The essential role of human spaceflight

The question is: should the United States and nations at large pursue a human spaceflight program (and if so, why)? I offer an unwavering positive answer to this question, and state the reasons for it while considering the broad challenges and benefits of (human) spaceflight. Space exploration is a human activity that is intrinsically forward-looking, and as such, has positive potential. Both national and international space programs can galvanize the population, inspire the youth, foster job-creation, and motivate the existing workforce. The nature of the enterprises involved—their scale, novelty, and complexity—requires a steady and continuous upward progression toward greater societal, scientific and technological development. That is, in order to overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, progress is required. More to the point, the survival of humanity depends on expanding beyond the confines of our planet. Human spaceflight, in short, presents us with an opportunity to significantly advance the nation and the global community.     

液体镜头技术应用于空间探测的初步探讨

文章介绍了一种方兴未艾的镜头技术——液体镜头技术,分析了几种典型液体镜头的工作原理和控制方法,并初步探讨了其在空间探测领域应用的可能性。     

液体镜头技术应用于空间探测的初步探讨

文章介绍了一种方兴未艾的镜头技术——液体镜头技术,分析了几种典型液体镜头的工作原理和控制方法,并初步探讨了其在空间探测领域应用的可能性。     

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.     

空天飞行技术创新与发展展望

首先介绍了空天飞行技术的发展历程与现状;结合各国发展经验及空天飞行器飞行特点提出了空天飞行技术面临的基础科学问题,并依据目前的技术发展情况提出了具体解决途径;阐述了空天飞行技术的未来发展方向。太空是人类的未来,\"廉价、便捷、安全、机动\"的空天飞行器将颠覆现有进出空间方式开辟新太空时代。     

Role of the current young generation within the space exploration sector

The space sector gathers together people from a variety of fields who work in the industry on different levels and with different expertise. What is often forgotten is the impact and role of the current young generation. Their engagement is of great importance as undeniably today's young ‘space generation’ will be defining the direction of future space exploration.Today's vision of future human and robotic space exploration has been set out in the Global Exploration Roadmap (GER). This focuses on sustainable, affordable and productive long-term goals. The strategy begins with the International Space Station (ISS) and then expands human presence into the solar system, including a human mission to Mars.This paper presents a general overview of the role of today's youth within the space exploration sector and the challenges to overcome. To complete this perspective, we present results from a survey made among students and young professionals about their levels of awareness of the GER. The respondents presented their opinion about current aspects of the GER and prioritised the GER's objectives. It is hoped that the paper will bring a new perspective into the GER and a contribution to the current GER strategy.     

Human exploration of near earth asteroids: Mission analysis for chemical and electric propulsion

This paper presents a mission analysis comparison of human missions to asteroids using two distinct architectures. The objective is to determine if either architecture can reduce launch mass with respect to the other, while not sacrificing other performance metrics such as mission duration. One architecture relies on chemical propulsion, the traditional workhorse of space exploration. The second combines chemical and electric propulsion into a hybrid architecture that attempts to utilize the strengths of each, namely the short flight times of chemical propulsion and the propellant efficiency of electric propulsion. The architectures are thoroughly detailed, and accessibility of the known asteroid population is determined for both. The most accessible asteroids are discussed in detail. Aspects such as mission abort scenarios and vehicle reusability are also discussed. Ultimately, it is determined that launch mass can be greatly reduced with the hybrid architecture, without a notable increase in mission duration. This demonstrates that significant performance improvements can be introduced to the next step of human space exploration with realistic electric propulsion system capabilities. This leads to immediate cost savings for human exploration and simultaneously opens a path of technology development that leads to technologies enabling access to even further destinations in the future.     

Private space exploration: A new way for starting a spacefaring society?

Since the beginning space was an exclusive domain of public organizations, the role of privates is becoming more and more important, and not only in commercial activities. However, the main international treaties dealing with this subject are still based on the assumption that space activities are mostly reserved to states. In the last decade the idea that the role of privates could include the management of space infrastructures and launch vehicles gained support and now private launch services are a reality. An even wider role of privates is now advocated and private exploration and exploitation missions are discussed. This requires that space activity in general can generate an attractive return and those business models are identified.     

航天器最优再入轨迹的选择分析

本文研究的目的是想获得具有最大有效载荷的航天器最优再入轨迹。返回段航天器的最大有效载荷等价于航天器离轨点所耗燃料质量与热防护系统（ＴＰＳ）质量之和达极小。文中把最大有效载荷的再入轨迹分三种情况作了分析：航天器ＴＰＳ质量不确定时，通过返回轨迹优化来获得航天器的最大有效载荷，并选择确定相应ＴＰＳ的质量；ＴＰＳ质量已确定时，通过再入轨迹优化来获得航天器的最大有效载荷；ＴＰＳ质量足够大时，通过多次穿越大气层来获得航天器的最大有效载荷。本文的结论可为航天器再入轨迹与ＴＰＳ的一体化选择提供思路。     

A Delphi-Based Framework for systems architecting of in-orbit exploration infrastructure for human exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit

The current debate in the U.S. Human Spaceflight Program focuses on the development of the next generation of man-rated heavy lift launch vehicles. While launch vehicle systems are of critical importance for future exploration, a comprehensive analysis of the entire exploration infrastructure is required to avoid costly pitfalls at early stages of the design process. This paper addresses this need by presenting a Delphi-Based Systems Architecting Framework for integrated architectural analysis of future in-orbit infrastructure for human space exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit. The paper is structured in two parts.     

利用地月间空间站的载人登月飞行模式分析

为提高空间站利用率,降低载人登月任务成本,有效开发地月空间,研究了基于地月空间不同轨道空间站的载人登月飞行模式。首先对比直接往返登月飞行模式,对基于空间站的载人登月飞行模式进行任务分析,通过空间站将载人登月任务解耦为载人天地往返任务和登月任务两部分;其次通过轨道设计和稳定性分析提出考虑登月任务需求的地月间空间站可运行轨道和停泊点;最后建立一套飞行模式评价模型,从速度增量需求、飞行时间、空间环境、登月任务窗口、测控条件、交会对接技术难度、后续任务支持性和任务可靠性方面对6种不同位置空间站的登月飞行模式进行分析和定量评价。评价结果表明基于L2点Halo轨道空间站的载人登月飞行模式为更优飞行模式。     

The explorer's complex

It is time to think about the rationales of space exploration, more than 50 years after the beginning of human space flight. Between J.F. Kennedy words (“landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth”) and the Mars One, what means today the dangers of exploration, or the concept of “representative of mankind” applied to the astronauts? Beyond the financial, technical and human risks, exploration, and today space exploration, belongs always to the human identity, the way to confront human nature (especially imagination) to the reality of time and space.     

航天器智能控制的研究和设计

本文介绍智能控制的产生和发展,探讨智能控制的基本概念,详细说明智能控制三个层次的具体含义及其与传统控制理论的主要区别。针对未来航天器控制中的特点,展望智能控制在航天器控制中的应用前景,深入分析了在未来航天器控制中应用智能控制的必要性和可行性。文章最后介绍了航天器变结构变系数智能控制的特点及总体结构,给出了一个主从型智能控制系统的实例。     

地月空间探索与开发的思考

提出了地月空间探索与开发的概念,对全球发展态势进行了总结,从人类文明、太空格局、战略安全、科技经济全方位发展等维度阐述了我国开展地月空间探索与开发的发展需求;并提出了地月空间探索与开发的体系组成、能力需求和技术难点,从科学、经济和工程三个方面分析了发展效益,最后给出了发展路线;研究成果可为未来大规模开展地月空间探索与开发提供参考。     

Activities of the COSPAR Panel on Exploration supporting the Global Exploration Roadmap

The Global Exploration Roadmap (GER) is driven by several goals and objectives that include space science, the search for life as well as preparatory science activities to enable human space exploration. The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), through its Commissions and Panels provides an international forum that supports and promotes space exploration worldwide. COSPAR's Panel on Exploration (PEX) investigates a stepwise approach of preparatory research on Earth and in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to facilitate a future global space exploration program. We summarize recent activities and workshops of PEX in support of the GER.     

European space research in support of international partnership

The envisaged future space research programmes, whether in the field of space exploration or Earth observation are becoming more and more technically complicated and so costly that a single nation can hardly afford to realize them. Major non-European space-faring nations, China and India will progressively play an important role besides US, Russia and Japan. The Space Advisory Group of the European Commission recommended that the European Commission supports within Horizon 2020 a comprehensive Robotic Mars-Exploration Programme under European leadership that should become an essential element of a coordinated international space research programme. The International Space Station (ISS) experience shows that cooperative space programmes build links between industries and laboratories from around the world, which then further develop in non-space related activities, with positive impact on the economy and scientific research. Strategies need to be developed to mitigate the gradual increasing risks incurred by climate change. In order to lower their entry barrier to engage in space emerging and developing space nations need to be included in cooperative space programmes. We present the recommendations of the Space Advisory Group of the European Commission concerning Europe's participation to global space endeavours.