Exploration life support technology challenges for the Crew Exploration Vehicle and future human missions

As NASA implements the U.S. Space Exploration Policy, life support systems must be provided for an expanding sequence of exploration missions. NASA has implemented effective life support for Apollo, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station (ISS) and continues to develop advanced systems. This paper provides an overview of life support requirements, previously implemented systems, and new technologies being developed by the Exploration Life Support Project for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and Lunar Outpost and future Mars missions. The two contrasting practical approaches to providing space life support are (1) open loop direct supply of atmosphere, water, and food, and (2) physicochemical regeneration of air and water with direct supply of food. Open loop direct supply of air and water is cost effective for short missions, but recycling oxygen and water saves costly launch mass on longer missions. Because of the short CEV mission durations, the CEV life support system will be open loop as in Apollo and Space Shuttle. New life support technologies for CEV that address identified shortcomings of existing systems are discussed. Because both ISS and Lunar Outpost have a planned 10-year operational life, the Lunar Outpost life support system should be regenerative like that for ISS and it could utilize technologies similar to ISS. The Lunar Outpost life support system, however, should be extensively redesigned to reduce mass, power, and volume, to improve reliability and incorporate lessons learned, and to take advantage of technology advances over the last 20 years. The Lunar Outpost design could also take advantage of partial gravity and lunar resources.     

嫦娥工程技术发展路线

月球是距离地球最近的天体,以其独特的空间位置、广阔的科学探索前景,成为人类地外天体探测和资源利用的首选目标和持续选择。简要总结世界各主要航天大国的探月发展历程和后续计划,详细介绍了我国探月工程(嫦娥工程)"绕""落""回"三步走的发展思路和技术路线,分析了后续的发展方向,提出了2030年前月球机器人科研站任务设想。     

Vision and Voyages for Deep Space Exploration

More than 50 years of space exploration has not only satisfied human curiosity and built up international cooperation, but also improved life on Earth. Space exploration is an open-ended process which started 50 years ago. It enables access to unknown terrains with robots and humans, thereby opening new frontiers. Progress of goal deep space exploration was reviewed. China's current deep space missions are also briefly introduced. Focused on the vision and voyages for China's deep space exploration in 5 or 10 years. Like the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), we embark on a journey to Mars. We will spend few decades on Mars with the robotic explorers. Unlike CLEP, scientists proposed to build Moon research station by 2030.      

我国探月工程技术发展综述

我国的探月工程,在2020年前分“绕、落、回”三步实施。本文以我国探月工程各次任务为脉络,针对目前已经完成的“嫦娥1号”“嫦娥2号”“嫦娥3号”及“嫦娥5号”高速再入试验任务,简述了工程和科学目标,介绍了实施效果,总结了主要技术成就。在此基础上,展望了探月工程未来的发展趋势,给出了月球后续任务的总体思路和框架。     

中国深空测控系统建设与技术发展

我国深空测控系统是伴随着探月工程“绕”“落”“回”三步走战略的实施,从突破关键技术、初步建成系统到系统完善,逐步建立起来的,火星探测工程的实施将进一步带动深空测控系统能力的建设。站在历史的视角,从顶层设计、关键技术攻关和系统建设等方面,回顾了我国深空测控系统从无到有的发展历程,并结合未来深空测控技术的发展,对我国深空测控系统的发展前景进行了展望。     

Latest Scientific Results of China's Lunar Exploration Program

Through the implementation of China's Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), a large amount of data has been acquired. This paper will present the latest scientific results based on these data involving the composition, topography, space environment, subsurface structure of the Moon, and asteroid exploration and moon-based observations, etc.      

基于进化策略的月球软着陆探测器轨道设计

应用进化策略和微分修正法建立了一套多约束、多目标条件下的月球软着陆轨道设计方法. 根据中国发射场和火箭运载的实际情况, 给出了软着陆轨道需要满足的过程约束及终端条件, 提出了利用进化策略进行轨道初步设计,通过微分修正法对初步设计结果进行修正的软着陆轨道设计思路, 并采用STK进行了仿真和结果验算. 分析表明, 基于进化策略的初步设计能够为微分修正提供良好的初值, 保证了其收敛性. STK仿真结果验证了设计思路的有效性及结果的正确性. 本文提出的方法能够为月球软着陆轨道设计提供参考.      

Reports to COSPAR from the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG)

In accordance with its charter, the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG) reports to COSPAR, and a summary was given at the Beijing COSPAR 2006 Assembly on ILEWG activities conducted since the previous COSPAR 2004 assembly held in Paris. This included reports from the 6th and 7th ILEWG International Conference on Exploration and Utilization of the Moon, held respectively in Udaipur, India on 22–26 November 2004 (ICEUM6) and in Toronto, Canada on 18–23 September 2005 (ICEUM7). We give in this issue of Advances in Space Research the “lunar declarations” from these ICEUM conferences, as well as for the ICEUM8 conference held in Beijing immediately after the 2006 COSPAR Assembly. One year after the COSPAR Beijing assembly, the 9th ILEWG International Conference on Exploration and Utilization of the Moon (ICEUM9), was held in Sorrento, Italy on 18–23 September 2007. We report also in this issue the “Sorrento Lunar Declaration” in advance of the ILEWG formal report to be given at the COSPAR Assembly to be held in Montreal, Canada in July 2008.     

中国探月工程

"嫦娥4号"于2019年1月3日成功实现人类航天器首次在月球背面软着陆,"玉兔2号"月球车率先在月背刻上了中国足迹。至今,国际月球探测活动共实施126次,期间出现两个探月高潮。20世纪50—70年代,美苏两个航天大国之间的竞争引起第一轮探月高潮。20世纪末至今,各航天国家意识到月球探测的战略意义,纷纷提出月球探测计划并积极实施,月球成为各国争先探测的热点,掀起第二轮探月热潮。中国自2004年首次绕月探测工程立项实施以来,共开展了"嫦娥1号""嫦娥2号""嫦娥3号""嫦娥4号"及再入返回飞行试验共5次月球探测任务,实现"五战五捷",在空间技术、空间科学与应用、国际合作等方面取得了非凡成就,积累了丰富的经验,后续将继续开展以无人月球科研站为主的月球探测活动。     

CAS-1 lunar soil simulant

Lunar soil simulant is a geochemical reproduction of lunar regolith, and is needed for lunar science and engineering researches. This paper describes a new lunar soil simulant, CAS-1, prepared by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to support lunar orbiter, soft-landing mission and sample return missions of China’s Lunar Exploration Program, which is scheduled for 2004–2020. Such simulants should match the samples returned from the Moon, all collected from the lunar regolith rather than outcrops. The average mineral and chemical composition of lunar soil sample returned from the Apollo 14 mission, which landed on the Fra Mauro Formation, is chosen as the model for the CAS-1 simulant. Source material for this simulant was a low-Ti basaltic scoria dated at 1600 years from the late Quaternary volcanic area in the Changbai Mountains of northeast China. The main minerals of this rock are pyroxene, olivine, and minor plagioclase, and about 20–40% modal glass. The scoria was analyzed by XRF and found to be chemically similar to Apollo 14 lunar sample 14163. It was crushed in an impact mill with a resulting median particle size 85.9 μm, similar to Apollo soils. Bulk density, shear resistance, complex permittivity, and reflectance spectra were also similar to Apollo 14 soil. We conclude that CAS-1 is an ideal lunar soil simulant for science and engineering research of future lunar exploration program.     

我国首次火星探测任务

我国首次火星探测任务于2016年立项实施。综合介绍了国际火星探测的历史和现状,我国首次火星探测任务的工程目标和科学目标、总体技术方案、关键技术难点、预期创新成果。我国首次火星探测任务将通过一次发射,实现火星环绕和着陆巡视,对火星开展全球性普查和局部的精细探测,推进火星地形地貌与地质构造、土壤特征与水冰分布、表明物质组成、大气电离层和气候环境、物理场与内部构造等方面的研究。实现火星探测任务目标,针对火星探测面临的各种特殊环境,需突破长期自主管理与控制等8类关键技术,取得的一系列创新成果,将为我国建立独立自主的深空探测基础工程体系,掌握深空探测基础共性技术,形成开展深空探测的基础工程能力。     

Recent Advances in Observation and Research of the Chinese Meridian Project

The Chinese Meridian Space Weather Monitoring Project (Meridian Project) is a ground-based geospace monitoring chain in China. It consists of 15 ground-based observation stations located roughly along 120°E longitude and 30°N latitude. In recent two years, using data from the Meridian Project, significant progress has been made in space weather and space physics research. These advances are mainly in four aspects:regional characteristics of space environment above China or along 120°E meridian line, coupling between space spheres at different heights and different physical processes, space weather disturbance and its propagation along the meridian chain, and space weather effects on ground technical facilities.      

Traverses for the ISECG-GER design reference mission for humans on the lunar surface

This study explores the Design Reference Mission (DRM) architecture developed by Hufenbach et al. (2015) as a prelude to the release of the 2018 Global Exploration Roadmap (GER) developed by the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG). The focus of this study is the exploration of the south polar region of the Moon, a region that has not been visited by any human missions, yet exhibits a multitude of scientifically important locations – the investigation of which will address long standing questions in lunar research. This DRM architecture involves five landing sites (Malapert massif, South Pole/Shackleton crater, Schrödinger basin, Antoniadi crater, and the South Pole-Aitken basin center), to be visited in sequential years by crew, beginning in 2028. Two Lunar Electric Rovers (LER) are proposed to be tele-robotically operated between sites to rendez-vous with crew at the time of the next landing. With engineering parameters in mind we explore the feasibility of tele-robotic operation of these LERs between lunar landing sites, and identify potential high interest sampling locations en-route. Additionally, in-depth sample collection and return traverses are identified for each individual landing site across key geologic terrains that also detail crew Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA). Exploration at and between landing sites is designed to address a suite of National Research Council (2007) scientific concepts.     

火星空间环境磁场探测研究——高精度磁强计

萤火一号卫星将对火星空间环境磁场实施探测。火星磁场对火星弓激波、磁鞘、电离层、大气等绝大多数空间环境效应都具有重要影响,萤火一号对火星磁场的探测是通过搭载于其上的科学载荷磁强计来实现的。此磁强计在工作原理及具体设计上,考虑了火星轨道严酷的工作环境和科学目标所需的测量要求。通过装星前的地面标定测试,验证了萤火一号磁强计可以在-130～75℃温度范围内测量±256nT以内的磁场,分辨率可达到0.01 nT,带宽内总噪声小于0.03 nT,能够满足萤火一号对火星空间环境探测的需求。     

YingHuo-1——Martian Space Environment Exploration Orbiter

This paper gives a brief introduction of YingHuo-1 (YH-1), a Chinese Martian Space Environment Exploration Orbiter. YH-1 is a micro-satellite developed by Chinese Aerospace Industry,and will be launched together with Russian spacecraft, Phobos-Grunt, to orbit Mars in September,2009. Four payloads are selected for the mission, plasma package, including of electron analyzer, ion energy and mass analyzer; sat-sat occultation receiver; flux-gate magnetometer; and optical monitor.YH-1 mission focus on the investigation of the characteristics and its evolution of the Martian space Environment, and identifying major plasma processes, which provide channels for Martian volatiles escaping.      

YingHuo-1——Martian Space Environment Exploration Orbiter

This paper gives a brief introduction of YingHuo-1 (YH-1), a Chinese Martian Space Environment Exploration Orbiter. YH-1 is a micro-satellite developed by Chinese Aerospace Industry,and will be launched together with Russian spacecraft, Phobos-Grunt, to orbit Mars in September,2009. Four payloads are selected for the mission, plasma package, including of electron analyzer, ion energy and mass analyzer; sat-sat occultation receiver; flux-gate magnetometer; and optical monitor.YH-1 mission focus on the investigation of the characteristics and its evolution of the Martian space Environment, and identifying major plasma processes, which provide channels for Martian volatiles escaping.     

Progress in China's Lunar Exploration Program

Chang'E-1 and Chang'E-2 of China's Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) have successfully achieved their mission. At the present time, only Chang'E-3 is still in operation, which was successfully launched on December 2, 2013. Chang'E-3 probe is the third robotic lunar mission of CLEP, which consists of a lander and a rover, with eight payloads on board the spacecraft. Up to December 21, 2015, more than 2.86TB raw data were received from these instruments onboard Chang'E-3 probe. A series of research results have been achieved. This paper gives a detailed introduction to the new scientific results obtained from Chang'E-3 missions.      

嫦娥三号巡视器有效载荷

嫦娥三号巡视器配置了全景相机、测月雷达、红外成像光谱仪、粒子激发X射线谱仪四种科学探测有效载荷. 介绍了有效载荷的科学探测任务、系统设计方案和系统组成,描述了各有效载荷的方案设计要点,设计中的主要关注点及主要技术指标等.      

Scientific Progress in China's Lunar Exploration Program

Chang'E-1, the first lunar mission in China, was successfully launched on October 24,2007, which opened the prelude of China's Lunar Exploration Program. Later on, the Chang'E-2 and Chang'E-3 satellites were successfully launched in 2010 and 2013, respectively. In order to achieve the science objectives, various payloads boarded the spacecraft. The scientific data from these instruments were received by Beijing and Kunming ground stations simultaneously. Up to now, about 5.628 Terabytes of raw data were received totally. A series of research results has been achieved. This paper presents a brief introduction to the main scientific results and latest progress from Chang'E-3 mission.     

Development of the Chinese Meridian Project

The Meridian Project is a ground-based network program to monitor Solar-Terrestrial space environment, which consists of a chain of ground-based observatories with multiple instruments including magnetometers, ionosondes, HF and VHF radars, Lidars, IPS monitors, sounding rockets etc. The chain is mainly located in the neighborhood of 120$^\circ$E meridian, and is thus named the Meridian Project. The Meridian Project has officially been approved and supported by the Chinese government and will be finished by the end of 2010. This report gives an overview of the Meridian Project, and reports the recent development since 2008.