The VIR Spectrometer

The Dawn spectrometer (VIR) is a hyperspectral spectrometer with imaging capability. The design fully accomplishes Dawn’s scientific and measurement objectives. Determination of the mineral composition of surface materials in their geologic context is a primary Dawn objective. The nature of the solid compounds of the asteroid (silicates, oxides, salts, organics and ices) can be identified by visual and infrared spectroscopy using high spatial resolution imaging to map the heterogeneity of asteroid surfaces and high spectral resolution spectroscopy to determine the composition unambiguously. The VIR Spectrometer—covering the range from the near UV (0.25 μm) to the near IR (5.0 μm) and having moderate to high spectral resolution and imaging capabilities—is the appropriate instrument for the determination of the asteroid global and local properties. VIR combines two data channels in one compact instrument. The visible channel covers 0.25–1.05 μm and the infrared channel covers 1–5.0 μm. VIR is inherited from the VIRTIS mapping spectrometer (Coradini et al. in Planet. Space Sci. 46:1291–1304, 1998; Reininger et al. in Proc. SPIE 2819:66–77, 1996) on board the ESA Rosetta mission. It will be operated for more than 2 years and spend more than 10 years in space.     

Psychomotor performance during a 28 day head-down tilt with and without lower body negative pressure

Several factors may affect psychomotor performance in space: sensory-motor changes, sleep disturbances, psychological modifications induced by the social isolation and confinement. However, psychomotor performance is difficult to assess. A battery of standardized and computerized tests, so-called "Automated Portable Test System" (APTS) was devised to ascertain the cognitive, perceptive and motor abilities and their possible fluctuations according to environmental effects. Antiorthostatic bedrest, often used to simulate weightlessness, (particularly cardiovascular modifications) also constitutes a situation of social confinement and isolation. During two bedrest experiments (with head-down tilt of -6 degrees) of 28 days each, we intended to assess psychomotor performance of 6 males so as to determine whether: on the one hand, it could be altered by remaining in decubitus; on the other, the Lower Body Negative Pressure sessions, designed to prevent orthostatic intolerance back on Earth, could improve the performance. To accomplish this, part of the APTS tests as well as an automated perceptive attention test were performed. No downgrading of psychomotor performance was observed. On the contrary, the tasks were more accurately performed over time. In order to assess the experimental conditions on the acquisition phase, the learning curves were modelled. A beneficial effect of the LBNP sessions on simple tests involving the visual-motor coordination and attention faculties can only be regarded as a mere trend. Methods used in this experiment are also discussed.     

A novel target detection approach based on adaptive radar waveform design

To resolve problems of complicated clutter, fast-varying scenes, and low signal-clutterratio (SCR) in application of target detection on sea for space-based radar (SBR), a target detection approach based on adaptive waveform design is proposed in this paper. Firstly, complicated sea clutter is modeled as compound Gaussian process, and a target is modeled as some scatterers with Gaussian reflectivity. Secondly, every dwell duration of radar is divided into several sub-dwells. Regular linear frequency modulated pulses are transmitted at Sub-dwell 1, and the received signal at this sub-dwell is used to estimate clutter covariance matrices and pre-detection. Estimated matrices are updated at every following sub-dwell by multiple particle filtering to cope with fast-varying clutter scenes of SBR. Furthermore, waveform of every following sub-dwell is designed adaptively according to mean square optimization technique. Finally, principal component analysis and generalized likelihood ratio test is used for mitigation of colored interference and property of constant false alarm rate, respectively. Simulation results show that, considering configuration of SBR and condition of complicated clutter, 9 dB is reduced for SCR which reliable detection requires by this target detection approach. Therefore, the work in this paper can markedly improve radar detection performance for weak targets.     

嵌入式微处理器浮点执行部件EMFPU的设计

 浮点执行部件是微处理器的重要组成部分。重点论述了基于MIL-STD-1 75 0 A标准的嵌入式微处理器浮点执行部件 EMFPU (Embedded Floating Point Unit)采用的独特数据通路和控制机制。设计给出的 FPU是由指数部件和尾数部件两套数据通路组成,通过一套特殊的控制机制控制其协作完成各项功能。着重讨论了 FPU的算法、数据通路、控制通路和时序;并分析了整个电路的实现和瓶颈的解决。     

Adapitive waveform design for distributed OFDM MIMO radar system in multi-target scenario

In order to improve detection and estimation performance of distributed Orthogonal-Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) radar system in multi-target scene, we propose a novel approach of Adaptive Waveform Design (AWD) based on a constrained Multi-Objective Optimization (MOO). The sparse measurement model of this radar system is derived, and the method based on decomposed Dantzig selectors is applied for the sparse recovery according to the block structures of the sparse vector and the system matrix. An AWD approach is proposed, which optimizes two objective functions, namely minimizing the upper bound of the recovery error and maximizing the weakest-target return, by adjusting the complex weights of the emitting waveform amplitudes. Several numerical simulations are provided and their results show that the detection and estimation performance of the radar system is improved significantly when this MOO-based AWD approach is applied to the distributed OFDM MIMO radar system. Especially, we verify the effectiveness of our AWD approach when the available samples are reduced severally and the technique of compressed sensing is introduced.     

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.     

空间细胞机器人面向桁架在轨攀爬步态分析

面向空间在轨装配维修过程中的攀爬移动问题,基于空间细胞机器人(CSR)理念,提出连接细胞、转动细胞、末端执行细胞三种基本细胞单元。利用图论和拓扑学原理,在关联矩阵的基础上进行改进得到一种细胞迁移矩阵,直观准确地表达细胞机器人任意构型,以及不同节点之间的组织迁移过程。考虑桁架应用环境和细胞机器人自身的特点,划分出三种广义双杆攀爬工况,能够覆盖所有桁架攀爬任务需求。利用基于旋量理论的指数积公式进行不失一般性运动学分析。基于一致性、重复性以及无干涉原则,针对每种攀爬工况提出相应的攀爬步态,进行数值仿真分析,对比不同步态细胞机器人的关节力矩、能耗以及末端轨迹所占据工作空间等参数。仿真结果对空间机器人在轨攀爬路径规划以及控制方式的研究具有重要理论意义和工程价值。     

基于先前CPI多维数据的天基雷达信号处理算法

为了消除单站天基雷达非稳态杂波图景的影响,讨论一种利用先前CPI（Coherent Processi     

Exploitation of the W-band for high capacity satellite communications

The scientific mission DAVID (Data and Video Interactive Distribution) of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) will pioneer the use of the W-band for a challenging telecommunications experiment. The unavailability of channel measurements and the technological limitations in that frequency range imply a system assessment based on channel extrapolation and a wise error control strategy. In that frame, a system approach is proposed that will allow the exploitation of the W-band for high capacity satellite communications. The results obtained through that approach in the assessment of the DAVID W-band experiment are provided and their perspectives identified and discussed.     

卫星用累积检漏法技术研究——三种定量比对校验方法分析

卫星用累积检漏技术是目前世界各国宇航工程检漏工作者较多采用的一种检漏方法，但在使用该方法时必须配备定量比对校验方法。介绍了各国常用的三种定量比对校验方法：标准漏孔比对法、定量气体浓度比对法和定量气体量比对法。对这三种校验方法进行了比较和分析，并从优点、缺点和技术含量三个方面进行了综合评估，认为累积检漏法中的氦质谱检漏仪选用定量气体浓度比对法较合理些。这种方法具有检漏时间短、检测误差小等特点。