Space: where are we headed?

In a new column, the author reviews NASA space activities since the beginning of 2003 and looks at plans for the future. Topics include the Space Shuttle Columbia, what's in store for the International Space Station (ISS), the development of an orbital space plane, orbiter safety upgrades, and the future of space exploration and research beyond the ISS. He presents arguments for sending astronauts to asteroids, the Moon, and Mars.     

美国下一代深空网发展计划探析

为适应未来美国深空探测的任务,此前美国NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration,国家航空航天局)对它的深空网发展的技术现状与能力进行了评估,梳理出了它们在未来深空任务中上下行通信速率需求,从而制定了美国下一代深空网的发展战略.针对此战略,梳理分析了美国深空网近年在深空通信导航领域开展的多项重大技术革新与演示验证试验,并从中剖析总结出了它的下一步的技术发展路线,期冀为我国深空测控网技术发展策略的制定提供参考.     

载人月球探测深空站布局体系

针对载人月球探测,在我国现有深空测控资源的基础上,结合其他航天组织,如NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration,美国国家航空航天局)、ESA(European Space Agency,欧空局)等分布在全球的深空测控资源,提出了全球深空站布局体系.该体系包括我国深空站在内的8个地面站,大体形成“南四北四,均匀分布”的格局.并以美国“重返月球”计划深空站布局为参照,对比分析了布局体系的测控覆盖、三向测量和干涉测量共视弧段,讨论了布局干涉测量不同观测站三角的测角精度,可以为后续载人月球探测任务提供支持和参考.     

Conversations: with Sean O'Keefe. Interview by Frank Sietzen Jr

Sean O'Keefe, who took office as the 10th NASA administrator in December 2001, is interviewed after 9 months on the job. Topics of conversation include his transition from the Office of Management and Budget to NASA, management priorities, space shuttle safety, the Space Launch Initiative and the National Aerospace Initiative, future space exploration, relationships with Congress and the President, and NASA's budget.     

空间机器人研究进展及技术挑战

空间机器人是实现空间操控自动化和智能化的使能手段之一,在无人及载人的空间科学探索活动中至关重要。首先,回顾了国际空间站舱内外机器人、中国空间站机器人、在轨自由飞行空间机器人等几类轨道空间机器人工程应用现状,以及已成功在轨应用月面机器人和火星机器人两类星表机器人系统的应用现状。其次,针对空间机器人后续日益复杂的任务需求,探讨了空间机器人在机构构型、关节驱动、末端操作、感知认知、行走移动、动力学与控制等方面面临的技术挑战。然后,论述了空间机器人在多臂、超冗余、柔性化、可重构、仿生等新型机构构型方面的探索,介绍了空间机器人主动、被动柔顺关节方面的研究进展,论述了空间机器人末端执行器在专用化工具及通用化多指灵巧手两个方向的研究进展,总结了星表机器人在新型移动机构构型、高自主导航方面的研究进展,介绍了空间机器人在多传感器集成融合、力与触觉感知方面的研究进展,论述了空间机器人在多臂协调控制、柔顺控制、漂浮基座抓捕动力学控制等方面的研究进展。最后,展望了空间机器人在空间目标抓捕与移除、高价值飞行器在轨服务与维修、空间大型构件在轨组装及星球科学探测等方面的应用前景。     

Engineering test beds on the International Space Station

The International Space Station is a unique multi-faceted orbiting laboratory supporting research, development, test and evaluation of new innovative space and Earth-based applications. While NASA sponsored investigations on the ISS are focused largely on enabling future long duration human space exploration missions, Congress designated the US portion of the space station as a National Laboratory making its facilities available to other Federal agencies and private entities for non-exploration related ventures. RDT&E activities on the ISS encompass a number of technical areas including environmental control and life support, communications, materials science, guidance, navigation and control, propulsion, electrical power, and thermal control systems.     

火星中继应答机技术现状及发展

火星中继已作为火星探测重要组成部分,被美国NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration,国家航空航天局)和ESA(European Space Agency,欧空局)广泛应用于火星EDL(Entry,Descent and Landing,进入、下降和着陆)以及火星表面探测中。针对该情况,介绍了火星中继系统的组成和工作情况。结合NASA和ESA火星探测的成功经验和成果,重点对火星轨道器和着陆器的中继应答机的性能进行了梳理和分析,并对该技术的后续发展进行了展望。基于此,可为我国自主火星探测提供借鉴和参考。     

The Indian Space Program

The Indian Space Program is described. The main objectives of the program are to provide operation space services to the nation, especially in the fields of communications and remote sensing, and to use modern space technology for the benefit of the Indian people. Some applications of the Indian Space Program are remote sensing, imagery, communications, broadcasting, and surveys of natural resources for water, crop, forest, land, minerals, and ocean. The emphasis is on the development and operation of indigenous satellites and launch vehicles for providing these space services     

太空环境下电子束原位制造技术

美国国家航空航天局（NASA）载人探索计划的提出给载人登月和载人火星等带来了机会和风险,NASA的工程师和科学家正在开展在月球或火星表面利用当地提炼的材料进行原位制造工艺技术的研究。首先,介绍了太空原位制造和修复（ISFR）技术的概念和特点,结合该技术的发展背景,介绍了电子束原位制造技术的概念、特点以及在太空环境下应用的优势和潜力。然后,根据所用原材料和成形工艺原理的不同,电子束原位制造技术又分为电子束熔融（EBM）和电子束自由成形制造（EBF³）技术两个分支,分别介绍了这两个分支技术的概念、原理、特点以及采用该技术研制出的零件的性能,结合硬件设备的情况介绍了在太空环境下应用的适用性,同时也详细介绍了NASA利用兰利研究中心的C-9抛物线飞行试验系统进行电子束原位制造微重力试验的研究成果、试验数据和未来的发展趋势。最后,结合中国未来空间事业发展的需要,提出了关于发展太空环境下电子束原位制造技术的设想与建议。     

Water and Volatiles in the Outer Solar System

Space Science Reviews - Space exploration and ground-based observations have provided outstanding evidence of the diversity and the complexity of the outer solar system. This work presents our...     

我国空间站工程量化风险评价工作探讨

为适应我国载人航天任务的新特点,有效支持空间站量化风险评价工作,调研了美国国家航空航天局（NASA）载人登月、国际空间站、航天飞机等载人航天项目的概率风险评价（PRA）工作,对比分析了PRA方法在不同载人航天项目中的应用效果。在此基础上,针对我国空间站工程的特点,初步提出了基于PRA的空间站工程量化风险评价方案与工作思路,对该方法在我国空间站实施所存在的问题进行了分析,并在方法规范、数据收集等方面提出了工作建议,为我国空间站量化风险评估工作提供技术支持。     

空间摩擦学及其材料的研究进展

综述了空间苛刻服役环境及其对空间摩擦学材料性能影响的研究,深入分析了空间环境对空间摩擦材料、空间耐磨材料和空间减摩材料摩擦磨损机理的影响。空间摩擦材料主要应用于空间对接机构及空间机械臂中,应具有稳定的摩擦力矩与优良的抗黏着磨损性能。空间耐磨材料主要应用于空间轴承、齿轮和密封件等部件中,如FeAl金属间化合物在高温下抗蠕变性急剧下降,常通过添加金属元素(Ce,Cr,Mn,Mo,Nb,W等)及固体润滑剂提高材料抗蠕变性能;Ti及其合金常通过表面改性改善黏着性;与基体结合性良好的耐磨涂层可以较大程度的改善材料的耐磨性。空间减摩材料主要指润滑剂与自润滑材料,如软金属Pb、高分子材料PI和PTFE等,以及某些金属的氧化物,氟化物和硫化物等,能较好地降低材料表面的摩擦因数。随着航天科技的发展,亟须开发新型高性能空间摩擦学材料,建立摩擦学材料数据库,以应对国际航天技术发展的挑战。     

Conversations with Rep. Ken Calvert. Interview by Frank Sietzen Jr

Rep. Calvert, chair of the House aeronautics and space subcommittee of the Science Committee, answers questions related to priorities for space in the current congressional session: the Vision for Space Exploration, development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and other heavy-lift launch vehicles, entrepreneurial alliances in the space transportation industry, the U.S. aerospace industry, space tourism, entrepreneurs and NASA, U.S. aeronautics research, a service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, and priority military space programs.     

A low risk reentry: looking backward to step forward

Low risk reentry vehicles, as recently proposed, may represent the right answer for the future demands of space exploration, Space Station operations, and space tourism. In this paper the low risk features of sharp reentry vehicles are discussed. In particular, the concept of boundary layer thermal protection is illustrated with reference to a three-dimensional nose-cone geometry. The flow field around the fuselage tip is found by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations. The critical aerothermal conditions in the velocity-altitude plane are identified, in terms of the highest temperature surface points that belong to the Thermal Protection System (TPS) (i.e. the stagnation point of the fuselage tip) and to the structural material (i.e. the point at the junction of the TPS with the structure). Typical reentry trajectories for a concept vehicle are computed according to this new descent philosophy, which comply with thermal boundaries. The influence of the chosen aerodynamic solutions on reentry heating and on downranges and crossranges is then discussed.     

CCSDS空间网络互联协议发展及启示

空间互联网将是由各种区域网构成的复杂异构网络,为了使其能够逐步实现自动化运行,网络效益得到最大程度的发挥,须做好网络互联的顶层规划与设计,并开发具体的标准技术.根据近年CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems,空间数据系统咨询委员会)发布的建议书,以及相关工作组的项目规划情况,介绍了SSI(Solar System Internetwork,太阳系互联网)体系结构、IPoC(IP over CCSDS space links,在CCSDS空间链路之上承载IP),以及DTN(Delay Tolerant Networking,容延迟网络)等标准项目.从CCSDS空间网络互联技术的发展历程不难得出结论:我国未来空间网络互联应注重区域网之间互联的顶层设计;区域网内部各子网之间的互联技术应选择以航天任务需求牵引为主;DTN将在区域网之间互联以及区域网从简单到复杂发展中都发挥重要作用.     

Life sciences

Space life sciences research activities are reviewed for the year. Highlights of animal studies were the first long-term flight of an animal enclosure module and an avian development facility on STS-108. Plant research efforts focused on a biomass production system for eventual use on the International Space Station (ISS), the PESTO experiment on ISS, and screening of several salad crop varieties for potential use in space. Health-related studies included the Martian Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE) on the Mars Odyssey mission, presentation of results from NASA's Biomolecular Physics and Chemistry Program, and research related to human liver cell function in space through an agreement with StelSys. In industry and academia, a memorandum of understanding was signed between NASA and the biotechnology industry to enhance communication between NASA and the industry, expand commercial biotechnology space research and development, and expand formal and informal education of industry and the public regarding biotechnology and space research. NASA selected Purdue University to lead an NSCORT for advanced life support research to develop technologies to enable long-duration planetary mission and sustain human space colonies.     

Earth-moon libration points: Theory,existence and applications

The availability of reliable satellites and space probes makes it timely to review our state of knowledge in detail on all aspects of our solar system so that these new tools can be used to maxi-mum advantage in scientific exploration and technical use.Earth-Moon libration points have been of theoretical interest as a concrete example in the three body problem. In analogy with the Trojan Asteroids they may also be collection points for dust or particles or other small bodies which are shown to be of geophysical interest. Finally, they may find use in applications where relatively long time stationary behavior relative to the Earth and the Moon is desirable; for example: for long term Solar observation or as a communication link.The leading question of interest at the present is confirmation of reported ground observations on dust clouds in the vicinity of the stable points through satellite based observations.The Authors are indebted to the Space Sciences Board of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences for permission to use background material of the Space Research Summer Study 1965.     

Bumpy ride back to space

Plans for U.S. return to the International Space Station via STS-114 are described with emphasis on safety of flight hardware and safety of the space station and the space shuttle.