The PROCESS experiment: amino and carboxylic acids under Mars-like surface UV radiation conditions in low-earth orbit

The search for organic molecules at the surface of Mars is a top priority of the next Mars exploration space missions: Mars Science Laboratory (NASA) and ExoMars (ESA). The detection of organic matter could provide information about the presence of a prebiotic chemistry or even biological activity on this planet. Therefore, a key step in interpretation of future data collected by these missions is to understand the preservation of organic matter in the martian environment. Several laboratory experiments have been devoted to quantifying and qualifying the evolution of organic molecules under simulated environmental conditions of Mars. However, these laboratory simulations are limited, and one major constraint is the reproduction of the UV spectrum that reaches the surface of Mars. As part of the PROCESS experiment of the European EXPOSE-E mission on board the International Space Station, a study was performed on the photodegradation of organics under filtered extraterrestrial solar electromagnetic radiation that mimics Mars-like surface UV radiation conditions. Glycine, serine, phthalic acid, phthalic acid in the presence of a mineral phase, and mellitic acid were exposed to these conditions for 1.5 years, and their evolution was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy after their retrieval. The results were compared with data from laboratory experiments. A 1.5-year exposure to Mars-like surface UV radiation conditions in space resulted in complete degradation of the organic compounds. Half-lives between 50 and 150?h for martian surface conditions were calculated from both laboratory and low-Earth orbit experiments. The results highlight that none of those organics are stable under low-Earth orbit solar UV radiation conditions.     

美国近几年使用的侦察卫星

在过去的5年半期间,美国防部向地球轨道发射了大量的军用卫星。其中有光学成像卫星、雷达成像卫星、海洋监视卫星、信号情报收集卫星、早期预警卫星,通信卫星、气象卫星、导航卫星等,本文仅就前三类卫星作一介绍。     

Improvement of the extravehicular activity suit for the MIR orbiting station program

Since 1977, EVA suits of the semi-rigid type have been used to support sorties from Russian orbiting stations. Currently, within the MIR station program, the Orlan-DMA, the latest modification of the Orlan semi-rigid EVA suit is used by crewmembers. Quite some experience has been gained by Russia in operations of the Orlan type suits. It has proved the advantages of the EVA suit of a semi-rigid configuration, featuring donning/doffing through a hinged backpack door with a built-in life support system. Meanwhile there were some wishes and comments from the crewmembers addressed to the enclosure design and some LSS components. Currently a number of ways and methods are being developed to improve operational characteristics of the suit as well as to enhance its reliability and lifetime. The forthcoming EVAs to be performed by the STS-MIR crewmembers and future EVAs from the common airlock of the International Space Station Alpha make implementation of the planned improvements even more consistent. The paper analyzes the experience gained in the Orlan-DMA operation and discusses planned improvements in light of the forthcoming activities. In particular the Orlan enhancement program is aimed to make the donning/doffing easier, enhance enclosure mobility, improve the condensate removal unit, increase the CCC (Contamination Control Cartridge) operation time and simplify the onboard subsystem design concept.     

Physiological and biomechanical considerations for a human Mars mission

Evolving on Earth has made humans perfectly adapted, both physiologically and biomechanically, to its gravity and atmospheric conditions. Leaving the Earth and its protective environment, therefore, results in the degradation of a number of human systems. Long-duration stays on the International Space Station (ISS) are accompanied by significant effects on crew's cardiovascular, vestibular and musculoskeletal systems. Bone loss and muscle atrophy are experienced at a rate of 1-3% and 5% per month respectively, while VO2 (oxygen consumption) measurements are reduced by approximately 25% after a few weeks in space. If these figures are simply extrapolated, a future human mission to Mars will be seriously jeopardised and crews may find they cross the threshold of bone and muscle loss and aerobic fitness--ultimately with them being unable to return to Earth. When arriving on Mars, considerable biomechanical alterations will also occur. Optimum walking speeds will be approximately 30% lower and transitioning from a walk to a run will occur at a speed 25% slower. Peak vertical forces will be reduced by as much as 50%, while stride length, stride time and airborne time will all increase. On Mars, half as much energy will be required to travel the equivalent distance on Earth and it will be 65% more economical to run rather than to walk.     

人造石英晶体不同生长区的热致发光

许多采用石英晶体的电子器件都工作在容易受到辐照的环境中。因此,研究辐照对石英晶体的影响是很重要的。我们在本文中指出,热致发光技术可以作为研究这个问题的一种好方法。我们将介绍在15—300°K温度范围内测量到的热致发光。已经分别获得Y切石英片各生长区(即+X、-X、+Z、-Z)的测量结果。该石英片是从未经扫描处理的电子级人造石英Y切生长棒上切割下来的。在这项工作中,我们首次发现在72°K、80°K、87°K和104°K时有很清晰的辉光峰。我们认为,在室温下经过X射线(50千伏、17毫安的白辐射)予辐照之后,仅仅出现在+X生长区(即135°K、162°K、178°K)的辉光峰可能与[Al_e_+]°中心有关。在+Z区样品中高于104°K的辉光峰完全不同于在+X区样品中看到的情况。在这个温度范围的所有辉光峰都随着室温下予辐照剂量的增大而逐渐减弱。从本文介绍的测量结果可以看出,一个或多个辉光峰相应于各个生长区存在的某种缺陷,而且它们的热致发光强度比例于石英中所含缺陷的密度。     

环形刀等残留高度多轴加工步距计算

针对不同曲面的环形刀多轴加工,提出了最大步距计算的数学模型,建立了残留高度为常数时步距与刀轴倾角之间的函数关系,通过函数关系推导出最佳步距的值。实验表明,该算法在保证加工精度的前提下,能有效缩短加工刀轨路径,提高加工效率。     

Recent advances in chemical evolution and the origins of life

This paper discusses the already 60 year old ideas of Oparin and Haldane, who suggested that the first forms of life were anaerobic, heterotrophic bacteria coming from chemical abiotic synthesis of organic compounds.     

The definition of life: a brief history of an elusive scientific endeavor

In spite of the spectacular developments in our understanding of the molecular basis that underlies biological phenomena, we still lack a generally agreed-upon definition of life, but this is not for want of trying. Life is an empirical concept; and, as suggested by the many unsuccessful efforts to define it, this task is likely to remain, at best, a work in progress. Although phenomenological characterizations of life are feasible, a precise definition of life remains an elusive intellectual endeavor. This is not surprising: as Nietszche once wrote, there are concepts that can be defined, whereas others only have a history. The purpose of this essay is to discuss some of the manifold (and often unsatisfactory) definitions of life that have been attempted from different intellectual and scientific perspectives and reflect, at least in part, the key role that historical frameworks play. Although some efforts have been more fruitful, the lack of an all-embracing, generally agreed-upon definition of life sometimes gives the impression that what is meant by life's origin is defined in somewhat imprecise terms and that several entirely different questions are often confused. The many attempts made to reduce the nature of living systems to a single living compound imply that life can be so well defined that the exact point at which it started can be established with the sudden appearance of the first replicating molecule. On the other hand, if the emergence of life is seen as the stepwise (but not necessarily slow) evolutionary transition between the non-living and the living, then it may be meaningless to draw a strict line between them.     

三维平壁进气道的特性研究

介绍三维进气道和超声速燃烧冲压式喷气发动机 (SCRAMJET)模型一项实验研究的结果。Scramjet模型由进气道和燃烧室组成 ,此模型组件的设计是为了研究流动结构以获得进气道的特性 ,以及研究燃烧室和进气道、燃料 (氢及碳氢燃料 )点火和燃烧的相互影响。这些试验是在下吹式风洞(M =2 ～ 6,Reunit=( 8～ 54) × 1 0 6)和热射式风洞 (M =6及 7 2 ,Reunit =( 1 0 ～ 32 )× 1 0 6,Tt =1 50 0 ～ 2 50 0K)中进行的。     

Morphology: an ambiguous indicator of biogenicity

This paper deals with the difficulty of decoding the origins of natural structures through the study of their morphological features. We focus on the case of primitive life detection, where it is clear that the principles of comparative anatomy cannot be applied. A range of inorganic processes are described that result in morphologies emulating biological shapes, with particular emphasis on geochemically plausible processes. In particular, the formation of inorganic biomorphs in alkaline silica-rich environments are described in detail.