The Modern Near-Surface Martian Climate: A Review of In-situ Meteorological Data from Viking to Curiosity

We analyze the complete set of in-situ meteorological data obtained from the Viking landers in the 1970s to today’s Curiosity rover to review our understanding of the modern near-surface climate of Mars, with focus on the dust, CO₂ and H₂O cycles and their impact on the radiative and thermodynamic conditions near the surface. In particular, we provide values of the highest confidence possible for atmospheric opacity, atmospheric pressure, near-surface air temperature, ground temperature, near-surface wind speed and direction, and near-surface air relative humidity and water vapor content. Then, we study the diurnal, seasonal and interannual variability of these quantities over a span of more than twenty Martian years. Finally, we propose measurements to improve our understanding of the Martian dust and H₂O cycles, and discuss the potential for liquid water formation under Mars’ present day conditions and its implications for future Mars missions. Understanding the modern Martian climate is important to determine if Mars could have the conditions to support life and to prepare for future human exploration.     

Optimal low-thrust transfers between close near-circular coplanar orbits

Four types of optimal solutions are demonstrated to exist for transfers (time of flight is not fixed) between close near-circular coplanar orbits. One solution is realized with the help of fixed orientation of the propulsion system (PS) along a transversal in the orbital coordinate system. Another is reached at fixed orientation of the PS in the inertial coordinate system. The third and fourth types of solutions change the PS orientation in the process of executing the maneuver. Regions of existence are established for all types of solutions, and algorithms for determination of parameters of these maneuvers are suggested. The algorithms were used to calculate parameters of the maneuvers of transfer from a launching orbit to a working Sun-synchronous orbit, and to calculate the maneuvers of supporting the parameters of such an orbit in a specified range.     

亚、跨音速三维机翼气动外形反设计的控制理论方法

本文进行了基于控制论的气动外形反设计方法研究，根据给定的目标函数推导了在物理空间上描述的共轭及相应的边界条件，通过构造共轭方程耗散通量项，以及使用特征线理论处理远场边界等措施，研究了共轭方程的数值求解方法，使用Hicks-Henne函数来描述设计变量扰动对机翼表面外形的影响，通过网格扰动获得度量矩阵变分来获得目标函数对设计变量的敏感性导数，优化过程使用拟牛顿优化算法，通过对流场计算、共轭方程数值求解、敏感性导数求解和优化算法这四个方面的有效结合，成功地发展出了一种机翼气动外形反设计方法，进行了机翼气动外形反设计研究，结果表明该设计方法在设计理论及可实现性方面，特别在跨音速及复杂外形气动设计方面比以往设计方法具有更好的适用性和优越性，且设计结果较为可靠，在现有计算条件下是一个好的设计方法，时间花费也较少。