Vestibular factors influencing the biomedical support of humans in space

This paper will describe the biomedical support aspects of humans in space with respect to the vestibular system. The vestibular system is thought to be the primary sensory system involved in the short-term effects of space motion sickness although there is increasing evidence that many factors play a role in this complex set of symptoms. There is the possibility that an individual's inner sense of orientation may be strongly coupled with the susceptibility to space motion sickness. A variety of suggested countermeasures for space motion sickness will be described. Although there are no known ground-based tests that can predict space motion sickness, the search should go on. The long term effects of the vestibular system in weightlessness are still relatively unknown. Some preliminary data has shown that the otoconia are irregular in size and distribution following extended periods of weightlessness. The ramifications of this data are not yet known and because the data was obtained on lower order animals, definitive studies and results must wait until the space station era when higher primates can be studied for long durations. This leads us to artificial gravity, the last topic of this paper. The vestibular system is intimately tied to this question since it has been shown on Earth that exposure to a slow rotating room causes motion sickness for some period of time before adaptation occurs. If the artificial gravity is intermittent, will this mean that people will get sick every time they experience it? The data from many astronauts returning to Earth indicates that a variety of sensory illusions are present, especially immediately upon return to a 1-g environment. Oscillopsia or apparent motion of the visual surround upon head motion along with inappropriate eye motions for a given head motion, all indicate that there is much to be studied yet about the vestibular and CNS systems reaction to a sudden application of a steady state acceleration field like 1-g. From the above information it is obvious that the vestibular system does have unique requirements when it comes to the biomedical support of space flight. This is not to say that other areas such as cardiovascular, musculo-skeletal, immunological and hematological systems do not have their own unique requirements but that possible solutions to one system can provide continuing problems to another system. For example, artificial gravity might be helpful for long term stabilization of bone demineralization or cardiovascular deconditioning but might introduce a new set of problems in orientation, vestibular conflict and just plain body motion in a rotating space vehicle.     

深空探测重力模拟飞行器方案设想

为解决失重环境对航天员生理健康的影响,在调研国内外重力飞行器研究现状的基础上,结合重力模拟飞行器的原理及人造重力舒适度影响因素,提出了一种通过自旋产生人造重力的深空探测飞行器方案设想。最后给出了重力模拟飞行器建设的实施规划、总体方案、在轨组装流程及技术难点。深空探测重力模拟飞行器稳定运转可为空间工作生活的航天员提供与地面无异的重力环境,将为执行深空探测任务提供必要的环境保障。     

柔性绳网动力学建模与天地差异性分析

采用有限元模型研究了柔性绳网系统的动力学特性。针对空间绳网直接弹射展开方式,首先将绳网离散为若干单元,各单元处理为非线性“半阻尼弹簧”模型,然后分别计算各单元所受气动力和重力,最终建立绳网系统多柔体动力学模型。基于所建立的动力学模型分别对柔性绳网在地面和太空展开的动力学过程进行了仿真分析,研究了绳网在展开面积、空间位形和飞行距离等方面的天地差异性及其动力学机理,为未来空间绳网系统的分析设计提供理论参考。     

低温泵重力式自循环供液系统理论设计方法及计算软件开发

文章分析了空间环境模拟器的低温泵重力式自循环供液系统的工作原理,明确了系统管道中流体的流动状态。对液氮重力式自循环系统设计方法进行研究,给出其理论计算公式和系统设计流程。同时,基于C++软件平台,根据系统理论设计方法开发出一套系统设计计算软件,为低温泵重力式自循环供液系统的设计提供了理论基础和参考依据。     

Species and temperature exchange in the atmosphere of “BION-M” spacecraft

On going flights of Foton satellites allow to carry out research in the following domains: effect of space flight and outer space factors such as microgravity, artificial gravity and space radiation on physical processes and biological organisms. Experts from many Russian and foreign scientific institutions participated in the research. Over a period of time from 1973 to 1997 there were launched 11 BION satellites designed by the Central Specialized Design Bureau for carrying out fundamental and applied research in the field of space biology, medicine, radio physics and radiobiology with participation of specialists from the foreign countries.The goal of the present investigation was in developing a numerical simulator aimed at determining gas concentration and temperature fields established inside the scientific module of the spacecraft “Bion-M” and to perform optimization studies, which could meet strong requirements for air quality and temperature range allowable for operation of different biological experiments.     

Biomedical aspects of artificial gravity.

Artificial gravitv generated by spacecraft rotation may prove a universal countermeasure against adverse effects of weightlessness in the future. The paper summarizes the results of ground-based biomedical investigations of artificial gravity and flight experiments aboard Soviet biosatellites Cosmos-782 and Cosmos-936. It is believed that at the present stage the major goal of such investigations is to determine the minimum efficient value of artificial gravity in long-term flights which may eliminate adverse effects of prolonged weightlessness. In ground-bound studies the highest priority should be given to the development of methods on increasing human tolerance to the rotating environment.     

Artificial gravity

The use of artificial gravity in extended space flight is reviewed. Topics examined include synergistic factors, gravity loading, gravity magnitude, uniformity of gravity field, and effects of slow rotation.     

低温推进剂空间管理技术研究进展与展望

本文介绍了低温推进剂的性能优势与空间管理挑战，梳理了低温流体空间管理(CFM)技术特征及其研究现状，建议按照重力依赖型与重力无关型分类开展技术成熟度提升研究。调研了美国逾半个世纪的CFM技术搭载实验研究历程，分析了各类平台的工作特性与性能优势。基于我国航天发展现状与未来需求，探析了我国开展CFM技术攻关、飞行搭载实验的可行方案。建议在我国载人空间站规划舱内低温技术实验柜与舱外暴露平台实验模块，加速我国CFM技术向工程应用的转化。     

重力式自循环系统中热沉结构设计方法研究

文章对空间环境模拟器中的重力式自循环系统进行了介绍,分析系统的工作原理,明确了热沉管内流体的流动状态。对重力式自循环系统中的热沉结构设计方法进行研究,给出理论计算公式和热沉结构的设计流程。最后,根据确定的外流程输入条件,计算出热沉支管直径和支管热负荷随体积含气率的变化曲线,对重力式自循环系统的热沉结构设计提供了参考依据。     

双臂自由飞行空间机器人捕捉目标实验研究

本文主要介绍了在地面上模拟的空间微重力环境下双臂自由飞行空间机器人捕捉目标的实验。首先介绍了双臂自由飞行空间机器人地面实验平台，该实验平台由机器人模型、视觉系统、无线通讯系统、网络系统、操作台、运动规划系统、气浮系统七个子模块构成。其次简单介绍了双臂自由飞行空间机器人捕捉目标策略，最后介绍了基于该实验平台的几种实验。     

Medical considerations for extending human presence in space

The prospects for extending the length of time that humans can safely remain in space depend partly on resolution of a number of medical issues. Physiologic effects of weightlessness that may affect health during flight include loss of body fluid, functional alterations in the cardiovascular system, loss of red blood cells and bone mineral, compromised immune system function, and neurosensory disturbances. Some of the physiologic adaptations to weightlessness contribute to difficulties with readaptation to Earth's gravity. These include cardiovascular deconditioning and loss of body fluids and electrolytes; red blood cell mass; muscle mass, strength, and endurance; and bone mineral. Potentially harmful factors in space flight that are not related to weightlessness include radiation, altered circadian rhythms and rest/work cycles, and the closed, isolated environment of the spacecraft. There is no evidence that space flight has long-term effects on humans, except that bone mass lost during flight may not be replaced, and radiation damage is cumulative. However, the number of people who have spent several months or longer in space is still small. Only carefully-planned experiments in space preceded by thorough ground-based studies can provide the information needed to increase the amount of time humans can safely spend in space.     

对接机构的涡流阻尼器阻尼力矩的有限元仿真和试验分析

涡流阻尼器可以很好吸收航天器交会对接时产生的碰撞能量,其阻尼力矩直接关系其对碰撞能量的吸收,但没有通用的阻尼力矩计算公式.通过对研发的对接机构用涡流阻尼器样机的有限元仿真和实验,分析其阻尼力矩.介绍了对接机构的涡流阻尼器样机的结构、2D和3D电磁场有限元仿真模型和阻尼力矩测试系统,分析了涡流阻尼器的磁极对数、转子材料导电率、转子长度、转子厚度、转子平均直径对阻尼力矩的影响,给出了阻尼力矩的计算公式.计算结果表明,对铝合金转子涡流阻尼器样机,阻尼力矩的计算值与实测值误差小,对铜合金转子涡流阻尼器样机,阻尼力矩的计算值与实测值误差较大.分析结果有助于对接机构用涡流阻尼器的研制.     

Artificial gravity: a possible countermeasure for post-flight orthostatic intolerance

Four payload crewmembers were exposed to sustained linear acceleration in a centrifuge during the Neurolab (STS-90) flight. In contrast to previous studies, otolith–ocular reflexes were preserved during and after flight. This raised the possibility that artificial gravity may have acted as a countermeasure to the deconditioning of otolith–ocular reflexes. None of the astronauts who were centrifuged had orthostatic intolerance when tested with head-up passive tilt after flight. Thus, centrifugation may also have helped maintain post-flight hemodynamic responses to orthostasis by preserving the gain of the otolith–sympathetic reflex. A comparison with two fellow Neurolab orbiter crewmembers not exposed to artificial gravity provided some support for this hypothesis. One of the two had hemodynamic changes in response to post-flight tilt similar to orthostatically intolerant subjects from previous missions. More data is necessary to evaluate this hypothesis, but if it were proven correct, in-flight short-radius centrifugation may help counteract orthostatic intolerance after space flight.     

On dynamics of a plasma ring rotating in the magnetic field of a central body: Magneto-gyroscopic waves. Problems of stability and quantization

Based on a mathematical model described in [1], some new aspects of the dynamics of a thin planar plasma ring rotating in the magnetic field of a central body are considered. The dipole field is considered assuming that the dipole has a small eccentricity, and the dipole axis is inclined at a small angle to the central body’s axis of rotation. Emphasis is placed on the problem of stability of the ring’s stationary rotation. Unlike [1], the disturbed motion is considered which has a character of eddy magneto-gyroscopic waves. The original mathematical model is reduced to a system of finite-difference equations whose asymptotic analytical solution is obtained. It is demonstrated that some “elite” rings characterized by integral quantum numbers are long-living, while “lethal” or unstable rings (antirings) are associated with half-integer quantum numbers. As a result, an evolutionally rife rotating ring of magnetized plasma turns out to be stratified into a large number of narrow elite rings separated by gaps whose positions correspond to antirings. The regions of possible existence of elite rings in near-central body space are considered. Quantum numbers determining elite eigenvalues of the mean sector velocity (normalized in a certain manner) of a ring coincide with the quantum numbers appearing in the solution to the Schrödinger equation for a hydrogen atom. Perturbations of elite orbits corresponding to these quantum numbers satisfy the de Brogli quantum-mechanical condition. This is one more illustration of the isomorphism of quantization in microcosm and macrocosm.     

人工拉格朗日点附近的被动稳定飞行

利用太阳帆能在三体问题中实现人工拉格朗日点,人工拉格朗日点克服了经典拉格朗日点位置固定的缺点,研究人工拉格朗日点的被动控制对深空探测有重要的意义。理论上人工拉格朗日点都不稳定,研究表明在被动控制下存在某些人工拉格朗日点的稳定特性与稳定平衡点非常接近,在工程上可以认为稳定。被动控制可以通过设计太阳帆来实现,本文给出了被动稳定太阳帆的设计,在该设计下考虑轨道和姿态的耦合动力学方程。基于该耦合方程研究了人工拉格朗日点的稳定性。仿真结果表明被动太阳帆使得人工拉格朗日点稳定。     

On the planar inertial motion of a system of three coupled bodies

Numerous papers are devoted to studying the motion of a system (coupling) of two bodies in the Earth’s satellite orbit ([1–4] and others). The problem on the planar inertial motion of three bodies, coupled by a non-extensible weightless string having the form of an unfastened chain, is considered in the paper. Such a configuration can be represented, for example, by a system of two coupled spacecraft rotating around their common center of mass (in order to simulate the gravity force) in long-term space missions, when the third body (the lift) is located on a connecting cable. The bodies are considered to be the material points (particles).     

Convection of liquid with internal heat release in a rotating container

The convection of heat-generating fluid in a rotating horizontal cylinder is experimentally investigated. The threshold of convection excitation, the structure of convective flows and the heat transfer in the cylinder depending on the heat release capacity, liquid viscosity and aspect ratio of the cavity are studied. It is found that the average convection is excited by the thermovibrational mechanism —the gravity force, rotating in the cavity frame, produces the oscillations of non-isothermal fluid relative to the wall, which in turn result in excitation of mean convective flows. It is shown that the structure of convective flows depends on the dimensionless velocity of rotation. At relatively low rotation velocity the convection develops in the form of a periodic system of vortices regularly distributed along the cylinder axis. The threshold of excitation (critical value of vibration parameter) of three-dimensional vortex structures grows with rotation velocity. Above some definite rotation velocity the convection develops as two-dimensional rolls parallel to the axis of rotation. The threshold of two-dimensional structures excitation does not depend on the rotation velocity. Besides the structure of thermal convective flows the analysis of the relatively weak currents generated by the inertial waves below the threshold of convection is performed.     

Emergency medical care on space stations

This Note emphasizes the need, in a space station, of an emergency room, especially equipped with regard to clean air and competent paramedical personnel. The establishment of some degree of artificial gravity is desirable.     

不同重力环境下空间机械臂神经自适应鲁棒控制

针对空间机械臂从地面装调到空间应用过程中重力项的变化问题,提出了一种神经网络自适应鲁棒补偿控制策略用于空间机械臂的末端控制,从而实现在地面重力环境下装调好的空间机械臂在空间微重力环境下实现在轨操控任务。通过神经网络在线建模来逼近系统模型中变化的重力项,逼近误差及系统的不确定性通过自适应鲁棒控制器来补偿。该控制策略不依赖于系统的模型,避免了回归矩阵的复杂计算及未知参数的估计,降低了计算量。基于李亚普诺夫理论证明了闭环系统的渐近稳定性。仿真结果表明该控制器对不同重力环境下空间机械臂的末端控制均能达到较高的控制精度,具有重要的理论研究和工程应用价值。     

空间站有效载荷真空支持系统方案评述

有效载荷真空支持系统是空间有效载荷支持系统的重要组成部分,为空间有效载荷实验的顺利进行提供真空环境支持和保证。文章详细分析了国际空间站包括美国“命运号”实验舱（USL）、欧空局哥伦布轨道舱（APM）及日本实验舱（JEM）内的有效载荷真空支持系统方案及使用情况;对美国实验舱内的一号微重力材料科学机柜及微重力燃烧科学机柜内部专用的真空支持系统作了主要介绍;最后提出了我国空间站有效载荷真空支持系统的初步方案设想,即合理安排有效载荷实验进行次序,将废气排放子系统及真空资源子系统合二为一,以节约资源,提高可靠性。