Communications transponder performance for Japanese Communications Satellite-2 and prospects for future systems

Communications transponder for the Japanese Communications Satellite-2 (CS-2a and 2b) to be launched into a geostationary orbit by N-II launch vehicle in February and August, 1983, has been developed. The transponder is provided with six-channel K-band ($\text{30}\text{20}\text{GHz}$) transponder including beacon transmitter, which operates in the highest frequency ranges ever utilized on an operational communications satellite, and two-channel C-band ($\text{6}\text{4}\text{GHz}$) transponder. Receiver front end of the K-band transponder consists of a direct mixer followed by a 1.8 GHz IF amplifier and provides 8 dB noise figure. 20 GHz output power is 4 W by final amplification at 5-W TWTA. C-band transponder provides 4 dB noise figure and 4.3-W output power. Key factors for future high capacity transponder are also presented.     

Time variations of cosmic-ray helium isotopes with BESS-Polar I

The Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer (BESS) is configured with a solenoidal superconducting magnet and a suite of precision particle detectors, including time-of-flight hodoscopes based on plastic scintillators, a silica-aerogel Cherenkov detector, and a high resolution tracking system with a central jet-type drift chamber. The charges of incident particles are determined from energy losses in the scintillators. Their magnetic rigidities (momentum/charge) are measured by reconstructing each particle trajectory in the magnetic field, and their velocities are obtained by using the time-of-flight system. Together, these measurements can accurately identify helium isotopes among the incoming cosmic-ray helium nuclei up to energies in the GeV per nucleon region. The BESS-Polar I instrument flew for 8.5 days over Antarctica from December 13th to December 21st, 2004. Its long-duration flight and large geometric acceptance allow the time variations of isotopic fluxes to be studied for the first time. The time variations of helium isotope fluxes are presented here for rigidities from 1.2 to 2.5 GV and results are compared to previously reported proton data and neutron monitor data.     

Principle and Design of a Vernier FM Radar System

This paper describes the principle and the signal design of a proposed new FM radar system. In order to measure the surface characteristics of a small target at a long distance, or to discriminate among multiple targets, very accurate range or Doppler resolutions are necessary [1]. The proposed system satisfies the range resolution requirement by detecting the target with two different resolutions: coarse resolution for measuring range, and fine resolution for measuring the target details. The principal advantage of the system is in the vernier scale for the measurement of a distance. The system is just as easily realizable as conventional FM radar, requires no special filters in the receiver, and represents a saving in the required bandwidth for the same range resolution.     

Space and modernity: 50 years on

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the start of spaceflight and of the initiation of European integration, both these symbols of modernity seem to have stalled. We have learnt that some forms of modernity bore a heavy price, such as environmental issues. The social value of ‘progress’ has changed; this affects the types of programme that publics support. Although prestige may still be important to new spacefaring nations, it is the utility of space technology in solving terrestrial problems that is most important, while economic changes, which have made government funding tighter, have opened the door to private initiatives. As we enter the 21st century, we can still be proud of our achievements in space, but we must understand that the reasons we pursue such activity has changed.     

In-orbit demonstration of rendezvous laser radar for unmanned autonomous rendezvous docking

The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) performed unmanned autonomous rendezvous docking (RVD) experiments using the Engineering Test Satellite VII (ETS-VII) in 1998 and 1999. In these experiments, a rendezvous laser radar (RVR) was used as the primary navigation sensor during the final approach phase (relative distances from 500 m to 2 m). The RVR functioned properly, and its characteristics, which are measurement accuracy, optical propagation, and acquisition/tracking, satisfied the requirements. The experimental results show that RVR is effective for autonomous rendezvous docking.     

Gravitational effects on human cardiovascular responses to isometric muscle contractions.

Isometric exercise induces profound cardiovascular adaptations increasing mean arterial pressure and heart rate. We investigated effects of simulated +Gz and -Gz respectively on the central and peripheral cardiovascular system. Sustained handgrip exercise was performed at 40% of maximum for 2 minutes in five subjects. This maneuver increased mean arterial pressure by 40-45 mm Hg both during head out water immersion which simulates weightlessness, as well as bedrest during -25, 0, and +25 degrees tilt from the horizontal. Lower body negative pressure (-60 mm Hg for 10 min) attenuated the response to handgrip exercise to 30 mm Hg. It also increased the heart rate minimally by about 20 beats per minute while the water immersion, as well as head up, head down and horizontal bedrest showed increments of about 50 beats per min. It was concluded that the response to isometric contraction is mediated through the high pressure baroreceptors, because similar responses were seen during stresses producing a wide variation in central venous pressure. During lower body negative pressure the increased sympathetic nervous activity itself increased resting heart rate and mean arterial pressure. The responses to static exercise were, therefore, weaker.     

Verification of shielding effect by the water-filled materials for space radiation in the International Space Station using passive dosimeters

The dose reduction effects for space radiation by installation of water shielding material (“protective curtain”) of a stack board consisting of the hygienic wipes and towels have been experimentally evaluated in the International Space Station by using passive dosimeters. The averaged water thickness of the protective curtain was 6.3 g/cm². The passive dosimeters consisted of a combination of thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs) and plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTDs). Totally 12 passive dosimeter packages were installed in the Russian Service Module during late 2010. Half of the packages were located at the protective curtain surface and the other half were at the crew cabin wall behind or aside the protective curtain. The mean absorbed dose and dose equivalent rates are measured to be 327 μGy/day and 821 μSv/day for the unprotected packages and 224 μGy/day and 575 μSv/day for the protected packages, respectively. The observed dose reduction rate with protective curtain was found to be 37 ± 7% in dose equivalent, which was consistent with the calculation in the spherical water phantom by PHITS. The contributions due to low and high LET particles were found to be comparable in observed dose reduction rate. The protective curtain would be effective shielding material for not only trapped particles (several 10 MeV) but also for low energy galactic cosmic rays (several 100 MeV/n). The properly utilized protective curtain will effectively reduce the radiation dose for crew living in space station and prolong long-term mission in the future.     

Water movement on the convex surfaces of porous media under microgravity

A plant growth system for crop production under microgravity is part of a life supporting system designed for long-duration space missions. A plant growth in soil in space requires the understanding of water movement in soil void spaces under microgravity. Under 1G-force condition, on earth, water movement in porous media is driven by gradients of matric and gravitational potentials. Under microgravity condition, water movement in porous media is supposed to be driven only by a matric potential gradient, but it is still not well understood. We hypothesized that under microgravity water in void spaces of porous media hardly moved comparing in void spaces without obstacles because the concave surfaces of the porous media hindered water movement. The objective of this study was to investigate water movement on the convex surfaces of porous media under microgravity. We conducted parabolic flight experiments that provided 20–25?s of microgravity at the top of a parabolic flight. We observed water movement in void spaces in soil-like porous media made by glass beads and glass spheres (round-bottomed glass flasks) in the different conditions of water injection under microgravity. Without water injection, water did not move much in neither glass beads nor glass spheres. When water was injected during microgravity, water accumulated in contacts between the particles, and the water made thick fluid films on the particles surface. When the water injection was stopped under microgravity, water was held in the contacts between the particles. This study showed that water did not move upward in the void spaces with or without the water injection. In addition, our results suggested that the difficulty of water movement on the convex (i.e. particle surfaces) might result in slower water move in porous media under microgravity than at 1G-force.     

The need for a United Nations space policy

The international community is entering an era of shared global utilities from space and is increasingly reliant on space systems and activities that support a myriad of applications and utilities on Earth. A growing number of states are seeking to develop or extend their space capabilities. At the same time, a variety of non-state actors are also extending their involvement in space activities. The United Nations is the principal inter-governmental forum to deal with various space issues of global importance. Moreover, the United Nations system itself has become increasingly reliant on space systems for its day-to-day operations. In order for the United Nations to play its necessary role in the space arena, it will need to be supported by a space policy. A United Nations space policy would provide over-arching guidance on space activities for UN stakeholders in the space arena; it would inform UN participation in space activities and would promote improved coordination and cooperative governance of outer space activities. A world without a common UN space policy will not be able to respond to the challenges of the rapidly evolving space arena in the 21st century.