用于NASA局长期气球计划的低成本TDRSS通信设备

NASA研制的新TDRSS转发器和射频地面支持设备,使一系列低预算NASA计划可以利用TDRSS的通信业务。由于采用了当前先进技术,有些则是尖端技术,使这些新设备为用户提供了许多先进特性,而成本仍比以前任何一种设计方案低。这些新设备将于1992年12月首次用于飞越南极的长期科学气球计划。     

MX导弹喷管用先进材料评论

目前正在进行研制石墨材料,准备用于MX 第一级和第二级固体火箭喷管的入口部,喉部,后喉部,出口锥和可延伸出口锥。这些材料必须经受住新型洲际弹道导弹(ICBM)喷管系统的苛刻的结构、化学侵蚀,粒子冲刷和高温环境。该系统的燃烧室压力可达127公斤/厘米~2,火焰温度为3700°K 至3922°K。叙述了第一级和第二级全尺寸试验喷管的现状。还提出了在喷管设计、石墨材料研制以及预期性能改进方面进一步工作的方向。     

用于大型固体推进剂火箭发动机的独特点火系统试验

本文介绍了用于大型固体推进剂火箭发动机的组合式无喷管、无壳体点火器方案的设计、分析及试验结果。该点火方案的主要优点是可以把60%左右的点火器消极重量变成药柱有效载荷。点火系统的主装药由点火器周围的发动机前段装药所构成。这段装药又是发动机推进剂药柱的一部分,设计成象一个小的低压无喷管火箭发动机,给主发动机推进剂段提供足够的压力和热流输出以实现发动机点火。前段推进剂的点火由一个比较小的径向排气的BKNO_3烟火剂药片点火器来实现。试验计划需验证三个方面的设计问题:     

MX导弹喷管用先进材料评论 Ⅱ 第一级喷管的先进材料

本文是评论MX导弹喷管先进材料的三篇文章中的第二篇。第一篇文章于1977年4月在SAMPE季刊中发表(译文见“固体火箭技术”1978年第二期第99—105页),综述了MX导弹喷管对材料的要求,叙述了石墨材料的结构、性质和性能之间的关系。本文继续对MX的第一级和第二级发动机喷管所用先进材料进一步进行评价。     

A sulfur-based survival strategy for putative phototrophic life in the venusian atmosphere

Several observations indicate that the cloud deck of the venusian atmosphere may provide a plausible refuge for microbial life. Having originated in a hot proto-ocean or been brought in by meteorites from Earth (or Mars), early life on Venus could have adapted to a dry, acidic atmospheric niche as the warming planet lost its oceans. The greatest obstacle for the survival of any organism in this niche may be high doses of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Here we make the argument that such an organism may utilize sulfur allotropes present in the venusian atmosphere, particularly S(8), as a UV sunscreen, as an energy-converting pigment, or as a means for converting UV light to lower frequencies that can be used for photosynthesis. Thus, life could exist today in the clouds of Venus.     

Production of neutrons from interactions of GCR-like particles

In order to help assess the risk to astronauts due to the long-term exposure to the natural radiation environment in space, an understanding of how the primary radiation field is changed when passing through shielding and tissue materials must be obtained. One important aspect of the change in the primary radiation field after passing through shielding materials is the production of secondary particles from the breakup of the primary. Neutrons are an important component of the secondary particle field due to their relatively high biological weighting factors, and due to their relative abundance, especially behind thick shielding scenarios. Because of the complexity of the problem, the estimation of the risk from exposure to the secondary neutron field must be handled using calculational techniques. However, those calculations will need an extensive set of neutron cross section and thicktarget neutron yield data in order to make an accurate assessment of the risk. In this paper we briefly survey the existing neutron-production data sets that are applicable to the space radiation transport problem, and we point out how neutron production from protons is different than neutron production from heavy ions. We also make comparisons of one the heavy-ion data sets with Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (BUU) calculations.     

再入制导和弹道跟踪误差分析

新一代可重复使用运载器对再入制导提出了更高地要求。目前的空间运输系统证明基于阻力加速度的制导方法是行之有效的。其基本概念是跟踪基准阻力加速度包线，在飞行过程中可根据需要更新这个包线。跟踪适当的阻力加速度包线保证了飞行器可以飞行准确的距离达到目标，同时满足弹道约束。在横向上，我们可采用类似于美国航天飞机的倾斜反转逻辑或航向角跟踪技术。本文推导出了基于反馈线性化的控制算法，并将其应用于可重复使用运载器纵向和横向的制导。最后，我们分析了阻力加速度跟踪的误差。     

Choroidal responses in microgravity. (SLS-1, SLS-2 and hindlimb-suspension experiments)

Fluid and electrolyte shifts occuring during human spaceflight have been reported and investigated at the level of blood, cardio-vascular and renal responses. Very few data were available concerning the cerebral fluid and electrolyte adaptation to microgravity, even in animal models. It is the reason why we developed several studies focused on the effects of spaceflight (SLS-1 and SLS-2 programs, carried on NASA STS 40 and 56 missions, which were 9- and 14-day flights, respectively), on structural and functional features of choroid plexuses, organs which secrete 70–90 % of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and which are involved in brain homeostasis. Rats flown aboard space shuttles were sacrificed either in space (SLS-2 experiment, on flight day 13) or 4–8 hours after landing (SLS-1 and SLS-2 experiments). Quantitative autoradiography performed by microdensitometry and image analysis, showed that lateral and third ventricle choroid plexuses from rats flown for SLS-1 experiment demonstrated an increased number (about x 2) of binding sites to natriuretic peptides (which are known to be involved in mechanisms regulating CSF production). Using electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry, we studied the cellular response of choroid plexuses, which produce cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in brain lateral, third and fourth ventricles. We demonstrated that spaceflight (SLS-2 experiment, inflight samples) induces changes in the choroidal cell structure (apical microvilli, kinocilia organization, vesicle accumulation) and protein distribution or expression (carbonic anhydrase II, water channels,…). These observations suggested a loss of choroidal cell polarity and a decrease in CSF secretion. Hindlimb-suspended rats displayed similar choroidal changes. All together, these results support the hypothesis of a modified CSF production in rats during long-term (9, 13 or 14 days) adaptations to microgravity.