THE SPACE APPLICATION ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE CHINESE UNMANNED SPACECRAFT "SZ-3"

During the 3rd mission of Chinese Unmanned Spacecraft the application sys tem of "SZ-3" (Shenzhou, a divine ship) gets a great success, all its goals are achieved. Many areas of science and breakthrough technology, including earth observation, earth environment monitoring, space material, space life science etc., are carried out in the mission. There are 44 payload instruments totally.All the instruments are working well during the orbit flight and a lot of good results are obtained. Many areas, for example the moderate resolution imag ing spectroradiometer, the solar ultraviolet spectral irradiance monitor and the space protein crystallization facility perform better than required and expected.A brief introduction of the experiments and the achievements of the mission is given in this paper.     

Protein crystal growth aboard the U.S. space shuttle flights STS-31 and STS-32.

The first microgravity protein crystal growth experiments were performed on Spacelab I by Littke and John. These experiments indicated that the space grown crystals, which were obtained using a liquid-liquid diffusion system, were larger than crystals obtained by the same experimental system on earth. Subsequent experiments were performed by other investigators on a series of space shuttle missions from 1985 through 1990. The results from two of these shuttle flights (STS-26 and STS-29) have been described previously. The results from these missions indicated that the microgravity grown crystals for a number of different proteins were larger, displayed more uniform morphologies, and yielded diffraction data to significantly higher resolutions than the best crystals of these proteins grown on earth. This paper presents the results obtained from shuttle flight STS-32 (flown in January, 1990) and preliminary results from the most recent shuttle flight, STS-31 (flown in April, 1990).     

The Space Sciences and Application Projects in Space Laboratory

Space sciences and application projects arranged in Tiangong-2 space laboratory and Tianzhou-1 cargo ship have been described in detail, covering research areas of the fundamental physics, space astronomy, microgravity fluid physics and materials science, space life science, and earth science. These experiments and researches will hopefully produce great scientific results and social benefits in several fields, including:universe evolution, quantum communication, material development, global climate change and earth environment, etc.      

Preparations for CELSS flight experiments with wheat.

We are planning a short-term experiment with Superdwarf wheat on the U.S. Space Shuttle and a seed-to-seed experiment on the Russian Space Station Mir. The goals of both experiments are to observe effects of microgravity on developmental steps in the life cycle and to measure photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration by monitoring gas exchange. This requires somewhat different hardware development for the two experiments. Ground-based research aims to understand plant responses to the environments in the space growth chambers that we will use (after some modification): the Plant Growth Unit (PGU) on the shuttle and units called Svet, Svetoblock 2, or Oasis on Mir. Low irradiance levels (100 to 250 micromoles m-2 s-1 at best) pose a particular problem. Water and nutrient supply are also potentially limiting factors, especially in the long-term experiment. Our ground-based studies emphasize responses to low light levels (50 to 400 micromoles m-2 s-1); results show that all developmental steps are delayed by low light compared with plants at 400 micromoles m-2 s-1. We are also testing various rooting substrates for the shuttle experiment. A 1:1:1 mixture of peat:perlite:vermiculite appears to be the best choice.     

Search for ultraviolet shuttle glow

The Space Shuttle Columbia flown in January 1986 carried two ultraviolet experiments (UVX) designed to observe very weak diffuse emission from various astronomical sources at wavelengths below 3200 Å with moderate spectral resolution. Such observations are extremely sensitive to the presence of any shuttle induced ultraviolet glow, since the wavelength range, 1200–3200 Å, includes strong emission lines or bands of species such as O, NO, and OH which are predicted to radiate strongly by models of the shuttle glow. The UVX spectrometers are sensitive to emission features as faint as 0.1 Rayleighs. Emissions from O₂, O and NO are detected and shown to be consistent with an atmospheric origin.     

Secondary radiation environments in heavy space vehicles and instruments.

Secondary radiations produced by the interactions of primary cosmic rays and trapped protons with spacecraft materials and detectors provides an important, and sometimes dominant, radiation environment for sensitive scientific instruments and biological systems. In this paper the success of a number of calculations in predicting a variety of effects will be examined. The calculation techniques include Monte Carlo transport codes and semi-empirical fragmentation calculations. Observations are based on flights of the Cosmic Radiation Environment and Activation Monitor at a number of inclinations and altitudes on Space Shuttle. The Shuttle experiments included an active cosmic-ray detector as well as metal activation foils and passive detector crystals of sodium iodide which were counted for induced radioactivity soon after return to earth. Results show that cosmic-ray secondaries increase the fluxes of particles of linear energy transfer less than 200 MeV/(gm cm-2), while the activation of the crystals is enhanced by about a factor of three due to secondary neutrons. Detailed spectra of induced radioactivity resulting from spallation products have been obtained. More than a hundred significant radioactive nuclides are included in the calculation and overall close agreement with the observations is obtained.     

Model analysis of Space Shuttle dosimetry data.

An extensive model analysis of plastic track detector measurements of high-LET particles on the Space Shuttle has been performed. Three shuttle flights: STS-51F (low-altitude, high-inclination), STS-51J (high-altitude, low-inclination), and STS-61C (low-altitude, low-inclination) are considered. The model includes contributions from trapped protons and galactic cosmic radiation, as well as target secondary particles. Target secondaries, expected to be of importance in thickly shielded space environments, are found to be a significant component of the measured LET (linear energy transfer) spectra.     

The particle environment on-orbit: Observations,calculations, and implications

The full potential for making remote observations from space free from atmospheric attenuations and distortions may not be realized due to the residual environment surrounding orbital experiments: particulates could overwhelm or severely complicate remote astronomical or atmospheric sounding observations. Small particles are lifted into space by the observatory and its carrier and take considerable time to evolve from surfaces. Single near-field particles have been observed which produce irradiance levels larger than the brightest stars and brighter than the emission from the entire earth limb airglow layer.The existing data bases are reviewed including: 1) the low light level camera videotape data of STS-3 in which large persistent particles were observed; 2) the data from the stereo cameras which were part of the Induced Environmental Contamination Monitor pallet assembled by NASA Marshall - which is being analyzed to obtain particle number densities, trajectories, and decay times; and 3) data from the Particle Analysis Camera for Shuttle which was part of the HITCHHIKER pallet on a January 1986 Mission is current being analyzed to obtain decay rates and correlations with orbital activities. The implications for several other data bases such as the Infrared Telescope is also described.The analysis of these spectrally broad band observations is further complicated by the nature of the particle's scattering of light. Depending on wavelength and particle size, the scattering of solar radiation or earth radiation, or particle self emission will dominate the optical signature. The scattering and emission from particulates will likely be highly structured as a function of wavelength. We present Mie scattering calculations for particle size distributions observed on-orbit. Finally, we assess the consequences of the observations and calculations on future space-based observations.     

Space Research Plan of China's Space Stationormalsize

China's manned spaceflight missions have been introduced briefly, and the research planning of space sciences for China's Space Station (CSS) has been presented with the topics in the research areas, including:life science and biotechnology, microgravity fluid physics and combustion science, space material science, fundamental physics, space astronomy and astrophysics, earth sciences and application, space physics and space environment, experiments of new space technology. The research facilities, experiment racks, and supporting system planned in CSS have been described, including:multifunctional optical facility, research facility of quantum and optic transmission, and a dozen of research racks for space sciences in pressurized module, etc. In the next decade, significant breakthroughs in space science and utilization will hopefully be achieved, and great contributions will be made to satisfy the need of the social development and people's daily life.      

Space Research Plan of China's Space Station

China's manned spaceflight missions have been introduced briefly,and the research planning of space sciences for China's Space Station(CSS) has been presented with the topics in the research areas,including:life science and biotechnology,microgravity fluid physics and combustion science,space material science,fundamental physics,space astronomy and astrophysics,earth sciences and application,space physics and space environment,experiments of new space technology.The research facilities,experiment racks,and supporting system planned in CSS have been described,including:multifunctional optical facility,research facility of quantum and optic transmission,and a dozen of research racks for space sciences in pressurized module,etc.In the next decade,significant breakthroughs in space science and utilization will hopefully be achieved,and great contributions will be made to satisfy the need of the social development and people's daily life.     

The extreme and far ultraviolet environment at shuttle altitudes

The astronomical data obtained by the Far Ultraviolet Space Telescope (FAUST) and the Very Wide Field Camera (VWFC) on board the Spacelab I mission have triggered questions on the natural and induced Extreme and Far Ultraviolet (EUV and FUV) environment of the space shuttle. Moreover, the recent discovery of ∼1k Rayleighs N₂ Lyman Birge Hopfield (LBH) nightglow emissions by the U. S. Air Force's S3-4 satellite, and subsequent confirmation by the Imaging Spectrometric Observatory (ISO) experiment on the Spacelab I mission have serious implications for the astronomical observations from the shuttle. Since both ISO and S3-4 experiments were conducted from shuttle altitudes, the implied EUV and FUV environment for astronomical observations can be severe. In order to address the question of the suitability of the shuttle as an astronomical platform, we have examined data from FAUST and other experiments. We conclude that the FAUST background is most likely due to the observation of tropical UV arcs, a natural airglow phenomenon. Strategies for future shuttle experiments to overcome this and other natural emissions are discussed.     

Recent space shuttle observations of the South Atlantic Anomaly and the radiation belt models.

Active instruments consisting of a tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) and a proton and heavy ion detector (PHIDE) have been carried on a number of Space Shuttle flights. These instruments have allowed us to map out parts of the South Atlantic Particle Anomaly (SAA) and to compare some of its features with predictions of the AP-8 energetic proton flux models. We have observed that consistent with the generally observed westward drift of the surface features of the terrestrial magnetic field the SAA has moved west by about 6.9 degrees longitude between the epoch year 1970 of the AP-8 solar maximum model and the Space Shuttle observations made twenty years later. However, calculations indicate that except for relatively brief periods following very large magnetic storms the SAA seems to occupy the same position in L-space as in 1970. After the great storm of 24 March 1991 reconfiguration of the inner radiation belt and/or proton injection into the inner belt, a second energetic proton belt was observed to form at L approximately = 2. As confirmed by a subsequent flight observations, this belt was shown to persist at least for six months. Our measurements also indicate an upward shift in the L location of the primary belt from L = 1.4 to L = 1.5. In addition we confirm through direct real time observations the existence and the approximate magnitude of the East-West effect.     

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.     

Plasma interactions in the space shuttle orbiter environment

Attempts to measure the ambient ionospheric plasma environment in the vicinity of the payload bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter have shown that the plasma is quite different, in a variety of characteristics, from the ionospheric plasma at low earth orbit altitudes. It appears that the large size, complex geometry and various outgassing characteristics of a typical Orbiter payload can all contribute to modifications of the plasma environment of the Space Shuttle Orbiter. The measurements indicate that the plasma is often quite turbulent and contains populations more energetic than the ambient ionospheric plasma. Pronounced wake and ram effects have been observed, and at times the data can be interpreted as plasma number density enhancements of an order of magnitude or greater over the ambient, undisturbed plasma concentration. There is evidence that this enhanced plasma concentration contains molecular ions, not occurring naturally at low earth orbit altitudes. In addition to describing the observations, the electrodynamics of enhanced Orbiter-generated plasma and its possible impact on optical measurements from the Space Shuttle Orbiter will be discussed.     

对地观测多载荷任务规划的建模与算法

研究了空间对地观测中配备多个有效载荷时的观测任务规划问题。首先建立了该问题的组合优化数学模型,优化指标考虑了科学和经济利益的最大化和各项资源约束;然后应用遗传算法对该问题进行了求解,并与贪婪算法结果进行比较;最后,验证了模型的有效性和算法的优越性。     

电场的标定方法

介绍了球载双球式电场仪、微火箭电场仪和地面旋转式电场仪等3种仪器的标定方法.电场涉及空间物理、空间环境和雷电及地震等多种自然现象的特征参数,对电场的探测或监测应用日益广泛.在我国目前尚未建立电场的国家标准和军用标准的情况下,通过研制的较简易的电场标定系统,对不同结构的电场仪进行标定,均获得了与理论计算相符的结果,为电场测量数据的可信度提供了依据.      

Somatic embryos of daylily in space

Poor growth and nuclear abnormalities observable in some space-grown plants have been hypothesized as due to a combination of factors such as degree of development, the specific way the plants are grown and the way they experience multiple stresses, some of which are space-specific. Data from a 132-day experiment on ‘Mir’ using embryogenic cell cultures of daylily (Hemerocallis) allow seemingly contradictory evidence from earlier Shuttle missions to be harmonized: a) the more developed an embryo the less likely it is to suffer catastrophic cell stress during growth, whereas the less developed it is, the greater its vulnerability; (b) the extent to which the stress becomes manifest is also dependent on the extent of pre-existing stresses imposed by suboptimal growing conditions; (c) an appropriate, albeit undesirable, ‘stress match’ with other non-equilibrium determinants, much like a ‘tug of war’, can result in genomic variations in space. It is not understood what is/are the feature(s) of the space environment that cause the various cell division perturbations but they have not yet been mimicked on earth. The stress symptoms were found only in space materials and, as predicted, they were most frequently encountered in smaller, less-developed materials grown under non-optimized conditions. It is concluded that, while any substantial deviation from ‘optimum’ can be a ‘stress’, spaceflight subjects vulnerable materials to cell division or DNA-repair stress(es) that appear distinctive, but remain elusive so far. Fastidiously-controlled growing environments must be devised to resolve the matter of direct versus indirect effects of space. On a practical level, it is predicted that adapting plant biotechnologies to space conditions will not be a casual matter.     

Contribution of secondaries to the radiation environment on space missions.

Calculations to predict the radiation environment for spacecraft in low earth orbit sometimes ignore the contribution from secondary radiation products. However, the contribution of secondaries, particularly neutrons, on heavy spacecraft or in planetary bodies can be of concern for biological systems. The Shuttle Activation Monitor (SAM) and Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM) experiments provide valuable data on secondary (as well as primary) radiation effects. Comparisons have been made between induced activity from flight-exposed samples, induced activity in a ground-irradiated sample, and Monte Carlo-derived predictions with and without secondaries. These comparisons show that for a flight-exposed sample, predictions which omit the secondary contribution result in a spectrum that is too low by a factor of 2. The addition of the secondaries results in a predicted spectrum that closely matches the measured data.     

X-ray astronomy from the space shuttle

A wide variety of new X-ray instrumentation is being proposed to attack an even wider variety of astrophysical problems. It includes general-purpose instruments which, with further development and testing, may someday be part of the complement of an orbiting “observatory” facility, such as AXAF. Other instruments promise significant and often necessary advantages for a narrower range of problems. The testing and development of all of these ideas, and in particular finding an efficient way to employ the latter class to make the observations for which they are intended, pose dilemmas for which the Space Shuttle potentially offers solutions. A discussion of possible modes for using the Shuttle and a brief sampling of new instrumentation ideas are presented.     

AXAF,a permanent orbiting X-ray observatory: Telescope and instrumentation plans

The Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) now under study is to be a long-lived X-ray observatory in space. It is to be launched by the Space Shuttle, maintainable on-orbit, and retrievable for ground re-furbishment. The AXAF is conceived as an X-ray telescope with 6 nested grazing incidence X-ray mirrors (with a maximum aperture of 1.2 m) and interchangeable and replaceable focal plane instruments. The optics will provide 0.5 arcsecond imagery over a several arcminute field and somewhat reduced resolution over 1 degree in the X-ray band from 0.1 to 10 keV (1.2 to 120 A). The characteristics and expected performance of the observatory are described.