“挑战者”号航天飞机事故的调查报告梗概

1986年1月28日美国“挑战者”号航天飞机事故发生后,美国总统里根2月3日签署了12546号命令,命令成立一个调查“挑战者”号航天飞机事故的总统委员会。6月9日,以前国务卿罗杰斯为首的总统委员会向里根总统呈交了调查报告,题为《总统委员会关于“挑战者”号航天飞机事故的报告》。本编辑部已组织全文翻译并出版,本文是该调查报告的梗概。     

美国考虑发展小型单弹头MX导弹

美国总统里根决定再一次推迟作出如何部署 MX 洲际导弹的决定,即由2月18日推迟到三月底。此消息来自战略力量委员会领导人、前国家安全顾问斯考克罗夫特,他于2月9日见到了里根总统。他说战略力量委员会将在2月18日前向里根总统提出发展小型单弹头 MX 导弹的建议。这种小型 MX 导弹缩至原导弹的一半大     

计算机图形描绘的“挑战者”号爆炸过程

在一次关于“挑战者”号航天飞机固体发动机各种故障情况的公开听证会上,NASA向总统特别委员会提供了下面51—L飞行任务最后一瞬间的计算机显示图片,它说明了右侧固体火箭助推器是如何从飞行器上脱开和钻入外挂燃料箱的顶部并造成航天飞机爆炸的.     

NASA采用新的风险评估法

如果有人认为NASA是故意让挑战者号去冒险而导致机毁人亡的话,那就错了。因为NASA以前采用的是定性风险分析法,无法精确地知道冒险的程度。挑战者号失事后,NASA把航天飞机的可能失事率估算为万分之一这一事实成了笑柄。总统委员会的调查使许多有经验的观察家对NASA和其它宇航部门使用的风险评估方法表示怀     

嫦娥三号成功着月促美国议员致信奥巴马总统要求美国重返月球

举世瞩目的嫦娥三号探测器探月成功,不但使中国人民受到了极大的鼓舞,也在美国产生了巨大影响。2013年12月14日嫦娥三号探测器成功着月后,美国众议院拨款委员会商业、司法、科学及相关机构小组委员会主席弗兰克·沃尔夫（Frank Wolf）便于2013年12月19日致信美国总统奥巴马,呼吁美国总统下令美国航空航天局（NASA）与美国的伙伴国家合作,重返月球,     

美国1986财年研究与发展预算简评

今年2月6日,里根总统在联邦政府讲演中说:“尽管对预算实行了控制,我们仍在为研究与发展谋求创纪录的拨款。”事实确实如此,里根提交给国会的1986财年的预算表明,联邦政府的全部研究与发展经费将达到576亿美元,即在今年510亿美元的基础上增加了13%。里根政府认为,科学研究对技术创新、经济繁荣和军事力量发展起着至关重要的作用。美国1986财年的研究与发展预算有一个人们熟悉的特点,即最大的受益者是国防部。1986年美国国防部用于研究与发展的费用将从今年的323亿美元增加到394亿美元,大约增加22%。加上能源部的武器计划,明     

特朗普又签“2号令”,落实商业航天监管改革

正美国总统特朗普于2018年5月24日在白宫椭圆形办公室签发了"第2号航天政策指令"(SPD-2),以落实国家航天委员会今年早些时候提出的支持商业航天发展的一系列监管改革措施。指令涉及理顺发射与遥感监管规则、组建负责商业航天的一个"一站式购物"办公室和开展无线电频谱及出口管制政策评审。兼任国家航天委员会主席的副总统彭斯在签署仪式后发表声明说:"这项指令将在注重保护国家安全和公共安全的同时,通过为投资者和私     

美国奋进号航天飞机首次飞行

一、奋进号航天飞机的研制 奋进号航天飞机是根据美国总统里根的决定制造的,它是美国所制造的第6架航天飞机,用于替代1986年初升空爆炸的挑战者号航天飞机。奋进号的承造单位为美国洛克韦尔公司,飞机造价20亿美元。从1987年8月签定合同到1991年4月轨道器出厂共用3年零8个月的时间。出于安全方面的考虑,轨道器运抵肯尼迪航天中心39B发射台后,美国航宇局(NASA)按传统作法于当年6月对轨道器发动机进行试车。经对3台主发动机22秒点火试车发现,1、2号发动机氧气泵震动和声音异常。为此,NASA决定将3台主发动机全部换掉,装上为亚特兰蒂斯号航天飞机下次发射准备的3台主发     

美国将重新生产一次使用的运载火箭

1986年1月28日,“挑战者号”航天飞机失事以后,美国一次性使用运载火箭(ELV)的各生产厂家已经在为这种火箭的重新生产、发射及成本估算作准备工作,甚至准备增加这种火箭的产量。一些政府机构、军方用户和潜在的商业     

国际空间站计划大事记

1983年4月:里根总统指示一跨机构工作组对美国航宇局的空间站计划进行研究。1984年1月25日:里根在国情咨文中提出建设一座永久性国际空间站。美国航宇局对建设费用的估计为80亿美元。     

Summary of medical investigations in the U.S.S.R. manned space missions.

The results of biomedical investigations carried out in the U.S.S.R. manned space missions are discussed. Their basic result is well-documented evidence that man can perform space flights of long duration. The investigations have demonstrated no direct correlation between inflight or postflight physiological reactions of crewmembers and flight duration. In all likelihood, this can be attributed to the fact that special exercises done inflight efficiently prevented adverse effects of weightlessness. However, human reactions to weightlessness need further study. They include negative calcium balance and anemia as well as vestibulo-autonomic disorders shown by crewmembers at early stages of weightlessness. Attention should be given to psychological, social-psychological and ethical problems that may also limit further increase in flight duration.     

ADS-B在美国

美国是“广播式自动相关监视”(ADS-B)技术研究和应用的先行者之一。继1991年,瑞典首次成功利用飞行座舱显示器(CDTI)演示ADS-B功能之后,美国从1992年就开始在芝加哥的O’Hare机场开展ADS-B技术的早期应用研究。进入21世纪,美国首先在阿拉斯加地区通用航空飞机上推广应用ADS-B技术。2002年,美国联邦航空局FAA终于出台了ADS-B数据链发展政策以及支持ADS-B技术发展的规划蓝图。一、美国的AD S-B技术发展规划(一)近期规划:(2002年—2006年)(1)定义ADS-B最初发展阶段的国内技术系统底层结构;(2)允许“袖珍型”(不具备上行广播…     

U.S. biological experiments in space.

Past U.S. space biological experiments in space, using non-human specimens, are discussed and evaluated. Current plans for future experimentation in this field are also given.     

U.S. prebreathe protocol

This paper identifies and describes the prebreathe protocol currently used by the U.S. Space Shuttle Program to provide astronauts the capability to safely perform extravehicular activity. A comparison of planned vs actual prebreathe experience through the STS-37 Mission is also provided.     

Aquatic modules for bioregenerative life support systems based on the C.E.B.A.S. biotechnology

Most concepts for bioregenerative life support systems are based on edible higher land plants which create some problems with growth and seed generation under space conditions. Animal protein production is mostly neglected because of the tremendous waste management problems with tetrapods under reduced weightlessness. Therefore, the “Closed Equilibrated Biological Aquatic System” (C.E.B.A.S.) was developed which represents an artificial aquatic ecosystem containing aquatic organisms which are adpated at all to “near weightlessness conditions” (fishes Xiphophorus helleri, water snails Biomphalaria glabrata, ammonia oxidizing bacteria and the rootless non-gravitropic edible water plant Ceratophyllum demersum). Basically the C.E.B.A.S. consists of 4 subsystems: a ZOOLOGICASL COMPONENT (animal aquarium), a BOTANICAL COMPONENT (aquatic plant bioreactor), a MICROBIAL COMPONENT (bacteria filter) and an ELECTRONICAL COMPONENT (data acquisition and control unit). Superficially, the function principle appears simple: the plants convert light energy into chemical energy via photosynthesis thus producing biomass and oxygen. The animals and microorganisms use the oxygen for respiration and produce the carbon dioxide which is essential for plant photosynthesis. The ammonia ions excreted by the animals are converted by the bacteria to nitrite and then to nitrate ions which serve as a nitrogen source for the plants. Other essential ions derive from biological degradation of animal waste products and dead organic matter. The C.E.B.A.S. exists in 2 basic versions: the original C.E.B.A.S. with a volume of 150 liters and a self-sustaining standing time of more than 13 month and the so-called C.E.B.A.S. MINI MODULE with a volume of about 8.5 liters. In the latter there is no closed food loop by reasons of available space so that animal food has to be provided via an automated feeder. This device was flown already successfully on the STS-89 and STS-90 spaceshuttle missions and the working hypothesis was verified that aquatic organisms are nearly not affected at all by space conditions, i . e. that the plants exhibited biomass production rates identical to the ground controls and that as well the reproductive, and the immune system as the the embryonic and ontogenic development of the animals remained undisturbed. Currently the C.E.B.A.S. MINI MODLULE is prepared for a third spaceshuttle fligt (STS-107) in spring 2001. Based on the results of the space experiments a series of prototypes of aquatic food production modules for the implementation into BLSS were developed. This paper describes the scientific disposition of the STS-107 experiments and of open and closed aquaculture systems based on another aquatic plant species, the Lemnacean Wolffia arrhiza which is cultured as a vegetable in Southeastern Asia. This plant can be grown in suspension culture and several special bioreactors were developed for this purpose. W. arrhiza reproduces mainly vegetatively by buds but also sexually from time to time and is therefore especially suitable for genetic engineering, too. Therefore it was used, in addition, to optimize the C.E.B.A.S. MINI MODULE to allow experiments with a duration of 4 month in the International Space Station the basic principle of which will be explained. In the context of aquaculture systems for BLSS the continuous replacement of removed fish biomass is an essential demand. Although fish reproduction seems not to be affected in the short-term space experiments with the C.E.B.A.S. MIMI MODULE a functional and reliable hatchery for the production of siblings under reduced weightlessness is connected with some serious problems. Therefore an automated “reproduction module” for the herbivorous fish Tilapia rendalli was developed as a laboratory prototype. It is concluded that aquatic modules of different degrees of complexity can optimize the productivity of BLSS based on higher land plants and that they offer an unique opportunity for the production of animal protein in lunar or planetary bases.     

DR.Q.SCIENCE QUEST

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A 6 D.O.F. opto-inertial tracker for virtual reality experiments in microgravity.

Gravity plays a role in many different levels of human motor behavior. It dictates the laws of motion of our body and limbs, as well as of the objects in the external world with which we wish to interact. The dynamic interaction of our body with the world is molded within gravity's constraints. The role played by gravity in the perception of visual stimuli and the elaboration of human movement is an active research theme in the field of Neurophysiology. Conditions of microgravity, coupled with techniques from the world of virtual reality, provide a unique opportunity to address these questions concerning the function of the human sensorimotor system. The ability to measure movements of the head and to update in real time the visual scene presented to the subject based on these measurements is a key element in producing a realistic virtual environment. A variety of head-tracking hardware exists on the market today, but none seem particularly well suited to the constraints of working with a space station environment. Nor can any of the existing commercial systems meet the more stringent requirements for physiological experimentation (high accuracy, high resolution, low jitter, low lag) in a wireless configuration. To this end, we have developed and tested a hybrid opto-inertial 6 degree-of-freedom tracker based on existing inertial technology. To confirm that the inertial components and algorithms will function properly, this system was tested in the microgravity conditions of parabolic flight. Here we present the design goals of this tracker, the system configuration and the results of 0g and 1g testing.