Protecting Earth-orbiting spacecraft against micro-meteoroid/orbital debris impact damage using composite structural systems and materials: An overview

Spacecraft that are launched to operate in Earth orbit are susceptible to impacts by meteoroids and pieces of orbital debris (MMOD). The effect of a MMOD particle impact on a spacecraft depends on where the impact occurs, the size, composition, and speed of the impacting object, the function of the impacted system. In order to perform a risk analysis for a particular spacecraft under a specific mission profile, it is important to know whether or not the impacting particle (or its remnants) will exit the rear of an impacted spacecraft wall. A variety of different ballistic limit equations (BLEs) have been developed for many different types of structural wall configurations. BLEs can be used to optimize the design of spacecraft wall parameters so that the resulting configuration is able to withstand the anticipated variety of on-orbit high-speed impact scenarios. While the level of effort exerted in studying the response of metallic multi-wall systems to high speed particle impact is quite substantial, the extent of the effort to study composite material and composite structural systems under similar impact conditions has been much more limited. This paper presents an overview of the activities performed to assess the resiliency of composite structures and materials under high speed projectile impact. The activities reviewed will be those that have been aimed at increasing the level of protection afforded to spacecraft operating in the MMOD environment, and more specifically, on those activities performed to mitigate the mechanical and structural effects of an MMOD impact.     

Earth observation from space – The issue of environmental sustainability

Remote sensing scientists work under assumptions that should not be taken for granted and should, therefore, be challenged. These assumptions include the following:1. Space, especially Low Earth Orbit (LEO), will always be available to governmental and commercial space entities that launch Earth remote sensing missions.2. Space launches are benign with respect to environmental impacts.3. Minimization of Type 1 error, which provides increased confidence in the experimental outcome, is the best way to assess the significance of environmental change.4. Large-area remote sensing investigations, i.e. national, continental, global studies, are best done from space.5. National space missions should trump international, cooperative space missions to ensure national control and distribution of the data products.At best, all of these points are arguable, and in some cases, they're wrong. Development of observational space systems that are compatible with sustainability principles should be a primary concern when Earth remote sensing space systems are envisioned, designed, and launched. The discussion is based on the hypothesis that reducing the environmental impacts of the data acquisition step, which is at the very beginning of the information stream leading to decision and action, will enhance coherence in the information stream and strengthen the capacity of measurement processes to meet their stated functional goal, i.e. sustainable management of Earth resources. We suggest that unconventional points of view should be adopted and when appropriate, remedial measures considered that could help to reduce the environmental footprint of space remote sensing and of Earth observation and monitoring systems in general. This article discusses these five assumptions in the context of sustainable management of Earth's resources. Taking each assumption in turn, we find the following:(1) Space debris may limit access to Low Earth Orbit over the next decades.(2) Relatively speaking, given that they're rare event, space launches may be benign, but study is merited on upper stratospheric and exospheric layers given the chemical activity associated with rocket combustion by-products.(3) Minimization of Type II error should be considered in situations where minimization of Type I error greatly hampers or precludes our ability to correct the environmental condition being studied.(4) In certain situations, airborne collects may be less expensive and more environmentally benign, and comparative studies should be done to determine which path is wisest.(5) International cooperation and data sharing will reduce instrument and launch costs and mission redundancy. Given fiscal concerns of most of the major space agencies – e.g. NASA, ESA, CNES – it seems prudent to combine resources.     

CCSDS在我国航天领域的应用展望

CCSDS(空间数据系统咨询委员会)建议有利于增强测控系统互联互通互支持能力,满足未来航天任务对空间信息高速传输及灵活高效信息调度机制的要求,应当作为我国构建天地一体化信息网络的首选标准。提出了加强顶层设计、循序渐进地推进CCSDS建议在我国实现工程化应用的总体思路,并提出在应用过程中应当注重创新任务操作模式、关注信息安全、深化关键技术研究与验证。     

舱内航天服散热途径分析

为分析常压下航天员穿着舱内航天服时的散热性能，６名健康男性青年按二次复合设计分组共进行２４人次试验，经分析计算了获得了服装各散热途径的散热率随通风气源参数及人体活动水平变化的数学模型。对影响服装散热性能的因素及服装散热特性进行了分析讨论。     

基于MPP编程环境的一种并行子空间迭代法

子空间迭代法是科学与工程计算中求解广义特征值问题的有效方法 ,针对向量机和共享内存的多处理机 ,前人已成功地作了并行处理。文中给出了适合 MPP大规模并行计算机的并行子空间迭代法。该算法将广义特征值问题转换为一般特征值问题 ,其计算工作量主要体现在矩阵乘法 ,通过对该方法作并行处理 ,使矩阵求逆及一部分乘法运算转换为各结点机上三角形方程组的并行求解。在大规模并行计算机 PA R95上结合 J8- II机翼的动力特性问题对该算法作了数值试验 ,结果说明所给算法是非常有效的     

空间激光通信系统光斑小目标跟踪算法研究

在空间激光通信链路中，大气湍流、结构设计误差、平台扰动等因素为链路的精确对准和精密跟踪带来了困难。为提高激光链路的跟踪精度，首先对光斑跟踪过程中的影响因素进行研究分析，继而对跟踪算法做出改进。针对跟踪目标特性，设计了一种自适应模板目标相关跟踪算法，并搭建了基于粗精复合轴跟踪系统的实验平台，开展了实验验证。结果表明：与当前常用跟踪算法相比，该设计处理速度可达 1 kfps，目标跟踪位置与真实位置基本重合，目标跟踪准确率高于98%，在处理速度、跟踪准确率与算法鲁棒性上均有较大提升，具有一定的实用性。     

Space Weather applications with CDPP/AMDA

AMDA (Automated Multi-Dataset Analysis), a new data analysis service, recently opened at the French Plasma Physics Data Center (CDPP). AMDA is developed according to the Virtual Observatory paradigm: it is a web-based facility for on-line analyses of space physics. Data may come from its own local database as well as remote ones. This tool allows the user to perform classical manipulations such as data visualization, parameter computation and data extraction. AMDA also offers innovative functionalities such as event searches on the content of the data in either visual or automated ways, generation, use and management of time tables (event lists). The general functionalities of AMDA are presented in the context of Space Weather with example scientific use cases.     

The hydroxyl radical as an indicator of SEP fluxes in the high-latitude terrestrial atmosphere

The low background values at nighttime of the mesospheric hydroxyl (OH) radical make it easier to single out the atmospheric response to the external solar forcing in Polar Regions. Because of the short lifetime of HO_x, it is possible to follow the trails of Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events in the terrestrial atmosphere, as shown by Storini and Damiani (2008). The sensitivity of this indicator makes discernible not only extreme particle events with a flux peak of several thousand pfu [1 pfu = 1 particle/(cm² s sr)] at energies >10 MeV, but also those with lower flux up to about 300 pfu. Using data from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on board the EOS AURA satellite, we examined the correlation of OH abundance vs. solar proton flux for almost all the identified SEP events spanning from November 2004 to December 2006 (later on no more SEP events occurred during Solar Cycle no. 23). The channels at energies greater than 5 MeV and 10 MeV showed the best correlation values (r ∼ 0.90–0.95) at altitudes around 65–75 km whereas, as expected, the most energetic channels were most highly correlated at lower altitudes. Therefore, it is reasonably possible to estimate the solar proton flux from values of mesospheric OH (and viceversa) and it could be useful in studying periods with gaps in the records of solar particles.     

基于剪裁技术考虑的某冲击试验分析

利用环境工程剪裁技术对某冲击试验的结果进行分析,结果表明,按照引用标准评定为"超差"的试验,当考虑到试验件结构的特性并进行必要的数据转换后,试验结果是有效。首先分析造成超差的原因为天线组件的剩余响应,然后通过频域数字滤波进行数据转换。     

改进的耐久性分析裂纹萌生方法研究

针对耐久性分析裂纹萌生方法所存在的影响其工程应用效果的 3个重要问题 ,加以研究和改进 .在结构使用载荷谱下进行一组模拟试件的耐久性试验 ;依据裂纹萌生寿命试验数据 ,用计算反推法确定结构细节裂纹萌生p s N曲线三参数式的参数cp;分析了对数裂纹萌生寿命标准差对经济寿命的重要影响 ,取该标准差值为飞机结构对数疲劳寿命的常用标准差值 0 .1 76～ 0 .2 ,从而建立了能够准确预测结构经济寿命的改进的耐久性裂纹萌生方法 .这种方法已在我国多种飞机结构的耐久性评定中得到成功的应用