The "C.E.B.A.S. MINI-MODULE": a self-sustaining closed aquatic ecosystem for spaceflight experimentation.

The C.E.B.A.S. MINI-MODULE is the miniaturized space flight version of the Closed Equilibrated Biological Aquatic System (C.E.B.A.S.). It fits into a large middeck locker tray and is scheduled to be flown in the STS 85 and in the NEUROLAB missions. Its volume is about 9 liters and it consists of two animal tanks, a plant cultivator, and a bacteria filter in a monolithic design. An external sensor unit is connected to a data acquisition/control unit. The system integrates its own biological life support. The CO2 exhaled by the consumers (fishes, snails, microorganisms) is assimilated by water plants (Ceratophyllum demersum) which provide them with oxygen. The products of biomass degradation and excretion (mainly ammonia ions) are converted by bacteria into nitrite and nitrate. The latter is taken up by the plants as a nitrogen source together with other ions like phosphate. The plants convert light energy into chemical energy and their illumination is regulated via the oxygen concentration in the water by the control unit. In ground laboratory tests the system exhibited biological stability up to three month. The buffer capacity of the biological filter system is high enough to eliminate the degradation products of about one half of the dead animal biomass as shown in a "crash test". A test series using the laboratory model of the flight hardware demonstrated the biological stability and technical reliability with mission-identical loading and test duration. A comprehensive biological research program is established for the C.E.B.A.S. MINI-MODULE in which five German and three U.S.-American universities as well as the Russian Academy of Sciences are involved.     

C.E.B.A.S. MINI MODULE: test results of an artificial (man-made) aquatic ecosystem.

The original Closed Equilibrated Biological Aquatic System (C.E.B.A.S.) is a long-term multi-generation research facility for experiments with aquatic animals and plants in a space station the development of which is surrounded by a large international scientific program. In addition, a miniaturized laboratory prototype, the C.E.B.A.S. MINI MODULE, with a total volume of about 10-12 liters for a Spacelab middeck locker was developed and a first version was tested successfully for two weeks with a population of fishes (Xiphophorus helleri) in the animal tank and a Ceratophyllum spec. in the illuminated higher plant growth chamber. The water recycling system consisted of a bacteria filter and a mechanical filter and the silastic tubing gas exchanger was separated by valves for the utilization in emergency cases only. Data were collected with the acquisition module of the original C.E.B.A.S. process control system. In addition, an optimized version was tested for 7 weeks with fishes and plants and thereafter with fish and with plants only for 2 and 1 weeks, resp.. The paper presents the relevant water parameters (e.g., pH, pressure, temperature, oxygen saturation, flow rate, ion concentrations) during the test period as well as morphological and physiological data of the enclosed animals and plants. On the basis of the given results the possible role of the C.E.B.A.S. system as a scientific tool in artificial ecosystem research and for the development of a combined animal-plant intensive aquaculture system and its utilization in bioregenerative life support is discussed.     

Clover development during spaceflight: a model system.

The development of legume root nodules was studied as a model system for the examination of gravitational effects on plant root development. In order to examine whether rhizobial association with clover roots can be achieved in microgravity, experiments were performed aboard the KC-135 parabolic aircraft and aboard the sounding rocket mission Consort 3. Binding of rhizobia to roots and the initial stages of root nodule development successfully occurred in microgravity. Seedling germination experiments were performed in the sliding block device, the Materials Dispersion Apparatus, aboard STS-37. When significant hydration of the seeds was achieved, normal rates of germination and seedling development were observed.     

Aquatic modules for bioregenerative life support systems: developmental aspects based on the space flight results of the C.E.B.A.S. MIN-MODULE.

The Closed Equilibrated Biological Aquatic System (C.E.B.A.S.) is an artificial aquatic ecosystem which contains teleost fishes, water snails, ammonia oxidizing bacteria and edible non-gravitropic water plants. It serves as a model for aquatic food production modules which are not seriously affected by microgravity and other space conditions. Its space flight version, the so-called C.E.B.A.S. MINI-MODULE was already successfully tested in the STS-89 and STS-90 (NEUROLAB) missions. It will be flown a third time in space with the STS-107 mission in January 2003. All results obtained so far in space indicate that the basic concept of the system is more than suitable to drive forward its development. The C.E.B.A.S. MINI-MODULE is located within a middeck locker with limited space for additional components. These technical limitations allow only some modifications which lead to a maximum experiment time span of 120 days which is not long enough for scientifically essential multi-generation-experiments. The first necessary step is the development of "harvesting devices" for the different organisms. In the limited space of the plant bioreactor a high biomass production leads to self-shadowing effects which results in an uncontrolled degradation and increased oxygen consumption by microorganisms which will endanger the fishes and snails. It was shown already that the latter reproduce excellently in space and that the reproductive functions of the fish species are not affected. Although the parent-offspring-cannibalism of the ovoviviparous fish species (Xiphophorus helleri) serves as a regulating factor in population dynamics an uncontrolled snail reproduction will also induce an increased oxygen consumption per se and a high ammonia concentration in the water. If harvesting locks can be handled by astronauts in, e. g., 4-week intervals their construction is not very difficult and basic technical solutions are already developed. The second problem is the feeding of the animals. Although C.E.B.A.S.-based aquaculture modules are designed to be closed food loop systems (edible herbivorous fish species and edible water plants) which are already verified on Earth this will not be possible in space without devices in which the animals are fed from a food storage. This has to be done at least once daily which would waste too much crew time when done by astronauts. So, the development of a reliable automated food dispenser has highest priority. Also in this case basic technical solutions are already elaborated. The paper gives a comprehensive overview of the proposed further C.E.B.A.S.-based development of longer-term duration aquatic food production modules.     

The C23A: first step to a monitoring system of CELSS in flight.

Studies for every level of CELSS: Waste processing, food production, photosynthesis system, and so on ..., imply an automatic system to control, command and quantify gases, water and chemical compounds. Used for many years in plant physiology studies, the C23A system monitors the analysis and quantifies gases (O2, CO2. N2, ...), physical parameters (temperature, humidity, ...) and chemical compounds (NH4+, N03-, ...) on numerous experiments. In the new version, the architecture of the computing system is near of the space requirements. We have chosen a structure with three independent levels: acquisition, monitoring and supervision. Moreover, we use multiplexed analysers: IRGA, mass spectrometer and cheminal analyser. The multiplexing increases the accuracy of the measurements and could facilitate the spatialization. Thus the whole structure anticipates the entire separation between automation in space and control-command on ground.     

Consistency of gas exchange of man and plants in a closed ecological system: lines of attack on the problem.

Gas exchange between man and plants in a closed ecological system based on atmosphere regeneration by plant photosynthesis is made consistent by attaining the equilibrium of human CO2 discharge and the productivity of the gas consuming bioregenerator. In this case the gas exchange might be, however, qualitatively disturbed from the equilibrium in terms of oxygen making it accumulate or decrease continuously in the air of the system. Gas exchange equilibrium in terms of O2 was attained in long-term experiments by equality of the human respiration coefficient and the plant assimilation coefficient. Varying the ratio of these parameters it is possible to control the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere to be reclaimed.     

The response of endocrine system to stress loads during space flight in human subject.

The responses of endocrine system to the exposure to stress-work load and hormonal changes during oral glucose tolerance tests were studied in the Slovak astronaut before (three weeks before flight), during (on the 4th and the 6th days of space flight), and after space flight (1-3 days and 15-17 days after space flight) on board of space station MIR. Blood samples during the tests were collected via cannula inserted into cubital vein, centrifuged in the special appliance Plasma-03, frozen in Kryogem-03, and at the end of the 8-day space flight transferred to Earth in special container for hormonal analysis. Preflight workload produced an increase of plasma norepinephrine and a moderate elevation of epinephrine levels. Plasma levels of insulin, growth hormone, prolactin and cortisol were not markedly changed immediately or 10 min after the end of work load. The higher increases of plasma growth hormone, prolactin and catecholamine levels were noted after workload during space flight as compared to preflight response. The higher plasma glucose and insulin levels were noted during the oral glucose tolerance test in space flight and also in the post flight period. Plasma epinephrine levels were slightly decreasing during glucose tolerance test; however, plasma norepinephrine levels were not changed. The similar patterns of catecholamine levels during glucose tolerance test were found when compared the preflight, in-flight and post flight values. These data demonstrate the changes of the dynamic responses of endocrine system to stress-work and metabolic loads during space flight in human subject.     

ALTEA: anomalous long term effects in astronauts. A probe on the influence of cosmic radiation and microgravity on the central nervous system during long flights.

The ALTEA project participates to the quest for increasing the safety of manned space flights. It addresses the problems related to possible functional damage to neural cells and circuits due to particle radiation in space environment. Specifically it aims at studying the functionality of the astronauts' Central Nervous Systems (CNS) during long space flights and relating it to the peculiar environments in space, with a particular focus on the particle flux impinging in the head. The project is a large international and multidisciplinary collaboration. Competences in particle physics, neurophysiology, psychophysiology, electronics, space environment, data analyses will work together to construct the fully integrated vision electrophysiology and particle analyser system which is the core device of the project: an helmet-shaped multi-sensor device that will measure concurrently the dynamics of the functional status of the visual system and passage of each particle through the brain within a pre-determined energy window. ALTEA is scheduled to fly in the International Space Station in late 2002. One part of the multi-sensor device, one of the advanced silicon telescopes, will be launched in the ISS in early 2002 and serve as test for the final device and as discriminating dosimeter for the particle fluences within the ISS.     

Modeling and identification of an electro-mechanical system: The LISA grabbing positioning and release mechanism case

In the frame of space missions, mechanisms often constitute critical systems whose functionality and performance need to be tested on ground before the mission launch. The LISA scientific space mission will detect gravitational waves by measuring the relative displacement of pairs of free-floating test masses set into geodesic motion onboard of three spacecrafts. Inside each satellite, the injection of the test masses from the caged configuration into the geodesic trajectory will be performed by the grabbing positioning and release mechanism. To provide a successful injection, the test masses must be dynamically released with a minimal residual velocity against adhesion with the holding device. A parameter that determines the test mass residual velocity is the quickness of the retraction of the holding device. The need arises then to characterize the dynamic response of the release mechanism in order to predict its behaviour in the in-flight conditions. Once a validated model of the mechanism is available, the compliance of the system to the tight requirement on the maximum allowed residual velocity of the test mass may be verified. Starting from an electro-mechanical model of the mechanism dynamics, this paper presents the results of the experimental identification of its relevant parameters.     

Time series analysis of active galactic nuclei: The case of Arp 102B, 3C 390.3, NGC 5548 and NGC 4051

We used the Z-transformed Discrete Correlation Function (ZDCF) and the Stochastic Process Estimation for AGN Reverberation (SPEAR) methods for the time series analysis of the continuum and the Hα$\alpha$ and Hβ$\beta$ line fluxes of a sample of well known type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs): Arp 102B, 3C 390.3, NGC 5548, and NGC 4051, where the first two objects are showing double-peaked emission line profiles. The aim of this work is to compare the time lag measurements from these two methods, and check if there is a connection with other emission line properties. We found that the obtained time lags from Hβ are larger than those derived from the Hα analysis for Arp 102B, 3C 390.3 and NGC 5548. This may indicate that the Hβ   line originates at larger radii in these objects. Moreover, we found that the ZDCF and SPEAR time lags are highly correlated (r∼0.87$r\sim 0.87$), and that the error ranges of both ZDCF and SPEAR time lags are correlated with the FWHM of used emission lines (r∼0.7$r\sim 0.7$). This increases the uncertainty of the black hole mass estimates using the virial theorem for AGNs with broader lines.     

The COMPLEIK subroutine of the IONORT-ISP system for calculating the non-deviative absorption: A comparison with the ICEPAC formula

The present paper proposes to discuss the ionospheric absorption, assuming a quasi-flat layered ionospheric medium, with small horizontal gradients. A recent complex eikonal model (Settimi et al., 2013b) is applied, useful to calculate the absorption due to the ionospheric D-layer, which can be approximately characterized by a linearized analytical profile of complex refractive index, covering a short range of heights between h₁ = 50 km and h₂ = 90 km. Moreover, Settimi et al. (2013c) have already compared the complex eikonal model for the D-layer with the analytical Chapman’s profile of ionospheric electron density; the corresponding absorption coefficient is more accurate than Rawer’s theory (1976) in the range of middle critical frequencies. Finally, in this paper, the simple complex eikonal equations, in quasi-longitudinal (QL) approximation, for calculating the non-deviative absorption coefficient due to the propagation across the D-layer are encoded into a so called COMPLEIK (COMPLex EIKonal) subroutine of the IONORT (IONOspheric Ray-Tracing) program ( Azzarone et al., 2012). The IONORT program, which simulates the three-dimensional (3-D) ray-tracing for high frequencies (HF) waves in the ionosphere, runs on the assimilative ISP (IRI-SIRMUP-P) discrete model over the Mediterranean area ( Pezzopane et al., 2011). As main outcome of the paper, the simple COMPLEIK algorithm is compared to the more elaborate semi-empirical ICEPAC formula (Stewart, undated), which refers to various phenomenological parameters such as the critical frequency of E-layer. COMPLEIK is reliable just like the ICEPAC, with the advantage of being implemented more directly. Indeed, the complex eikonal model depends just on some parameters of the electron density profile, which are numerically calculable, such as the maximum height.