Prompt effects of solar wind variations on the inner magnetosphere and midlatitude ionosphere

It is well known that the solar wind can significantly affect high-latitude ionospheric dynamics. However, the effects of the solar wind on the middle- and low-latitude ionosphere are much less studied. In this paper, we report observations that large perturbations in the middle- and low-latitude ionosphere are well correlated with solar wind variations. In one event, a significant (20–30%) decrease of the midlatitude ionospheric electron density over a large latitudinal range was related to a sudden drop in the solar wind pressure and a northward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field, and the density decrease became larger at lower latitudes. In another event, periodic perturbations in the dayside equatorial ionospheric E × B drift and electrojet were closely associated with variations in the interplanetary electric field. Since the solar wind is always changing with time, it can be a very important and common source of ionospheric perturbations at middle- and low-latitudes. The relationship between solar wind variations and significant ionospheric perturbations has important applications in space weather.     

Engineering concepts for inflatable Mars surface greenhouses.

A major challenge of designing a bioregenerative life support system for Mars is the reduction of the mass, volume, power, thermal and crew-time requirements. Structural mass of the greenhouse could be saved by operating the greenhouse at low atmospheric pressure. This paper investigates the feasibility of this concept. The method of equivalent system mass is used to compare greenhouses operated at high atmospheric pressure to greenhouses operated at low pressure for three different lighting methods: natural, artificial and hybrid lighting.     

Planet-B mission to Mars - 1998

PLANET-B is the Japanese Mars orbiter program. The primary objective of the program is to study the Martian aeronomy, putting emphasis on the interaction of the Martian upper atmosphere with the solar wind. The launch of the spacecraft is scheduled for August, 1998. The periapsis altitude and the apoapsis are 150 km and 15 Mars radii, respectively. The dry weight of the orbiter is 186 kg including 14 science instruments. Advanced technologies are employed in the design of the spacecraft in order to overcome the weight limitation. This paper describes the scientific objectives of the PLANET-B program and outline of the spacecraft system.     

Modern aspects of planetary protection and requirements to sterilization of space hardware.

The viewpoint of working group of Russian experts on the problem of planetary protection for future manned and unmanned Mars mission is presented. Recent data of Martian environment and on survival of terrestrial microorganisms in extreme conditions were used for detailed analysis and overview of planetary protection measures in regard to all possible flight situations including accidental landing. The special emphasis on "Mars-94" mission was done. This analysis resulted in revised formulation of spacecraft sterilization requirements and possible measures for their best implementation. New general combined approach to spacecraft sterilization was proposed. It includes penetrating radiation and heat treatment of spacecraft parts and components which is to be carried out before the final assembly of spacecraft and gaseous radiation sterilization of the whole spacecraft during the flight to Mars (or from Mars for return missions).     

Changes in vacuolation in the root apex cells of soybean seedlings in microgravity.

Changes in the vacuolation in root apex cells of soybean (Glycine max L. [Merr.]) seedlings grown in microgravity were investigated. Spaceflight and ground control seedlings were grown in the absence or presence of KMnO4 (to remove ethylene) for 6 days. After landing, in order to study of cell ultrastructure and subcellular free calcium ion distribution, seedling root apices were fixed in 2.5% (w/v) glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M cacodylate buffer and 2% (w/v) glutaraldehyde, 2.5% (w/v) formaldehyde, 2% (w/v) potassium antimonate K[Sb(OH)6] in 0.1 M K2HPO4 buffer with an osmolarity (calculated theoretically) of 0.45 and 1.26 osmol. The concentrations of ethylene in all spaceflight canisters were significantly higher than in the ground control canisters. Seedling growth was reduced in the spaceflight-exposed plants. Additionally, the spaceflight-exposed plants exhibited progressive vacuolation in the root apex cells, particularly in the columella cells, to a greater degree than the ground controls. Plasmolysis was observed in columella cells of spaceflight roots fixed in solutions with relatively high osmolarity (1.26 osmol). The appearance of plasmolysis permitted the evaluation of the water status of cells. The water potential of the spaceflight cells was higher than the surrounding fixative solution. A decrease in osmotic potential and/or an increase in turgor potential may have induced increases in cell water potential. However, the plasmolysed (i.e. non-turgid) cells implied that increases in water potential were accompanied with a decrease in osmotic potential. In such cells changes in vacuolation may have been involved to maintain turgor pressure or may have been a result of intensification of other vacuolar functions like digestion and storage.     

Chemistry of the interstellar medium--an evolutionary dead end?

An analysis of the experimental data available and of the present theoretical concepts shows that even the initial physicochemical chemical precellular stages of biological evolution are impossible in the interstellar medium, while biomonomers possibly formed on asteroids and comets might have participated after transportation to the Earth in the final stages of the origin of the first precellular biological structures and then in the first living cells.     

The Lightning And Radio Emission Detector (LRD) instrument

The Lightning and Radio Emission Detector (LRD) instrument will be carried by the Galileo Probe into Jupiter's atmosphere. The LRD will verify the existence of lightning in the atmosphere and will determine the details of many of its basic characteristics. The instrument, operated in its magnetospheric mode at distances of about 5, 4, 3, and 2 planetary radii from Jupiter's center, will also measure the radio frequency (RF) noise spectrum in Jupiter's magnetosphere. The LRD instrument is composed of a ferritecore radio frequency antenna ( 100 Hz to 100 kHz) and two photodiodes mounted behind individual fisheye lenses. The output of the RF antenna is analyzed both separately and in coincidence with the optical signals from the photodiodes. The RF antenna provides data both in the frequency domain (with three narrow-band channels, primarily for deducing the physical properties of distant lightning) and in the time domain with a priority scheme (primarily for determining from individual RF waveforms the physical properties of closeby-lightning).     

The Spacelab-Mir-1 "Greenhouse-2" experiment.

The Spacelab-Mir-1 (SLM-1) mission is the first docking of the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-71) with the Orbital Station Mir in June 1995. The SLM-1 "Greenhouse-2" experiment will utilize the Russian-Bulgarian-developed plant growth unit (Svet). "Greenhouse-2" will include two plantings (1) designed to test the capability of Svet to grow a crop of Superdwarf wheat from seed to seed, and (2) to provide green plant material for post-flight analysis. Protocols, procedures, and equipment for the experiment have been developed by the US-Russian science team. "Greenhouse-2" will also provide the first orbital test of a new Svet Instrumentation System (SIS) developed by Utah State University to provide near real time data on plant environmental parameters and gas-exchange rates. SIS supplements the Svet control and monitoring system with additional sensors for substrate moisture, air temperature, IR leaf temperature, light, oxygen, pressure, humidity, and carbon-dioxide. SIS provides the capability to monitor canopy transpiration and net assimilation of the plants growing in each vegetation unit (root zone) by enclosing the canopy in separate, retractable, ventilated leaf chambers. Six times during the seed-to-seed experiment, plant samples will be collected, leaf area measured, and plant parts fixed and/or dried for ground analysis. A second planting initiated 30 days before the arrival of a U.S. Shuttle [originally planned to be STS-71] is designed to provide green material at the vegetative development stage for ground analysis. [As this paper is being edited, the experiment has been delayed until after the arrival of STS-71.]     

Radiation risk of the crew members of the expeditions on the "MIR" station during the 22nd solar activity cycle.

The radiation risk at the end of the flight was calculated for the members of the main expeditions on the "Mir" station. It was based on the absorbed dose dynamics data measured by the board dosimeter. The radiation damage models created for standards of the radiation safety of the space flights were used in the calculations. The analysis of the obtained values of the risk and its dynamics for some cosmonauts are presented in the topic. The risk values delta P are close to the limited levels given by equation of delta P = 0.6 x 10 x T(-4), [this equation appears also as delta RHrad = 0.6 x 10(-4) x T later in the text] where T--is flight duration in months.     

Development of plant protoplasts during the IML-1 mission.

During the 8 day IML-1 mission, regeneration of cell walls and cell divisions in rapeseed protoplasts were studied using the Biorack microscope onboard the Space Shuttle "Discovery". Samples from microgravity and 1g protoplast cultures were loaded on microscope slides. Visual microscopic observations were reported by the payload specialist Roberta Bondar, by down-link video transmission and by use of a microscope camera. Protoplasts grown under microgravity conditions do regenerate cell walls but to a lesser extent than under 1g. Cell divisions are delayed under microgravity. Few cell aggregates with maximum 4-6 cells per aggregate are formed under microgravity conditions, indicating that microgravity may have a profound influence on plant cell differentiation.