Four educational programs in Space Life Sciences.

Four different educational programs impacting Space Life Sciences are described: the NASA/USRA Advanced Design Program, the NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training (NSCORT) Program, the Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS) Program, and the NASA Graduate Research Fellow Program. Each program makes somewhat different demands on the students engaged in them. Each program, at the University of Colorado, involves Space Life Sciences training. While the Graduate Student Research Fellow and NSCORT Programs are discipline oriented, the Advanced Design and CCDS Programs are focused on design, technologies and applications. Clearly, the "training paradigms" differ for these educational endeavors. But, these paradigms can be made to mutually facilitate enthusiasm and motivation. Discipline-oriented academic programs, ideally, must be flexible enough to accommodate the emergent cross-disciplinary needs of Space Life Sciences students. Models for such flexibility and resultant student performance levels are discussed based upon actual academic and professional records.     

Italian polar data center for capacity building associated with the IHY

The International Heliophysical Year offers a good opportunity to develop and coordinate studies on the Sun–Earth system by using a large variety of simultaneous data obtained by satellite/spacecraft and ground based instruments. Among these data we recall the ones coming from solar and interplanetary medium observations, auroral, neutron monitor, geomagnetic field, ionospheric, meteorological, and other atmospheric observatories. In this context, an Information System for the Italian Research in Antarctica has started in 2003, aiming to collect information on the scientific research projects funded by the National Antarctic Research Program of Italy since its establishment (1985). It belongs to Joint Committee on Antarctic Data Management of Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research as Italian Antarctic Data Center. This project, as the Italian Polar Database, gathers also information on research activities conducted in North Pole regions. This Information System can be a relevant resource for capacity building associated with the International Heliophysical Year, especially for people involved in interdisciplinary researches. We describe the present status of the Italian Polar Data Center and its potential use.     

Progress of Strategic Priority Program on Space Science

The Strategic Priority Program on Space Science in 2011-2017 (hereafter referred to as SPP I), which officially went ahead in 2011, marks that a new chapter of Chinese space endeavor has been opened. The 4 satellites, Wukong/DAMPE, SJ-10, Mozi/QUESS and Insight/HXMT, has been achieving promising scientific results since their launch, e.g., Wukong directly detected a break in the teraelectronvolt cosmic-ray spectrum of electrons and positrons. To enable the sustainable development of China's space science endeavor, the Strategic Priority Program Ⅱ on Space Science (hereafter referred to as SPP Ⅱ) was officially approved in late 2017. SPP Ⅱ includes 4 satellites-EP, ASO-S, SMILE and GECAM, Intensive Study of Future Space Science Missions, Advanced Research of Space Science Missions and Payloads, Space Science Mission Concept Research, and Data Analysis Research. Dedicated to exploring the unknown, the program is aiming to address scientific questions such as the origin and evolution of the universe and life, search for extraterrestrial life, and the impact of the Sun and the solar system on Earth and human development. Chinese space science community is committed to contributing to the progress of human civilization.      

The impact of different background errors in the assimilation of satellite radiances and in-situ observational data using WRFDA for three rainfall events over Iran

Satellite radiances and in-situ observations are assimilated through Weather Research and Forecasting Data Assimilation (WRFDA) system into Advanced Research WRF (ARW) model over Iran and its neighboring area. Domain specific background error based on x and y components of wind speed (UV) control variables is calculated for WRFDA system and some sensitivity experiments are carried out to compare the impact of global background error and the domain specific background errors, both on the precipitation and 2-m temperature forecasts over Iran. Three precipitation events that occurred over the country during January, September and October 2014 are simulated in three different experiments and the results for precipitation and 2-m temperature are verified against the verifying surface observations. Results show that using domain specific background error improves 2-m temperature and 24-h accumulated precipitation forecasts consistently, while global background error may even degrade the forecasts compared to the experiments without data assimilation. The improvement in 2-m temperature is more evident during the first forecast hours and decreases significantly as the forecast length increases.     

Implementing planetary protection requirements for sample return missions.

NASA is committed to exploring space while avoiding the biological contamination of other solar system bodies and protecting the Earth against potential harm from materials returned from space. NASA's planetary protection program evaluates missions (with external advice from the US National Research Council and others) and imposes particular constraints on individual missions to achieve these objectives. In 1997 the National Research Council's Space Studies Board published the report, Mars Sample Return: Issues and Recommendations, which reported advice to NASA on Mars sample return missions, complementing their 1992 report, The Biological Contamination of Mars Issues and Recommendations. Meanwhile, NASA has requested a new Space Studies Board study to address sample returns from bodies other than Mars. This study recognizes the variety of worlds that have been opened up to NASA and its partners by small, relatively inexpensive, missions of the Discovery class, as well as the reshaping of our ideas about life in the solar system that have been occasioned by the Galileo spacecraft's discovery that an ocean under the ice on Jupiter's moon Europa might, indeed, exist. This paper will report on NASA's planned implementation of planetary protection provisions based on these recent National Research Council recommendations, and will suggest measures for incorporation in the planetary protection policy of COSPAR.     

Microcomputer applications in space-borne instruments

Although microprocessors have been available for over 10 years, they were not used extensively in the space science community for a variety of technical and management reasons until the mid 1970's. The recent applications of microprocessors to space experiments at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) are presented. Closing comments discuss some of the lessons learned from these applications.     

Selection of spectral bands for Indian remote sensing satellite (IRS)

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to launch a Remote Sensing Satellite around 1985 for acquiring resources information in the visible and near infrared region. For this a number of projects under Joint Experiments Program (JEP) were taken up between ISRO and various departments under Government of India to define the mission parameters including the spectral bands. This paper presents the results obtained in the selection of spectral bands and their widths for IRS program.     

A new Mars radiation environment model with visualization.

A new model for the radiation environment to be found on the planet Mars due to Galactic Cosmic Rays (OCR) has been developed at the NASA Langley Research Center. Solar modulated primary particles rescaled for Mars conditions are transported through the Martian atmosphere, with temporal properties modeled with variable timescales, down to the surface, with altitude and backscattering patterns taken into account. The Martian atmosphere has been modeled by using the Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model--version 2001 (Mars-GRAM 2001). The altitude to compute the atmospheric thickness profile has been determined by using a model for the topography based on the data provided by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) instrument on board the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft. The Mars surface composition has been modeled based on averages over the measurements obtained from orbiting spacecraft and at various landing sites, taking into account the possible volatile inventory (e.g., CO2 ice, H2O ice) along with its time variation throughout the Martian year. Particle transport has been performed with the HZETRN heavy ion code. The Mars Radiation Environment Model has been made available worldwide through the Space Ionizing Radiation Effects and Shielding Tools (SIREST) website, a project of NASA Langley Research Center.     

PHITS simulations of the Matroshka experiment

The radiation environment in space is very different from the one encountered on Earth. In addition to the sparsely ionizing radiation, there are particles of different Z with energies ranging from keV up to hundreds of GeV which can cause severe damage to both electronics and humans. It is therefore important to understand the interactions of these highly ionizing particles with different materials such as the hull of space vehicles, human organs and electronics. We have used the Particle and Heavy-Ion Transport code System (PHITS), which is a three-dimensional Monte Carlo code able to calculate interactions and transport of particles and heavy ions with energies up to 100 GeV/nucleon in most matter. PHITS is developed and maintained by a collaboration between RIST (Research Organization for Information Science & Technology), JAEA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency), KEK (High Energy Accelerator Research Organization), Japan and Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. For the purpose of examining the applicability of PHITS to the shielding design we have simulated the ESA facility Matroshka (MTR) designed and lead by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Preliminary results are presented and discussed in this paper.     

通用再入飞行器多学科协同优化设计

探讨了协同优化方法在通用再入飞行器总体优化设计中的应用以及各学科间耦合关系.对协同优化方法的流程及特点进行了分析,以通用再入飞行器总体优化设计为对象,研究如何利用协同优化方法建立此类问题的优化模型.研究结果表明协同优化方法相对多学科可行法具有较快的收敛速度,主要是由于协同优化方法中的系统级在搜索空间时受到了3个子系统级优化一致性的制约,而3个子系统级并行地对升阻比最大、质量最小、弹道设计中气动加热量最小3个主要影响射程的因素进行了优化,最终共同缩小了设计搜索空间,同时利用学科的独立性进行并行计算,从而较快地实现了迭代收敛.      

The "gaseous" environment in sealed BRIC-100VC canisters flown on 'Mir' with embryogenic daylily cell cultures.

As part of the "Cellular Mechanisms of Spaceflight-Specific Stress to Plants" experiment, nine BRIC (Biological Research in Canisters) 100VC canisters, each containing four 100 mm dia polycarbonate petri dishes with embryogenic daylily (Hemerocallis sp.) cultures, were launched on 12 Jan 97 (STS-81), transferred to 'Mir' and returned on 24 May 97 (STS-84). Pre-flight, flight and ground control data for temperature, relative humidity, CO2 and ethylene in the BRIC canisters are presented.     

无网格SPH法中守恒光滑法的修正

守恒光滑法CSA(Conservative Smoothing Approach)是解决传统SPH(Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics)法稳定性问题的一种很有效的方法.研究发现在SPH法中运用所谓的守恒光滑法并不能保证系统的总物理量(质量、动量或者能量)在每个时间步均守恒,而是随着时间在理论值附近波动,对计算结果的精度有一定的影响.对此提出了守恒光滑法的修正公式,对SPH控制方程得到的各个粒子的物理量进行CSA光滑,然后运用文中提出的CSA的修正公式把对该粒子物理量的改变量加权平均给邻域内各个粒子,从而确保了SPH算法中系统的总物理量(质量、动量以及能量等)在每个时间步均守恒,而且由于减少了CSA对SPH得到的各个粒子物理量的过分光滑,从而提高了计算精度.物理意义、理论推导以及文中的算例均证明了这种修正的有效性.     

Development of theoretical approaches to the control of a water-treatment system

The Advanced Life Support/NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training (ALS/NSCORT) focuses on research and development of technologies to support human habitation during space missions. This research was done as part of an effort to maintain crewmembers’ water supply in a closed life-support system. The water subsystem was the primary focus of this study because water is one of the most expensive and important resources for human survival.     

Sensor data for forest policy information

NASA-Ames Research Center has investigated the role and performance capabilities of the Landsat Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS) for forest policy analysis for the past four years in cooperation with the California Department of Forestry. A thorough series of studies, from a statewide land cover map to smaller, highly detailed studies including collateral data, have been conducted with a view to comprehensive forest policy needs. The strengths and limitations of MSS data have been evaluated. Some observations about the information needed from new satellite sensors such as the Thematic Mapper are discussed against this background.     

Advantages of using subsurface flow constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in space applications: ground-based Mars Base prototype.

Research and design of subsurface flow wetland wastewater treatment systems for a ground-based experimental prototype Mars Base facility has been carried out, using a subsurface flow approach. These systems have distinct advantages in planetary exploration scenarios: they are odorless, relatively low-labor and low-energy, assist in purification of water and recycling of atmospheric CO2, and will support some food crops. An area of 6-8 m2 may be sufficient for integration of wetland wastewater treatment with a prototype Mars Base supporting 4-5 people. Discharge water from the wetland system will be used as irrigation water for the agricultural crop area, thus ensuring complete recycling and utilization of nutrients. Since the primary requirements for wetland treatment systems are warm temperatures and lighting, such bioregenerative systems may be integrated into early Mars base habitats, since waste heat from the lights may be used for temperature maintenance in the human living environment. "Wastewater gardens (TM)" can be modified for space habitats to lower space and mass requirements. Many of its construction requirements can eventually be met with use of in-situ materials, such as gravel from the Mars surface. Because the technology requires little machinery and no chemicals, and relies more on natural ecological mechanisms (microbial and plant metabolism), maintenance requirements are minimized, and systems can be expected to have long operating lifetimes. Research needs include suitability of Martian soil and gravel for wetland systems, system sealing and liner options in a Mars Base, and wetland water quality efficiency under varying temperature and light regimes.     

Potential of IRNSS/NavIC L5 signals for ionospheric studies

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has developed an indigenous system named Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) or NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), that consists of 7 satellites and transmits navigation signal in L and S bands. ISRO, for validation of the system, has installed many IGS (IRNSS/GPS/SBAS) receivers scattered over the Indian region. Using preliminary data from two geographically widely separated stations over India, this paper presents the results on studies on parameters of IRNSS signal quality and discusses how these parameters may be used to study the ionospheric behavior over the Indian region. The results show the importance and advantages of using IRNSS data for such studies.     

MIRAX: a Brazilian X-ray astronomy satellite mission

We describe the “Monitor e Imageador de Raios-X” (MIRAX), an X-ray astronomy satellite mission proposed by the high-energy astrophysics group at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in Brazil to the Brazilian Space Agency. MIRAX is an international collaboration that includes, besides INPE, the University of California San Diego, the University of Tübingen in Germany, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Space Research Organization Netherlands. The payload of MIRAX will consist of two identical hard X-ray cameras (10–200 keV) and one soft X-ray camera (2–28 keV), both with angular resolution of 5–7^′. The basic objective of MIRAX is to carry out continuous broadband imaging spectroscopy observations of a large source sample (9 months/yr) in the central Galactic plane region. This will allow the detection, localization, possible identification, and spectral/temporal study of the entire history of transient phenomena to be carried out in one single mission. MIRAX will have sensitivities of 5 mCrab/day in the 2–10 keV band (2 times better than the All Sky Monitor on Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer) and 2.6 mCrab/day in the 10–100 keV band (40 times better than the Earth Occultation technique of the Burst and Transient Source Experiment on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory). The MIRAX spacecraft will weigh about 200 kg and is expected to be launched in a low-altitude (600 km) circular equatorial orbit around 2007/2008.     

空间实验室天地一体化故障诊断技术研究

航天器故障诊断不仅可以提高航天器安全性和可靠性，而且可以节约航天器安全寿命期成本。文中详细阐述了空间实验室天地一体化故障诊断系统方案。整个故障诊断体系由在轨诊断系统和地面诊断系统组成，在轨诊断系统具有部分自主诊断能力，地面诊断系统又分为系统级故障诊断和分系统级故障诊断。强调了基于模型推理技术(特别是多信号建模技术)在空间实验室天地一体化故障诊断系统中的重要性；最后指出了当前需要深入研究的建模技术及故障诊断系统的组件化和网络化等关键技术。     

全球空间天气路线图及对中国的启示

随着科技的发展,空间天气对电力系统、通信导航系统和航天资产等遍布全球的技术基础设施的影响越来越深.需要加强对空间天气事件过程的理解,提升空间天气的预报能力,优化基础设施设计,从而减缓空间天气对社会造成的影响.基于这些需求,国际空间研究委员会(COSPAR)联合国际与日共存计划(ILWS)共同成立专家组,研究制定了全球2015-2025空间天气发展路线图.本文对该路线图进行介绍和解读,讨论该路线图对中国空间天气发展的启示.     

Quantum Science Satellite

Quantum Science Satellite is one of the first five space science missions, slated for launch in the framework of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Strategic Priority Research Program on space science. The project aims to establish a space platform with long-distance satellite and ground quantum channel, and carry out a series of tests about fundamental quantum principles and protocols in space-based large scale. The satellite will be launched at Jiuquan and on orbit for 2 years. The orbit will be circular and Sun-synchronous with an altitude of 600km. It crosses the descending node at 00:00LT. The satellite is under early prototype development currently.