基于航天器解体事件的空间碎片寿命算法

研究了针对航天器解体事件所生成的空间碎片的寿命计算方法.给出了基于NASA标准航天器解体模型的航天器解体算法.该算法生成的一系列碎片参数,将作为寿命计算的初始条件.总结了现有求解碎片寿命的算法,并提出了一种半分析算法.该算法运用平均根数法的思路,计算了在J2摄动项的影响下,碎片的半长轴和偏心率的变化率;并采用微分积分法预报半长轴和偏心率随时间的变化.为了适应时变大气模型,该算法限制了计算步长.通过与数值法的比较分析了算法的计算速度和精度.选用了3种大气模型:SA76、GOST和MSIS-00,分析了不同大气模型在计算碎片寿命之间的差异.通过与P-78卫星解体事件的实测数据对比验证了整个算法的正确性.      

A study of the material density distribution of space debris

Material density is an important, yet often overlooked, property of orbital debris particles. Many models simply use a typical density to represent all breakup fragments. While adequate for modeling average characteristics in some applications, a single value material density may not be sufficient for reliable impact damage assessments. In an attempt to improve the next-generation NASA Orbital Debris Engineering Model, a study on the material density distribution of the breakup fragments has been conducted and summarized in this paper.     

在轨航天器撞击解体特性分析与计算

对在轨航天器撞击解体问题进行了研究, 基于NASA 标准解体模型, 给出了在轨航天器撞击解体算法, 重点分析了解体计算时应该满足的几个约束条件. 编写了该算法的通用仿真计算程序, 并通过与P-78 卫星解体事件的实测数据比较验证了算法和程序的正确性. 研究结果对预测分析在轨撞击事件的毁伤特性具有重要的参考价值.      

Finite element reconstruction approach for on-orbit spacecraft breakup dynamics simulation and fragment analysis

Breakup model is the key area of space debris environment modeling. NASA standard breakup model is currently the most widely used for general-purpose. It is a statistical model found based on space surveillance data and a few ground-based test data. NASA model takes the mass, impact velocity magnitude for input and provides the fragment size, area-to-mass ratio, velocity magnitude distributions for output. A more precise approach for spacecraft disintegration fragment analysis is presented in this paper. This approach is based on hypervelocity impact dynamics and takes the shape, material, internal structure and impact location etc. of spacecraft and impactor, which might greatly affect the fragment distribution, into consideration. The approach is a combination of finite element and particle methods, entitled finite element reconstruction (FER). By reconstructing elements from the particle debris cloud, reliable individual fragments are identified. Fragment distribution is generated with undirected graph conversion and connected component analysis. Ground-based test from literature is introduced for verification. In the simulation satellite targets and impactors are modeled in detail including the shape, material, internal structure and so on. FER output includes the total number of fragments and the mass, size and velocity vector of each fragment. The reported fragment distribution of FER shows good agreement with the test, and has good accuracy for small fragments.     

Observation campaign dedicated to 1968-081E fragments identification

This paper proposes a comprehensive approach to associate origins of space objects newly discovered during optical surveys in the geostationary region with spacecraft breakup events. A recent study has shown that twelve breakup events would be occurred in the geostationary region. The proposed approach utilizes orbital debris modeling techniques to effectively conduct prediction, detection, and classification of breakup fragments. Two techniques are applied to get probable results for origin identifications. First, we select an observation point where a high detection rate for one breakup event among others can be expected. Second, we associate detected tracklets, which denotes the signals associated with a physical object, with the prediction results according to their angular velocities. The second technique investigates which breakup event a tracklet would belong to, and its probability by using the k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) algorithm.     

Practical method to identify orbital anomaly as spacecraft breakup in the geostationary region

Identifying spacecraft breakup events is an essential issue for better understanding of the current orbital debris environment. This paper proposes an observation planning approach to identify an orbital anomaly, which appears as a significant discontinuity in archived orbital history, as a spacecraft breakup. The proposed approach is applicable to orbital anomalies in the geostationary region. The proposed approach selects a spacecraft that experienced an orbital anomaly, and then predicts trajectories of possible fragments of the spacecraft at an observation epoch. This paper theoretically demonstrates that observation planning for the possible fragments can be conducted. To do this, long-term behaviors of the possible fragments are evaluated. It is concluded that intersections of their trajectories will converge into several corresponding regions in the celestial sphere even if the breakup epoch is not specified and it has uncertainty of the order of several weeks.     

Faster algorithm of debris cloud orbital character from spacecraft collision breakup

Space debris is polluting the space environment. Collision fragment is its important source. NASA standard breakup model, including size distributions, area-to-mass distributions, and delta velocity distributions, is a statistic experimental model used widely. The general algorithm based on the model is introduced. But this algorithm is difficult when debris quantity is more than hundreds or thousands. So a new faster algorithm for calculating debris cloud orbital lifetime and character from spacecraft collision breakup is presented first. For validating the faster algorithm, USA 193 satellite breakup event is simulated and compared with general algorithm. Contrast result indicates that calculation speed and efficiency of faster algorithm is very good. When debris size is in 0.01–0.05 m, the faster algorithm is almost a hundred times faster than general algorithm. And at the same time, its calculation precision is held well. The difference between corresponding orbital debris ratios from two algorithms is less than 1% generally.     

空间物体解体碎片云的长期演化建模与分析

空间碎片云由空间物体解体产生的大量空间碎片组成,由于其相对集中地分布在有限的空间内,将会对临近航天器产生较大的碰撞威胁。为了分析解体碎片云长期分布特点,文章首先利用数值积分方法对空间碎片云短期分布规律进行了研究;在此基础上,针对处于环状分布的碎片云,根据碎片所在的轨道高度和具有的面质比值,将碎片划分到不同分组,以每个组作为研究对象,建立了描述碎片云在大气阻力作用下的解析演化模型。模型避免了对单个解体碎片的运动状态进行积分,可大大降低对计算资源和计算时间的需求。考虑在高度为1422km 圆轨道上运行的物体,解体产生了1780个碎片,利用解析演化模型得到碎片云未来50年内的演化分布状态。数值结果表明,碎片云的峰值密度在解体物体轨道高度附近,并在大气阻力作用下向更大高度区间内扩散;较低高度区间内碎片密度具有先增加,然后在大气阻力作用下不断减少的特点。     

纳卫星散热面与隔热层的联合设计模型与算法

纳卫星的被动热控系统对卫星舱内的温度控制及其有效载荷的可靠工作具有重要意义.散热面与隔热层设计是被动热控设计的两大关键环节.在对其进行传热学分析的基础上,建立了纳卫星散热面面积及隔热层厚度的联合设计模型和求解算法,阐述了应用这一联合设计模型与算法的具体流程,并以一太阳同步轨道纳米卫星为例,在客观分析其轨道热环境特点的基础上,对其散热面面积和隔热层厚度进行了设计计算、结果分析和仿真验证,得出了各设计参数间的制约关系,设计结果的分析及仿真验证表明:采用散热面和隔热层的联合设计可以得到较好的被动热控效果,这一联合设计模型与算法为纳卫星的被动热控系统设计提供了简便的设计计算模型和求解算法.      

Development overview of the revised NASA Ultra Long Duration Balloon

The desire for longer duration stratospheric flights at constant float altitudes for heavy payloads has been the focus of the development of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Ultra Long Duration Balloon (ULDB) effort. Recent efforts have focused on ground testing and analysis to understand the previously observed issue of balloon deployment. A revised approach to the pumpkin balloon design has been tested through ground testing of model balloons and through two test flights. The design approach does not require foreshortening, and will significantly reduce the balloon handling during manufacture reducing the chances of inducing damage to the envelope. Successful ground testing of model balloons lead to the fabrication and test flight of a ∼176,000 m³ (∼6.2 MCF – Million Cubic Foot) balloon. Pre-flight analytical predictions predicted that the proposed flight balloon design to be stable and should fully deploy. This paper provides an overview of this first test flight of the revised Ultra Long Duration Balloon design which was a short domestic test flight from Ft. Sumner, NM, USA. This balloon fully deployed, but developed a leak under pressurization. After an extensive investigation to the cause of the leak, a second test flight balloon was fabricated. This ∼176,000 m³ (∼6.2 MCF) balloon was flown from Kiruna, Sweden in June of 2006. Flight results for both test flights, including flight performance are presented.     

Sweetpotato vine management for confined food production in a space life-support system

Sweetpotato (Ipomea batatas L.) ‘Whatley–Loretan’ was developed for space life support by researchers at Tuskegee University for its highly productive, nutritious storage roots. This promising candidate space life-support crop has a sprawling habit and aggressive growth rate in favorable environments that demands substantial growing area. Shoot pruning is not a viable option for vine control because removal of the main shoot apex drastically inhibits storage-root initiation and development, and chemical growth retardants typically are not cleared for use with food crops. As part of a large effort by the NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training in Advanced Life Support to reduce equivalent system mass (ESM) for food production in space, the dilemma of vine management for sweetpotato was addressed in effort to conserve growth area without compromising root yield. Root yields from unbranched vines trained spirally around wire frames configured either in the shapes of cones or cylinders were similar to those from vines trained horizontally along the bench, but occupying only a small fraction of the bench area. This finding indicates that sweetpotato is highly adaptable to a variety of vine-training architectures. Planting a second plant in the growth container and training the two vines in opposite directions around frames enhanced root yield and number, but had little effect on average length of each vine or bench area occupied. Once again, root yields were similar for both configurations of wire support frames. The 3–4-month crop-production cycles for sweetpotato in the greenhouse spanned all seasons of multiple years during the course of the study, and although electric lighting was used for photoperiod control and to supplement photosynthetic light during low-light seasons, there still were differences in total light available across seasons. Light variations and other environmental differences among experiments in the greenhouse had more effects on vine length than on root yield. Average vine length correlated positively with total hours of daylight received across seasons, and responses for one plant per container were higher above a threshold duration of solar exposure, suggesting that the vines of two plants per container compete for available light. In addition to the adaptability of sweetpotato to various vine-training architectures and across seasons in terms of maintaining root productivity, the open, interior volumes of the support frames tested in this study will provide future opportunity to enhance sweetpotato root yield in space by adding novel interior lighting, such as from intracanopy arrays of light-emitting diodes. This work was sponsored by NASA grant NAG 5 1286.     

解体速度增量计算方法研究

解体速度增量是解体事件强度的重要指征, 它决定了解体产生碎片的轨道分布. 通过分析解体速度增量可以推断解体强度, 确定解体形式. 解体速度增量有两种计算方法, 即轨道位置演化法和轨道面相交法. 轨道位置演化法是根据解体前后轨道速度的变化直接得到解体速度增量; 而轨道面相交法是利用母体以及解体碎片的球面三角几何关系, 根据解体碎片的倾角和升交点赤经变化, 以及母体轨道的倾角和近地点辐角, 计算解体时刻母体轨道的真近点角, 从而得到解体的时间和速度增量. 相比来说, 轨道位置演化法适用于数据精度高, 解体高度高情况下的解体事件分析, 而轨道面相交法适用于解体高度低, 碎片数据公布时间较为滞后的解体事件分析. 根据解体速度增量的计算方法及其原理, 对两种方法的适用性进行了比较和讨论, 并选取已经发生的三次解体事件, 利用美国公布的TLE数据, 针对具体情况选择计算方法, 给出了三次解体事件发生的时间和解体碎片在空间三个方向上的速度增量.      

Potential of salt-accumulating and salt-secreting halophytic plants for recycling sodium chloride in human urine in bioregenerative life support systems

This study addresses the possibility of growing different halophytic plants on mineralized human urine as a way to recycle NaCl from human wastes in a bioregenerative life support system (BLSS). Two halophytic plant species were studied: the salt-accumulating Salicornia europaea and the salt-secreting Limonium gmelinii. During the first two weeks, plants were grown on Knop’s solution, then an average daily amount of urine produced by one human, which had been preliminarily mineralized, was gradually added to the experimental solutions. Nutrient solutions simulating urine mineral composition were gradually added to control solutions. NaCl concentrations in the stock solutions added to the experimental and control solutions were 9 g/L in the first treatment and 20 g/L in the second treatment. The mineralized human urine showed some inhibitory effects on S. europaea and L. gmelinii. The biomass yield of experimental plants was lower than that of control ones. If calculated for the same time period (120 d) and area (1 m²), the amount of sodium chloride taken up by S. europaea plants would be 11.7 times larger than the amount taken up by L. gmelinii plants (486 g/m² vs. 41 g/m²). Thus, S. europaea is the better choice of halophyte for recycling sodium chloride from human wastes in BLSS.     

SOCIT4 collisional-breakup test data analysis: With shape and materials characterization

In this paper we revisit the 1995 Kaman database of the SOCIT4 fragment characteristics with added analysis of a subset of the cataloged fragments from the test. This database was compiled from the last of a series of four hypervelocity impact tests conducted under a U.S. Department of Defense program in 1991–1992. This test targeted a flight-ready, U.S. Transit navigation satellite, yielding collision fragments in the size regime of sub-millimeter through tens of centimeters. Results in this database were used in the 1998 NASA Standard Breakup Model to represent characteristic length (size) and area-to-mass distributions of fragments smaller than 10 cm.     

星敏感器光轴热稳定性仿真分析方法

热稳定性用来衡量星敏感器光轴指向抵抗温度变化影响的能力,常用试验及仿真的方法进行分析验证.仿真方法因其高效率、低成本、可贯穿产品设计全周期等优点,已成为热稳定性分析验证的重要手段.开发了一种热 力 光联合仿真分析的方法进行星敏感器热稳定性计算.该方法集合了热分析、变形分析、成像仿真及热漂移计算等多项仿真分析过程.以某高精度星敏感器为例,进行了热稳定性计算,结果表明了该仿真方法的有效性.     

Applying fuzzy bi-dimensional scenario-based model to the assessment of Mars mission architecture scenarios

Sending man to Mars has been a long-held dream of humankind. NASA plans human planetary explorations using approaches that are technically feasible, have reasonable risks and have relatively low costs. This study presents a novel Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM) model for evaluating a range of potential mission scenarios for the human exploration of Mars. The three alternatives identified by the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) include split mission, combo lander and dual scenarios. The proposed framework subsumes the following key methods: first, the conjunction method is used to minimize the number of alternative mission scenarios; second, the Fuzzy Risk Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (RFMEA) is used to analyze the potential failure of the alternative scenarios; third, the fuzzy group Real Option Analysis (ROA) is used to estimate the expected costs and benefits of the alternative scenarios; and fourth, the fuzzy group permutation approach is used to select the optimal mission scenario. We present the results of a case study at NASA’s Johnson Space center to demonstrate: (1) the complexity of mission scenario selection involving subjective and objective judgments provided by multiple space exploration experts; and (2) a systematic and structured method for aggregating quantitative and qualitative data concerning a large number of competing and conflicting mission events.     

Strategy to search fragments from breakups in GEO

This paper proposes a strategy to search fragments from breakups in the Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) region based upon population prediction and motion prediction by means of ground-based optical observations. Breakup fragments have uncertainties in the states such as their position and motion, or even in their existence. Population prediction and motion prediction resolve those uncertainties. Population prediction evaluates the time-averaged distribution of fragments, whose position at a given time is unknown, in the celestial sphere. Motion prediction evaluates the expected motion of fragments appeared in image series acquired by a telescope’s CCD camera. This paper logically describes procedures of the search strategy, and provides mathematical expressions of population prediction and motion prediction. This paper also validates the search strategy via actual observations, in which a confirmed breakup in the GEO region is selected as a target. It is concluded that the proposed strategy is valid even for searching uncataloged fragments from breakups in the GEO region.     

Mars Sample Return: Do Australians trust NASA?

Mars Sample Return (MSR) represents an important scientific goal in space exploration. Any sample return mission will be extremely challenging from a scientific, economic and technical standpoint. But equally testing, will be communicating with a public that may have a very different perception of the mission. A MSR mission will generate international publicity and it is vital that NASA acknowledge the nature and extent of public concern about the mission risks and, perhaps equally importantly, the public’s confidence in NASA’s ability to prepare for and manage these risks. This study investigated the level of trust in NASA in an Australian population sample, and whether this trust was dependent on demographic variables. Participants completed an online survey that explored their attitudes towards NASA and a MSR mission. The results suggested that people believe NASA will complete the mission successfully but have doubts as to whether NASA will be honest when communicating with the public. The most significant finding to emerge from this study was that confidence in NASA was significantly (p < 0.05) related to the respondent’s level of knowledge regarding the risks and benefits of MSR. These results have important implications for risk management and communication.     

Zodiacal light and space observation of faint objects

Zodiacal light is examined as a “foreground noise” limiting the space photometry of faint objects. Emphasis is given to the ways of increasing the signal to noise ratio by an appropriate choice of observational epoch. In the case of the Space Telescope, predictions of average values of this ratio for the extreme faintness case V = 28 are derived from the expected performances announced by NASA and from the recent table of zodiacal brightnesses, as obtained from observations at Tenerife ([1], table 2).     

Object-oriented model-driven control.

A monitoring and control subsystem architecture has been developed that capitalizes on the use of model-driven monitoring and predictive control, knowledge-based data representation, and artificial reasoning in an operator support mode. We have developed an object-oriented model of a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS). The model, based on the NASA Kennedy Space Center CELSS breadboard data, tracks carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water. It estimates and tracks resource-related parameters such as mass, energy, and manpower measurements such as growing area required for balance. We are developing an interface with the breadboard systems that is compatible with artificial reasoning. Initial work is being done on use of expert systems and user interface development. This paper presents our approach to defining universally applicable CELSS monitor and control issues, and implementing appropriate monitor and control capability for a particular instance: the KSC CELSS Breadboard Facility.