Hyperspectral imaging—An advanced instrument concept for the EnMAP mission (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Programme)

In the upcoming generation of satellite sensors, hyperspectral instruments will play a significant role. This payload type is considered world-wide within different future planning.Our team has now successfully finalized the Phase B study for the advanced hyperspectral mission EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Programme), Germans next optical satellite being scheduled for launch in 2012. GFZ in Potsdam has the scientific lead on EnMAP, Kayser-Threde in Munich is the industrial prime.The EnMAP instrument provides over 240 continuous spectral bands in the wavelength range between 420 and 2450 nm with a ground resolution of 30 m×30 m. Thus, the broad science and application community can draw from an extensive and highly resolved pool of information supporting the modeling and optimization process on their results. The performance of the hyperspectral instrument allows for a detailed monitoring, characterization and parameter extraction of rock/soil targets, vegetation, and inland and coastal waters on a global scale supporting a wide variety of applications in agriculture, forestry, water management and geology. The operation of an airborne system (ARES) as an element in the HGF hyperspectral network and the ongoing evolution concerning data handling and extraction procedures, will support the later inclusion process of EnMAP into the growing scientist and user communities.     

Analysis of the solar sail deformation based on the point cloud method

The deformation of the solar-sail membrane is an important factor for causing inaccuracies in the solar-sail missions. This paper describes the solar sail under deformation by using a new modelling technique based on point cloud and triangular mesh generation. Two types of deformation, stemming from wrinkling and billowing, are modelled. The changes in the solar radiation pressure force and the moment caused by deformation are calculated and compared to the ideal non-deformed case. The heliocentric spiral trajectory and the orbital angular momentum reversal trajectory are taken as examples to quantify the influence of the deformation from an orbit point of view. Additionally, point cloud simplification, based on the normal vector and bounding box, is utilized to simplify the original deformed-sail model. It involves a reasonable reduction and renewal of the points in the model considering the variation of surface curvature. The simplification and its modelling accuracy are numerically investigated as well as computational efficiency.     

Impact of a novel hybrid accelerometer on satellite gravimetry performance

The state-of-the-art electrostatic accelerometers (EA) used for the retrieval of non-gravitational forces acting on a satellite constitute a core component of every dedicated gravity field mission. However, due to their difficult-to-control thermal drift in the low observation frequencies, they are also one of the most limiting factors of the achievable performance of gravity recovery. Recently, a hybrid accelerometer consisting of a regular EA and a novel cold atom interferometer (CAI) that features a time-invariant observation stability and constantly recalibrates the EA has been developed in order to remedy this major drawback. In this paper we aim to assess the value of the hybrid accelerometer for gravity field retrieval in the context of GRACE-type and Bender-type missions by means of numerical closed-loop simulations where possible noise specifications of the novel instrument are considered and different components of the Earth’s gravity field signal are added subsequently. It is shown that the quality of the gravity field solutions is mainly dependent on the CAI’s measurement accuracy. While a low CAI performance (10^?8 to 10^?9?m/s²/Hz^1/2) does not lead to any gains compared to a stand-alone EA, a sufficiently high one (10^?11?m/s²/Hz^1/2) may improve the retrieval performance by over one order of magnitude. We also show that improvements which are limited to low-frequency observations may even propagate into high spherical harmonic degrees. Further, the accelerometer performance seems to play a less prominent role if the overall observation geometry is improved as it is the case for a Bender-type mission. The impact of the accelerometer measurements diminishes further when temporal variations of the gravity field are introduced, pointing out the need for proper de-aliasing techniques. An additional study reveals that the hybrid accelerometer is – contrary to a stand-alone EA – widely unaffected by scale factor instabilities.     

Comparison of OClO nadir measurements from SCIAMACHY and GOME

The scanning imaging absorption spectrometer for atmospheric chartography was launched successfully onboard ENVISAT on March 1, 2002. It observes the solar radiation transmitted and backscattered from the atmosphere and reflected from the ground in nadir, limb and occultation viewing modes. Chlorine dioxide (OClO), an important indicator for stratospheric chlorine activation, can be measured in the UV spectral range by differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS).

First results of the DOAS retrieval of OClO slant column densities from the SCIAMACHY nadir measurements are presented and compared to measurements of the global ozone monitoring experiment (GOME), which has successfully measured OClO since 1995. While SCIAMACHY operates in the same orbit, it measures ≈30 min earlier than GOME and has an increased spatial resolution (30 × 60 km² compared to 40 × 320 km² for GOME).     

Focal contacts organization in osteoblastic cells under microgravity and cyclic deformation conditions.

We compared quantitatively vinculin-related adhesion parameters in osteoblastic cells submitted to opposite mechanical stresses, i.e., low deformation and frequency strain regimens (stretch condition) and microgravity exposure (relaxed condition). Cyclic deformation induced a biphasic response comprising new focal contacts formation followed by their clustering in ROS cells. Microgravity exposure induced a reduction in focal contact number and clustering in ROS cells. We previously demonstrated that 1% cyclic deformations at 0.05 Hz during a daily 10 min episode over 7 days stimulated ROS 17/2.8 growth as compared to static culture whereas relaxed ROS proliferated similarly to static culture (BC). To evaluate whether the proliferation (stretch) or the survival (relaxed) status of ROS cells influences focal contact organization, we inhibited ERKs proliferative-dependent pathway. Inhibition of proliferation by PD98059 was overcome although not fully restored by stretch. Furthermore stretch-induced clustering of vinculin-positive contacts still occurs in the presence of ERKs inhibitor, whereas the increase in focal contact number is abolished. In conclusion, we showed that focal contacts are mechanoeffectors and that hyper-mechanical stimulation could up regulate focal contacts size as compared to hypo-mechanical that down regulate clusterization.     

A model-based prognostics method for fatigue crack growth in fuselage panels

This paper proposes a model-based prognostics method that couples the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and a new developed linearization method. The proposed prognostics method is developed in the context of fatigue crack propagation in fuselage panels where the model parameters are unknown and the crack propagation is affected by different types of uncertainties. The coupled method is composed of two steps. The first step employs EKF to estimate the unknown model parameters and the current damage state. In the second step, the proposed efficient linearization method is applied to compute analytically the statistical distribution of the damage evolution path in some future time. A numerical case study is implemented to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results show that the coupled EKF-linearization method provides satisfactory results: the EKF algorithm well identifies the model parameters, and the linearization method gives comparable prediction results to Monte Carlo (MC) method while leading to very significant computational cost saving. The proposed prognostics method for fatigue crack growth can be used for developing predictive maintenance strategy for an aircraft fleet, in which case, the computational cost saving is significantly meaningful.     

Geometric problem solving with strings and pins

Humans solve spatial and abstract problems more easily if these can be visualized and/or physically manipulated. We analyze the domain of geometric problem solving from a cognitive perspective and identify several levels of domain abstraction that interact in the problem solving process. We discuss the roles of physical manifestations of spatial configurations, their manipulation, and their perception for understanding problem solving processes. We propose an extension of the classical problem solving repertoire of constructive geometry to approach certain problems more directly than under the compass-and-straightedge paradigm. Specifically, we introduce strings and pins as helpful metaphors for a generalization of the constructive geometry approach. We present classical problems from spatial problem solving to illustrate the ‘strings and pins’ paradigm. Three case studies are discussed: strings-and-pins solutions to (i) the ellipse construction problem; (ii) the shortest path problem; and (iii) the angle trisection problem. Comparisons to formal solutions are drawn. Differences and similarities between the compass-and-straightedge paradigm and the strings-and-pins paradigm are analyzed. Features and limitations of constructive and depictive geometry as well as implications for computational approaches are discussed. The strings-and-pins domain is shown to be more general and less restrictive than the compass-and-straightedge domain.     

Automated Configuration Management on a DOD Satellite Ground System

An automated Configuration Management System (CMS) was developed at General Electric and is in use on a DOD Satellite Ground System maintenance contract. CMS improves and enhances the manual techniques for project tracking and change control and allows for reliable management of large projects. Because CMS works with any file, it can perform Configuration Management on all items in a configuration. The CMS Bookkeeping and Status Accounting forms are displayed on a terminal, and the user is guided into filling them out correctly. New configuration items or changes can be entered into the system only after approval has been supplied by the proper authority. Since a common project data base is built by CMS, visibility of current system status is available to those who are permitted project access. Standard report forms as well as user defined report forms are used when viewing the current or historic system information. CMS not only controls the configuration, but also the paperwork, change approval cycle, and the quality of the product.     

Interplanetary CubeSats system for space weather evaluations and technology demonstration

The paper deals with the mission analysis and conceptual design of an interplanetary 6U CubeSats system to be implemented in the L₁ Earth–Sun Lagrangian Point mission for solar observation and in-situ space weather measurements.