Far-UVC light as a new tool to reduce microbial burden during spacecraft assembly

This work aims to investigate far-UVC light at 222 nm as a new microbial reduction tool for planetary protection purposes which could potentially be integrated into the spacecraft assembly process. The major advantage of far-UVC (222 nm) compared to traditional germicidal UVC (254 nm) is the potential for application throughout the spacecraft assembly process in the presence of humans without adverse health effects due to the limited penetration of far-UVC light into biological materials. Testing the efficacy of 222-nm light at inactivating hardy bacterial cells and spores isolated from spacecraft and associated surfaces is a necessary step to evaluate this technology. We assessed survival of Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 and Acinetobacter radioresistens 50v1 exposed to 222-nm light on proxy spacecraft surfaces simulated by drying the bacteria on aluminum coupons. The survival fraction of both bacteria followed a single stage decay function up to 60 mJ/cm², revealing similar susceptibility of both species to 222-nm light, which was independent of the exposure rate. Irradiation with far-UVC light at 222 nm is an effective method to decontaminate the proxy spacecraft materials tested in this study.     

Mineralogical biosignatures and the search for life on Mars

If life ever existed, or still exists, on Mars, its record is likely to be found in minerals formed by, or in association with, microorganisms. An important concept regarding interpretation of the mineralogical record for evidence of life is that, broadly defined, life perturbs disequilibria that arise due to kinetic barriers and can impart unexpected structure to an abiotic system. Many features of minerals and mineral assemblages may serve as biosignatures even if life does not have a familiar terrestrial chemical basis. Biological impacts on minerals and mineral assemblages may be direct or indirect. Crystalline or amorphous biominerals, an important category of mineralogical biosignatures, precipitate under direct cellular control as part of the life cycle of the organism (shells, tests, phytoliths) or indirectly when cell surface layers provide sites for heterogeneous nucleation. Biominerals also form indirectly as by-products of metabolism due to changing mineral solubility. Mineralogical biosignatures include distinctive mineral surface structures or chemistry that arise when dissolution and/or crystal growth kinetics are influenced by metabolic by-products. Mineral assemblages themselves may be diagnostic of the prior activity of organisms where barriers to precipitation or dissolution of specific phases have been overcome. Critical to resolving the question of whether life exists, or existed, on Mars is knowing how to distinguish biologically induced structure and organization patterns from inorganic phenomena and inorganic self-organization. This task assumes special significance when it is acknowledged that the majority of, and perhaps the only, material to be returned from Mars will be mineralogical.     

无人机航迹规划技术研究及发展趋势

通过对无人机航迹规划的研究,构建了无人机航迹规划的结构框架;分析了无人机系统约束及威胁场约束,探讨了无人机航迹几何建模方法及规划算法的国内外研究概况;并着重分析了规划算法。最后,阐述了无人机航迹规划面临的关键问题及发展趋势。     

对接综合试验台轨迹规划算法研究

为实现模拟空间两飞行器对接动力学过程的对接综合试验台的平稳对接，提出了一种基于加速度控制的轨迹规划算法。给出了不同初始条件下的规划方法，以及时转动自由度的特殊处理。物理试验结果表明，规划模型能精确控制平台从初始零位运动到主被动对接机构初次接触位置，且最后时刻平台姿态与对接试验的初始条件完全吻合。该算法可直接用于对接综合试验台的控制。     

加工复杂零件的高端技术

瑞士加工中心制造商威力铭-马科黛尔公司着重于质量和生产效率,主要活跃于航空/航天、精密机械、钟表和医疗行业,并以其为用户提供的高性能交钥匙解决方案而著称.     

Increasing global awareness of space activities: World Space Week 2001

This report describes the background to and rationale for World Space Week, now an annual event aiming to increase public awareness of the benefits of peaceful space use and to act as an educational tool for the young. Examples of typical activities in a variety of countries are presented. The report concludes with recommendations—such as rescheduling existing events to the period of World Space Week—to make the event even more successful.     

Heterogeneous grain morphologies and acceleration mechanisms in cometary coma dust dynamics: Mass envelope dispersion

Modelling of the cometary coma with respect to the distribution of dust particles within the coma and tail have been performed by a number of authors /1,2,3/. Applications of the Divine model using a program coded for the Giotto DIDSY sensors have also been made to calculate expected sensor response of the instrument and spacecraft impact rates /4/. For a chosen mass of ～ 10^?10g we use the Divine Reference model /1/ to investigate the effect on the mass envelope of i) a velocity spread in dust particle ejection; and ii) a variation in the particle type. The results show that effects i) and ii) lead to a smoothing-out of the anticipated peak flux at an envelope boundary. A conceptual model to follow the formation and development of dust jets is also presented and effects illustrated for various nucleus rotation periods.     

对接综合试验台控制系统软件快速原型开发技术

对基于快速原型设计睁对接综合试验台控制系统软件开发进行了研究。介绍了根据系统方案进行的中央控制台软件设计和模型计算机软件开发等。给出了快速原型设计,以及包括接口设计、配置管理、文档管理等软件工程化管理等关键技术。     

The Berkeley parasitic SETI program

Parasitic programs for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), carried out concurrently with conventional radio astronomical observing programs, can be an attractive and cost-effective means of exploring the large multidimensional search space intrinsic to this effort. We describe a microprocessor-based automated SETI acquisition system which searches for and records spectra of narrowband signals in the IF band of an observatory receiver. Data taken with this system over 35 days at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory at 1612 MHz are discussed. Out of approximately 10⁵ spectra processed during this period, 4000 were identified by the system as containing narrowband signals and were recorded. Subsequent analysis indicates that over 3900 of these are due to local RF contamination. The remainder are undergoing further investigation.     

Selection of the Mars Science Laboratory Landing Site

The selection of Gale crater as the Mars Science Laboratory landing site took over five years, involved broad participation of the science community via five open workshops, and narrowed an initial >50 sites (25 by 20?km) to four finalists (Eberswalde, Gale, Holden and Mawrth) based on science and safety. Engineering constraints important to the selection included: (1)?latitude (±30°) for thermal management of the rover and instruments, (2)?elevation (<?1?km) for sufficient atmosphere to slow the spacecraft, (3)?relief of <100–130?m at baselines of 1–1000?m for control authority and sufficient fuel during powered descent, (4)?slopes of <30° at baselines of 2–5?m for rover stability at touchdown, (5)?moderate rock abundance to avoid impacting the belly pan during touchdown, and (6)?a?radar-reflective, load-bearing, and trafficable surface that is safe for landing and roving and not dominated by fine-grained dust. Science criteria important for the selection include the ability to assess past habitable environments, which include diversity, context, and biosignature (including organics) preservation. Sites were evaluated in detail using targeted data from instruments on all active orbiters, and especially Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. All of the final four sites have layered sedimentary rocks with spectral evidence for phyllosilicates that clearly address the science objectives of the mission. Sophisticated entry, descent and landing simulations that include detailed information on all of the engineering constraints indicate all of the final four sites are safe for landing. Evaluation of the traversabilty of the landing sites and target “go to” areas outside of the ellipse using slope and material properties information indicates that all are trafficable and “go to” sites can be accessed within the lifetime of the mission. In the final selection, Gale crater was favored over Eberswalde based on its greater diversity and potential habitability.