NASA's Space Life Sciences Training Program.

The Space Life Sciences Training Program (SLSTP) is an intensive, six-week training program held every summer since 1985 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). A major goal of the SLSTP is to develop a cadre of qualified scientists and engineers to support future space life sciences and engineering challenges. Hand-picked, undergraduate college students participate in lectures, laboratory sessions, facility tours, and special projects: including work on actual Space Shuttle flight experiments and baseline data collection. At NASA Headquarters (HQ), the SLSTP is jointly sponsored by the Life Sciences Division and the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs: it has been very successful in attracting minority students and women to the fields of space science and engineering. In honor of the International Space Year (ISY), 17 international students participated in this summer's program. An SLSTP Symposium was held in Washington D.C., just prior to the World Space Congress. The Symposium attracted over 150 SLSTP graduates for a day of scientific discussions and briefings concerning educational and employment opportunities within NASA and the aerospace community. Future plans for the SLSTP include expansion to the Johnson Space Center in 1995.     

The first dedicated Life Sciences mission--Spacelab 4.

Spacelab is a large versatile laboratory carried in the bay of the Shuttle Orbiter. The first Spacelab mission dedicated entirely to Life Sciences is known as Spacelab 4. It is scheduled for launch in late 1985 and will remain aloft for seven days. This payload consists of 25 tentatively selected investigations combined into a comprehensive integrated exploration of the effects of acute weightlessness on living systems. An emphasis is placed on studying physiological changes that have been previously observed in manned space flight. This payload has complementary designs in the human and animal investigations in order to validate animal models of human physiology in weightlessness. The experimental subjects include humans, squirrel monkeys, laboratory rats, several species of plants, and frog eggs. The primary scientific objectives include study of the acute cephalic fluid shift, cardiovascular adaptation to weightlessness, including postflight reductions in orthostatic tolerance and exercise capacity, and changes in vestibular function, including space motion sickness, associated with weightlessness. Secondary scientific objectives include the study of red cell mass reduction, negative nitrogen balance, altered calcium metabolism, suppressed in vitro lymphocyte reactivity, gravitropism and photropism in plants, and fertilization and early development in frog eggs. The rationale behind this payload, the selection process, and details of the individual investigations are presented in this paper.     

天上的人间生活

国际空间站上的活动空间是一块一块拼接出来的,这些巨大的罐装模块彼此连接,形成了一条长74米的管道,管道的一端是俄罗斯提供的模块,通过接口与美国、欧洲各国提供的其他模块连接了起来。一条巨     

Life sciences flight hardware development for the International Space Station.

During the construction phase of the International Space Station (ISS), early flight opportunities have been identified (including designated Utilization Flights, UF) on which early science experiments may be performed. The focus of NASA's and other agencies' biological studies on the early flight opportunities is cell and molecular biology; with UF-1 scheduled to fly in fall 2001, followed by flights 8A and UF-3. Specific hardware is being developed to verify design concepts, e.g., the Avian Development Facility for incubation of small eggs and the Biomass Production System for plant cultivation. Other hardware concepts will utilize those early research opportunities onboard the ISS, e.g., an Incubator for sample cultivation, the European Modular Cultivation System for research with small plant systems, an Insect Habitat for support of insect species. Following the first Utilization Flights, additional equipment will be transported to the ISS to expand research opportunities and capabilities, e.g., a Cell Culture Unit, the Advanced Animal Habitat for rodents, an Aquatic Facility to support small fish and aquatic specimens, a Plant Research Unit for plant cultivation, and a specialized Egg Incubator for developmental biology studies. Host systems (Figure 1A, B: see text), e.g., a 2.5 m Centrifuge Rotor (g-levels from 0.01-g to 2-g) for direct comparisons between g and selectable g levels, the Life Sciences Glovebox for contained manipulations, and Habitat Holding Racks (Figure 1B: see text) will provide electrical power, communication links, and cooling to the habitats. Habitats will provide food, water, light, air and waste management as well as humidity and temperature control for a variety of research organisms. Operators on Earth and the crew on the ISS will be able to send commands to the laboratory equipment to monitor and control the environmental and experimental parameters inside specific habitats. Common laboratory equipment such as microscopes, cryo freezers, radiation dosimeters, and mass measurement devices are also currently in design stages by NASA and the ISS international partners.     

Evaluation of optimal configuration of hybrid Life Support System for Space.

Any comprehensive evaluation of Life Support Systems (LSS) for space applications has to be conducted taking into account not only mass of LSS components but also all relevant equipment and storage: spare parts, additional mass of space ship walls, power supply and heat rejection systems. In this paper different combinations of hybrid LSS (HLSS) components were evaluated. Three variants of power supply were under consideration--solar arrays, direct solar light transmission to plants, and nuclear power. The software based on simplex approach was used for optimizing LSS configuration with respect to its mass. It was shown that there are several LSS configuration, which are optimal for different time intervals. Optimal configurations of physical-chemical (P/C), biological and hybrid LSS for three types of power supply are presented.     

一种深空探测航天员应急生命保障系统

1 引言在执行远距离探测任务时,航天员如受到外界损伤或自身保障设备(如航天服、月球车等)出现异常时,无法及时返回基地(空间站或月球基地)进行处理和救治,将导致航天员生命安全受到威胁,甚至一个小的异常也可能导致航天员生命丧失.     

Space radiobiology program in Russia.

The space radiobiology program in Russia is aimed at obtaining fundamental data for developing radiation safety criteria. These criteria are necessary for long-term space missions. This program includes : -substantiation of radiation hazard estimation principles based on the radiation risk conception, -investigation of the radiation affection regularities under the combined influence of the spaceflight factors, -experimental investigation of the HZE-particle delayed effects and acute somatic effects induced by protons and electrons, -individual radiosensitivity investigation, -mathematic modeling of radiobiological effects , -radiobiological basis of control and forecast of radiation influence in space, -development of methods and means of an organism's radioresistance increase.     

国外空间站环控生保分系统研究现状和发展趋势分析

<正>环境控制与生命保障分系统(ECLSS,简称为环控生保分系统)是载人航天器所独有和必需的一个最重要分系统。环控生保分系统应对人类在空间特殊环境的生存需求,通过大气控制、温度控制、供应和再循环、水再循环、食物供应、废物清除、火灾等应急措施的解决,为载人航天器上航天员的正常生活、工作、身体健康和生命安全提供关键性保障。该分系统研究涵盖物理、化学、材料、生物、机电等多个技术领域,它从最初的非再生式储存系统,到物化再生式     

Planetary protection issues for Mars sample acquisition flight projects.

The planned NASA sample acquisition flight missions to Mars pose several interesting planetary protection issues. In addition to the usual forward contamination procedures for the adequate protection of Mars for the sake of future missions, there are reasons to ensure that the sample is not contaminated by terrestrial microbes from the acquisition mission. Recent recommendations by the Space Studies Board (SSB) of the National Research Council (United States), would indicate that the scientific integrity of the sample is a planetary protection concern (SSB, 1997). Also, as a practical matter, a contaminated sample would interfere with the process for its release from quarantine after return for distribution to the interested scientists. These matters are discussed in terms of the first planned acquisition mission.     

Progress on Microgravity Sciences in China

The main progress of the research activities on microgravity fluid physics, combustion, biotechnology research and fundamental Physics in China are briefly summarized in the present paper. The major space missions and experimental results obtained on board the Chinese recoverable/nonrecoverable satellites and the Chinese manned spaceship named "Shen Zhou" are presented summarily. The recent main activities of the ground-based studies in China are introduced in brief.     

任务空间内空间机械臂的自适应控制

对于本体资态受控而位置不受控的空间机械臂系统,在任务空间内给出了一种自适应控制算法;证明了当系统存在参数不确定时,该算法不但可以保证末端执行器任务空间内位置轨迹跟踪误差的渐近收敛,而且还可保证关节空间内角偏差及角偏差速率的渐近收敛;仿真结果验证了算的有效性。     

美国内部争论:航天部队是否独立成军

正2017年6月,由众议员罗杰斯和库珀领导的众议院军事战略力量小组委员会提出了一项法律草案,决定设立太空部队(类似海军陆战队),将太空军事行动与空军其他军事行动分开。罗杰斯和库珀希望尽快促成此事。如果这一草案成为法律,空军将在2019年1月1日之前建立新的军种,司令官将在国防部参谋长联席会议上得到席位,并直接向空军部长汇报。2017年3月以来,美国空军部长希瑟·威尔逊和空军参谋长大卫·古德芬已在参议院拨款委员会、众议院     

太空温室

对于未来的载人航天来说,在太空中种植植物将是一种生存的手段。不仅是因为在无法从地球上获得食物的时候,植物可以提供食物,而且植物还可以产生可供呼吸的空气和饮用的水。同时,照料植物也是航天员在漫长无聊太空的旅程中一种很好的休闲方式,对于维持航天员良好心理状态至关重要。总而言之,植物和人类将最终生活在一起,维持着航天员在太空和其他星球上的生活。那时,在太空或其他星球上的人类栖息地可以脱离它们的地球母亲,     

Exobiology research on Space Station Freedom.

The Gas-Grain Simulation Facility (GGSF) is a multidisciplinary experiment laboratory being developed by NASA at Ames Research Center for delivery to Space Station Freedom in 1998. This facility will employ the low-gravity environment of the Space Station to enable aerosol experiments of much longer duration than is possible in any ground-based laboratory. Studies of fractal aggregates that are impossible to sustain on Earth will also be enabled. Three research areas within exobiology that will benefit from the GGSF are described here. An analysis of the needs of this research and of other suggested experiments has produced a list of science requirements which the facility design must accommodate. A GGSF design concept developed in the first stage of flight hardware development to meet these requirements is also described.     

Space radiation dosimetry using bubble detectors.

Bubble detectors--a new development in radiation detection--has only recently been used for radiation measurements in space. One important characteristic of the bubble detector is that it operates on a phenomenon which bears considerable resemblance to biological response. Recent experimental results from irradiating bubble detectors with high-energy heavy ions point to the need to re-examine the methodology used for assessing space radiation and the relevance of conventional quantities such as dose equivalent for space dosimetry. It may be that biological hazard associated with the intensely ionizing events--associated with nuclear fragmentation but delivering relatively small dose equivalent--may be much more important than that associated with lightly ionizing events which comprise the bulk of the conventional radiation dose equivalent.     

Space experiment on behaviors of treefrog.

Japanese treefrogs (Hyla japonica) are planned to be sent to the space station MIR. Experimental system was developed to observe their behaviors under microgravity.     

Life under solar UV radiation in aquatic organisms.

Aquatic photosynthetic organisms are exposed to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation while they harvest longer wavelength radiation for energetic reasons. Solar UV-B radiation (280-315 nm) affects motility and orientation in motile organisms and impairs photosynthesis in cyanobacteria, phytoplankton and macroalgae as measured by monitoring oxygen production or pulse amplitude modulated fluorescence analysis. Upon moderate UV stress most organisms respond by photoinhibition which is an active downregulation of the photosynthetic electron transport in photosystem II by degradation of UV-damaged D1 protein. Photoinhibition is readily reversible during recovery in shaded conditions. Excessive UV stress causes photodamage which is not easily reversible. Another major target is the DNA where UV-B mainly induces thymine dimers. Cyanobacteria, phytoplankton and macroalgae produce scytonemin, mycosporine-like amino acids and other UV-absorbing substances to protect themselves from short wavelength solar radiation.