A system of flight data acquisition,processing, and recording

A system for recording and analysis of flight information including the technical condition of a control object and the state of its controller’s health in real time aboard a flight vehicle and in ground-based air traffic control centers is described.     

Artificial Beam Sharpening Technique for Radar Beacon Systems

A method of improving angular discrimination artificially in radar beacon systems, without going to extremely high frequencies of operation or using unreasonably large interrogator antennas, involves the use of a null-type antenna pattern superposed on a normal directional beam. The effective are over which replies are obtained is determined by an amplitude discriminator circuit within the beacon which compares the amplitude of the pulse signals received on the null pattern with those received via the directional beam. Only if the latter exceed the former by a predetermined amount does the beacon produce a reply. The method, which has been tried experimentally and its theory verified, produces an increase in traffic handling capacity, as well as improved angular resolution, by reducing unwanted triggering and, hence, clutter on the display and the over-interrogation of transponder beacons. An antenna is described which eliminates triggering on sidelobes by providing the proper current distribution to the radiating elements to cause the null pattern to cover the sidelobes of the normal beam. Triple-pulse amplitude discriminators have been built and tested in a double-pulse interrogation system. Some theoretical considerations and design curves and equations for use in designing nulltype antennas are given in the Appendix.     

Comparative Utilization of Limited Energy for Continuous and Pulse Operations

Comparative utilization of a limited amount of energy for continuous and pulse operations was investigated. Under a restriction that the amount of available energy was limited, general equations for operational hours of the energy source for given power output were derived for both continuous and pulse mode operations. This paper points out that due to various adjustable parameters available for pulse mode operation, if properly designed pulse mode operation produces longer utilization of available energy for required output power than continuous mode operation.     

On initial steps of chemical prebiotic evolution: Triggering autocatalytic reaction of oligomerization

Searching for extraterrestrial life attracts more and more attention. However this searching hardly can be effective without sufficiently universal concept of life origin, which incidentally tackles a problem of origin of life on the Earth. A concept of initial stages of life origin is stated in the paper. The concept eliminates key difficulties in the problem of life origin, and allows experimental verification of it. According to the concept the predecessor of living beings has to be sufficiently simple to provide non-zero probability of self-assembling during short (in geological or cosmic scale) time. In addition the predecessor has to be capable of autocatalysis, and further complication (evolution). A possible scenario of initial stage of life origin, which can be realized both on other planets, and inside experimental facility is considered. In the scope of the scenario a theoretical model of multivariate oligomeric autocatalyst is presented. Results of computer simulation of two versions of oligomeric autocatalytic reactions are presented. It is shown that the contribution of monomer activation reaction is essential, and in some cases autocatalysis in polymerizing reaction can be achieved without catalyzing proper monomer binding reaction.     

Computer-aided simulation of the AMg6 alloy rolling process with allowance for its anisotropy

Some data obtained in the course of computer-aided simulation of a process of plane AMg6 alloy specimen rolling in the CAE-system MSC.SuperForm are presented. The influence of a real material structure upon the stress-strain state and the flow pattern of layers throughout the specimen height is taken into account. Also determined are the values of total pressure of metal on the rolls and a moment of rolling with the use of the isotropic and anisotropic finite element models (FEM) of specimens.     

MHD modeling of the outer heliosphere: Achievements and challenges

An overview is presented of magnetic-field-related effects in the solar wind (SW) interaction with the local interstellar medium (LISM) and the different theoretical approaches used in their investigation. We discuss the possibility that the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF) introduces north–south and east–west asymmetries of the heliosphere, which might explain observational data obtained by the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft. The SW–LISM interaction parameters that are responsible for the deflection of the interstellar neutral hydrogen flow from the direction of propagation of neutral helium in the inner heliosheath are outlined. The possibility of a strong ISMF, which increases the heliospheric asymmetry and the H–He flow deflection, is discussed. The effect of the combination of a slow-fast solar wind during solar minimum over the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle is illustrated. The consequences of a tilt between the Sun’s magnetic and rotational axes are analyzed. Band-like areas of an increased magnetic field distribution in the outer heliosheath are sought in order to discover regions of possible 2–3 kHz radio emission.     

Simulation of the test stand gas-liquid ejector operation

Based on the data of numerical simulation of the test stand gas-liquid ejector operation, the fields of gasodynamic flow parameters in the gas flue channel are determined. The test stand operation in real time and processes of interaction between the flow of combustion products and neutralizing liquid are also analyzed.     

Motion of three viscoelastic planets in the field of their mutual attraction forces

Translational-rotational motion of three planets modeled by viscoelastic balls in the gravitational field of mutual attraction is studied in this paper. The system of equations of motion for the mechanical system under consideration is deduced from the d’Alembert-Lagrange variational principle. Using the method of separation of motions, an approximate system of ordinary differential equations, describing the translational-rotational motion of the planets, is obtained with taking into account perturbations caused by elasticity and dissipation. The found steady-state motion of the system is an analog to triangular libration points in the classical three-body problem.     

Some features of solar cosmic ray penetration into the Earth’s magnetosphere

We compared fluxes of the 1–100 MeV solar energetic particles (SEP) measured in the interplanetary medium (ACE) and in the magnetosphere (Universitetsky-Tatiana, POES—in polar caps, and GOES-11—at geosynchronous orbit) during several SEP events of 2005–2006. Peak intensities of the SEP fluxes inside and outside the magnetosphere were compared for each event. It is shown that observed inside-outside difference depends mainly on direction of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), on degree of the SEP anisotropy (pitch-angle distribution) in IMF, and on distance of the dayside magnetopause from the Earth.     

Space-based societal applications—Relevance in developing countries

Space technology has the vast potential for addressing a variety of societal problems of the developing countries, particularly in the areas of communication, education and health sectors, land and water resources management, disaster management and weather forecasting. Both remote sensing and communication technologies can be used to achieve this goal.With its primary emphasis on application of space technology, on an end-to-end basis, towards national development, the Indian Space Programme has distinguished itself as one of the most cost-effective and development-oriented space programmes in the world.Developing nations are faced with the enormous task of carrying development-oriented education to the masses at the lower strata of their societies. One important feature of these populations is their large number and the spread over vast and remote areas of these nations, making the reaching out to them a difficult task. Satellite communication (Satcom) technology offers the unique capability of simultaneously reaching out to very large numbers, spread over vast areas, including the remote corners of the country. It is a strong tool to support development education. India has been amongst the first few nations to explore and put to use the Satcom technology for education and development-oriented services to the rural masses.Most of the developing countries have inadequate infrastructure to provide proper medical care to the rural population. Availability of specialist doctors in rural areas is a major bottleneck. Use of Satcom and information technology to connect rural clinics to urban hospitals through telemedicine systems is one of the solutions; and India has embarked upon an effective satellite-based telemedicine programme.Space technology is also useful in disaster warning and management related applications. Use of satellite systems and beacons for locating the distressed units on land, sea or air is well known to us. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is already a part of the International initiative called Satellite Aided Search and Rescue System.The programme to set up satellite-based Village Resource Centres (VRCs) across India, for providing a variety of services relevant to the rural communities, is also a unique societal application of space technology. The VRCs are envisaged as single window delivery mechanism for a variety of space-based products and services, such as tele-education; telemedicine; information on natural resources for planning and development at local level; interactive advisories on agriculture, fisheries, land and water resources management, livestock management, etc.; interactive vocational training towards alternative livelihood; e-governance; weather information; etc.This paper describes the various possibilities and potentials of Satcom and Remote Sensing technologies for societal applications. The initiatives taken by Indian Space Research Organisation in this direction are highlighted.