The radiation environment in the ISS-USLab measured by ALTEA: Spectra and relative nuclear abundances in the polar,equatorial and SAA regions

We present here the energy spectra relative to different geomagnetic regions as measured by the ALTEA (Anomalous Long Term Effects on Astronauts) detector in the International Space Station – USLab from August 2006 to July 2007.     

The X/X/KA-band deep space transponder for the BepiColombo mission to mercury

This paper reports the main characteristics of the deep space transponder (DST) equipment that has been designed, developed and tested by Thales Alenia Space—Italy (TAS-I) for the European Space Agency (ESA) BepiColombo mission to Mercury.     

一种深度强化学习制导控制一体化算法

研究了一种基于深度强化学习理论的制导控制一体化算法。不同于传统的制导控制一体化算法和制导控制回路分开设计的方法,基于深度强化学习理论的制导控制一体化算法利用深度学习强化算法生成一个智能体,智能体根据导弹的观测量生成舵偏角控制指令准确拦截目标。首先将制导控制问题转化为一个马尔可夫决策过程,然后提出了一个权衡制导精度、能量损耗和飞行时间的奖励函数,将制导控制问题转化到强化学习问题的框架中。最后采用深度确定性策略梯度算法,求解提出的强化学习问题,训练得到制导控制智能体,智能体根据导弹观测量生成舵偏角指令。通过进行大量的数值模拟,验证了提出的制导控制一体化算法的有效性和鲁棒性。     

Plasmaspheric Density Structures and Dynamics: Properties Observed by the CLUSTER and IMAGE Missions

Plasmaspheric density structures have been studied since the discovery of the plasmasphere in the late 1950s. But the advent of the Cluster and Image missions in 2000 has added substantially to our knowledge of density structures, thanks to the new capabilities of those missions: global imaging with Image and four-point in situ measurements with Cluster. The study of plasma sources and losses has given new results on refilling rates and erosion processes. Two-dimensional density images of the plasmasphere have been obtained. The spatial gradient of plasmaspheric density has been computed. The ratios between H⁺, He⁺ and O⁺ have been deduced from different ion measurements. Plasmaspheric plumes have been studied in detail with new tools, which provide information on their morphology, dynamics and occurrence. Density structures at smaller scales have been revealed with those missions, structures that could not be clearly distinguished before the global images from Image and the four-point measurements by Cluster became available. New terms have been given to these structures, like “shoulders”, “channels”, “fingers” and “crenulations”. This paper reviews the most relevant new results about the plasmaspheric plasma obtained since the start of the Cluster and Image missions.     

CLUSTER and IMAGE: New Ways to Study the Earth’s Plasmasphere

Ground-based instruments and a number of space missions have contributed to our knowledge of the plasmasphere since its discovery half a century ago, but it is fair to say that many questions have remained unanswered. Recently, NASA’s Image and ESA’s Cluster probes have introduced new observational concepts, thereby providing a non-local view of the plasmasphere. Image carried an extreme ultraviolet imager producing global pictures of the plasmasphere. Its instrumentation also included a radio sounder for remotely sensing the spacecraft environment. The Cluster mission provides observations at four nearby points as the four-spacecraft configuration crosses the outer plasmasphere on every perigee pass, thereby giving an idea of field and plasma gradients and of electric current density. This paper starts with a historical overview of classical single-spacecraft data interpretation, discusses the non-local nature of the Image and Cluster measurements, and emphasizes the importance of the new data interpretation tools that have been developed to extract non-local information from these observations. The paper reviews these innovative techniques and highlights some of them to give an idea of the flavor of these methods. In doing so, it is shown how the non-local perspective opens new avenues for plasmaspheric research.     

Antenna for precise orbit determination

The ESA SWARM mission will consist of three satellites that will measure the Earth magnetic field. The system calls for metre accuracy knowledge of the measurement locations. To achieve this a GPS receiver is used. At least four GPS signals are tracked to determine the code and carrier ranges, from which the position can be derived. The accuracy improves when using more GPS satellites and by averaging over many measurements. The latter is achieved in ground processing with a model-based orbit prediction, resulting in cm accuracy. The main error contributions in the processing are often measurement errors due to satellite multi-path effects. The multipath effects are characterized by measuring the antenna on a 1.5 m mock-up, representing the 9 m long satellite. In order to verify that the mock-up is representative, extensive electromagnetic simulations were made. The simulations included the antenna and the complete satellite and were then reduced to the antenna and a section of the satellite. The actual design of the antenna was performed with several levels of software. First, a fast bodies-of-revolution simulation found a geometry with the right coverage. Then, a finite element method simulation allowed us to match the antenna at two frequencies simultaneously.     

天基监视雷达的距离游走和距离重叠补偿研究

为了实现天基雷达杂波消除、高分辨率的角度估计和广域监视功能,采用三通道相位中心偏置天线（DPCA）/monopulse（单脉冲）信号处理系统。天基雷达的运动和地球自转,使得地球上每一点的杂波都产生了附加的多普勒成分——距离游走效应。距离游走与距离重叠效应相结合,显著地降低DPCA处理算法的杂波抑制性能。针对距离游走效应在相干处理阶段进行反向补偿、在非相干积累阶段采用线性内插的方法进行校正,针对距离重叠效应采用基于普罗米修斯结构的波形分集技术进行校正。实验结果显示,提出的距离游走和距离重叠综合补偿方案显著提高杂波抑制效果。
     

利用压电驱动器改善飞机横滚性能的试验验证

利用分布粘帖在矩形机翼上下两面的压电驱动器,探索使用该类结构提高飞行器横滚能力的可能性。通过风洞模型设计、材料性能测试、模型固有特性测试、压电柔度矩阵测试等试验项目,保证了有限元模型的计算精度,最终通过模型的风洞试验验证了利用气动弹性效应,获得了附加升力与横滚力矩的方案。该原理性试验说明利用分布式压电驱动器改善横滚性能是可行的。     

PAMELA observational capabilities of Jovian electrons

PAMELA is a satellite-borne experiment that has been launched on June 15th, 2006. It is designed to make long duration measurements of cosmic radiation over an extended energy range. Specifically, PAMELA is able to measure the cosmic ray antiproton and positron spectra over the largest energy range ever achieved and will search for antinuclei with unprecedented sensitivity. Furthermore, it will measure the light nuclear component of cosmic rays and investigate phenomena connected with solar and earth physics. The apparatus consists of: a time of flight system, a magnetic spectrometer, an electromagnetic imaging calorimeter, a shower tail catcher scintillator, a neutron detector and an anticoincidence system. In this work a study of the PAMELA capabilities to detect electrons is presented. The Jovian magnetosphere is a powerful accelerator of electrons up to several tens of MeV as observed at first by Pioneer 10 spacecraft (1973). The propagation of Jovian electrons to Earth is affected by modulation due to Corotating Interaction Regions (CIR). Their flux at Earth is, moreover, modulated because every 13 months Earth and Jupiter are aligned along the average direction of the Parker spiral of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field.PAMELA will be able to measure the high energy tail of the Jovian electrons in the energy range from 50 up to 130 MeV. Moreover, it will be possible to extract the Jovian component reaccelerated at the solar wind termination shock (above 130 MeV up to 2 GeV) from the galactic flux.