Iron meteorites can support the growth of acidophilic chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms

Chemolithoautotrophy based on reduced inorganic minerals is considered a primitive energy transduction system. Evidence that a high number of meteorites crashed into the planet during the early period of Earth history led us to test the ability of iron-oxidizing bacteria to grow using iron meteorites as their source of energy. Here we report the growth of two acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria, Leptospirillum ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, on a piece of the Toluca meteorite as the only source of energy. The alteration of the surface of the exposed piece of meteorite, the solubilization of its oxidized metal constituents, mainly ferric iron, and the formation of goethite precipitates all clearly indicate that iron-meteorite-based chemolithotrophic metabolism is viable.     

A methodology for system-of-systems design in support of the engineering team

Space missions have experienced a trend of increasing complexity in the last decades, resulting in the design of very complex systems formed by many elements and sub-elements working together to meet the requirements. In a classical approach, especially in a company environment, the two steps of design-space exploration and optimization are usually performed by experts inferring on major phenomena, making assumptions and doing some trial-and-error runs on the available mathematical models. This is done especially in the very early design phases where most of the costs are locked-in.With the objective of supporting the engineering team and the decision-makers during the design of complex systems, the authors developed a modelling framework for a particular category of complex, coupled space systems called System-of-Systems. Once modelled, the System-of-Systems is solved using a computationally cheap parametric methodology, named the mixed-hypercube approach, based on the utilization of a particular type of fractional factorial design-of-experiments, and analysis of the results via global sensitivity analysis and response surfaces.As an applicative example, a system-of-systems of a hypothetical human space exploration scenario for the support of a manned lunar base is presented. The results demonstrate that using the mixed-hypercube to sample the design space, an optimal solution is reached with a limited computational effort, providing support to the engineering team and decision makers thanks to sensitivity and robustness information. The analysis of the system-of-systems model that was implemented shows that the logistic support of a human outpost on the Moon for 15 years is still feasible with currently available launcher classes. The results presented in this paper have been obtained in cooperation with Thales Alenia Space—Italy, in the framework of a regional programme called STEPS.¹     

The relative role of visual and non-visual cues in determining the perceived direction of "up": experiments in parabolic flight

In order to measure the perceived direction of "up", subjects judged the three-dimensional shape of disks shaded to be compatible with illumination from particular directions. By finding which shaded disk appeared most convex, we were able to infer the perceived direction of illumination. This provides an indirect measure of the subject's perception of the direction of "up". The different cues contributing to this percept were separated by varying the orientation of the subject and the orientation of the visual background relative to gravity. We also measured the effect of decreasing or increasing gravity by making these shape judgements throughout all the phases of parabolic flight (0 g, 2 g and 1 g during level flight). The perceived up direction was modeled by a simple vector sum of "up" defined by vision, the body and gravity. In this model, the weighting of the visual cue became negligible under microgravity and hypergravity conditions.     

小行星星壤低速侵入过程力学响应的实验研究

为研究小行星星壤在低速侵入过程中的力学响应,利用落塔实验舱构建微重力环境,制备典型的无黏性星壤模拟物,利用恒速加载方式模拟采样器等装置侵入星壤的过程,测量了模拟物的承载强度和边界应力随沉降深度的变化,并记录了模拟物表面形貌的变化过程。实验结果表明,微重力下星壤的承载能力较地球重力环境下大大降低,其响应特性更接近于流体,且与侵入速度、星壤孔隙率、颗粒粒径级配、侵入体尺寸等因素相关联。实验结果可为小行星表面着陆和采样装置的设计与验证提供重要数据支撑。     

The extravehicular mobility unit: A review of environment, requirements, and design changes in the US spacesuit

Requirements are rarely static, and are ever more likely to evolve as the development time of a system stretches out and its service life increases. In this paper, we discuss the evolution of requirements for the US spacesuit, the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU), as a case study to highlight the need for flexibility in system design. We explore one fundamental environmental change, using the Space Shuttle EMU aboard the International Space Station, and the resulting EMU requirement and design changes. The EMU, like other complex systems, faces considerable uncertainty during its service life. Changes in the technical, political, or economic environment cause changes in requirements, which in turn necessitate design modifications or upgrades. We make the case that flexibility is a key attribute that needs to be embedded in the design of long-lived, complex systems to enable them to efficiently meet the inevitability of changing requirements after they have been fielded.     

板式贮箱内部流动的定常和非定常数值模拟

为了研究微重力环境下板式表面张力贮箱的内部流动规律,对板式贮箱导流板的驱动机理进行了分析,得到了微重力环境下板式贮箱内部定常和非定常流动的基本方程。应用四阶龙格-库塔法对定常流动方程进行求解,得到定常流动时导流板上液带的分布规律;应用MacCormack数值离散方法,对非定常流动方程进行求解,得到了不同时刻导流板上液带的分布规律及液带恢复稳定所需的时间。计算结果为板式贮箱的设计提供了数值依据,奠定了板式贮箱的设计基础。     

宽速域乘波构型设计方法研究综述

乘波体是一种典型的高速气动构型,由于高升阻比和均匀的下表面流动等特性使其成为机身/进气道一体化设计的理想构型。随着对乘波体设计方法的不断研究,提高乘波体在非设计条件下的气动性能,实现乘波体的宽速域飞行成为乘波体实用化的一个重要研究方向。将目前的宽速域乘波体设计方法分成变马赫数、多级组合和涡波结合3种类型,并详细介绍了这些方法的设计过程,分析了设计方法的优缺点。     

The perfect boring situation—Addressing the experience of monotony during crewed deep space missions through habitability design

In contemporary orbital missions, workloads are so high and varied that crew may rarely experience stretches of monotony. However, in historical long duration missions, occurrences of monotony were, indeed, reported anecdotally by crew. Of the effective countermeasures that appear to be at hand, many rely on visual or logistical proximity to the Earth, and are not feasible in the remote context of an extended deep space mission scenario. There, particularly in- and outbound cruising stages would be characterised by longer, comparably uneventful periods of low workload, coupled with confinement and unchanging vehicle surroundings.     

悬挂发射装置的总体设计方法研究

以高压气体作为弹射能源为思路，研究了悬挂发射装置的动作过程和运动规律，提出了一套新型悬挂发射装置的设计方法。对近年来逐步发展的现代设计方法如何在悬挂发射装置设计中推广应用，指导新型悬挂发射装置研制的全过程作了阐述。本文考虑多种因素的影响，应用变质量系统的能量方程和牛顿第二定律建立气压传动装置的数学模型；将拉氏方法和机构动力学引入弹射机构装置的数学建模中，在求解考虑管壁摩擦和截面积变化的准一维非定常流守恒型方程组时采用算子分裂技巧来构造差分格式，本文将小波分析中奇异性检测理论应用到结构优化，对基于系统仿真技术的动力学参数，结构尺寸，气源参数和导弹重量等进行多目标全面优化，将小波分析中非线笥浮动阈值去噪理论应用到含噪试验的数据处理中，取得比传统降噪滤波及一般的小波和小波包逆变换重建信号更好的效果；将模糊数学理论应用到系统的可靠性分析和综合评判中，可以更好地完善系统的设计方案，运用弹射投放性能测试技术对悬挂发射装置的设计方案进行了试验验证。     

应用模糊控制方法的扰动引力计算

为了解决弹道导弹扰动引力计算精度与速度的矛盾,利用模糊控制的特点,通过对模糊控制器的改进,成功将模糊控制运用于扰动引力的计算。从计算思路、基本点扰动引力的计算、分级模糊控制规则的具体改进等方面进行了详细分析,仿真结果表明:运用所提出的模糊控制方法计算得到的扰动引力与真值误差很小,而计算速度远快于分层点质量法等常规方法。     

基于高轨导航接收机的自动化地面测试系统

高轨卫星导航接收机是实现高轨航天器自主定轨的核心设备。为在地面测试阶段对高轨卫星导航接收机进行充分高效的验证，亟需设计基于高轨卫星导航接收机的地面测试系统。设计了一种基于高轨卫星导航接收机的自动化地面测试系统，主要创新点如下：第一，本系统可对高轨卫星导航接收机实际在轨状态下接收到的导航星座信号进行仿真；第二，具有模拟包含北斗三号等多导航卫星星座信号的功能；第三，本系统充分考虑自动化、通用化与一体化设计。提出的基于高轨卫星导航接收机的自动化地面测试系统能够在地面测试阶段对高轨卫星导航接收机进行充分验证，并充分考虑测试实施，从自动化、通用化、一体化方面提升测试效率，减少人为操作失误导致的质量问题，解决人工判读带来的误判漏判问题。     

浅谈施工企业降低工程成本的有效控制

在目前我国建筑市场竞争激烈的背景下,对于一个建筑企业而言,取得项目施工权固然重要,但合理控制并降低施工成本,在保证施工质量前提下取得相应利润回报更为关键,应从施工前、施工过程中、竣工后三个环节加以有效控制。     

“资源一号”卫星某星敏支架力学性能分析

星敏支架是卫星主体和星敏感器之间的过渡连接,它应满足一定的安装精度要求和可靠的承载能力。文章采用有限元方法对星敏支架进行了静、动力学分析,并对分析结果进行了试验验证。根据分析与试验结果,星敏支架的强度和刚度均能满足要求,具有较大的余量。在此基础上,对支架进行了以减重为目的的优化计算与分析。计算表明,支架减重超过40%,优化方案合理可行。     

回路热管性能的地面实验研究

一倍重力条件下，通过一系列地面实验研究了回路热管的运行机理、温度控制及其传热特性。给出了回路热管温度分布及其随传热功率的变化曲线图。对回路热管的传热过程进行了分析。通过实验数据描述了工作温度随传热功率的变化规律并进行了解释。分析了回路热管热导随传热功率变化的规律。实验结果表明有两个因素影响系统总热导变化——冷凝器有效冷凝面积(积极因素)和过热度(消极因素)。讨论了蒸发器和冷凝器的方位对系统运行、温度控制特性的影响。得出反重力工作对回路热管的工作温度、温度控制性能、系统热导都会产生消极影响的结论。     

多功能二阶电流型有源滤波器的设计与分析

分析一个由零极子和ＲＣ元件组成的电路，用有源器件取代零极子对，便使电路同时具有带通、低通和高通滤波功能。     

某目标飞行器真空热试验操作平台设计

为了保证某目标飞行器在真空模拟设备顺利进行各种附件的装配、线路的连接以及吊装等操作,需要设计操作平台。文章详细介绍了该操作平台的设计。与技术要求的对比结果表明,该平台的主体结构合理,满足某目标飞行器热平衡试验要求。     

卫星次承力结构设计对振动响应的影响

以风云二(FY-2)气象卫星为例，分析了设计中卫星次承力结构类型、连接、梁形式、功能单机结构和材料等对结构动态性能的影响，并提出了针对性设计改进。试验结果验证了改进的有效性。     

某型号离心机吊篮拓扑优化设计

在某型号离心机吊篮设计中,采用了拓扑优化设计。根据离心机吊篮的最大外形尺寸、连接边界、承载质量、离心机最大加速度值等参数,确定了拓扑优化的设计区域、载荷条件、边界条件,并用ANSYS建立了其有限元模型。以整体刚度最大为目标,根据吊篮质量要求施加拓扑优化约束条件,建立了吊篮拓扑优化的数学模型。采用TOSCA软件进行优化求解。拓扑优化后结构质量满足约束条件,刚度显著提高。     

某型号发射机导热密封垫材料的确定

文章详细论述了某型号发射机导热密封垫的选用过程，对比了目前市场上可供选择的导热密封材料的性能指标，说明了导热密封垫的试验方案，对导热性能试验、漆膜的影响情况试验、随机振动功能试验进行了叙述，分析了试验结果并根据试验结果确定了发射机的导热密封垫材料。     

Rapid model-based inter-disciplinary design of a CubeSat mission

With an increase in the use of small, modular, resource-limited satellites for Earth orbiting applications, the benefit to be had from a model-based architecture that rapidly searches the mission trade-space and identifies near-optimal designs is greater than ever. This work presents an architecture that identifies trends between conflicting objectives (e.g. lifecycle cost and performance) and decision variables (e.g. orbit altitude and inclination) such that informed assessment can be made as to which design/s to take on for further analysis. The models within the architecture exploit analytic methods where possible, in order avoid computationally expensive numerical propagation, and achieve rapid convergence. Two mission cases are studied; the first is an Earth observation satellite and presents a trade-off between ground sample distance and revisit time over a ground target, given altitude as the decision variable. The second is a satellite with a generic scientific payload and shows a more involved trade-off, between data return to a ground station and cost of the mission, given variations in the orbit altitude, inclination and ground station latitude. Results of each case are presented graphically and it is clear that non-intuitive results are captured that would typically be missed using traditional, point-design methods, where only discrete scenarios are examined.