Sumbandilasat—An operational technology demonstrator

Technology advances in sensor, digital technology and a standardised modular satellite bus are enabling a new generation of 80 kg micro-satellites with a better than 6.5 m GSD multi-spectral performance, to be specified, built and deployed with a dedicated launch within 12 months. The result of the standardised modular bus is lower cost, higher reliability and fast deployment. Operational remote sensing with a micro-satellite is thus within reach of individual organisations for dedicated missions. Sumbandilasat (pioneer in the Venda language) is a second generation satellite technology building on the expertise obtained in the Sunsat small satellite programme. The components used to build Sumbandilasat are the result of a technology development program of more than 3 years. Sumbandilasat is an operational technology demonstrator with more than 90% newly developed or improved subsystems and a compact refractive imager as a precursor to the MSMISat satellite with the same multi-spectral band set. The scalable, standardised modular satellite bus architecture enables satellites with a mass of 80–450 kg to be adapted to the specific mission requirements with minimum new engineering effort.     

Hayabusa—Its technology and science accomplishment summary and Hayabusa-2

Hayabusa performed five descents last November, among which two touching-down flights were included. Actually Hayabusa made three touching-downs and one long landing on the surface of Itokawa during those two flights. This paper summarizes how series of descents were planned and operated. The contents focus their attention on the correction maneuvers planning as well as what kind of terminals with what kind of software tools were actually built and used. The project team had distilled and accumulated their experiences through the rehearsal flights and accomplished this difficult mission. This paper presents the entire story about it.     

Nanosatellites and micro systems technology — capabilities, limitations and applications

In recent years Micro Systems Technology (MST) was introduced to manufacture miniaturized components for satellite subsystems, like small sensors, valves, micromotors, antennas and many more. These components can be used to build a new class of satellites weighing considerably less than 10 kg, with the capabilities comparable to present microsatellites. With the possibility of cheap mass production of such nanosatellites new applications become possible. However, the construction of very small satellites is connected with problems concerning launch, orbit control and, deorbiting. Furthermore the reduction of size creates certain limits for power consumption, data rates and optical resolutions which have to be carefully considered.     

Buying Russian technology — pros and cons for the US programme

A marriage between Russian space technology and US space ambitions was unthinkable only a short time ago, but that potential union is now the talk of the town. With the dizzying pace of changes in US-Russian relationships, what is written here in July 1992 may well have changed by the time this article is published. Nevertheless, a glance at what the Russians are selling, what the USA may want to buy and the major policy issues involved is worth a look. Traditional cooperative ventures remain an important part of US-Russian space relations, but are not the focus of this article.     

先进太阳能热动力系统单元热管吸热器仿真分析

研究的目的是验证热管吸热器有良好的热性能。通过对先进太阳能热动力系统单元热管吸热器进行数值仿真,建立了相应的数学模型,给出了数值解法,并把仿真结果同NASA计算结果进行了对比。分析结果表明,热管吸热器由于热管良好的导热性和理想的等温性,热管在轴向的温差很小,这就使得热管在不同位置上的容器内的PCM都能同步、均匀的熔化;另外热管吸液芯的正常工作使得热管周向温度分布均匀,从而避免热斑现象;热管吸热器由于热管在轴向和周向上良好的等温性,在阴影期末,各蓄热容器内的PCM能够同时凝固,并最终达到完全凝固,从而避免热松脱现象。因此,热管吸热器提高了系统的效率,能避免热斑和热松脱现象。     

热能去毛刺技术

采用热能去毛刺方法,对相交孔的毛刺进行了试验。试验结果表明,钢制件的毛刺使用热能去毛刺方法完全可行,并且适用性广,去刺效率高,无污染。     

Some Features of Solar Proton Events on March 7, 2011, and on February 20, 2014

Cosmic Research - The paper presents the results of studying two solar proton events—on March 7, 2011, and on February 20, 2014—which are associated with solar flares having almost the...     

The UN and space — 1989 review

In 1989, the two sub-committees of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) - the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee and the Legal Sub-Committee - held their 26th and 28th sessions, respectively, at UN Headquarters in New York. They subsequently produced reports which were discussed at the 33rd session of COPUOS in New York from 5 to 15 June 1989. N. Jasentuliyana, Director of the Outer Space Affairs Division at the UN, discusses their work.     

The UN and space — 1990 review

In its 44th session the United Nations passed resolutions endorsing International Space Year and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, both scheduled for 1992. Together they provide for global efforts to understand and protect the Earth and its environment. N. Jasentuliyana, Director of the Outer Space Affairs Division at the UN, outlines their significance.     

GPS系统抗干扰性能及抗干扰技术分析

分析了GPS系统具有的抗干扰能力(包括抗宽带阻塞、窄带和单频噪声).针对GPS系统本身的弱点,详细分析了一些可以采用的抗干扰技术,如窄带干扰的删除方法、单频干扰的时域抵消和频域干扰抑制等,为研究GPS抗干扰技术提供了一定的参考.     

Sputnik fever — again?

The author offers some comments on the drawbacks of another US-Soviet space race. She compares the relative positions of the USA and the USSR in various areas of space science and technology, and concludes that the USSR does not lead in all areas. More importantly, she argues that it is distressing still to be portraying the superpowers as in a race in space. ‘Sputnik fever’ the first time round showed that a space race does not lead to a strong, long-term US space programme. She argues that cooperation in some areas — perhaps a trip to Mars — could b an alternative.     

Stability and control of flexible satellites—II control

This is the second part of the investigation, the first part being “stability”. It is demonstrated that by monitoring the deformations of the flexible elements of a satellite, the effectiveness of the satellite control system can be increased considerably with the same given control system. A simple model of a flexible satellite was analyzed in the first part of this work. The same model is used here for digital computer simulations.     

气动增压器技术及其在空间推进系统的应用

液体火箭发动机用气动增压器技术在航天器推进系统中的应用,产生了一种全新的推进系统一气动增压式推进系统。介绍了气动增压器技术,分析了气动增压器技术应用于空间推进系统的优势和关键技术,并展望了应用前景。     

卫星测控系统的信息融合技术研究

研究了在轨卫星的运行状况和测控信息系统的主要内容,结合信息融合技术,全面地提出开发具有分析决策、知识发掘和智能推理等功能的实时测控系统,进一步保障在轨卫星的运行和提高地面测控信息系统的可靠性与鲁棒性.     

Space in Poland—a promising future

Poland has been involved in space activities for some years, specialising in the manufacturing of space instrumentation. Projects are carried out within the framework of international cooperation, with ESA being the main partner. The country's experience and existing potential currently encourage consideration of an expansion of the scope and character of the programmes undertaken, including activities aimed at the commercial market. Early steps have been taken towards establishment of a coordinated and consolidated space programme. Poland also has well-defined interests with regard to the space policy of the European Union.     

Planetary protection—A microbial ethics approach

Planetary protection policies designed to reduce the cross-transfer of life on spacecraft from one planet to another can either be formulated from the pragmatic instrumental needs of scientific exploration, or from ethical principles. I address planetary protection concerns by starting from a normative ethical framework for the treatment of microorganisms. This argues that they have intrinsic value at the level of the individual through to the level of the community, but at the individual level this ethic can only be theoretical. This approach yields a solution to the problem of the inevitable contamination of Mars by human explorers and suggests that in some instances the local contamination of other planets may be acceptable. An exception would be where this contamination would cause destruction of microbial ecosystems. Within the framework of such an ethic, the term ‘planetary protection’ may be normatively too narrow and ‘planetary preservation’ may better describe the activity of controlling cross-inoculation of planets. I discuss an example of a contamination event that might be ethically acceptable within the framework of ‘preservation’, but would be regarded as unacceptable under current planetary ‘protection’ guidelines.     

Nuclear space—an indispensable option?

There is renewed interest in using nuclear power in a variety of ways in space, as well as in disposing of terrestrial nuclear waste aloft. While the benefits of such use to space exploration might be high, the potential costs to Earth and its inhabitants are currently too dear. Accidents have already occurred which, despite official denials, have spread radiation worldwide. Such denials are characteristic of the closed and secretive nature of the nuclear ‘debate’. This viewpoint calls for the involvement of all those concerned with space nuclear power—lay, professional, government and NGO—in decisions on whether to proceed with it and suggests that maybe we should wait for safer scientific discoveries before we attempt further planetary exploration.     

Space industry — 10-year survey

Space Policy reprints here the Executive Summary of a report by Euroconsult: World Space Industry Survey: Ten-Year Outlook. It summarizes worldwide trends in space activity as they appeared at the beginning of 1988 and analyses them in terms of their economic, financial and industrial aspects. The analyses are centred on the development of space applications and growth prospects in the corresponding markets for the upcoming 10-year period.     

Space station — the new frontier

The exciting challenge of building a permanent space station has been taken up by the USA, and participation in its development has been offered to the USA's allies. European countries are faced with the dilemma of whether to cooperate or to try to develop an autonomous approach. This article discusses the opportunities for Europe in participating closely in the US project — particularly in providing pressurized modules based on the Columbus programme — and argues that it is an opportunity not to be missed.     

Military computing — the last generation

This article examines the computing requirements of the Strategic Defense Initiative. Dr Din points to the massive software problems inherent in SDI programming requirements, and raises the crucial issue of the potential bypassing of human control in any actual outbreak of hostilities.