievements and theory in all aspects.     

Space Development with Chinese Characteristics and its Practical Significance

China's space industry has been developed quickly and consistently setting new records for mankind in space exploration in the past 60 years. Four principles are upheld during its development. Systems engineering and overall thinking have played an important role in the development of China's space industry. What's more, the concept of systems engineering which originated from the space industry, being rooted in society, is a successful example of "Chinese theory" answering "Chinese question" and "Chinese wisdom" guiding "Chinese development", which is a trump card for the country and provides a unique business governance mode with Chinese characteristics.     

From GMES to NOE: a European network for the management of the environment

Space techniques are highly appropriate for collecting the information needed to address the problems of environment and security and Europe has been considering establishing its own autonomous system for this purpose. Two years since the first meeting in Baveno, the consensus has grown that, beyond the numerous positive aspects of the committed approach, the GMES initiative has been hampered, on one hand, by a scientific knowledge deficit of the issues at stake and, on the other hand, by the difficulties for potential stakeholders and consumers of reaping all the benefits of space systems of Earth observation. In order to solve these problems a networking approach involving space and in situ observatories, research centres and stakeholders is proposed.     

航天器污染检测新技术的研究

根据飞行时间二次离子质谱学的新进展,用当代最先进的仪器首次对三种典型的我国地面空间环境模拟污染样品进行了探索性实验研究。结果表明：由于极高的检测灵敏度,具备分析微量航天污染物成分的能力;由于很高的质量分辨本领,具备检测航天污染物包含的所有元素、同位素和各种化合物的指纹鉴别能力;成像分析可获得航天污染物各成分面分布及一定的分层信息,从而可望揭示出各类污染物的形成过程。与国内外现有的各类检测手段相比,飞行时间二次离子质谱是航天污染物检测强有力的一种新手段。讨论了需要进一步研究解决的主要问题,如果能开发出可避免二次污染并分阶段取样、保存样品的装置与之配合,该技术有望在迅速崛起的航天污染系统工程中发展成为一种独具特色的航天污染检测新技术。     

From suborbital space tourism to commercial personal spaceflight

Excellent essays have been recently published on the profitability and the future of space tourism. This paper is intended to supplement the considerations in this field and emphasizes the further potential evolution of commercial personal spaceflights. Indeed, based upon work done at the International Space University (ISU) the oligopolistic character of suborbital space tourism has been linked to marketing and product life cycle (PLC) considerations and has led to the thesis that space tourism as a profitable sector will require a follow-on strategy. Orbital space tourism, on one hand, could become an extension of the PLC but, on the other hand, it is assumed that point-to-point (P2P) commercial space transport will become the long term sustainable market. Without ignoring technical challenges, this paper will mainly concentrate on marketing and commercial aspects of personal spaceflight.     

空间飞行器展开与驱动机构研究进展

空间飞行器展开与驱动机构是空间飞行器机构领域的一个重要组成部分。随着我国航天技术的发展，该项技术有了长足进步，对其设计方法和具体工程问题的研究也日渐深入。本文概述了空间飞行器机构的分类与构成，对展开与驱动机构的国内外研究概况进行了分析。结合工程应用，提出了在系统任务分析与设计中的力矩（力）裕度、精度分配、机构非线性、阻尼控制、热匹配、空间润滑、可靠性分析与试验七个典型工程问题。对这些问题逐一分析了其性质、作用及其对系统的影响，探讨了其研究内容和研究方向。展望了我国空间飞行器展开与驱动机构的发展前景。     

美国卫星公用平台采办模式研究

基于卫星公用平台的卫星设计、制造理念,以卫星公用平台目录作为重要的采办工具,在当今许多国家的卫星采办项目中得以应用。本文在整理美国卫星公用平台目录建设、管理与应用领域的进展情况基础上,特别是研究分析了美国国家航空航天局下属航天器快速发展办公室(RSDO)的运作情况,探讨了我国航天领域卫星公用平台型谱管理与应用的前景和方向,以及专业咨询机构在采办过程中的作用,为进一步深入实践航天产品工程理论提供了新方法、新模式。     

国外深空探测推进技术发展及启示

推进系统为探测器的飞行提供所需的控制力和控制力矩,一定程度上决定了探测器的规模、最远飞行距离,乃至任务的成败,是探测器的重要分系统之一。为满足不同的深空探测任务需求,国外发展了多种形式的推进技术,但总体上仍以化学推进为主,部分采用了电推进系统,并在发展高性能低温推进技术等。对国外典型探测器推进系统进行了叙述,分析了其技术特点和发展趋势,并分别针对无人探测和载人探测应用探讨了对我国开展深空探测推进技术研究的启示。     

航天项目资源效用提升方法思考

文章根据价值工程的管理思想,以提升我国航天项目价值为最终目标,在航天系统工程技术和项目管理的基础上,从资源配置和使用角度对项目最优价值的实现过程进行了项目资源管理实践的总结,得出通过资源效用提升可以更好地实现项目价值的结论,较为系统地提出了航天项目资源效用提升的有效实施方法。     

Application of SDRE technique to orbital and attitude control of spacecraft formation flying

This paper proposes the application of a nonlinear control technique for coupled orbital and attitude relative motion of formation flying. Recently, mission concepts based on the formations of spacecraft that require an increased performance level for in-space maneuvers and operations, have been proposed. In order to guarantee the required performance level, those missions will be characterized by very low inter-satellite distance and demanding relative pointing requirements. Therefore, an autonomous control with high accuracy will be required, both for the control of relative distance and relative attitude. The control system proposed in this work is based on the solution of the State-Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE), which is one of the more promising nonlinear techniques for regulating nonlinear systems in all the major branches of engineering. The coupling of the relative orbital and attitude motion is obtained considering the same set of thrusters for the control of both orbital and attitude relative dynamics. In addition, the SDRE algorithm is implemented with a timing update strategy both for the controller and the proposed nonlinear filter. The proposed control system approach has been applied to the design of a nonlinear controller for an up-to-date formation mission, which is ESA Proba-3. Numerical simulations considering a tracking signal for both orbital and attitude relative maneuver during an operative orbit of the mission are presented.     

A proposed strategy against cost overruns in the space sector: The 5C approach

The space sector has frequently been confronted with cost overruns, with a negative impact on its management reputation. There are many reasons for this effect, the main one being that space development contracts are unique and often do not allow proper cost benchmarking. On the other hand, tools have been developed to minimise this effect and it is important to train future space managers in applying such tools. In the International Space University, such methods are illustrated with workshops, which aim to be as close as possible to reality. This article will describe the different techniques, memo-technically called the 5C approach here, and develop the use of a computerised tool, PRICE, to support these techniques in the different phases of the projects.     

A systems engineering environment for integrated satellite development

Space mission implementation faces a very dynamic environment with fast-paced information technology advancement and shrinking space budgets. A more focused use of decreasing public investments in space requires a cost reduction over their entire life cycle, up to the end of the useful life of a spacecraft. The anticipation of cost, schedule, risk and performance requirements from all over the product life cycle to the early stages of product development is generally recognised as a necessary condition to reduce life cycle cost. In order to cope with the intrinsic functional complexity of space products, such requirements engineering activity must be performed in a structured way within a systems engineering approach. This paper aims to describe how Cradle, a commercial systems engineering environment software package, can be used for integrated satellite development, taking into consideration functional and life cycle process requirements. Cradle has requirements management, system modelling, performance modelling, configuration management and document generation capabilities integrated in the same environment. Also, the paper provides some examples of application and highlights how Cradle can enhance the satellite development related activities performed by the Brazilian Institute for Space Research (INPE).     

俄罗斯空间站推进剂补加程序分析

补加程序是推进剂补加系统的关键技术之一,而目前也仅有俄罗斯有成功应用的经验.根据目前获取的资料,经过计算、仿真和论证,对俄罗斯空间站的补加系统进行了研究,分析了ATV对空间站进行推进剂补加的程序,初步得到了俄罗斯空间站推进剂补加的特点,可作为目前我国空间站方案论证期间补加程序的参考.     

Projecting technology change to improve space technology planning and systems management

Projecting technology performance evolution has been improving over the years. Reliable quantitative forecasting methods have been developed that project the growth, diffusion, and performance of technology in time, including projecting technology substitutions, saturation levels, and performance improvements. These forecasts can be applied at the early stages of space technology planning to better predict available future technology performance, assure the successful selection of technology, and improve technology systems management strategy.Often what is published as a technology forecast is simply scenario planning, usually made by extrapolating current trends into the future, with perhaps some subjective insight added. Typically, the accuracy of such predictions falls rapidly with distance in time. Quantitative technology forecasting (QTF), on the other hand, includes the study of historic data to identify one of or a combination of several recognized universal technology diffusion or substitution patterns. In the same manner that quantitative models of physical phenomena provide excellent predictions of system behavior, so do QTF models provide reliable technological performance trajectories.In practice, a quantitative technology forecast is completed to ascertain with confidence when the projected performance of a technology or system of technologies will occur. Such projections provide reliable time-referenced information when considering cost and performance trade-offs in maintaining, replacing, or migrating a technology, component, or system.This paper introduces various quantitative technology forecasting techniques and illustrates their practical application in space technology and technology systems management.     

Preventing the weaponization of outer space: Is a Chinese-Russian-European common approach possible?

Preventing the weaponization of outer space is one of the most relevant issues of the current space law debate. In recent years discussions on this issue have significantly increased in international fora, such as the UN Conference on Disarmament and the COPUOS. While it has not been possible to arrive at an agreed solution on how to efficiently deal with the problem of possible weaponization of outer space so far, several valuable proposals have been put forward. China and Russia, on the one side, and the European Union, on the other, have taken the lead in this respect. While the former have submitted a proposal for a draft treaty on the demilitarization of outer space, known as the PPWT, the latter has issued a Draft Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities. Despite the differences between the two proposals, this paper proposes the development of a Chinese, Russian and European common approach aimed at preventing the weaponization of outer space. Although such a goal is undoubtedly challenging, some political and legal factors may enable such cooperation in the not-too-distant future.     

航天工程多态全息模型及应用

以我国航天工程研制特点和数字化需求为出发点，构建涵盖航天工程全周期、全系统的数据体系，提出航天工程多态全息模型的概念及具体组成，实现了包含全要素信息的完整产品数字化定义；构建航天工程全生命周期模型体系，体系化地表达了多态全息模型在任务层、系统层和功能层随时间的动态演化过程，以及相互耦合关系；开发了多态全息模型集成系统，并在典型的航天型号中开展了实践，初步形成了架构驱动的协同研制模式和数据驱动的产品状态管理模式，提升了研制效率效益，为其他领域复杂系统工程的应用提供了参考。     

载人航天器安全性概率算法

本文从载人航天的工程实际出发，对载从航天器的安全性定义、安全性模型、安全性和可靠性之间的关系进行了深入的讨论。通过全状态事件树分析，给出了载人航天器安全性分析模型，并在此基础上推导出了载人航天器安全性概率算法公式。最后，通过宇航界一个载人航天器实例，说明了该方法的具体应用。     

空间机械臂技术及发展建议

空间机械臂是一个机、电、热、控一体化的高集成度的空间机电系统。文章概述了国内外该技术的发展情况;论述了空间机械臂在目标监视与观测、在轨试验和建设、行星与深空探测三个方面的任务;讨论了系统构成与功能。结合工程应用,提出了空间生存与性能保持、空间驱动与伺服、空间建标与测量、天地协同控制与示教、地面仿真训练与环境模拟五项关键技术。文章还对我国在该技术领域的发展思路提出了建议,并展望了我国空间机械臂技术的发展前景。     

The EVA space suit development in Europe

The progress of the European EVA space suit predevelopment activities has resulted in an improved technical reference concept, which will form the basis for a start of the Phase C/D development work in 1992. Technology development work over the last 2 years has resulted in a considerable amount of test data and a better understanding of the characteristics and behaviour of individual parts of the space suit system, in particular in the areas of suits' mobility and life support functions. This information has enabled a consolidation of certain design features on the one hand, but also led to the challenging of some of the design solutions on the other hand. While working towards an improved situation with respect to the main design drivers mass and cost, the technical concept has been improved with respect to functional safety and ease of handling, taking the evolving Hermes spaceplane requirements into consideration. Necessary hardware and functional redundancies have been implemented taking the operational scenario with Hermes and Columbus servicing into consideration. This paper presents the latest design status of the European EVA space suit concept, with particular emphasis on crew safety, comfort and productivity, in the frame of the predevelopment work for the European Space Agency.