Current status of X-ray spectrometer development in the SELENE project

The X-ray spectrometer (XRS) on the SELENE (SELenological and ENgineering Explorer) spacecraft, XRS, will observe fluorescent X-rays from the lunar surface. The energy of the fluorescent X-ray depends on the elements of which the lunar soil consists, therefore we can determine elemental composition of the upper most lunar surface. The XRS consists of three components: XRF-A, SOL-B, and SOL-C. XRF-A is the main sensor to observe X-rays from the lunar surface. SOL-B is direct monitor of Solar X-ray using Si-PIN photodiode. SOL-C is another Solar X-ray monitor but observes the X-rays from the standard sample attached on the base plate. This enables us to analyze by a comparative method similar to typical laboratory XRF methods. XRF-A and SOL-C adopt charge coupled device as an X-ray detector which depletion layer is deep enough to detect X-rays. The X-ray spectra were obtained by the flight model of XRS components, and all components has been worked well to analyze fluorescent X-rays. Currently, development of the hardware and software of the XRS has been finished and we are preparing for system integration test for the launch.     

In vivo fertilization and development in microgravity using pleurodele ("ZEUS" project).

The objectives of this experiment are to perform natural fertilization and to achieve embryonic development in microgravity. Pleurodeles waltl, an urodele amphibian, is considered by CNES and NASA to be suitable experimental material for achieving in vivo fertilization in space. Previously inseminated females can be embarked in the Frog Environmental Unit (FEU) developed by NASA. Laying of eggs will be provoked by hormonal stimulation in flight and development will be followed. Various technical problems have been resolved in laboratory experiments and during parabolic flights : the time of hormone stimulation after insemination, choice of hormone guaranteeing [correction of guarenteing] 95% success, other factors conditioning [correction of conditionning] the laying, experimental procedures to study developmental kinetics at phenotypic levels, and selection of cellular and molecular markers of development.     

Early development in aquatic vertebrates in near weightlessness during the D-2 Mission STATEX project.

Aboard the German-Spacelab-Mission D-2 the project "Gravity Perception and Neuronal Plasticity (STATEX II)" was performed. STATEX is for STATolith EXperiment. Objects were growing tadpoles of the South African Toad (Xenopus laevis D.) and a juvenile cichlid fish (Oreochromis mossambicus). The results give a broader base for the understanding of how environmental stimuli (e.g. linear accelerations) affect the development and function of the gravity perceiving systems in these two vertebrates. These systems are accepted as models for the human vestibulum. Results of experiments in hyper-g (up to 5 g), simulated weightlessness (Fast-rotating-clinostat) and parabolic flights are compared and discussed.     

Recent advancements in the EST project

The European Solar Telescope (EST) is a project of a new-generation solar telescope. It has a large aperture of 4?m, which is necessary for achieving high spatial and temporal resolution. The high polarimetric sensitivity of the EST will allow to measure the magnetic field in the solar atmosphere with unprecedented precision. Here, we summarise the recent advancements in the realisation of the EST project regarding the hardware development and the refinement of the science requirements.     

Space qualification tests of the PAMELA instrument

PAMELA is a satellite-borne experiment which will measure the antiparticle component of cosmic rays over an extended energy range and with unprecedented accuracy. The apparatus consists of a permanent magnetic spectrometer equipped with a double-sided silicon microstrip tracking system and surrounded by a scintillator anticoincidence system. A silicon–tungsten imaging calorimeter, complemented by a scintillator shower tail catcher, and a transition radiation detector perform the particle identification task. Fast scintillators are used for Time-of-Flight measurements and to provide the primary trigger. A neutron detector is finally provided to extend the range of particle measurements to the TeV region.PAMELA will fly on-board of the Resurs-DK1 satellite, which will be put into a semi-polar orbit in 2005 by a Soyuz rocket. We give a brief review of the scientific issues of the mission and report about the status of the experiment few months before the launch.     

Mineral and energy exploration in Yugoslavia: Activity of the IGCP project 143 working group

This report on the activity of the Yugoslav IGCP Project 143 (“Remote Sensing and Mineral Exploration”) Working Group consists actually of three parts. First part of it represents a summary of total Yugoslav Project 143 Group activities from year 1977–1982. Second part of the paper is dealing with a recent example of joint activity within the Project 143 Group, which resulted in a tectonical map of Mount ?ara area, based on the interpretation of LANDSAT images. The third part shows results of detection of submarine gas seepages by thermal IR survey in the offshore area of Northern Adriatic and the relevant tectonic interpretation of Istra peninsula area.     

Free fall tests of the accelerometers of the MICROSCOPE mission

The MICROSCOPE mission is fully dedicated to the in-orbit test of the Universality of free fall, the so-called Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP), with an expected accuracy better than 10⁻¹⁵. The test principle consists in comparing the accelerations of two proof masses of different composition in the Earth gravitational field. The payload embarks two pairs of test-masses made of Platinum Rhodium and Titanium alloys at the core of two dedicated coaxial electrostatic accelerometers. These instruments are under qualification for a launch in 2016.     

Japanese research project on Arctic and Antarctic observations of the middle atmosphere

An all-sky optical imager is in routine observation at the South Pole. Monochromatic images of aurora and air glow at N₂⁺ 427.8nm, OI 557.7nm, OI 630nm and OH 730nm are supplying significant information on the magnetospheric process in the polar cap and cusp/cleft region along with atmospheric wave signature at this particular point. SuperDARN radars in Antarctica make observations over the South Pole.

At Syowa Station, Antarctica, a multi-instrumental observation project is now being implemented for the study of the polar upper atmosphere from the mesosphere to the thermosphere, where complex physical and chemical processes take place making the region very attractive for scientific research. Two HF radars, which are part of SuperDARN radars, have been already installed and started observations. By the end of 1999, all-sky imagers, photo meters, a Na temperature Lidar, an MF radar and a Fabry-Perot interferometer will be introduced and start collecting various physical parameters on a routine basis.

In the Arctic region, we are planning to deploy coordinated ground-based observations with optical, radio and radar sensing of the polar middle and upper atmosphere in conjunction with EISCAT radars. Scientific goals are versatile to shed light on the tangled coupling processes in response to magnetospheric disturbances from above and bi-lateral interactions with high-density lower atmospheric layers. These are outlined in this paper.     

Development and performance of a position sensitive proportion counter for the rosat project

A multiwire proportional counter capable of imaging soft X-rays has been constructed. The position of an incident photon is obtained by measuring the induced charge signals on two orthogonal sets of cathode wire grids. The anode signal is used as trigger and energy signal. At a photon energy of 0.94 keV the achieved position resolution is 300 μm (FWHM), and the energy resolution is 45% (FWHM). With a five sided anticoincidence the background rejection efficiency is 90–95%.A small version of the counter has successfully been flown twice on sounding rocket payloads. X-ray images of the supernova remnants Puppis A and Cassiopeia A have been taken. As the prime focal plane detector for the ROSAT project we are building a version with an aperture of 80 mm.     

一种基于FPGA位流回读与重配置的空间硬件容错方法

分析FPGA的配置数据帧格式以及整个器件中配置数据帧的类型和分布,在此基础上给出具体的位流回读故障检测方法和重配置容错方法,最后给出了实现该容错方法的一个实例.论文研究可为星上拟采用基于SRAM的FPGA的各分系统电路容错设计所借鉴.     

Very low frequency interferometry for the Chang’E-2 project

Very low frequency interferometry among two astronomical experiments has been proposed and accepted for further study for the second phase of China’s lunar exploration programme (the Chang’E Programme), which is envisaged to operate a lander and a rover on the surface of the moon. This experiment is an interferometer experiment in the very low frequency (VLF, f < 15 MHz) regime of radio frequencies with at least degree-level angular resolution. The goals include observing solar storm activities, Coronal Mass Ejections, Auroral Kilometric Radiation, and planetary radiation in the solar system, studying the origin of Cosmic Rays, spectral properties of pulsars, surveying ionized hydrogen in the Galaxy, and exploring coherent radio emissions.     

The solar and heliospheric observatory,SOHO — A phase-A project of the European space agency

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory is designed to address basic questions concerning the Sun and Heliosphere. In this paper our present understanding of coronal heating, solar wind generation and solar oscillations is described. The proposed model SOHO instrument payload is outlined and it is shown how it would contribute to our understanding in the above three fields.     

Integration of waste processing and biomass production systems as part of the KSC Breadboard project.

After initial emphasis on large-scale baseline crop tests, the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Breadboard project has begun to evaluate long-term operation of the biomass production system with increasing material closure. Our goal is to define the minimum biological processing necessary to make waste streams compatible with plant growth in hydroponic systems, thereby recycling nutrients into plant biomass and recovering water via atmospheric condensate. Initial small and intermediate-scale studies focused on the recycling of nutrients contained in inedible plant biomass. Studies conducted between 1989-1992 indicated that the majority of nutrients could be rapidly solubilized in water, but the direct use of this crop "leachate" was deleterious to plant growth due to the presence of soluble organic compounds. Subsequent studies at both the intermediate scale and in the large-scale Biomass Production Chamber (BPC) have indicated that aerobic microbiological processing of crop residue prior to incorporation into recirculating hydroponic solutions eliminated any phytotoxic effect, even when the majority of the plant nutrient demand was provided from recycled biomass during long term studies (i.e. up to 418 days). Current and future studies are focused on optimizing biological processing of both plant and human waste streams.     

Effects of heavy ions on visual function and electrophysiology of rodents: the ALTEA-MICE project.

ALTEA-MICE will supplement the ALTEA project on astronauts and provide information on the functional visual impairment possibly induced by heavy ions during prolonged operations in microgravity. Goals of ALTEA-MICE are: (1) to investigate the effects of heavy ions on the visual system of normal and mutant mice with retinal defects; (2) to define reliable experimental conditions for space research; and (3) to develop animal models to study the physiological consequences of space travels on humans. Remotely controlled mouse setup, applied electrophysiological recording methods, remote particle monitoring, and experimental procedures were developed and tested. The project has proved feasible under laboratory-controlled conditions comparable in important aspects to those of astronauts' exposure to particle in space. Experiments are performed at the Brookhaven National Laboratories [BNL] (Upton, NY, USA) and the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung mbH [GSI]/Biophysik (Darmstadt, FRG) to identify possible electrophysiological changes and/or activation of protective mechanisms in response to pulsed radiation. Offline data analyses are in progress and observations are still anecdotal. Electrophysiological changes after pulsed radiation are within the limits of spontaneous variability under anesthesia, with only indirect evidence of possible retinal/cortical responses. Immunostaining showed changes (e.g. increased expression of FGF2 protein in the outer nuclear layer) suggesting a retinal stress reaction to high-energy particles of potential relevance in space.     

Development of educational CD-ROMs in astronomy: Information on a collaborative project

The observatory of Paris and the institute of teacher training (IUFM) in Toulouse have collaborated to develop multimedia support for astronomy lessons. The goal of this project is to provide additional didactical material such as CD-ROMs to elementary and high school teachers which will be used by children in the classroom. In this paper, we present the aims of the project and describe briefly the contents that have been developed so far.     

Vega project — Three channel spectrophotometer for the Halley''s comet investigation

A spectrometer for the Halley's Comet Investigation after the VEGA Project is described in the present work. It consists of a telescope and three spectral channels: UV (120 – 290 nm), resolution Δ λ / λ = 170; VIS (280 – 710 nm), resolution Δ λ / λ = 170; IR (950 – 1900 nm), resolution Δ λ / λ = 70.

With the help of two-coordinate scanner, the secondary mirror of the telescope allows spatial scanning of the Comet with a frame 2°×1,5° with 105 different pixels.     

The influence of microgravity on the growth of metals and alloys—The project of Czechoslovak experiment

The crystal growth under near-zero gravity conditions may lead to materials of better crystalline and compositional perfection [1]. Unidirectional solidification of metals is a part of Czechoslovak programme on space research within the framework of Interkosmos [2]. On the model-like systems of metals grown in the space we want to study the effect of foreign atoms on the surface tension and the lattice defects density. The objectives of our ground-based and space experiments are discussed.     

NASA/NOAA/USAID implementation of the South Pacific severe storm detection and warning system project

The U.S. Agency for International Development has sponsored this project for implementation by NASA for the Fiji Meteorological Service at the International Airport in Nadi, Fiji. The project will allow precise tracking of all South Pacific tropical cyclones with frequent, high-resolution reception of both the Japanese GMS and the U.S. GOES-West visible and IR cloud images.An interactive computer system will allow color display, data set integration, and cyclone motion/tracking through image-registered time-sequences of images. In addition, the computer will be used for running storm surge numerical models to warn of flood tides in advance of approaching cyclones. The computer will compile storm image sequence climatologies for the development of future storm track prediction algorithms.The full system implementation, checkout and training is scheduled for completion within the next 12 months. This paper will describe the need and use of the system by the Fiji Meteorological Service, data reception, interactive computer techniques, training, and the actual benefits to be derived from the implementation of this system in Fiji for tracking and warning of storm threats throughout the South Pacific Ocean.     

Graviceptor development in jellyfish ephyrae in space and on Earth.

Graviceptor (rhopalium) development in Aurelia aurita ephyrae which developed on Earth and in space during the nine-day NASA SLS-1 mission was compared. The space-developed ephyrae made graviceptors which were morphologically similar to those of their ground-based controls. Rhopalia of both groups developed statocysts with statoliths, ocelli, ciliated mechanoreceptor cells, and immature touch-plates with one type of hair cell. The number of rhopalia formed per arm of ephyrae of both groups revealed no significant differences. The number of statoliths formed per rhopalium was statistically higher in ephyrae which were induced to form in space with iodine than in L(Launch)+8h controls. Statolith numbers were not significantly different between Earth-formed control ephyrae and those formed from polyps induced on Earth and then sent into space 24h and 48h later. Statolith loss from rhopalia was significantly enhanced in the space-maintained ephyrae in ASW as compared to their controls. Ephyrae formed through thyroxine treatment and those maintained in thyroxine in space had statolith numbers comparable to thyroxine-treated controls. Pulsing abnormalities seen in some space-developed ephyrae suggest that some space-formed ephyrae may have developed abnormal rhopalia because normal rhopalia development and function is necessary for normal pulsing.     

Commercial involvement in the development of space-based plant growing technology.

Considerable technological progress has been made in the development of controlled environment facilities for plant growth. Although not all of the technology used for terrestrial facilities is applicable to space-based plant growth facilities, the information resident in the commercial organizations that market these facilities can provide a significant resource for the development of the plant growing component of a CELSS. In 1985, NASA initiated an effort termed the Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS). This program endeavors to develop cooperative research and technology development programs with industrial companies that capitalize on the strengths of industry-university working relationships. One of the these CCDSs, the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WCSAR), deals with developing automated plant growth facilities for space, in cooperation with several industrial partners. Concepts have been developed with industrial partners for the irradiation, water and nutrient delivery, nutrient composition control and automation and robotics subsystems of plant growing units. Space flight experiments are planned for validation of the concepts in a space environment.