“Furoshiki satellite” - a large membrane structure as a novel space system

We have been studying a large membrane space structure named “Furoshiki Satellite,” as a promising candidate of a future space system for those missions requiring large area in space such as solar power generation, a large communication antenna, or a large radiator. This membrane is folded in a very small volume during launch and is deployed and controlled by a set of several satellites at its corners or using centrifugal force generated by rotating the central satellite. It is expected that such a structure will reduce the weight per area of the space structure and, if the control technology is properly applied, it can be efficiently folded during launch and easily deployed after release. This paper shows the concept of Furoshiki Satellite, its applications, and its dynamics on orbit and how to control it. A nano-satellite project on demonstrate the concept of Furoshiki Satellite will also be described briefly.     

Chinese Commercial Launch Services into a New Stage

From the date of the joint statement of the investigation,which was issued by the US HughesSpace ＆ Communications Co.and China Great Wall Industry Corp.,into the failed Optus B_2,thefirst commercial launch services contracts in effect between China and foreign countries have beencompletely fulfilled,said a spokesman for China Aerospace Corp.(CASC)on Aug.24,in Bei-jing.This iS the first sound step of the Chinese aerospace industry toward the world market,which shows that Chinese international commerciaIlaunch services have entered into a new stage.1 O sum up the experiences'to map out the working principle and to pertect its measures’a sym-posium was held bv CASC from Aug.1 8 to 20.     

Was there a late Archean biospheric explosion?

There is a growing body of evidence which suggests that the evolution of the planet drives the evolution of the biosphere. There have been 2 significant stages in Earth history when atmospheric oxygen levels rose rapidly, and both appear to be associated with supercontinent cycles. The earlier biospheric event, which extends across the Archean-Proterozoic boundary (ca. 3.0-2.2 Ga), has received little attention and is the focus of this study. Recent work on the Pilbara Craton of Western Australia has shown that concretion formed by microbial activity during the diagenesis of these sediments are absent from early Archean sediments but abundant in late Archean and early Paleoproterozoic successions of the Hamersley Basin, appearing abruptly in sedimentary rocks younger than 2.7 Ga. This study suggests that their internal architecture may have been defined by the diffusion of humic acids and the formation of polymer gels during diagenesis. The data imply that the biosphere expanded suddenly shortly after 3.0 Ga and may have begun to raise the oxygen levels of the oceanic water column earlier than thought-possibly as much as 300 my earlier.     

DFH-3 Satellite Launched by a LM-3A

A new telecommunications satellite was launched from Xichang Launch Center on Nov. 30, 1994 and was put into a geosynchronous transfer orbit 24 minutes after its lift-off. It was launched by a Long-March 3A launch vehicle, which was developed earlier in 1994 by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Teehnology. The Long-     

Does life's rapid appearance imply a Martian origin?

The hypothesis that life's rapid appearance on Earth justifies the belief that life is widespread in the universe has been investigated mathematically by Lineweaver and Davis (Astrobiology 2002;2:293-304). However, a rapid appearance could also be interpreted as evidence for a nonterrestrial origin. I attempt to quantify the relative probabilities for a non-indigenous versus indigenous origin, on the assumption that biogenesis involves one or more highly improbable steps, using a generalization of Carter's well-known observer-selection argument. The analysis is specifically applied to a Martian origin of life, with subsequent transfer to Earth within impact ejecta. My main result is that the relatively greater probability of a Martian origin rises sharply as a function of the number of difficult steps involved in biogenesis. The actual numerical factor depends on what is assumed about conditions on early Mars, but for a wide range of assumptions a Martian origin of life is decisively favored. By contrast, an extrasolar origin seems unlikely using the same analysis. These results complement those of Lineweaver and Davis.     

A preliminary assessment of an orbiter in the Haumean system: How quickly can a planetary orbiter reach such a distant target?

With the recent discoveries of planetary objects beyond Neptune and Pluto, the vast majority of all sizeable Solar System planetary objects lie now beyond Uranus, where insertion into orbit after a reasonably short travel is still not within the current capabilities of our spacecraft. Being able to go and stop at a transneptunian dwarf planet would represent a step stone for ambitious long-term goals. The pressure to send spacecraft to these bodies will grow, as, among the tens or hundreds of large objects, some will emerge as high priorities for science and exploration missions. It is subsequently necessary to prepare the technologies required for such spacecraft. In addition, being able to achieve a fast journey to a distant object will benefit also missions to closer targets.Thales Alenia Space has carried out a preliminary parameter exploration of such a mission with a challenging target: an orbiter in the Haumean system. The main parameters are the characteristics of the propulsion and power system, as well as the masses of the spacecraft. The exploration has inferred the technological improvement needed for reaching these objects within a reasonable time.     

Tírez lake as a terrestrial analog of Europa

Tírez Lake (La Mancha, central Spain) is proposed as a terrestrial analogue of Europa's ocean. The proposal is based on the comparison of the hydrogeochemistry of Tírez Lake with the geochemical features of the alteration mineralogy of meteoritic precursors and with Galileo's Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer data on Europa's surface. To validate the astrobiological potential of Tírez Lake as an analog of Europa, different hydrogeochemical, mineral, and microbial analyses were performed. Experimental and theoretical modeling helped to understand the crystallization pathways that may occur in Europa's crust. Calculations about the oxidation state of the hypothetical Europan ocean were estimated to support the sulfate-rich neutral liquid model as the origin of Europa's observed hydrated minerals and to facilitate their comparison with Tírez's hydrogeochemistry. Hydrogeochemical and mineralogical analyses showed that Tírez waters corresponded to Mg-Na-SO(4)-Cl brines with epsomite, hexahydrite, and halite as end members. A preliminary microbial ecology characterization identified two different microbial domains: a photosynthetically sustained community represented by planktonic/benthonic forms and microbial mat communities, and a subsurficial anaerobic realm in which chemolithotrophy predominates. Fluorescence in situ hybridization has been used to characterize the prokaryotic diversity of the system. The subsurficial community seemed to be dominated by sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens. Frozen Tírez brines were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared techniques providing spectra similar to those reported previously using pure components and to the Galileo spectral data. Calorimetric measurements of Tírez brines showed pathways and phase metastability for magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride crystallization that may aid in understanding the processes involved in the formation of Europa's icy crust. The use of fluorescence hybridization techniques for microbial detection and characterization in hypersaline environments makes this methodology strongly advisable for future Europa astrobiological missions.     

Is there a need for an African space agency?

Over the past few years, the view has been expressed in some quarters that Africa should establish a continental space agency. Various arguments are advanced for this, but they are generally not compelling and rely mostly on pointing to the existence of other regional space cooperation organisations, or to benefits that are debatable. The article considers these arguments and concludes that there is an insufficient case for the establishment of an African space agency at this point in the development of the space arena in Africa. Instead, greater emphasis should be placed on strengthening nascent national space programmes, fostering intra-regional cooperation and raising the profile of space activities in Africa's national and regional political structures.     

Lossless compression of stromatolite images: a biogenicity index?

It has been underappreciated that inorganic processes can produce stromatolites (laminated macroscopic constructions commonly attreibuted to microbiological activity), thus calling into question the long-standing use of stromatolites as de facto evidence for ancient life. Using lossless compression on unmagnified reflectance red-green-blue (RGB) images of matched stromatolite-sediment matrix pairs as a complexity metric, the compressibility index (delta(c), the log ratio of the ratio of the compressibility of the matrix versus the target) of a putative abiotic test stromatolite is significantly less than the delta(c) of a putative biotic test stromatolite. There is a clear separation in delta(c) between the different stromatolites discernible at the outcrop scale. In terms of absolute compressibility, the sediment matrix between the stromatolite columns was low in both cases, the putative abiotic stromatolite was similar to the intracolumnar sediment, and the putative biotic stromatolite was much greater (again discernible at the outcrop scale). We propose tht this metric would be useful for evaluating the biogenicity of images obtained by the camera systems available on every Mars surface probe launched to date including Viking, Pathfinder, Beagle, and the two Mars Exploration Rovers.     

Evolution and History in a new “Mathematical SETI” model

In a recent paper (Maccone, 2011 [15]) and in a recent book (Maccone, 2012 [17]), this author proposed a new mathematical model capable of merging SETI and Darwinian Evolution into a single mathematical scheme. This model is based on exponentials and lognormal probability distributions, called “b-lognormals” if they start at any positive time b (“birth”) larger than zero. Indeed:

• 1.Darwinian evolution theory may be regarded as a part of SETI theory in that the factor f_l in the Drake equation represents the fraction of planets suitable for life on which life actually arose, as it happened on Earth.
• 2.In 2008 (Maccone, 2008 [9]) this author firstly provided a statistical generalization of the Drake equation where the number N of communicating ET civilizations in the Galaxy was shown to follow the lognormal probability distribution. This fact is a consequence of the Central Limit Theorem (CLT) of Statistics, stating that the product of a number of independent random variables whose probability densities are unknown and independent of each other approached the lognormal distribution if the number of factors is increased at will, i.e. it approaches infinity.
• 3.Also, in Maccone (2011 [15]), it was shown that the exponential growth of the number of species typical of Darwinian Evolution may be regarded as the geometric locus of the peaks of a one-parameter family of b-lognormal distributions constrained between the time axis and the exponential growth curve. This was a brand-new result. And one more new and far-reaching idea was to define Darwinian Evolution as a particular realization of a stochastic process called Geometric Brownian Motion (GBM) having the above exponential as its own mean value curve.
• 4.The b-lognormals may be also be interpreted as the lifespan of any living being, let it be a cell, or an animal, a plant, a human, or even the historic lifetime of any civilization. In Maccone, (2012 [17, Chapters 6, 7, 8 and 11]), as well as in the present paper, we give important exact equations yielding the b-lognormal when its birth time, senility-time (descending inflexion point) and death time (where the tangent at senility intercepts the time axis) are known. These also are brand-new results. In particular, the σ=1 b-lognormals are shown to be related to the golden ratio, so famous in the arts and in architecture, and these special b-lognormals we call “golden b-lognormals”.
• 5.Applying this new mathematical apparatus to Human History leads to the discovery of the exponential trend of progress between Ancient Greece and the current USA Empire as the envelope of the b-lognormals of all Western Civilizations over a period of 2500 years.
• 6.We then invoke Shannon's Information Theory. The entropy of the obtained b-lognormals turns out to be the index of “development level” reached by each historic civilization. As a consequence, we get a numerical estimate of the entropy difference (i.e. the difference in the evolution levels) between any two civilizations. In particular, this was the case when Spaniards first met with Aztecs in 1519, and we find the relevant entropy difference between Spaniards an Aztecs to be 3.84 bits/individual over a period of about 50 centuries of technological difference. In a similar calculation, the entropy difference between the first living organism on Earth (RNA?) and Humans turns out to equal 25.57 bits/individual over a period of 3.5 billion years of Darwinian Evolution.
• 7.Finally, we extrapolate our exponentials into the future, which is of course arbitrary, but is the best Humans can do before they get in touch with any alien civilization. The results are appalling: the entropy difference between aliens 1 million years more advanced than Humans is of the order of 1000 bits/individual, while 10,000 bits/individual would be requested to any Civilization wishing to colonize the whole Galaxy (Fermi Paradox).
• 8.In conclusion, we have derived a mathematical model capable of estimating how much more advanced than humans an alien civilization will be when SETI succeeds.

     

The DFH-3 Being Successfully Launched on a LM-3A

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HFC134a喷雾闪蒸冷却换热特性的实验研究

喷雾闪蒸冷却由于可以在较小的工质流量下实现很高的散热能力,在高热流密度散热、航天器热控和热防护等领域具有广阔的应用前景。本文建立了喷雾闪蒸冷却实验系统,对环境压力下以HFC134a为工质的喷雾闪蒸冷却换热特性进行了实验研究,得出了喷雾闪蒸冷却的换热特性曲线、临界热流密度(critical heat flux,CHF)以及被冷却表面温度随喷雾高度和流量的变化曲线,分析了适用于热控的最佳喷雾高度和流量。     

Thermal Polymerization of Cyanate Ester-Benzoxazine：Study of a Functional Model Compound

A novel benzoxazine (BOZ) monomer is synthesized by a pot method with solvent-free to blend with cyanate ester (CE). A soluble intermediate is obtained after being cured for 20 h at 80 ℃. The two model compound and the blends are analyzed with the infrared radiation (IR)， nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy， and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that an intermediate of the iminocarbonate and BOZ structures is formed by the ring-open BOZ reacting with the cyanate groups and ring-unopened BOZ. Moreover， rearrangement and ring-opening occur in the postcure of the intermediate to form the alkyl isocyanurate structure with polybenzoxazine.     

What role for Europe within a future global space exploration approach?

Europe is present in robotic exploration though the European Space Agency?s mandatory space science program and the optional Aurora program. In addition some member states are also involved in projects of non-European space faring countries through bilateral co-operations. Europe is also present in human exploration through the ISS utilization program. ESA and some of its member states participate in the activities of the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG), a club of 14 space agencies working for the elaboration of a global exploration roadmap. Finally, ESA and the European Union have initiated a political approach with the setting up of an international forum so as to elaborate a commonly agreed vision on space exploration at political level.     

Is the presence of oxygen on an exoplanet a reliable biosignature?

We revisit the validity of the presence of O(2) or O(3) in the atmosphere of a rocky planet as being a biosignature. Up to now, the false positive that has been identified applies to a planet during a hot greenhouse runaway, which is restricted to planets outside the habitable zone (HZ) of the star that are closer to the star. In this paper, we explore a new possibility based on abiotic photogeneration of O(2) at the surface of a planet that could occur inside the HZ. The search for such a process is an active field of laboratory investigation that has resulted from an ongoing interest in finding efficient systems with the capacity to harvest solar energy on Earth. Although such a process is energetically viable, we find it to be a very unlikely explanation for the observation of O(2) or O(3) in the atmosphere of a telluric exoplanet in the HZ. It requires an efficient photocatalyst to be present and abundant under natural planetary conditions, which appears unlikely according to our discussion of known mineral photochemical processes. In contrast, a biological system that synthesizes its constituents from abundant raw materials and energy has the inherent adaptation advantage to become widespread and dominant (Darwinist argument). Thus, O(2) appears to continue to be a good biosignature.     

Did evolution select a nonrandom "alphabet" of amino acids?

The last universal common ancestor of contemporary biology (LUCA) used a precise set of 20 amino acids as a standard alphabet with which to build genetically encoded protein polymers. Considerable evidence indicates that some of these amino acids were present through nonbiological syntheses prior to the origin of life, while the rest evolved as inventions of early metabolism. However, the same evidence indicates that many alternatives were also available, which highlights the question: what factors led biological evolution on our planet to define its standard alphabet? One possibility is that natural selection favored a set of amino acids that exhibits clear, nonrandom properties-a set of especially useful building blocks. However, previous analysis that tested whether the standard alphabet comprises amino acids with unusually high variance in size, charge, and hydrophobicity (properties that govern what protein structures and functions can be constructed) failed to clearly distinguish evolution's choice from a sample of randomly chosen alternatives. Here, we demonstrate unambiguous support for a refined hypothesis: that an optimal set of amino acids would spread evenly across a broad range of values for each fundamental property. Specifically, we show that the standard set of 20 amino acids represents the possible spectra of size, charge, and hydrophobicity more broadly and more evenly than can be explained by chance alone.     

Development and Application of a Carrier-free Impulse Sub-surface Detecting Radar in China

This paper describes the design and features of the Image Detecting Impulse (IDI) radar developed by Beijing Institute of Remote Sensing Equipment affiliated to China Aerospace Corp.,which has been successfully used to get three-dimension images of sub-surface objects.It also discusses the radar's development,tests and wide applications.