Phobos-Grunt: Russian sample return mission

As an important milestone in the exploration of Mars and small bodies, a new generation space vehicle “Phobos-Grunt” is planned to be launched by the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. The project is optimized around a Phobos sample return mission and follow up missions targeted to study some main asteroid belt bodies, NEOs and short period comets. The principal constraint is use of the “Soyuz-Fregat” rather than the “Proton” launcher to accomplish these challenging goals. The vehicle design incorporates innovative SEP technology involving electrojet engines that allowed us to increase significantly the mission's energetic capabilities, as well as highly autonomous on-board systems. Basic criteria underlining the “Phobos-Grunt” mission scenario, scientific objectives and rationale including Mars observations during the vehicle's insertion into Mars orbit and Phobos approach maneuvers, are discussed and an opportunity for international cooperation is suggested.     

一种火星多模式组合探测任务设想

针对火星探测科学发现及任务创新需求,探索更先进的探测模式,提出了一种火星多模式组合探测任务设想。该任务设想的特点在于结合了轨道环绕、表面着陆、多点穿透和浮空探测,获取立体多层多源信息,一次任务实现深度科学探测。对火星开展多模式组合探测,不仅会开拓更加具有优势的火星探测新方式,发展新的探测能力和技术,也会加深对火星的全面了解,提高探测活动的综合效果。多模式探测设想不仅适用于火星,对金星、土星等地外天体探测也有很好的支撑作用。     

美国2020火星车着陆区遴选进展及对2020中国火星任务着陆探测部分的一些思考

总结了近20年来火星探测的重要发现以及生命、气候和地质3个方面尚未解决的关键科学问题;介绍了美国国家航空航天局(NASA)2020火星探测任务的科学目标、科学载荷和着陆区选择的工程条件限制,并重点分析了经过3次着陆区选择研讨会,上百位行星科学家投票选取的排名前3的预选着陆区的地质情况。在此基础上,提出了对我国2020年火星任务的着陆探测部分的一些思考,并根据不同的任务目标(聚焦生命、气候和地质问题;支持载人火星探测的资源勘察;工程技术验证)提出了3个候选着陆区。     

“天问一号”火星探测器关键任务系统设计

“天问一号”任务是我国行星探测的首次任务,在国际上首次通过一次任务实现了火星“环绕、着陆、巡视”的三步跨越.“天问一号”探测器由中国空间技术研究院负责抓总研制,包括环绕器和着陆巡视器两个组成部分.对“天问一号”探测器的任务特点和概貌进行了介绍,对包括飞行过程、远距离深空通信、火星捕获过程、火星进入下降及着陆过程、火星车解锁驶离和火面工作等关键环节的设计方案进行了描述,对“天问一号”所取得的技术成果与创新进行了总结.     

载人小行星探测的总体方案设想

载人探测近地小行星的工程规模和技术难度介于载人探月和载人火星探测之间,是人类开展载人火星探测和飞向更遥远深空的跳板,对于航天技术的发展和科学问题的探索有着极其重要的意义。在调研国外载人小行星探测方案设想的基础上,结合我国航天技术现状和发展趋势,提出了一种载人小行星探测的总体方案设想,并梳理了载人小行星探测的关键技术。研究成果可以作为我国载人小行星探测任务论证和设计的有益参考。     

火星空间环境磁场探测研究——高精度磁强计

萤火一号卫星将对火星空间环境磁场实施探测。火星磁场对火星弓激波、磁鞘、电离层、大气等绝大多数空间环境效应都具有重要影响,萤火一号对火星磁场的探测是通过搭载于其上的科学载荷磁强计来实现的。此磁强计在工作原理及具体设计上,考虑了火星轨道严酷的工作环境和科学目标所需的测量要求。通过装星前的地面标定测试,验证了萤火一号磁强计可以在-130～75℃温度范围内测量±256nT以内的磁场,分辨率可达到0.01 nT,带宽内总噪声小于0.03 nT,能够满足萤火一号对火星空间环境探测的需求。     

Planetary protection program for Mars 94/96 mission.

Mars surface in-situ exploration started in 1975 with the American VIKING mission. Two probes landed on the northern hemisphere and provided, for the first time, detailed information on the martian terrain, atmosphere and meteorology. The current goal is to undertake larger surface investigations and many projects are being planned by the major Space Agencies with this objective. Among these projects, the Mars 94/96 mission will make a major contributor toward generating significant information about the martian surface on a large scale. Since the beginning of the Solar System exploration, planets where life could exist have been subject to planetary protection requirements. Those requirements accord with the COSPAR Policy and have two main goals: the protection of the planetary environment from influence or contamination by terrestrial microorganisms, the protection of life science, and particularly of life detection experiments searching extra-terrestrial life, and not life carried by probes and spacecrafts. As the conditions for life and survival for terrestrial microorganisms in the Mars environment became known, COSPAR recommendations were updated. This paper will describe the decontamination requirements which will be applied for the MARS 94/96 mission, the techniques and the procedures which are and will be used to realize and control the decontamination of probes and spacecrafts.     

“火星科学实验室”巡航段导航、制导与控制

介绍了美国最近实施的火星着陆任务——"火星科学实验室"在巡航段的姿轨控制和导航系统、巡航轨道控制的约束条件、控制策略设计和执行过程,并对巡航段导航、制导与控制相关经验进行了分析和总结,对于我国即将展开的自主火星探测具有一定的参考价值。可以得到的启示包括:通过蒙特卡洛仿真制定详尽的轨道控制策略,对非引力作用进行精确建模并标定,细化各种故障预案,选择合适的运载火箭入轨瞄准点,并增加海外测控站。     

中国首次火星探测任务地面应用系统

中国首次火星探测任务(HX-1)计划2020年通过一次发射实现火星环绕和着陆巡视,对火星开展全球性、综合性的环绕探测,在火星表面开展区域巡视探测。地面应用系统是首次火星探测任务工程五大系统之一,主要负责科学探测计划制定,有效载荷运行管理,探测数据的接收、处理、解译和管理,组织开展科学数据的应用和研究等任务。在分析国外类似系统和火星探测地面应用系统的特点和难点基础上,从系统的主要任务和技术指标出发,介绍了系统总体布局、分系统主要功能、组成和设计。     

From a lunar outpost to Mars: science, policy and the U.S. Space Exploration Initiative.

The U.S. Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) is aimed at the establishment of an outpost for humans on the Moon, followed by the human exploration of Mars. It also encompasses robotic missions to the Moon and Man that will precede and perhaps accompany human presence. Science plays a dual role in SEI. First, many scientific questions must be answered to insure the health and safety of human explorers. Second, scientific investigations will be among the central objectives of human explorers. A substantial body of U.S. policy on SEI has been announced by President Bush. Its implementation is coordinated by the U.S. National Space Council under the Chairmanship of Vice President Quayle. That policy directs the early focus of SEI to be on technology development, including the identification of "high leverage technologies," and the identification of alternative mission architectures. It also envisions international cooperation as an important beneficial aspect of SEI.     

Planetary environment protection ID no: F3.3-M.1.05 implications for the development of a network of surface stations on Mars.

The European Space Agency's studies of a Comet Nucleus Sample Return mission (ROSETTA) as its Planetary Cornerstone in its long-term programme 'Horizon 2000' and the Marsnet mission, a potential contribution of the Agency to an international network of surface stations on Mars, has revived the interest in the present state of Planetary Protection requirements. MARSNET was one of the four candidate missions selected in April 1991 for further Design Feasibility (Phase A) Studies. Furthermore, of all space agencies participating in planetary exploration activities only the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration had a well established Planetary Protection Policy on Viking and other relevant planetary missions, whereas ESA is considering the feasibility and potential impact of a planetary protection policy on its Marsnet mission, within the framework of a tight budgetary envelope applicable to ESA's medium (M) class missions. This paper will discuss in general terms the impact of Planetary Protection measures, its implications for Marsnet and the issues arising from this for the implementation of the mission in ESA's scientific programme.     

In-situ resource utilization technologies for Mars life support systems.

The atmosphere of Mars has many of the ingredients that can be used to support human exploration missions. It can be "mined" and processed to produce oxygen, buffer gas, and water, resulting in significant savings on mission costs. The use of local materials, called ISRU (for in-situ resource utilization), is clearly an essential strategy for a long-term human presence on Mars from the standpoints of self-sufficiency, safety, and cost. Currently a substantial effort is underway by NASA to develop technologies and designs of chemical plants to make propellants from the Martian atmosphere. Consumables for life support, such as oxygen and water, will probably benefit greatly from this ISRU technology development for propellant production. However, the buffer gas needed to dilute oxygen for breathing is not a product of a propellant production plant. The buffer gas needs on each human Mars mission will probably be in the order of metric tons, primarily due to losses during airlock activity. Buffer gas can be separated, compressed, and purified from the Mars atmosphere. This paper discusses the buffer gas needs for a human mission to Mars and consider architectures for the generation of buffer gas including an option that integrates it to the propellant production plant.     

中国首次火星探测任务科学目标与有效载荷配置

中国首次火星探测任务将于2020年实施,科学目标和有效载荷配置是工程任务的重要顶层设计之一。简要回顾了国外已实施火星探测任务的主要科学目标,介绍了我国首次火星探测任务科学目标、有效载荷配置,分析了科学目标的创新性和特色。     

Rapid impactor sample return (RISR) mission scenario

Due to the long lead time and great expense of traditional sample return mission plans to Mars or other astronomical bodies, there is a need for a new and innovative way to return materials, potentially at a lower cost. The Rapid Impactor Sample Return (RISR) mission is one such proposal. The general mission scenario involves a single pass of Mars, a Martian moon or an asteroid at high speeds (7 km/s), with the sample return vehicle skimming just 1 or 2 m above a high point (such as a top ridge on Olympus Mons on Mars) and releasing an impactor. The impactor strikes the ground, throwing up debris. The debris with roughly the same forward velocity will be captured by the sample return vehicle and returned to Earth. There is no delay or orbit in the vicinity of Mars or the asteroid: RISR is a one-pass mission. This paper discusses some of the details of the proposal. Calculations are presented that address the question of how much material can be recovered with this technique. There are concerns about the effect of Mars tenuous atmosphere. However, it will be noted that such issues do not occur for RISR style missions to Phobos, Deimos, or asteroids and Near Earth Objects (NEOs). Recent test results in the missile defense community (IFTs 6–8 in 2001, 2002) have scored direct hits at better than 1 m accuracy with closing velocities of 7.6 km/s, giving the belief that accuracy and sensing issues are developed to a point that the RISR mission scenario is feasible.     

Development Progress of China's First Mars Exploration Mission: Its Scientific Objectives and Payloads

China's first Mars exploration mission is scheduled to be launched in 2020. It aims not only to conduct global and comprehensive exploration of Mars by use of an orbiter but also to carry out in situ observation of key sites on Mars with a rover. This mission focuses on the following studies:topography, geomorphology, geological structure, soil characteristics, water-ice distribution, material composition, atmosphere and ionosphere, surface climate, environmental characteristics, Mars internal structure, and Martian magnetic field. It is comprised of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover equipped with 13 scientific payloads. This article will give an introduction to the mission including mission plan, scientific objectives, scientific payloads, and its recent development progress.      

载人火星探测飞行方案

对世界各国载人火星探测的研究情况进行了简要综述,研究了国内外有关载人火星探测飞行方案,提出了载人火星探测方案确定的原则和方案基本思想.给出了一种载人火星探测飞行方案的总体设计,包括飞行轨道方案和载人火星飞船方案等.尤其对轨道设计的重要的两个参数——速度增量和飞行时间进行了详细计算.最后给出了飞行轨道选择、火星飞船从地球到火星和从火星返回地球等的轨道方案和火星飞船各组成部分方案的详细设计结果.     

The Mars Environment Analogue Platform long duration balloon flight

The MEAP (Mars Environment Analogue Platform) mission was to fly a stratospheric balloon on a semicircular trajectory around the North Pole in summer 2008. The balloon platform carried the high-resolution neutral gas mass spectrometer P-BACE (Polar Balloon Atmospheric Composition Experiment) as scientific payload. MEAP/P-BACE is a joint project between the Esrange Space Center, Sweden, the University of Bern, Switzerland and the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), Kiruna, Sweden. Mission objectives were to validate the platform for future long duration flights around the North pole, to validate the P-BACE instrument design for planetary mission applications (conditions in the Earth stratosphere are similar to the conditions at the Mars surface), to study variation of the stratospheric composition during the flight and to gain experience in balloon based mass spectrometry. All objectives were fulfilled.     

Network science landers for Mars

The NetLander Mission will deploy four landers to the Martian surface. Each lander includes a network science payload with instrumentation for studying the interior of Mars, the atmosphere and the subsurface, as well as the ionospheric structure and geodesy. The NetLander Mission is the first planetary mission focusing on investigations of the interior of the planet and the large-scale circulation of the atmosphere. A broad consortium of national space agencies and research laboratories will implement the mission. It is managed by CNES (the French Space Agency), with other major players being FMI (the Finnish Meteorological Institute), DLR (the German Space Agency), and other research institutes. According to current plans, the NetLander Mission will be launched in 2005 by means of an Ariane V launch, together with the Mars Sample Return mission. The landers will be separated from the spacecraft and targeted to their locations on the Martian surface several days prior to the spacecraft's arrival at Mars. The landing system employs parachutes and airbags. During the baseline mission of one Martian year, the network payloads will conduct simultaneous seismological, atmospheric, magnetic, ionospheric, geodetic measurements and ground penetrating radar mapping supported by panoramic images. The payloads also include entry phase measurements of the atmospheric vertical structure. The scientific data could be combined with simultaneous observations of the atmosphere and surface of Mars by the Mars Express Orbiter that is expected to be functional during the NetLander Mission's operational phase. Communication between the landers and the Earth would take place via a data relay onboard the Mars Express Orbiter.     

火星探测无人机任务规划与建模分析

利用无人机进行火星探测, 具有探测范围广、可看到地形变化等优点. 介绍了火星探测无人机总体任务规划的情况, 讨论了探测无人机在火星与地球上飞行的区别, 建立了火星探测无人机纵向非线性模型, 并在平衡点对非线性模型进行泰勒展开, 得到线性化模型. 通过对线性模型的进一步分析, 掌握了火星探测无人机的稳态性能及飞行特点.      

火星探测器自主导航方法综述

火星是人类深空探测的重要目标之一,火星探测器的自主导航是探测任务的重要支撑技术。针对火星探测器自主导航方法的国内外研究现状进行综述与总结,讨论和分析了火星探测器自主导航可行的导航信标和测量手段,对自主导航算法需要研究的关键技术进行了梳理和探讨,提出了火星探测器在巡航段、捕获段和环绕段等不同阶段场景下的测量手段、自主导航方法的建议和设想。