Analytical solutions for the relative motion of spacecraft subject to Lorentz-force perturbations

A spacecraft capable of producing higher-than-natural electrostatic charges may achieve propellantless orbital maneuvering via the Lorentz-force interaction with a planetary magnetic field. Development of maneuver strategies for these propellantless vehicles is complicated by the fact that the perturbative Lorentz force acts along only a single line of action at any instant. Relative-motion dynamical models are developed that lead to approximate analytical solutions for the motion of charged spacecraft subject to the Lorentz force. These solutions indicate that the principal effects of the Lorentz force on a spacecraft in a circular orbit are to change the intrack position and to change the orbit plane. A rendezvous example is presented in which a spacecraft with a specific charge of ?3.81 $\times$ 10^?4 C/kg reaches a target vehicle initially 10 km away (on the same equatorial low-Earth orbit) in 1 day. Fly-around maneuvers may be achieved in low-Earth orbit with specific charges on the order of 0.001 C/kg.     

Thrust measurement of dimethyl ether arcjet thruster

The present paper describes thrust measurement results for an arcjet thruster using Dimethyl ether (DME) as the propellant. DME is an ether compound and can be stored as a liquid due to its relatively low freezing point and preferable vapor pressure. The thruster successfully produced high-voltage mode at DME mass flow rates above 30 mg/s, whereas it yielded low-voltage mode below 30 mg/s. Thrust measurements yielded a thrust of 0.15 N and a specific impulse of 270 s at a mass flow rate of 60 mg/s with a discharge power of 1300 W. The DME arcjet thruster was comparable to a conventional one for thrust and discharge power.     

Compensation of gravitational attraction disturbance to pure gravity orbit for Inner Formation Flying System

The Inner Formation Flying System (IFFS) consisting of an outer satellite and an inner satellite which is a solid sphere proof mass freely flying in the shield cavity can construct a pure gravity orbit to precisely measure the earth gravity field. The gravitational attraction on the inner satellite due to the outer satellite is a significant disturbance source to the pure gravity orbit and is required to be limited to 10⁻¹¹ m s⁻² order. However, the gravitational disturbance force was on 10⁻⁹ m s⁻² order actually and must be reduced by dedicated compensation mass blocks. The region of relative motion of the inner satellite about its nominal position is within 1 cm in dimension, which raises the complexity of the compensation blocks design. The iterative design strategy of the compensation blocks based on reducing the gravitational attraction at the nominal position of the inner satellite is presented, aiming to guarantee the gravitational force in the relative motion region within requirements after the compensation. The compensation blocks are designed according to the current status of IFFS, and the gravitational disturbance force in the region is reduced to 10⁻¹¹ ms⁻² order with minimized adding mass.     

Field emission performance of multiwalled carbon nanotubes for a low-power spacecraft neutraliser

Field electron emission from aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes has been assessed to determine if the performance, defined by power consumption, lifetime and emission current, is suitable for use in spacecraft charge neutralisation for field emission electric propulsion (FEEP). Carbon nanotubes grown by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) were mounted on a dual in line chip with a macroscopic (nickel mesh) extractor electrode mounted ～1 mm above the tubes. The nanotubes’ field emission characteristics (emission currents, electron losses and operating voltage) were measured at ～10^?4 Pa. An endurance test of one sample, running at a software-controlled constant emission current lasted >1400 h, approaching the longest known FEEP thruster lifetime. The emission corresponds to a current density of ～10 mA/cm² at a voltage of 150 V. These results, implementing mature extractor-electrode geometry, indicate that carbon nanotubes have considerable potential for development as robust, low-power, long-lived electron emitters for use in space.     

Very high delta-V missions to the edge of the solar system and beyond enabled by the dual-stage 4-grid ion thruster concept

A new and innovative type of gridded ion thruster, the “Dual-Stage 4-Grid” or DS4G concept, has been proposed and its predicted high performance validated under an ESA research, development and test programme. The DS4G concept is able to operate at very high specific impulse and thrust density values well in excess of conventional 3-grid ion thrusters at the expense of a higher power-to-thrust ratio. This makes it a possible candidate for ambitious missions requiring very high delta-V capability and high power. Such missions include 100 kW-level multi-ton probes based on nuclear and solar electric propulsion (SEP) to distant Kuiper Belt Object and inner Oort cloud objects, and to the Local Interstellar medium. In this paper, the DS4G concept is introduced and its application to this mission class is investigated. Benefits of using the DS4G over conventional thrusters include reduced transfer time and increased payload mass, if suitably advanced lightweight power system technologies are developed.A mission-level optimisation is performed (launch, spacecraft system design and low-thrust trajectory combined) in order to find design solutions with minimum transfer time, maximum scientific payload mass, and to explore the influence of power system specific mass. It is found that the DS4G enables an 8-ton spacecraft with a payload mass of 400 kg, equipped with a 65 kW nuclear reactor with specific mass 25 kg/kW (e.g. Topaz-type with Brayton cycle conversion) to reach 200 AU in 23 years after an Earth escape launch by Ariane 5. In this scenario, the optimum specific impulse for the mission is over 10,000 s, which is well within the capabilities of a single 65 kW DS4G thruster. It is also found that an interstellar probe mission to 200 AU could be accomplished in 25 years using a “medium-term” SEP system with a lightweight 155 kW solar array (2 kg/kW specific mass) and thruster PPU (3.7 kg/kW) and an Earth escape launch on Ariane 5. In this case, the optimum specific impulse is lower at 3500 s which is well within conventional gridded ion thruster capability.     

Design and testing of a roto-translational shutter mechanism for planetary operation

This work describes the design and testing of a shutter mechanism for a miniaturized infrared spectrometer developed for the ESA ExoMars Pasteur mission. Unlike most usual cover mechanisms, the conceived one provides a roto-translational motion. This feature allows the sealing of the interferometer main entrance window from dust contamination, in addition to the usual function of shuttering the instrument field of view. Although this characteristic is strongly desired because it avoids dust deposition and optics contamination while the instrument is not operating, it makes the mechanism design significantly more complex. Moreover, challenging design constraints were faced: the mass budget allowed for no more than 30 g allocation, the expected working thermal range extended down to −80 °C and high vibration levels with an acceleration peak of 670 m/s² were predicted during Mars landing. To complete the picture, the mechanism cover was required to provide also a calibration target for the 2–25 μm spectral range of the spectrometer. The resulting system is made by a calibrating/shutter cover moved by a purposely designed out of plane cams system which provides the desired motion. A mechanism mockup was assembled and successfully tested in the predicted thermal and mechanical environments.     

MOA2—an R&D paradigm buster enabling space propulsion by commercial applications

More than 60 years after the late Nobel laureate Hannes Alfvén had published a letter stating that oscillating magnetic fields can accelerate ionised matter via magneto–hydrodynamic interactions in a wave like fashion, the technical implementation of Alfvén waves for propulsive purposes has been proposed, patented and examined for the first time by a group of inventors.Consequently improved since then, the name of the latest concept, relying on magneto-acoustic waves to accelerate electric conductive matter, is MOA²—Magnetic field Oscillating Amplified Accelerator. Based on computer simulations, which were undertaken to get a first estimate on the performance of the system, MOA² is a corrosion free and highly flexible propulsion system, whose performance parameters might easily be adapted in operation, by changing the mass flow and/or the power level. As such the system is capable of delivering a maximum specific impulse of 13116 s (12.87 mN) at a power level of 11.16 kW, using Xe as propellant, but can also be attuned to provide a thrust of 236.5 mN (2411 s) at 6.15 kW of power. First tests—that are further described in this paper—have been conducted successfully with a 400 W prototype system at an ambient pressure of 0.20 Pa, delivered 9.24 mN of thrust at 1472 s I_SP, thereby underlining the feasibility of the concept.Based on these results, space propulsion is expected to be a prime application for MOA²—a claim that is supported by numerous applications such as Solar and/or Nuclear Electric Propulsion or even as an ‘afterburner system’ for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion. However, MOA² has so far seen most of its R&D impetus from terrestrial applications, like coating, semiconductor implantation and manufacturing as well as steel cutting. Based on this observation, MOA² resembles an R&D paradigm buster, as it is the first space propulsion system, whose R&D is driven primarily by its terrestrial applications. Different terrestrial applications exist, but the most successful scenarios so far revolve around MOA²'s unique features with respect to high throughput/low target temperature coatings on sensitive materials. In combination with its intrinsic high flexibility, MOA² is highly suited for a common space-terrestrial application research and utilisation strategy.This paper presents the recent developments of the MOA² R&D activities at Q₂ Technologie(s), the company in Vienna, Austria, which has been set up to further develop and test the magneto-acoustic wave technology and its applications.     

Endurance testing of a pulsed plasma thruster for nanosatellites

The mission complexity of Nanosatellites has increased tremendously in recent years, but their mission range is limited due to the lack of an active orbit control or ∆v capability. Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (PPT), featuring structural simplicity and very low power consumption are a prime candidate for such applications. However, the required miniaturization of standard PPTs and the adaption to the low power consumption is not straightforward. Most investigated systems have failed to show the required lifetime. The present coaxial design has shown a lifetime of up to 1 million discharges at discharge energies of 1.8 J in previous studies. The present paper focuses on performance characterizations of this design. For this purpose direct thrust measurements with a µN thrust balance were conducted. Thrust measurements in conjunction with mass bit determination allowed a comprehensive assessment. Based on those measurements the present µPPT has a total impulses capability of approximately I≈1.7 Ns, an average mass bit of 0.37 µg s⁻¹ and an average specific impulse of I_sp≈904 s. All tests have shown very good EM compatibility of the PPT with the electronics of the flight-like printed circuit board. Consequently, a complete µPPT unit can provide a ∆v change of 5.1 m/s or 2.6 m/s to a standard 1-unit or 2-unit CubeSat respectively.     

Flight performance analysis of GRACE K-band ranging instrument with simulation data

A dual one-way ranging (DOWR) system provides very high accuracy range measurements between two satellites. The GRACE satellite mission implements the DOWR, called KBR (K-band ranging), to measure very small inter-satellite range change in order to map the Earth gravity field. The flight performance of the KBR is analyzed by using a hybrid software simulator that incorporates actual satellite orbit data into a comprehensive KBR simulator, which was earlier used for computing the GRACE baseline accuracy. Three types of experiments were performed. First is the comparison of the flight data with the simulated data in spectral domain. Second is the comparison of double differenced noise level. Third is the comparison of the range-rate difference with GPS clock estimates. The analysis shows a good agreement with the simulation model except some excessive high frequency noise, e.g. 10⁻⁴ m/√Hz at 0.1 Hz. The range-rate difference shows 0.003 cyc/s discrepancy with the clock estimates. These analyses are helpful to refine the DOWR simulation model and can be benefit to future DOWR instrument development.     

Satellite orbit perturbations in a dusty Martian atmosphere

In this paper we calculate the effect of atmospheric dust on the orbital elements of a satellite. Dust storms that originate in the Martian surface may evolve into global storms in the atmosphere that can last for months can affect low orbiter and lander missions. We model the dust as a velocity-square depended drag force acting on a satellite and we derive an appropriate disturbing function that accounts for the effect of dust on the orbit, using a Lagrangean formulation. A first-order perturbation solution of Lagrange's planetary equations of motion indicates that for a local dust storm cloud that has a possible density of 8.323×10⁻¹⁰ kg m⁻³ at an altitude of 100 km affects the orbital semimajor axis of a 1000 kg satellite up −0.142 m day⁻¹. Regional dust storms of the same density may affect the semimajor axis up to of −0.418 m day⁻¹. Other orbital elements are also affected but to a lesser extent.     

Radiation engineering analysis of shielding materials to assess their ability to protect astronauts in deep space from energetic particle radiation

An analysis is performed on four typical materials (aluminum, liquid hydrogen, polyethylene, and water) to assess their impact on the length of time an astronaut can stay in deep space and not exceed a design basis radiation exposure of 150 mSv. A large number of heavy lift launches of pure shielding mass are needed to enable long duration, deep space missions to keep astronauts at or below the exposure value with shielding provided by the vehicle. Therefore, vehicle mass using the assumptions in the paper cannot be the sole shielding mechanism for long duration, deep space missions. As an example, to enable the Mars Design Reference Mission 5.0 with a 400 day transit to and from Mars, not including the 500 day stay on the surface, a minimum of 24 heavy lift launches of polyethylene at 89,375 lbm (40.54 tonnes) each are needed for the 1977 galactic cosmic ray environment. With the assumptions used in this paper, a single heavy lift launch of water or polyethylene can protect astronauts for a 130 day mission before exceeding the exposure value. Liquid hydrogen can only protect the astronauts for 160 days. Even a single launch of pure shielding material cannot protect an astronaut in deep space for more than 180 days using the assumptions adopted in the analysis. It is shown that liquid hydrogen is not the best shielding material for the same mass as polyethylene for missions that last longer than 225 days.     

Parabolic maneuvers of the Swiss Air Force fighter jet F-5E as a research platform for cell culture experiments in microgravity

Long-term sensitivity of human cells to reduced gravity has been supposed since the first Apollo missions and was demonstrated during several space missions in the past. However, little information is available on primary and rapid gravi-responsive elements in mammalian cells. In search of rapid-responsive molecular alterations in mammalian cells, short-term microgravity provided by parabolic flight maneuvers is an ideal way to elucidate such initial and primary effects. Modern biomedical research at the cellular and molecular level requires frequent repetition of experiments that are usually performed in sequences of experiments and analyses. Therefore, a research platform on Earth providing frequent, easy and repeated access to real microgravity for cell culture experiments is strongly desired. For this reason, we developed a research platform onboard the military fighter jet aircraft Northrop F-5E “Tiger II”. The experimental system consists of a programmable and automatically operated system composed of six individual experiment modules, placed in the front compartment, which work completely independent of the aircraft systems. Signal transduction pathways in cultured human cells can be investigated after the addition of an activator solution at the onset of microgravity and a fixative or lysis buffer after termination of microgravity. Before the beginning of a regular military training flight, a parabolic maneuver was executed. After a 1 g control phase, the parabolic maneuver starts at 13,000 ft and at Mach 0.99 airspeed, where a 22 s climb with an acceleration of 2.5g is initiated, following a free-fall ballistic Keplerian trajectory lasting 45 s with an apogee of 27,000 ft at Mach 0.4 airspeed. Temperature, pressure and acceleration are monitored constantly during the entire flight. Cells and activator solutions are kept at 37 °C during the entire experiment until the fixative has been added. The parabolic flight profile provides up to 45 s of microgravity at a quality of 0.05g in all axes. Access time is 30 min before take-off; retrieval time is 30 min after landing. We conclude that using military fighter jets for microgravity research is a valuable tool for frequent and repeated cell culture experiments and therefore for state-of-the art method of biomedical research.     

Super-capacitor energy storage for micro-satellites: Feasibility and potential mission applications

Small satellites, weighting between 100 and 200 kg, have witnessed increasing use for a variety of space applications including remote sensing constellations and technology demonstrations. The energy storage/stored power demands of most spacecraft, including small satellites, are currently accommodated by rechargeable batteries—typically nickel–cadmium cells (specific energy of 50 Wh kg⁻¹), or more recently lithium-ion cells (150 Wh kg⁻¹). High energy density is a primary concern for spacecraft energy storage design, and these batteries have been sufficient for most applications. However, constraints on the allowable on-board battery size have limited peak power performance such that the maximum power supply capability of small satellites currently ranges between only 70 and 200 W. This relatively low maximum power limits the capabilities of small satellites in terms of payload design and selection. In order to enhance these satellites' power performance, the research reported in this paper focused on the implementation of super-capacitors as practical rechargeable energy storage medium, and as an alternative to chemical batteries. Compared to batteries, some super-capacitors are able to supply high power at high energy-efficiency, but unfortunately they still have a very low energy density (5–30 Wh kg⁻¹). However, the provision of this high power capability would considerably widen the range of small satellite applications.     

Effects of stand-off bursts on rubble-pile targets: Evaluation of a hazardous asteroid mitigation strategy

We explore the aftereffects of stand-off burst mitigation on kilometer-scale rubble pile asteroids. We use a simple model of X-ray energy deposition to calculate the impulse transferred to the target, in particular to burst-facing blocks on the target surface. The impulse allows us to estimate an initial velocity field for the blocks on the outer side of the target facing the burst. We model the dynamics using an N-body polyhedron program built on the Open Dynamics Engine, a “physics engine” that integrates the dynamical equations for objects of general shapes and includes collision detection, friction, and dissipation.We tested several different models for target objects: rubble piles with different mass distributions, a “brick-pile” made of closely fitting blocks and zero void space, and a non-spherical “contact binary” rubble pile. Objects were bound together by self-gravity and friction/inelastic restitution with no other cohesive forces. Our fiducial cases involved objects of m=3.5×10¹² kg (corresponding to a radius of 0.7 km for the bulk object), an X-ray yield of 1 megaton, and stand-off burst distances of R=0.8–2.5 km from the target center of mass.Kilometer-scale rubble piles are robust to stand-off bursts of a yield ($Y\sim 1$ megaton) that would be sufficient to provide an effective velocity change ($\mathrm{\Delta }v\sim 0.05\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$). Disaggregation involving some tens of percent of the target mass happens immediately after the impulse; the bulk of the object re-accretes on a few gravitational timescales, and the final deflected target contains over 95% (typically, 98–99%) of the original mass. Off-center components of the mitigation impulse and the target mass distribution cause a small amount of induced spin and off-axis components of velocity change. The off-axis velocity component amounts to an angular deviation of $\sim$ 0.05–0.1 radians from the nominal impulse vector, which may be important for mitigation planning.     

Right ventricular tissue Doppler assessment in space during circulating volume modification using the Braslet device

Introduction: This joint US–Russian work aims to establish a methodology for assessing cardiac function in microgravity in association with manipulation of central circulating volume. Russian Braslet-M (Braslet) occlusion cuffs were used to temporarily increase the volume of blood in the lower extremities, effectively reducing the volume in central circulation. The methodology was tested at the International Space Station (ISS) to assess the volume status of crewmembers by evaluating the responses to application and release of the cuffs, as well as to modified Valsalva and Mueller maneuvers. This case study examines the use of tissue Doppler (TD) of the right ventricular (RV) free wall. Results: Baseline TD of the RV free wall without Braslet showed early diastolic E′ (16 cm/s), late diastolic A′ (14 cm/s), and systolic S′ (12 cm/s) velocities comparable with those in normal subjects on Earth. Braslet application caused 50% decrease of E′ (8 cm/s), 45% increase of A′, and no change to S′. Approximately 8 beats after the Braslet release, TD showed E′ of 8 cm/s, A′ of 12 cm/s, and S′ of 13 cm/s. At this point after release, E′ did not recover to baseline values while l A′ and S′ did recover. The pre-systolic cross-sectional area of the internal jugular vein without Braslet was 1.07 cm², and 1.13 cm² 10 min after the Braslet was applied. The respective cross-sectional areas of the femoral vein were 0.50 and 0.54 cm². The RV myocardial performance Tei index was calculated by dividing the sum of the isovolumic contraction time and isovolumic relaxation time by the ejection time ((IVCT+IVRT)/ET); baseline and Braslet-on values for Tei index were 0.25 and 0.22, respectively. Braslet Tei indices are within normal ranges found in healthy terrestrial subjects and temporarily become greater than 0.4 during the dynamic Braslet release portion of the study. Conclusions: TD modality was successfully implemented in space flight for the first time. TD of RV revealed that the Braslet influenced cardiac preload and that fluid was sequestered in the lower extremity interstitial and vascular space after only 10 min of application. This report demonstrates that Braslet application has an effect on RV physiology in long-duration space flight based on TD, and that this effect is in part due to venous hemodynamics.     

Interaction of mental and orthostatic stressors

We assessed hemodynamic responses induced by orthostatic and mental stressors, using passive head up tilt (HUT) and mental arithmetic (MA), respectively. The 15 healthy males underwent three protocols: (1) HUT alone, (2) MA in supine position and (3) MA+HUT, with sessions randomized and ≥2 weeks apart. In relation to baseline, HUT increased heart rate (HR) (+20.4±7.1 bpm; p<0.001), mean blood pressure (MBP) (+4.7±11.3 mmHg; p<0.05), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (+6.1±11.6 mmHg; p<0.05) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) (+155±232 dyne*s/cm⁵; p<0.001) but decreased stroke volume (SV) (?33.1±13.4 ml; p<0.001) and cardiac output (CO) (?0.6±1.0 l/min; p<0.01). MA increased HR (+8.0±6.0 bpm; p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (+9.0±7.7 mmHg; p<0.001), MBP (+10.0±6.5 mmHg; p<0.001), DBP (+9.5±7.2 mmHg; p<0.001) and CO (+0.6±0.8 l/min; p<0.01). MA+HUT increased HR (+28.8±8.4 bpm; p<0.001), SBP (+4.6±14.3 mmHg; p<0.05), MBP (+11.2±11.6 mmHg; p<0.001), DBP (+13.5±10.1 mmHg; p<0.001) and TPR (+160±199 dyne*s/cm⁵; p<0.001) but SV (?34.5±14.6 ml; p<0.001) decreased. Mental challenge during orthostatic challenge elicited greater increases in heart rate, despite similar reductions in stroke volume such as those during orthostatic stress alone. Overall, cardiac output decreases were less with combinations of mental and orthostatic challenges in comparison to orthostasis alone. This would suggest that carefully chosen mental stressors might affect orthostatic responses of people on standing up. Therefore, additional mental loading could be a useful countermeasure to alleviate the orthostatic responses of persons, particularly in those with histories of dizziness on standing up or on return to earth from the spaceflight environment of microgravity.     

Venus surface power and cooling systems

A mission to the surface of Venus would have high scientific value, but most electronic devices and sensors cannot operate at the 450 °C ambient surface temperature of Venus. Power and cooling systems were analyzed for Venus surface operation. A radioisotope power and cooling system was designed to provide electrical power for a probe operating on the surface of Venus. For a mission duration of substantial length, the use of thermal mass to maintain an operable temperature range is likely impractical, and active refrigeration may be required to keep components at a temperature below ambient. Due to the high thermal convection of the high-density atmosphere, the heat rejection temperature was assumed to be at a 500 °C radiator temperature, 50 °C above ambient. The radioisotope Stirling power converter designed produces a thermodynamic power output capacity of 478.1 W, with a cooling power of 100 W. The overall efficiency is calculated to be 23.36%. The mass of the power converter is estimated at approximately 21.6 kg.     

A harness for enhanced comfort and loading during treadmill exercise in space

IntroductionLocomotor and some resistance exercises in space require a gravity replacement force in order to allow 1g-like ground reaction forces to be generated. Currently bungee cords, or other loading devices, interface with the crew member through a harness with a waist belt and shoulder straps. Crew members often find the application of the required loads to be uncomfortable, particularly at the hips.MethodsAn experimental harness was built that differed from previous in-flight designs by having a wider, moldable waist belt and contoured shoulder straps with additional padding. Eight subjects ran at 100% body weight (BW) loading for a total duration of 30 min per day on 12 days over a 3-week period in simulated 0-g conditions using horizontal suspension. A 100 mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS)¹ was used to assess harness-related and lower extremity discomfort at the end of each run.ResultsThe overall rating of harness discomfort decreased from 27 mm on the 100 mm scale on day 1 to 10 mm on day 12, with significant decreases recorded for the back and hip regions as well as the overall harness.DiscussionThe experimental harness allows for repeated exposure to 30-minute bouts of 100% BW loaded simulated 0-g running with levels of discomfort less than 30 mm on a VAS scale of 0–100 mm. We believe that the use of such a harness during on-orbit exercise countermeasures may allow exercise to be performed at levels which are more effective in preventing bone and muscle loss.     

Development of an integrated countermeasure device for use in long-duration spaceflight

Prolonged weightlessness is associated with declines in musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and sensorimotor health. Consequently, in-flight countermeasures are required to preserve astronaut health. We developed and tested a novel exercise countermeasure device (CCD) for use in spaceflight with the aim of preserving musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health along with an incorporated balance training component. Additionally, the CCD features a compact footprint, and a low power requirement. Methods: After design and development of the CCD, we carried out a training study to test its ability to improve cardiovascular and muscular fitness in healthy volunteers. Fourteen male and female subjects (41.4±9.0 years, 69.5±15.4 kg) completed 12 weeks (3 sessions per week) of concurrent strength and endurance training on the CCD. All training was conducted with the subject in orthostasis. When configured for spaceflight, subjects will be fixed to the device via a vest with loop attachments secured to subject load devices. Subjects were tested at baseline and after 12 weeks for 1-repetition max leg press strength (1RM), peak oxygen consumption (VO_2peak), and isokinetic joint torque (ISO) at the hip, knee, and ankle. Additionally, we evaluated subjects after 6 weeks of training for changes in VO_2peak and 1RM. Results: VO_2peak and 1RM improved after 6 weeks, with additional improvements after 12 weeks (1.95±0.5, 2.28±0.5, 2.47±0.6 L min^?1, and 131.2±63.9,182.8±75.0, 207.0±75.0 kg) for baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks, respectively. ISO for hip adduction, adduction, and ankle plantar flexion improved after 12 weeks of training (70.3±39.5, 76.8±39.2, and 55.7±21.7 N m vs. 86.1±37.3, 85.1±34.3, and 62.1±26.4 N m, respectively). No changes were observed for ISO during hip flexion, knee extension, or knee flexion. Conclusions: The CCD is effective at improving cardiovascular fitness and isotonic leg strength in healthy adults. Further, the improvement in hip adductor and abductor torque provides support that the CCD may provide additional protection for the preservation of bone health at the hip.     

The neutron,gamma-ray,X-ray spectrometer (NGXS): A compact instrument for making combined measurements of neutrons,gamma-rays,and X-rays

The Neutron, Gamma ray, and X-ray Spectrometer (NGXS) is a compact instrument designed to detect neutrons, gamma-rays, and hard X-rays. The original goal of NGXS was to detect and characterize neutrons, gamma-rays, and X-rays from the Sun as part of the Solar Probe Plus mission in order to provide direct insight into particle acceleration, magnetic reconnection, and cross-field transport processes that take place near the Sun. Based on high-energy neutron detections from prompt solar flares, it is estimated that the NGXS would detect neutrons from 15 to 24 impulsive flares. The NGXS sensitivity to 2.2 MeV gamma rays would enable a detection of ∼50–60 impulsive flares. The NGXS is estimated to measure ∼120 counts/s for a GOES C1-type flare at 0.1 AU, which allows for a large dynamic range to detect both small and large flares.