嫦娥探测器分段渐倾转移机构设计

巡视探测器转移机构是在地外空间环境执行巡视探测器转移释放任务的空间机构。与美国、苏联转移任务不同，中国探月工程（CLEP）二期着陆器采用腿式着陆缓冲机构及巡视器顶部搭载方式，转移任务沿着陆器周向展开距离及巡视器释放高度增加，转移难度增大。在设计阶段，转移机构是否符合探测任务严苛的工程约束及设计指标；在执行阶段，转移机构能否在月面非确知环境下正常展开、转移过程是否稳定可靠，是嫦娥探测器顺利完成探测任务的关键。为保障月球后续任务及火星探测任务中转移机构的设计需要，根据巡视器转移系统特点，以探月二期工程中首次探索并成功自主设计定型的嫦娥分段渐倾转移机构为例，对巡视器转移系统的组成、任务需求及设计约束予以阐述，并结合参研人员经验，对机构研制方案的选取、关键环节设计、工程状态及任务验证情况进行说明，以为后续工作及相关工程提供参考。     

玉兔号巡视器导航定位中的多目标管理方法

基于多目标管理方法,阐述了玉兔号巡视器定位多目标管理的概念。兼顾技术成熟度、定位效率、冗余验证和阶段化分层管理等原则,对玉兔号巡视器着陆点和导航点的定位方法进行建模及分析比较,给出对应的定位方案。最后,将基于此多目标管理方法制定的方案,应用于玉兔号巡视器的定位任务,定位精度优于亚像素级,相对定位精度优于4％。     

基于相似理论的星球车牵引通过性模型

深空探测车辆在星球表面巡视过程中,应避免过度沉陷,保障其可靠的通过性能具有重要意义。月球和火星表面重力加速度分别约为地球表面重力加速度的1/6和2/5,地面实现低重力环境的模拟具有一定局限性,因此基于相似理论进行轮壤相互作用系统的量纲分析,研制二分之一缩比模型车;开展缩比模型车轮壤试验,重点研究滑转条件下车轮沉陷行为和牵引特性;基于地面力学理论,结合轮壤接触应力分布的线性化方法,建立与沉陷和滑转率相关联的星球车挂钩牵引力预测模型。通过土槽试验数据对模型进行验证,结果表明该模型具有较高的准确性。能够为星球车通过性评估提供一定的理论技术基础。     

嫦娥三号巡视器的惯导与视觉组合定姿定位

针对“嫦娥三号”的“玉兔号”巡视器在月面未知环境中避障与安全行进的要求,分析和阐述了“玉兔号”巡视器在地面遥操作中心的控制下利用惯导和视觉组合进行月面导航与精确定位的实现方法,并结合现有的导航定位研究对“玉兔号”巡视器导航与定位的工程创新性进行了总结,阐明了惯导定位和视觉定位技术在“玉兔号”巡视器月面探测过程中的工程应用特点.最后,通过“玉兔号”巡视器着月点的精确定位实验,验证惯导和视觉相结合的定位方法的有效性,定位精度近似达到总行驶里程的1％,这对“玉兔号”巡视器开展月面探索和准确抵达科学目标位置具有重要作用.     

月球巡视探测器自主定向算法研究

月球巡视探测器自主导航是其能在月面执行探测任务的关键,而定向又是月球巡视探测器自主导航的一个重要组成部分,其定向精度将直接影响到月球巡视探测器定位性能。将CCD(ChargeCoupleDevice)太阳敏感器应用到月球巡视探测器上,用太阳敏感器测量太阳位置矢量,结合加速度计测量的重力矢量,利用QUEST算法推算了月球巡视探测器的姿态和航向,为月球巡视探测器构建了一套适用于长时间、长距离导航的绝对定向方案,通过理论分析和实际推算描述了该定向方案的具体实现过程,最后以仿真结果验证了该方案的可行性,为下一步月球巡视探测器定位研究提供了技术参考。     

滑转条件下月球车轮沉陷模型研究

 月球车在月面行驶时,为保证月球车的通过性能,应尽量避免沉陷。然而传统车辆沉陷量数学模型不适用于动态滑转条件下的月球车,为此对月球车行驶时车轮沉陷量的计算模型进行了研究。基于车辆地面力学理论,从模拟月壤力学参数和滑转率两个方面,在适合于刚性轮静态沉陷计算模型基础上建立了适用于滑转条件下月球车轮的沉陷计算模型。通过轮壤土槽试验,将试验测得的月球车轮沉陷量与模型计算得到的沉陷量进行比较,验证了修正模型的正确性。所研究的模型能够为滑转条件下月球车沉陷量的预测提供理论技术基础。     

REMS: The Environmental Sensor Suite for the Mars Science Laboratory Rover

The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) will investigate environmental factors directly tied to current habitability at the Martian surface during the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. Three major habitability factors are addressed by REMS: the thermal environment, ultraviolet irradiation, and water cycling. The thermal environment is determined by a mixture of processes, chief amongst these being the meteorological. Accordingly, the REMS sensors have been designed to record air and ground temperatures, pressure, relative humidity, wind speed in the horizontal and vertical directions, as well as ultraviolet radiation in different bands. These sensors are distributed over the rover in four places: two booms located on the MSL Remote Sensing Mast, the ultraviolet sensor on the rover deck, and the pressure sensor inside the rover body. Typical daily REMS observations will collect 180 minutes of data from all sensors simultaneously (arranged in 5 minute hourly samples plus 60 additional minutes taken at times to be decided during the course of the mission). REMS will add significantly to the environmental record collected by prior missions through the range of simultaneous observations including water vapor; the ability to take measurements routinely through the night; the intended minimum of one Martian year of observations; and the first measurement of surface UV irradiation. In this paper, we describe the scientific potential of REMS measurements and describe in detail the sensors that constitute REMS and the calibration procedures.     

不同粒径分布模拟月壤承压特性试验研究

月壤的承压特性决定月面巡视探测器的行驶阻力和沉陷,是影响月面可通过性的主要特征之一。为了得出不同粒径分布的模拟月壤在巡视器地面载荷和月面载荷下的承压特性,通过压板试验获取了3种不同粒径分布模拟月壤的承压性能曲线与参数。分析表明:粒径分布对模拟月壤承压性能影响大,粒径粗且分布均匀的JLU-1模拟月壤承压能力最强,其次为JLU-3模拟月壤,而粒径细且分布窄的JLU-2模拟月壤承压能力最弱;3种模拟月壤的变形指数在其他模拟月壤的范围内,松软状态时接近月壤值,在小载荷作用且松软状态时变形指数小于1;3种模拟月壤的内聚模量在其他模拟月壤的范围内,但大于月壤值;松软状态时3种模拟月壤的摩擦模量在其他模拟月壤的范围内,中密和密实状态下均大于月壤值。研究结果对月面探测器行走机构的仿真和路径规划具有参考意义。     

月球车释放对着陆器稳定性的影响

因基于摇臂式月球车释放机构在月球车释放时对着陆器的倾翻力矩较大,易使着陆器倾翻而导致整个探测任务失败,所以对月球车着陆释放时着陆器稳定性的研究尤为重要.将着陆器腿不等量压缩、月面坡度、低重力环境、释放加速度等因素进行参数化处理;应用D-H坐标法得到基于各参量的支撑多边形坐标以及着陆器和月球车的位姿方程,进而建立了月球车...     

Sample Caching Concept for Planetary Missions

A Sample Caching Subsystem (SCS) concept that provides transfer and storage of core and soil samples for planetary missions has been developed. The SCS could be carried on a rover and a rover arm-mounted coring tool could acquire samples and deposit the samples in the SCS. The SCS would transfer the samples into a sample container, with each sample in a separate sleeve. Important to the SCS design is the ability to seal each sleeve, and the sample with it, to isolate it from other samples and from the external environment. Sealing of the samples will allow for maintaining the integrity of organic materials over many years thereby allowing the samples to be analyzed in later missions or after a return trip to Earth.     

一种月球车视觉系统的匹配算法

 对采用双目视觉来实现月球车自主导航提出了一种快速匹配的方法。首先,对相机的内外参数进行精确地标定,通过两相机的外参数对图像进行核线纠正,生成消除上下视差的核线;然后,在核线图像上,采用相关系数法进行由少到多的粗匹配,对匹配结果进行多重的检验,接着用最小二乘方法进行亚像素的精确匹配;最后,在匹配的像点间构建Delaunay三角网,建立两图像重叠区域的匹配关系,实现稠密匹配。对该方法进行了多组实验,实验结果表明:该方法可以快速、可靠地实现稠密的图像匹配。     

Martian jumping rover equipped with electroactive polymer actuators: A preliminary study

This paper presents results of a preliminary study of feasibility for the application of electroactive polymer (EAP) based actuators to a robotic locomotion system, intended by the European Space Agency (ESA) to operate on the surface of Mars. The system is conceived as an elastic spherical rover, exploiting wind propulsion for surface motion, while adopting an active mechanism for vertical jumping over obstacles. The use of polymeric electromechanical devices is envisaged in order to provide actuation to such a jumping mechanism. Among the available EAP technologies, new contractile linear actuators based on dielectric elastomers arc proposed in this study as suitable devices and two potential solutions concerning their use are designed, modeled, and evaluated via numerical simulations. The best solution reveals interesting simulated performances, enabling jumping of obstacle heights corresponding to more than 7% of the diameter of the rover     

Mars Science Laboratory Mission and Science Investigation

Scheduled to land in August of 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mission was initiated to explore the habitability of Mars. This includes both modern environments as well as ancient environments recorded by the stratigraphic rock record preserved at the Gale crater landing site. The Curiosity rover has a designed lifetime of at least one Mars year (～23?months), and drive capability of at least 20?km. Curiosity’s science payload was specifically assembled to assess habitability and includes a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer and gas analyzer that will search for organic carbon in rocks, regolith fines, and the atmosphere (SAM instrument); an x-ray diffractometer that will determine mineralogical diversity (CheMin instrument); focusable cameras that can image landscapes and rock/regolith textures in natural color (MAHLI, MARDI, and Mastcam instruments); an alpha-particle x-ray spectrometer for in situ determination of rock and soil chemistry (APXS instrument); a?laser-induced breakdown spectrometer to remotely sense the chemical composition of rocks and minerals (ChemCam instrument); an active neutron spectrometer designed to search for water in rocks/regolith (DAN instrument); a weather station to measure modern-day environmental variables (REMS instrument); and a sensor designed for continuous monitoring of background solar and cosmic radiation (RAD instrument). The various payload elements will work together to detect and study potential sampling targets with remote and in situ measurements; to acquire samples of rock, soil, and atmosphere and analyze them in onboard analytical instruments; and to observe the environment around the rover. The 155-km diameter Gale crater was chosen as Curiosity’s field site based on several attributes: an interior mountain of ancient flat-lying strata extending almost 5?km above the elevation of the landing site; the lower few hundred meters of the mountain show a progression with relative age from clay-bearing to sulfate-bearing strata, separated by an unconformity from overlying likely anhydrous strata; the landing ellipse is characterized by a mixture of alluvial fan and high thermal inertia/high albedo stratified deposits; and a number of stratigraphically/geomorphically distinct fluvial features. Samples of the crater wall and rim rock, and more recent to currently active surface materials also may be studied. Gale has a well-defined regional context and strong evidence for a progression through multiple potentially habitable environments. These environments are represented by a stratigraphic record of extraordinary extent, and insure preservation of a rich record of the environmental history of early Mars. The interior mountain of Gale Crater has been informally designated at Mount Sharp, in honor of the pioneering planetary scientist Robert Sharp. The major subsystems of the MSL Project consist of a single rover (with science payload), a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, an Earth-Mars cruise stage, an entry, descent, and landing system, a launch vehicle, and the mission operations and ground data systems. The primary communication path for downlink is relay through the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The primary path for uplink to the rover is Direct-from-Earth. The secondary paths for downlink are Direct-to-Earth and relay through the Mars Odyssey orbiter. Curiosity is a scaled version of the 6-wheel drive, 4-wheel steering, rocker bogie system from the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) Spirit and Opportunity and the Mars Pathfinder Sojourner. Like Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity offers three primary modes of navigation: blind-drive, visual odometry, and visual odometry with hazard avoidance. Creation of terrain maps based on HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) and other remote sensing data were used to conduct simulated driving with Curiosity in these various modes, and allowed selection of the Gale crater landing site which requires climbing the base of a mountain to achieve its primary science goals. The Sample Acquisition, Processing, and Handling (SA/SPaH) subsystem is responsible for the acquisition of rock and soil samples from the Martian surface and the processing of these samples into fine particles that are then distributed to the analytical science instruments. The SA/SPaH subsystem is also responsible for the placement of the two contact instruments (APXS, MAHLI) on rock and soil targets. SA/SPaH consists of a robotic arm and turret-mounted devices on the end of the arm, which include a drill, brush, soil scoop, sample processing device, and the mechanical and electrical interfaces to the two contact science instruments. SA/SPaH also includes drill bit boxes, the organic check material, and an observation tray, which are all mounted on the front of the rover, and inlet cover mechanisms that are placed over the SAM and CheMin solid sample inlet tubes on the rover top deck.     

Selection of the Mars Science Laboratory Landing Site

The selection of Gale crater as the Mars Science Laboratory landing site took over five years, involved broad participation of the science community via five open workshops, and narrowed an initial >50 sites (25 by 20?km) to four finalists (Eberswalde, Gale, Holden and Mawrth) based on science and safety. Engineering constraints important to the selection included: (1)?latitude (±30°) for thermal management of the rover and instruments, (2)?elevation (<?1?km) for sufficient atmosphere to slow the spacecraft, (3)?relief of <100–130?m at baselines of 1–1000?m for control authority and sufficient fuel during powered descent, (4)?slopes of <30° at baselines of 2–5?m for rover stability at touchdown, (5)?moderate rock abundance to avoid impacting the belly pan during touchdown, and (6)?a?radar-reflective, load-bearing, and trafficable surface that is safe for landing and roving and not dominated by fine-grained dust. Science criteria important for the selection include the ability to assess past habitable environments, which include diversity, context, and biosignature (including organics) preservation. Sites were evaluated in detail using targeted data from instruments on all active orbiters, and especially Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. All of the final four sites have layered sedimentary rocks with spectral evidence for phyllosilicates that clearly address the science objectives of the mission. Sophisticated entry, descent and landing simulations that include detailed information on all of the engineering constraints indicate all of the final four sites are safe for landing. Evaluation of the traversabilty of the landing sites and target “go to” areas outside of the ellipse using slope and material properties information indicates that all are trafficable and “go to” sites can be accessed within the lifetime of the mission. In the final selection, Gale crater was favored over Eberswalde based on its greater diversity and potential habitability.     

月面环境三维激光SLAM技术

同步建图与定位（SLAM）可实现月球车在未知复杂月面环境下的定位与导航,月球表面由陨坑、石头等起伏地形构成,缺乏树木、建筑物等地面存有的显著特征,大量特征不显著的点云数据会对月球车定位精度和实时性造成影响。本文提出了一种针对月面环境的显著特征点云提取方法以及基于曲面定位能力估计的增量式优化算法,通过Fisher信息矩阵计算曲面定位能力指标,获取机器人位姿估计的不确定性测量,利用增量式的SLAM方案进行优化,用于提高定位精度与实时性。通过在Gazebo （物理仿真平台）仿真场景下的测试,验证了算法性能。     

Synthetic Environments for Simulated Missions

Synthetic environments offer Space Flight projects an opportunity to perform rapid, comprehensive, and rigorous modeling of the critical elements of a mission in order to compute quantitative measures of design performance, associated risk, and actual mission utility value. Significantly, these studies can be performed early in the mission cycle. These synthetic terrains are generated on parallel, high-performance computers and served to remote simulations at near-interactive speeds. The terrain creation uses a realistic sequence of physical phenomena such as cratering and dusting with parametric control of features such as surface roughness and rock density. Terrain resolution may be arbitrary but typically ranges from 0.01 to 10 meters. The terrain server has been used for two rover simulations, one using the actual Sojourner autonomy flight code, and the other a more general algorithm. Monte Carlo studies of rover designs interacting with synthetic environments were executed in parallel to quickly compute performance statistics and risk estimates.     

Ceramic ChemCam Calibration Targets on Mars Science Laboratory

The ChemCam instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity will use laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to analyze major and minor element chemistry from sub-millimeter spot sizes, at ranges of ～1.5–7?m. To interpret the emission spectra obtained, ten calibration standards will be carried on the rover deck. Graphite, Ti?metal, and four glasses of igneous composition provide primary, homogeneous calibration targets for the laser. Four granular ceramic targets have been added to provide compositions closer to soils and sedimentary materials like those expected at the Gale Crater field site on Mars. Components used in making these ceramics include basalt, evaporite, and phyllosilicate materials that approximate the chemical compositions of detrital and authigenic constituents of clastic and evaporite sediments, including the elevated sulfate contents present in many Mars sediments and soils. Powdered components were sintered at low temperature (800?°C) with a small amount (9?wt.%) of lithium tetraborate flux to produce ceramics that retain volatile sulfur yet are durable enough for the mission. The ceramic targets are more heterogeneous than the pure element and homogenous glass standards but they provide standards with compositions more similar to the sedimentary rocks that will be Curiosity’s prime targets at Gale Crater.     

Exploration of the Habitability of Mars: Development of Analytical Protocols for Measurement of Organic Carbon on the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory

The mission goal of the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory is to assess the habitability of a region on Mars. This large rover incorporates an Analytical Laboratory that contributes to this mission objective by means of a detailed characterization of mineralogy and chemistry. The Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite in the Analytical Laboratory provides the capability to analyze volatiles released from rocks and soils and gases directly sample from the atmosphere. A primary focus of this suite is the detection and identification of organic molecules. The protocols for the extraction and analysis of organics under development for this mission are described as are experiments carried out on Mars analog samples to evaluate these methods.