Effects of simulated space radiation on immunoassay components for life-detection experiments in planetary exploration missions

Abstract The Life Marker Chip (LMC) instrument is part of the proposed payload on the ESA ExoMars rover that is scheduled for launch in 2018. The LMC will use antibody-based assays to detect molecular signatures of life in samples obtained from the shallow subsurface of Mars. For the LMC antibodies, the ability to resist inactivation due to space particle radiation (both in transit and on the surface of Mars) will therefore be a prerequisite. The proton and neutron components of the mission radiation environment are those that are expected to have the dominant effect on the operation of the LMC. Modeling of the radiation environment for a mission to Mars led to the calculation of nominal mission fluences for proton and neutron radiation. Various combinations and multiples of these values were used to demonstrate the effects of radiation on antibody activity, primarily at the radiation levels envisaged for the ExoMars mission as well as at much higher levels. Five antibodies were freeze-dried in a variety of protective molecular matrices and were exposed to various radiation conditions generated at a cyclotron facility. After exposure, the antibodies' ability to bind to their respective antigens was assessed and found to be unaffected by ExoMars mission level radiation doses. These experiments indicated that the expected radiation environment of a Mars mission does not pose a significant risk to antibodies packaged in the form anticipated for the LMC instrument. Key Words: Life-detection instruments-Planetary habitability and biosignatures-Radiation-Mars-Life in extreme environments. Astrobiology 12, 718-729.     

Hardware/software integration & verification for the mobile servicing system of the international space station

The system architecture of the Mobile Service System (MSS) forms an integral part of the architecture of the International Space Station (ISS) in which elements interact through data components controlled by their respective element software. Tne element developers produce software components which, subsequent to being validated on their respective elements, are integrated and verified in test environments which are representative of the integrated MSS/ISS system. This is the classical method for integration and verification. If program software requirements are, for various reasons, slow to finalize, the software development process starts later than anticipated, and following the classical development/verification processes, could put the scheduled software deliveries at risk. A new approach to development and verification is needed which must encompass the entire software program from component unit software to fully integrated system software. This paper describes the approach which was taken to perform system hardware/software integration and verification with software components which were essentially incomplete, but were developed in a phased fashion, having mutually compatible functionality. The paper describes the MSS and ISS system architecture, the various software components and an overview of the original integration and verification plan. The paper will then describe the new integration approach which was developed, and discuss the evolution of the various software components in terms of functionality and their phased integration into a system. The paper will conclude by providing a summary of the results of the integration and verification activities, and demonstrate how delivery schedules for the integrated system software were met.     

An algorithm for estimation and separation of ephemeris and clock errors in SBAS

The estimation and separation of ephemeris and clock errors is an integral part of a SBAS (Space Based Augmentation System). Generally, the global solution is based on the full state approach for satellite errors (ephemeris and clock) and station errors, using a large least square estimator; or the other way is to sequentially estimate the ephemeris and clock through a Kalman filter, using a complex model of the satellite dynamics. In this paper, the estimation and separation of ephemeris and clock errors is addressed through a unique approach of combining both the methods. The algorithm employs measurements, which are pre-processed for various errors and known biases. A single difference technique is used to separately estimate the ephemeris and clock components. The ephemeris Kalman filter uses a priori information of ephemeris errors along with measurements through a minimum variance estimator to provide ephemeris error estimate. A similar approach is adopted in the clock error estimation process, to provide clock and clock rate estimates. The algorithm results are presented using simulated data for known errors in ephemeris/clock and subsequent retrieval. This algorithm estimates these errors as corrections to the broadcast Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation data, required by a SBAS user for accuracy improvement.     

固体发动机可靠性设计面临的问题及其解决方法

针对可靠性设计没有数据导致可靠度无法计算的困难,提出放弃可靠度而使用事件流分析来控制产品可靠性的方法,该方法将产品主事件分解为一系列的事件,任何一个事件都可以分为应力(L)、应构(G)、应变(B)和传递(D)4个要素,每个要素都可以提出一些可测量的工作控制指标,只要能够确保每个工作控制指标符合设计意图,就能控制产品不出现故障。根据这种观点,提出了发动机可靠性设计的事件流分析技术,先按照事件发生顺序一步步地分析产品工作中会发生的各种事件,每个事件都用LGBD的结构展开,然后分析监测每个要素需要的测量参数,以及控制每个要素需要的设计参数,从而确定完备的工作控制指标体系,并确定可靠性试验方案。该方法放弃了可靠性模型,代之以事件流模型,为可靠性设计提供一种全新方法。     

An innovative concept for the AsteroidFinder/SSB focal plane assembly

This paper gives a summary on the system concept and design of the focal plane assembly of AsteroidFinder/SSB, a small satellite mission which is currently under development at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). An athermal design concept has been developed in accordance to the requirements of the instrument and spacecraft. Key aspects leading to this approach have been a trade-off study of the mechanical telescope interface, the definition of electrical and thermal interfaces and a material selection which minimizes thermally induced stresses. As a novelty, the structure will be manufactured from a machinable AlN–BN composite ceramic. To enable rapid design iterations and development, an integrated modeling approach has been used to conduct a thermo-mechanical analysis of the proposed concept in order to proof its feasibility. The steady-state temperature distribution for various load cases and the resulting stress and strain within the assembly have both been computed using a finite element simulation.     

The new approach for damping modelling in the coupled dynamic load analysis for the Ariane 5 acoustic booster mode load cases

Solid propellant booster can have pressure oscillations with frequencies which correspond to the acoustic modes inside the motor case. These quasi-harmonic excitations can lead to severe dynamic responses if their frequencies are coincident with the resonance frequencies of the launcher. A correct modeling of the damping is essential for a realistic dynamic response prediction. The different components of the launcher have different damping characteristics which are known from substructure testing (e.g. modal testing, sine vibration testing). The modal damping in these substructure tests is achieved under certain boundary conditions, which are different compared to the situation in the coupled system. The paper describes the new applied approach which considers the different component mode damping of the substructures and allows a synthesized damping model of the coupled system. The new approach, called ‘Equivalent Structural Damping’ (ESD), is based on structural damping and makes use of the equivalence of modal viscous damping and modal structural damping in case of small damping. Particular emphasis is put on the damping coupling, which turned out to be significant for the 2nd acoustic booster mode load case and overcomes the inconsistencies of the past approach based on diagonal system damping.     

采用强制降噪和多尺度融合的地磁导航方法

针对地磁数据测量易受各种噪声和干扰影响,导致地磁匹配导航精度、概率和可靠性降低的问题,提出了一种采用小波强制降噪和多尺度融合的地磁匹配导航方法。该方法利用地磁数据高频部分易受噪声干扰影响而低频部分稳定性好、各尺度下的匹配结果具有相对独立性的特点,将含噪地磁基准图和实时图进行多尺度分解,在所选的多个尺度下经强制降噪后分别进行匹配,并融合各尺度下的匹配结果表决产生最终的导航结果。地磁匹配导航仿真实验结果表明该方法可有效提高导航的精度、概率和可靠性。     

Antibody engineering--a valuable asset in preventing closed environment epidemics

Investigations of Mir, Space Shuttle, Skylab and Apollo missions report extensive colonisation of the spacecraft by bacteria and fungi, which can lead to degradative effects on spacecraft equipment and devastating effects on space-grown crops. More than 80% of terrestrial greenhouse epidemics are due to the fungal genera Phytophthora, Pythium and Fusarium, which have been found in life support system test-beds. The advent of recombinant antibody technologies, including ribosome display and phage display, has made it possible to develop antibodies against virtually any toxin or organism and allows for maturation of antibodies by in vitro molecular evolution. These antibodies may play an important role in an integrated pest management regime for life support systems. Efficacy of existing fungal countermeasures could be increased by chemical linkage to antibodies, which target the site of action of the biocide or trap the pathogen in a biofilter. Novel recombinant antibody-biocide fusions can be expressed in situ by plants or symbiotic microbes to create direct disease resistance.     

Assessing antibody microarrays for space missions: effect of long-term storage, gamma radiation, and temperature shifts on printed and fluorescently labeled antibodies

Antibody microarrays are becoming frequently used tools for analytical purposes. A key factor for optimal performance is the stability of the immobilized (capturing) antibodies as well as those that have been fluorescently labeled to achieve the immunological test (tracers). This is especially critical for long-distance transport, field testing, or planetary exploration. A number of different environmental stresses may affect the antibody integrity, such as dryness, sudden temperature shift cycles, or, as in the case of space science, exposure to large quantities of the highly penetrating gamma radiation. Here, we report on the effect of certain stabilizing solutions for long-term storage of printed antibody microarrays under different conditions. We tested the effect of gamma radiation on printed and freeze- or vacuum-dried fluorescent antibodies at working concentrations (tracer antibodies), as well as the effect of multiple cycles of sudden and prolonged temperature shifts on the stability of fluorescently labeled tracer antibody cocktails. Our results show that (i) antibody microarrays are stable at room temperature when printed on stabilizing spotting solutions for at least 6 months, (ii) lyophilized and vacuum-dried fluorescently labeled tracer antibodies are stable for more than 9 months of sudden temperature shift cycles (-20°C to 25°C and 50°C), and (iii) both printed and freeze- or vacuum-dried fluorescent tracer antibodies are stable after several-fold excess of the dose of gamma radiation expected during a mission to Mars. Although different antibodies may exhibit different susceptibilities, we conclude that, in general, antibodies are suitable for use in planetary exploration purposes if they are properly treated and stored with the use of stabilizing substances.     

European initiative & strategy for prioritising and harmonising space technology R&D

This document outlines the objectives, strategy guidelines, and the approach for the harmonisation of European space technology activities, in line with and in support of the resolution “Shaping of the Future of Europe in Space”, adopted at the ESA Ministerial Council in May 1999.Under an overall ESA co-ordination, the European space sector is elaborating a technology strategy based on top-level priorities (Dossier 0), on the mapping of European development and competences and on a co-ordinated Space Technology Master Plan (ESTMP). This plan shall take into account the various European developments, industry capacities and budgets and shall enhance the complementary role of the various partners towards common objectives.The proposed strategy includes selection of priority activities as pilot projects for harmonisation. For these pre-selected pilot projects, agreements are required on responsibilities, leaderships, partnerships and budget commitments.     

Intelligent fault-tolerant control for swing-arm system in the space-borne spectrograph

Fault-tolerant control (FTC) for the space-borne equipments is very important in the engineering design. This paper presents a two-layer intelligent FTC approach to handle the speed stability problem in the swing-arm system suffering from various faults in space. This approach provides the reliable FTC at the performance level, and improves the control flow error detection capability at the code level. The faults degrading the system performance are detected by the performance-based fault detection mechanism. The detected faults are categorized as the anticipated faults and unanticipated faults by the fault bank. Neural network is used as an on-line estimator to approximate the unanticipated faults. The compensation control and intelligent integral sliding mode control are employed to accommodate two types of faults at the performance level, respectively. To guarantee the reliability of the FTC at the code level, the key parts of the program codes are modified by control flow checking by software signatures (CFCSS) to detect the control flow errors caused by the single event upset. Meanwhile, some of the undetected control flow errors can be detected by the FTC at the performance level. The FTC for the anticipated fault and unanticipated fault are verified in Synopsys Saber, and the detection of control flow error is tested in the DSP controller. Simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the novel FTC approach.     

Design and implementation of the GPS subsystem for the Radio Aurora eXplorer

This paper presents the design and implementation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) subsystem for the Radio Aurora eXplorer (RAX) CubeSat. The GPS subsystem provides accurate temporal and spatial information necessary to satisfy the science objectives of the RAX mission. There are many challenges in the successful design and implementation of a GPS subsystem for a CubeSat-based mission, including power, size, mass, and financial constraints. This paper presents an approach for selecting and testing the individual and integrated GPS subsystem components, including the receiver, antenna, low noise amplifier, and supporting circuitry. The procedures to numerically evaluate the GPS link budget and test the subsystem components at various stages of system integration are described. Performance results for simulated tests in the terrestrial and orbital environments are provided, including start-up times, carrier-to-noise ratios, and orbital position accuracy. Preliminary on-orbit GPS results from the RAX-1 and RAX-2 spacecraft are presented to validate the design process and pre-flight simulations. Overall, this paper provides a systematic approach to aid future satellite designers in implementing and verifying GPS subsystems for resource-constrained small satellites.     

Validation on flight data of a closed-loop approach for GPS-based relative navigation of LEO satellites

This paper describes a carrier-phase differential GPS approach for real-time relative navigation of LEO satellites flying in formation with large separations. These applications are characterized indeed by a highly varying number of GPS satellites in common view and large ionospheric differential errors, which significantly impact relative navigation performance and robustness. To achieve high relative positioning accuracy a navigation algorithm is proposed which processes double-difference code and carrier measurements on two frequencies, to fully exploit the integer nature of the related ambiguities. Specifically, a closed-loop scheme is proposed in which fixed estimates of the baseline and integer ambiguities produced by means of a partial integer fixing step are fed back to an Extended Kalman Filter for improving the float estimate at successive time instants. The approach also benefits from the inclusion in the filter state of the differential ionospheric delay in terms of the Vertical Total Electron Content of each satellite. The navigation algorithm performance is tested on actual flight data from GRACE mission. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in managing integer unknowns in conjunction with Extended Kalman Filtering, and that centimeter-level accuracy can be achieved in real-time also with large separations.     

A new paradigm for international cooperation in space exploration

In announcing a new Vision for the US space program, President George Bush committed the USA to “a long-term human and robotic program to explore the solar system”, via a return to the Moon, leading to exploration of Mars and other destinations. He also stated that other nations would be invited to join the vision. Many other nations have, or are developing, ‘exploration visions’ of their own. The potential for international cooperation therefore exists, both at the vision and program/project levels. This paper, based on Working Group discussions as part of an AIAA space cooperation workshop,¹ presents an approach for maximizing the return on all global investments in space exploration. It proposes an international coordination mechanism through which all these various national activities could be integrated into an inherently global enterprise for space exploration, a ‘virtual program of programs’. Within the context of the coordination, individual activities would utilize the full range of cooperative mechanisms for implementation. A significant benefit of this mode of conducting cooperation is that it would not require the negotiation of complex overarching international agreements as a precondition for initiating international activity.     

Numerical form-finding of geotensoid tension truss for mesh reflector

The parabolic surface of most large deployable reflectors is formed by a reflective mesh attached to a cable net. This paper presents a new approach to calculate a geodesic tension truss that ensures both appropriate node positioning and uniform tension. It is based on a force density strategy coupled with geometrical constraints. Uniform tension is achieved by iterations on coefficients of force density. Nodes of net are located on the paraboloid by controlling additional forces. Several applications illustrate the method on various types of net patterns and parabolic surfaces. The accuracy of obtained net is then evaluated by calculation of the systematic surface error due to faceting. Attachment of the net to a rim structure with additional cables is also discussed.     

基于北斗Ka星间链路的地面用户导航方法

针对导航系统L频段信号易受到有意或无意的干扰和欺骗,而导致地面区域性导航服务性能下降甚至失效的问题,提出了一种利用北斗Ka星间链路信号为地面用户提供导航服务的方法。首先,对该方法的可行性进行了研究,并给出了星间链路时分体制下的用户测距模型;然后,提出了基于时钟模型和惯导信息的测距值历元归算方法,并推导了基于北斗星间链路测距值的地面用户实时定位算法;最后,通过数值仿真分析了不同因素对算法性能的影响。仿真结果表明,该方法定位精度可达2.0 m以内,能够在一定程度上弥补L频段导航信号区域性失效带来的缺失。     

Innovations in mission architectures for exploration beyond low Earth orbit

Through the application of advanced technologies and mission concepts, architectures for missions beyond Earth orbit have been dramatically simplified. These concepts enable a stepping stone approach to science driven; technology enabled human and robotic exploration. Numbers and masses of vehicles required are greatly reduced, yet the pursuit of a broader range of science objectives is enabled. The scope of human missions considered range from the assembly and maintenance of large aperture telescopes for emplacement at the Sun-Earth libration point L2, to human missions to asteroids, the moon and Mars. The vehicle designs are developed for proof of concept, to validate mission approaches and understand the value of new technologies. The stepping stone approach employs an incremental buildup of capabilities, which allows for future decision points on exploration objectives. It enables testing of technologies to achieve greater reliability and understanding of costs for the next steps in exploration.     

DDS频率合成器AD9850原理及应用

"软件无线电"是实现无线通信的新思路,它是在通用的开放式无线电智能平台上,通过安装不同的软件来完成各种通信功能。文章引入"软件无线电"的设计思想,结合具体设计实例,论述了直接数字频率合成器AD9850的工作原理、特点及应用。     

Blended control, predictor-corrector guidance algorithm: an enabling technology for Mars aerocapture

A guidance scheme designed for coping with significant dispersion in the vehicle's state and atmospheric conditions is presented. In order to expand the flyable aerocapture envelope, control of the vehicle is realized through bank angle and angle-of-attack modulation. Thus, blended control of the vehicle is achieved, where the lateral and vertical motions of the vehicle are decoupled. The overall implementation approach is described, together with the guidance algorithm macrologic and structure. Results of guidance algorithm tests in the presence of various single and multiple off-nominal conditions are presented and discussed.     

Geometric reasoning under uncertainty for map-based localization

Map-based navigation in outdoor terrain lacking man-made structures or other highly distinctive landmarks can produce severe localization problems. This paper presents an approach to navigation which implements high level geometric reasoning and matching strategies based on those used by skilled human navigators. This approach, which is demonstrated on a real example involving imagery of mountainous terrain obtained with a video camera and USGS map data, is designed to avoid many of the pitfalls occurring when an attempt is made to navigate by modeling the environment mathematically. It exploits feature attributes which cannot be easily expressed quantitatively but are central to the successful human navigation process.