Application potential of SPOT imagery for topographic mapping

The high resolution and good geometric configuration possible with SPOT gives a high potential for the production of 1:100 000 topographic maps. Studies at University College London have investigated this potential with the aid of a simple instrument which will introduce the necessary corrections to level 1b photographic images and orthophotographs and allow stereoscopic viewing of SPOT images and the ability to compile a line map. Accuracy has been investigated by computing ground co-ordinates from image co-ordinates and pixel positions. The methods used and results obtained in this work are described.Work is now going on to investigate the use of digital image processors in the mapping procedures and the use of analytical plotting instruments, and comments on this work and on future developments are made.     

The scientific case for renewed human activities on the Moon

It is over 30 years since the last human being stood on the lunar surface and this long hiatus in human exploration has been to the detriment of lunar and planetary science. The primary scientific importance of the Moon lies in the record it preserves of the early evolution of a terrestrial planet, and of the near-Earth cosmic environment in the first billion years or so of Solar System history. This record may not be preserved anywhere else; gaining proper access to it will require a human presence. Moreover, while this will primarily be a task for the geosciences, the astronomical and biological sciences would also benefit from a renewed human presence on the Moon, and especially from the establishment of a permanently occupied scientific outpost.     

Potential sites for the perception of gravity in the acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum.

Recently a gravisensitivity of the acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum, which possesses no specialized gravireceptor, could be established by conducting experiments under simulated and under real near weightlessness. In these experiments macroplasmodia showed a modulation of their contraction rhythm followed by regulation phenomena. Until now the perception mechanism for the gravistimulus is unknown, but several findings indicate the involvement of mitochondria: A) During the impediment of respiration the 0g-reaction is inhibited and the regulation is reduced. B) The response to a light stimulus and the following regulation phenomena strongly resemble the behavior during exposure to 0g, the only difference is that the two reactions are directed into opposite directions. In the blue-light reaction a flavin of the mitochondrial matrix seems to be involved in the light perception. C) The contraction rhythm as well as its modulations are coupled to rhythmic changes in the levels of ATP and calcium ions, involving the mitochondria as sites of energy production and of Ca(++)-storage. So the mitochondria could be the site of the regulation and they possibly are the receptor sites for the light and gravity stimuli. Also the observation of a morphologic polarity of the slime mold's plasmodial strands has to be considered: Cross-sections reveal that the ectoplasmic wall surrounding the streaming endoplasm is much thinner on the physically lower side than on the upper side of the strand--this applies to strands lying on or hanging on a horizontal surface. So, in addition to the mitochondria, also the morphologic polarity may be involved in the perception mechanism of the observed gravisensitivity and of the recently established geotaxis. The potential role of the nuclei and of the contractile elements in the perception of gravity is also discussed.     

Permanent-Magnet Linear Alternators Part 1: Fundamental Equations

Powered by free-piston Stirling engines, linear alternators are proposed for space power stations as well as for isolated domestic applications, automotive, and on-Earth solar power plants. As the literature on the subject is sparse and base-design oriented, we present the general equations for both three-phase and single-phase winding configurations having permanent-magnet field excitations.     

Range Contamination and Its Effect on Measurements

Increased sensitivity and dynamic range of the instrumental techniques used in conjunction with experiments on ballistic ranges have brought to the fore many problems arising from contamination in the ranges themselves. This is seldom discussed when experimental results are presented but is frequently the controlling limitation on the accuracy of the measurements. The authors discuss contamination due to dirt and debris resultant from gun operation, gaseous impurities, and projectile-borne impurities as they have occurred at the Re-entry Simulating Range of Lincoln Laboratory. The effects of these contaminants on measurements are discussed and illustrated, and measures for controlling them are outlined. Finally, a particular range operation is described from the standpoint of impurity control.     

The role of soil science in space exploration

New frontiers in soil science are currently found in the investigation of soils in harsh, terrestrial and simulated extraterrestrial environments, the development of new methods and probes for soil characterization, and the eventual investigation, characterization, and development of extraterrestrial soil. Current aspects of space science involving soil studies are presented, including a more detailed soil study program involving the microflora of desert soil ecosystems. Basic precepts are given for preparation, investigation, and use of extraterrestrial soil.Contribution from the Bioscience Group of the Chemistry Section, Space Science Division, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California. Presented as an invitational paper before the Synapsis Club, University of California, Riverside, California, December 3, 1962.     

Optimization of entry-vehicle shapes during conceptual design

During the conceptual design of a re-entry vehicle, the vehicle shape and geometry can be varied and its impact on performance can be evaluated. In this study, the shape optimization of two classes of vehicles has been studied: a capsule and a winged vehicle. Their aerodynamic characteristics were analyzed using local-inclination methods, automatically selected per vehicle segment. Entry trajectories down to Mach 3 were calculated assuming trimmed conditions. For the winged vehicle, which has both a body flap and elevons, a guidance algorithm to track a reference heat-rate was used. Multi-objective particle swarm optimization was used to optimize the shape using objectives related to mass, volume and range. The optimizations show a large variation in vehicle performance over the explored parameter space. Areas of very strong non-linearity are observed in the direct neighborhood of the two-dimensional Pareto fronts. This indicates the need for robust exploration of the influence of vehicle shapes on system performance during engineering trade-offs, which are performed during conceptual design. A number of important aspects of the influence of vehicle behavior on the Pareto fronts are observed and discussed. There is a nearly complete convergence to narrow-wing solutions for the winged vehicle. Also, it is found that imposing pitch-stability for the winged vehicle at all angles of attack results in vehicle shapes which require upward control surface deflections during the majority of the entry.     

Some psychophysiological and behavioral aspects of adaptation to simulated autonomous Mission to Mars

“Mars-105” experiment was executed in March–July 2009 in Moscow, at the Institute for Bio-Medical Problems (IBMP) with participation of European Space Agency (ESA) to simulate some specific conditions of future piloted Mars mission. In the last 35 days of isolation, in order to simulate autonomous flight conditions, some serious restrictions were established for the crew resupply and communication with Mission Control (MC). The objective of the study was to investigate psychophysiological and behavioral aspects (communication) of adaptation during this period of “high autonomy”. We used computerized analysis of the crew written daily reports to calculate the frequencies of utilization of certain semantic units, expressing different psychological functions. To estimate the level of psycho-physiological stress, we measured the concentration of urinal cortisol once in two weeks. To investigate psycho-emotional state, we used the questionnaire SAN, estimating Mood, Activity and Health once in two weeks.During the simulation of autonomous flight, we found out the different tendencies of communicative behavior. One group of subjects demonstrated the tendency to “activation and self-government” under “high autonomy” conditions. The other subjects continued to use communicative strategy that we called “closing the communication channel”. “Active” communication strategy was accompanied by increasing in subjective scores of mood and activity. The subjects, whose communication strategy was attributed as “closing”, demonstrated the considerably lower subjective scores of mood and activity. Period of high autonomy causes specific changes in communication strategies of the isolated crew.     

Variations of ionospheric fluctuations of phase delay depending on solar activity: Data of the COSMIC experiment

We present the results of processing and analysis of more than 4500 events of radio occultation sounding of the Earth’s atmosphere observed in the course of the COSMIC experiment on the limb path ‘satellite-ionosphere-satellite’. Events observed in December 2011 (when a number of solar flares occurred) and in January 2012 (when a strong solar proton event took place) were analyzed. It is shown that small-scale variations of electron density increase in polar latitudes, equatorial region, and midlatitudes of the southern hemisphere in January 2012. In the same period, an increase of large-scale variations of electron density is observed during daylight hours in the equatorial region and in the southern hemisphere. No noticeable distinctions in comparison with days of quiet Sun were observed in December 2011.