MESSENGER Mission Overview

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, launched on August 3, 2004, is nearing the halfway point on its voyage to become the first probe to orbit the planet Mercury. The mission, spacecraft, and payload are designed to answer six fundamental questions regarding the innermost planet: (1) What planetary formational processes led to Mercury’s high ratio of metal to silicate? (2) What is the geological history of Mercury? (3) What are the nature and origin of Mercury’s magnetic field? (4) What are the structure and state of Mercury’s core? (5) What are the radar-reflective materials at Mercury’s poles? (6) What are the important volatile species and their sources and sinks near Mercury? The mission has focused to date on commissioning the spacecraft and science payload as well as planning for flyby and orbital operations. The second Venus flyby (June 2007) will complete final rehearsals for the Mercury flyby operations in January and October 2008 and September 2009. Those flybys will provide opportunities to image the hemisphere of the planet not seen by Mariner 10, obtain high-resolution spectral observations with which to map surface mineralogy and assay the exosphere, and carry out an exploration of the magnetic field and energetic particle distribution in the near-Mercury environment. The orbital phase, beginning on March 18, 2011, is a one-year-long, near-polar-orbital observational campaign that will address all mission goals. The orbital phase will complete global imaging, yield detailed surface compositional and topographic data over the northern hemisphere, determine the geometry of Mercury’s internal magnetic field and magnetosphere, ascertain the radius and physical state of Mercury’s outer core, assess the nature of Mercury’s polar deposits, and inventory exospheric neutrals and magnetospheric charged particle species over a range of dynamic conditions. Answering the questions that have guided the MESSENGER mission will expand our understanding of the formation and evolution of the terrestrial planets as a family.     

行星着陆复杂形貌特征匹配与自主导航研究进展

基于行星定点软着陆探测任务的需求,围绕复杂形貌行星着陆过程环境特点,首先分析了行星着陆复杂形貌特征匹配与自主导航所面临的主要技术挑战,随后综述了行星着陆复杂形貌特征匹配与自主导航的研究现状,并概括了行星着陆复杂形貌特征匹配与自主导航所涉及的关键技术。最后对未来行星着陆探测复杂形貌特征匹配与自主导航发展方向进行了展望。     

Human Mission from Planet Earth: finding a rationale for exploration of the Moon and Mars

This paper advances scenarios for an evolutionary approach to the establishment of a Human Mission from Planet Earth involving exploration and utilization of the Moon and Mars. Of critical importance are the concepts of robotic–human and Moon–Mars synergies. The paper discusses the rationale variables that have an influence on types of space activities pursued and thus the policy that leads to particular scenarios. In this regard, the technological, scientific, and sociopolitical/socioeconomic impacts and consequences related to a Human Mission from Planet Earth are examined.     

不同密度弹丸对水冰的超高速撞击成坑实验

为了研究冰冻天体表面撞击坑的形成与演化,开展了水冰的超高速撞击成坑实验。使用二级轻气炮发射1.0 mm直径的球形弹丸,以3 km/s、5 km/s和7 km/s速度对圆柱状冰块进行撞击。弹丸材料包括聚碳酸酯和不锈钢两种,冰块温度为253 K。实验观察到了不同弹丸和不同速度条件下,冰块中撞击坑的形貌特征。对撞击坑直径、深度和剖面形状进行了测量,并与文献中铝弹丸对水冰的撞击坑进行了比较分析。获得了水冰撞击坑特征随撞击参数的变化规律,结果表明：撞击坑直径和深度的主导机制不同,坑深主要由弹丸侵彻作用形成,而坑径主要由冰块的剥落所致;坑深比坑径具有更强的对于弹丸密度的依赖性,高密度弹丸撞击坑直径具有比低密度弹丸更强的对于撞击速度的依赖性;撞击坑体积与撞击能量成正比,高密度弹丸形成的撞击坑直径表现出“能量缩比”行为,而低密度弹丸形成的撞击坑直径表现出“动量缩比”行为。     

太阳系行星及行星际大气环境特性研究

研究了行星及行星际大气环境特性。为了克服用玻耳兹曼公式（BF）计算行星大气总分子数时出现的发散困难，在玻耳兹曼公式中引入新的归一化函数g（r），得到了新的行星大气分布律公式（RBF），探讨了归一化函数的物理意义。和Jeans的理论进行了比较。用RBF计算了太阳系中木星、土星、天王星、海王星和土卫六的大气密度随高度的分布。这些结果对于开展行星探测工作有一定的指导意义。     

行星剩余进动物理机理探讨--关于准物质(DM)存在的参考证明(一)

广义相对论能被多数人认可 ,主要基于两个观测数据。本文用一种填满宇宙空间 ,过去不为人知的准物质DM[1] 来分析行星剩余进动的原因 ,目的是想籍此给出旁证 ,证明爱因斯坦认为空间具有物理属性的提法 ,应当认为是真实的。文中给出了行星剩余进动的原因 ,水星和地球进动角比值的计算公式 ,而且计算结果在某种程度上说明了DM存在的真实性。     

太阳耀斑的行星引潮力触发

阐述了太阳潮波动力学的概况，依据实际资料的统计结果指出；行星引潮力触发耀斑的效应随耀斑级别的增大而增强；对于3级及其以上耀斑，强潮汐触发较之弱触发的耀斑产出率之比高达9.33；这个重要事实在预报地球和日地空间灾害性扰动方面，会有相当大的实际价值。     

Regolith effects in planetary X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy: Laboratory studies at 1.7–6.4 keV

Laboratory measurements are presented to study the effects of the physical properties of regolith on planetary soft X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Two laboratory setups are used to independently measure these regolith effects using lunar regolith analog samples with three different particle-size ranges. Discussion is given on the data analysis. Some of the data may be valid only for qualitative conclusions. Analytical modelling is used to separate the effects expected for a plane-parallel and homogeneous medium from those of measured regolith analogs. The surface roughness and porosity of the regolith are observed to induce an enhancement of the higher-energy part of the spectrum as a function of the incidence angle. The enhancement is larger for rougher surfaces. A brief discussion is given on the relevance of this study for future planetary missions carrying soft X-ray spectrometers.     

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

The James Webb Space Telescope is a 6.5 m, infrared space telescope designed to be launched in 2013 aboard an Ariane 5. The JWST program is a cooperative program with the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) managing the project for NASA. The prime contractor for JWST is Northrop Grumman Space Technology (NGST). JWST’s international partners are the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). JWST will address four major science themes: end of the dark ages: first light and reionization; the assembly of galaxies, the birth of stars and protoplanetary systems; and the formation of planetary systems and the origins of life. We discuss the design of the observatory and review recent progress on the JWST program.