Near Infrared Spectrometer for the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Mission

The Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NIS) instrument on the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft is designed to map spectral properties of the mission target, the S-type asteroid 433 Eros, at near-infrared wavelengths diagnostic of the composition of minerals forming S asteroids. NIS is a grating spectrometer, in which light is directed by a dichroic beam-splitter onto a 32-element Ge detector (center wavelengths, 816–1486 nm) and a 32-element InGaAs detector (center wavelengths, 1371–2708 nm). Each detector reports a 32-channel spectrum at 12-bit quantization. The field-of-view is selectable using slits with dimensions calibrated at 0.37° × 0.76° (narrow slit) and 0.74° × 0.76° (wide slit). A shutter can be closed for dark current measurements. For the Ge detector, there is an option to command a 10x boost in gain. A scan mirror rotates the field-of-view over a 140° range, and a diffuse gold radiance calibration target is viewable at the sunward edge of the field of regard. Spectra are measured once per second, and up to 16 can be summed onboard. Hyperspectral image cubes are built up by a combination of down-track spacecraft motion and cross-track scanning of the mirror. Instrument software allows execution of data acquisition macros, which include selection of the slit width, number of spectra to sum, gain, mirror scanning, and an option to interleave dark spectra with the shutter closed among asteroid observations. The instrument was extensively characterized by on-ground calibration, and a comprehensive program of in-flight calibration was begun shortly after launch. NIS observations of Eros will largely be coordinated with multicolor imaging from the Multispectral Imager (MSI). NIS will begin observing Eros during approach to the asteroid, and the instrument will map Eros at successively higher spatial resolutions as NEAR's orbit around Eros is lowered incrementally to 25 km altitude. Ultimate products of the investigation will include composition maps of the entire illuminated surface of Eros at spatial resolutions as high as 300 m.     

Experiments in Adaptive Estimation of Unknown Binary Waveforms

A special-purpose adaptive machine is described which carries out estimation in real time of an unknown binary waveform which is perturbed with additive Gaussian noise. Unknown waveforms of over 103 samples in duration can be recovered. The unknown waveforms are of unknown epoch and can reappear at either random or periodic time intervals. The observed signal is received at moderate or low signal-to-noise ratios so that a single observation of the received data (even if one knew the precise signal arrival time) is not sufficient to provide a good estimate of the signal waveshape. Experimental results are described which show transient behavior waveform estimate. The transient behavior is expressed as the number of errors in the current estimate of the signal plotted vs. time. In a noisy environment, each ``learning' transient is a random time function. These learning transients are shown for several different signal-to-noise ratios and indicate the threshold noise levels for various types of initial states of the machine memory.     

MESSENGER: Exploring Mercury’s Magnetosphere

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission to Mercury offers our first opportunity to explore this planet’s miniature magnetosphere since the brief flybys of Mariner 10. Mercury’s magnetosphere is unique in many respects. The magnetosphere of Mercury is among the smallest in the solar system; its magnetic field typically stands off the solar wind only ∼1000 to 2000 km above the surface. For this reason there are no closed drift paths for energetic particles and, hence, no radiation belts. Magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause may erode the subsolar magnetosphere, allowing solar wind ions to impact directly the regolith. Inductive currents in Mercury’s interior may act to modify the solar wind interaction by resisting changes due to solar wind pressure variations. Indeed, observations of these induction effects may be an important source of information on the state of Mercury’s interior. In addition, Mercury’s magnetosphere is the only one with its defining magnetic flux tubes rooted beneath the solid surface as opposed to an atmosphere with a conductive ionospheric layer. This lack of an ionosphere is probably the underlying reason for the brevity of the very intense, but short-lived, ∼1–2 min, substorm-like energetic particle events observed by Mariner 10 during its first traversal of Mercury’s magnetic tail. Because of Mercury’s proximity to the sun, 0.3–0.5 AU, this magnetosphere experiences the most extreme driving forces in the solar system. All of these factors are expected to produce complicated interactions involving the exchange and recycling of neutrals and ions among the solar wind, magnetosphere, and regolith. The electrodynamics of Mercury’s magnetosphere are expected to be equally complex, with strong forcing by the solar wind, magnetic reconnection, and pick-up of planetary ions all playing roles in the generation of field-aligned electric currents. However, these field-aligned currents do not close in an ionosphere, but in some other manner. In addition to the insights into magnetospheric physics offered by study of the solar wind–Mercury system, quantitative specification of the “external” magnetic field generated by magnetospheric currents is necessary for accurate determination of the strength and multi-polar decomposition of Mercury’s intrinsic magnetic field. MESSENGER’s highly capable instrumentation and broad orbital coverage will greatly advance our understanding of both the origin of Mercury’s magnetic field and the acceleration of charged particles in small magnetospheres. In this article, we review what is known about Mercury’s magnetosphere and describe the MESSENGER science team’s strategy for obtaining answers to the outstanding science questions surrounding the interaction of the solar wind with Mercury and its small, but dynamic, magnetosphere.     

发动机维修业务将创造售后市场增长纪录

<正>据《航空周刊》预测,未来十年全球民用航空售后服务市场将以3%的复合增长率增长,市值将创下8623亿美元的新纪录,而其中预计将有近3000亿美元花费在发动机MRO服务上,主要贡献者将是成熟的窄体飞机发动机。根据《航空周刊》2019机队与维修市场预测,未来十年全球民用飞机机队数量将以2.8%的复合增长率增长,在此推动     

The South Pole-Aitken basin region,Moon: GIS-based geologic investigation using Kaguya elemental information

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we performed comparative analysis among stratigraphic information and the Kaguya (SELENE) GRS data of the ∼2500-km-diameter South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin and its surroundings. Results indicate that the surface rock materials (including ancient crater materials, mare basalts, and possible SPA impact melt) are average to slightly elevated in K and Th with respect to the rest of the Moon. Also, this study demonstrates that K and Th have not significantly changed since the formation of SPA. The elemental signatures of the impact basin of Fe, Ti, Si, O through time include evidence for resurfacing by ejecta materials and late-stage volcanism. The oldest surfaces of SPA are found to be oxygen-depleted during the heavy bombardment period relative to later stages of geologic development, followed by both an increase in silicon and oxygen, possibly due to ejecta sourced from outside of SPA, and subsequent modification due to mare basaltic volcanism, which increased iron and titanium within SPA. The influence of the distinct geologic history of SPA and surroundings on the mineralogic and elemental abundances is evident as shown in our investigation.     

Estimation of ballistic coefficients of low altitude debris objects from historical two line elements

This paper presents a new method for estimating ballistic coefficients (BCs) of low perigee debris objects from their historical two line elements (TLEs). The method uses the drag perturbation equation of the semi-major axis of the orbit. For an object with perigee altitude below 700 km, the variation in the mean semi-major axis derived from the TLE is mainly caused by the atmospheric drag effect, and therefore is used as the source in the estimation of the ballistic coefficient. The method is tested using the GRACE satellites, and a number of debris objects with external ballistic coefficient values, and agreements of about 10% are achieved.     

单推力航天器交会对接轨迹规划及跟踪控制

针对单推力航天器交会对接问题,提出一种轨迹规划及跟踪算法。首先,考虑到追踪航天器只沿本体X轴安装推力器,且推力方向固定,为了实现从起始位置转移至期望位置并满足姿态要求,基于三维螺旋线设计两阶段转移轨迹,根据初末位置以及末端速度方向要求,求解螺旋线参数。该螺旋线可以保证在初末速度方向固定情况下,曲率积分最小。其次,为了降低轨迹跟踪难度并减小初始时刻的位置跟踪控制力,需要将转移轨迹初始速度与追踪星X轴重合。传统螺旋线无法满足该约束条件。本文对传统螺旋线进行改进,提出一种旋转螺旋线轨迹设计方法。通过引入姿态旋转矩阵,将螺旋线在三维空间旋转,在不改变曲线形状的前提下满足初末位置及速度方向要求。然后,为了跟踪转移轨迹以及跟踪期望推力方向,提出基于CLF（Control Lyapunov Function）的滑模控制策略,当追踪星X轴与期望推力方向夹角较大时,采用CLF,保证最优性;当姿态误差收敛至滑模面附近时,切换为滑模控制,以提升系统鲁棒性。最后,通过仿真验证旋转螺旋线相比于传统螺旋线的优势。     

The private solution to the space transportation crisis

Confused and short-sighted decisions dominated by political expediency have been made about US space policy in the past 30 years. Overly large and ambitious systems have been chosen, resulting in today's crisis in space transportation. The history of commercial aircraft development offers an alternative example of producing in a range of sizes and capabilities for a wide variety of users, and shows that the space transport industry could benefit from applying the decision-making processes used in private enterprise. The authors examine strategies for privatization of space transportation and conclude that policy support for the commercial launch industry must be continued. NASA must be reoriented towards its basic research function, and more government services should be bought from the private sector.     

Evolution of executive branch space policy making

This paper assesses the impacts that changes in the US presidency have had on the civilian space program during the post-Apollo period. It suggests that the White House has lost influence over space issues relative to other interested sectors. The primary factors causing this are a long-term shift to lower priority for these issues, and an inevitable widening of the scope of influence over this sector of activity. Key post-Apollo decisions are discussed for their substantive content and also for what they reveal about the extent to which the president chose to be involved. These findings have implications across all science and technology issue areas as the USA, in the aftermath of the Cold War, reexamines its post-World War II social contract with science.