Reliability Predictions and System Support Costs

A case study demonstrates that spares requirements based on operational reliability predictions result in the system being undersupported during its burn-in and useful-life phases by average factors of 42.2 and 4.22, respectively. However, systems spares requirements based on logistics estimates result in the system being oversupported during its burn-in phase by an average factor of 4.26 with this factor probably increasing as the system enters the useful-life phase of its life cycle. Adequate system support within predetermined cost estimates will be achieved only when reliability predictions are accurate and when systems spares requirements are computed separately for the equipment burn-in phase and useful-lfe phase.     

Density and Temperature in Wind Tunnels Using Electron Beams

In a paper presented at the last meeting of the International Congress on Instrumentation in Aerospace Simulation Facilities, a method of measuring gas density by radiation scattering was presented. Since that time, the method has been further developed using scattering of 50-keV electrons and has been applied in a wind tunnel using air as a test gas. Test section temperature and density were in the neighborhood of 150°K and 6×10-8 g/cm3. In this application, accuracies better than 1.0 percent appear to be attainable, together with excellent spatial and temporal resolution. The application is described, and comprehensive design data are presented. In addition, the density measurements have been supplemented by measurements of the local rotational temperature, utilizing nitrogen molecular band radiation excited by a second electron beam. Comparisons between the density and temperature measurements and flow properties obtained by standard gas-dynamic calculations are made.     

Biosignatures from Earth-like planets around M dwarfs

Coupled one-dimensional photochemical-climate calculations have been performed for hypothetical Earth-like planets around M dwarfs. Visible/near-infrared and thermal-infrared synthetic spectra of these planets were generated to determine which biosignature gases might be observed by a future, space-based telescope. Our star sample included two observed active M dwarfs-AD Leo and GJ 643-and three quiescent model stars. The spectral distribution of these stars in the ultraviolet generates a different photochemistry on these planets. As a result, the biogenic gases CH4, N2O, and CH3Cl have substantially longer lifetimes and higher mixing ratios than on Earth, making them potentially observable by space-based telescopes. On the active M-star planets, an ozone layer similar to Earth's was developed that resulted in a spectroscopic signature comparable to the terrestrial one. The simultaneous detection of O2 (or O3) and a reduced gas in a planet's atmosphere has been suggested as strong evidence for life. Planets circling M stars may be good locations to search for such evidence.     

微波和THz频段用于遥感标准的研发

美国国家标准和技术研究院(NIST)电磁部噪声规划提出了遥感应用例如卫星气象观测中的微波亮温度标准的研发。这个标准以现有波导系统电磁噪声基准为基础,与亮温度即辐射有关,借助一个特性很好的天线实现。热校准目标作为基准的补充,采用冗余测量的方式,用于检验或者减小不确定度。做过的26 GHz的初步测量表明所提出标准的可行性,同样太赫兹(THz)频率的研究也在进行中。对于THz噪声,用一个加热的目标作为噪声标准,虽然我们没有这么高频率的噪声基准。这个标准将与THz辐射计一起使用。辐射计基于一个接收机,该接收机采用了一个热电子测辐射热混频器,并被准光学适配器耦合到辐射中去。希望年底能够用这套系统进行THz噪声测量。     

Integrated guidance and control for solar sail station-keeping with optical degradation

Current control approaches for solar sail station-keeping on libration point orbits have not considered the degradation of the sail’s optical properties. However, significant optical degradation could lead to poor station-keeping performance or even complete failure. This paper presents an integrated guidance and control strategy to address this problem by updating the reference orbit based on in situ estimation. An exponential optical degradation model is incorporated into the solar radiation acceleration model, and an on-line reference orbit update approach is incorporated into the station-keeping, coupled with an active disturbance rejection controller. The reflection coefficient is estimated on-line and the reference orbit is updated discretely when the optical properties have degraded by a prescribed amount. This strategy provides discrete updates to the reference orbits such that the perturbation due to the optical degradation is maintained within a small range. These smaller perturbations can be dealt with by the controller’s robustness and station-keeping can be sustained for long durations even in the presence of large optical degradation.     

Particle Acceleration in Impulsive Solar Flares

We present the major observationally-derived requirements for a solar flare particle acceleration mechanism, briefly discuss some general electrodynamic constraints that also need to be considered, and suggest a unified electron and ion acceleration theory. This theory consists of two elements: cascading MHD turbulence generated at large scales during the primary flare energy release, which is responsible for the energization of electrons and all ions except 3He, and an electron beam, which excites the waves necessary for 3He acceleration. An issue of special importance for understanding ion acceleration is the convincing measurement of the charge state of Fe, which can be accomplished by the Advanced Composition Explorer in the upcoming solar maximum. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

提高战备状态的创新之举

基于性能的后勤保障(PBL)是美国国防部提出并大力推广的装备保障新理念.它强调将保障作为一个综合的、可承受的性能包来购买,以便优化系统的战备完好性.经过多年的推广,PBL在使用中取得了较好的效果.     

Turbulence,complexity, and solar flares

The issue of predicting solar flares is one of the most fundamental in physics, addressing issues of plasma physics, high-energy physics, and modelling of complex systems. It also poses societal consequences, with our ever-increasing need for accurate space weather forecasts. Solar flares arise naturally as a competition between an input (flux emergence and rearrangement) in the photosphere and an output (electrical current build up and resistive dissipation) in the corona. Although initially localised, this redistribution affects neighbouring regions and an avalanche occurs resulting in large scale eruptions of plasma, particles, and magnetic field. As flares are powered from the stressed field rooted in the photosphere, a study of the photospheric magnetic complexity can be used to both predict activity and understand the physics of the magnetic field. The magnetic energy spectrum and multifractal spectrum are highlighted as two possible approaches to this.     

Fourth-order theories for orbit predictions for low- and high-eccentricity orbits in an oblate atmosphere with scale height dependent on altitude

Two new fourth-order non-singular analytical theories for the motion of near-Earth satellite orbits with air drag are developed for low- and high-eccentricity orbits in an oblate atmosphere with variation of density scale height with altitude. Uniformly regular Kustaanheimo–Stiefel (KS) canonical elements are utilized for low-eccentricity orbits and KS element equations are employed for high-eccentricity orbits. Only two of the nine equations are solved analytically to compute the state vector and change in energy at the end of each revolution, due to symmetry in the equations of motion. The analytical solutions are compared with the numerically integrated values up to 100 revolutions, and found to be quite accurate over a wide range of eccentricity, perigee height and inclination.     

A gravity loading countermeasure skinsuit

Despite the use of several countermeasures, significant physiological deconditioning still occurs during long duration spaceflight. Bone loss – primarily due to the absence of loading in microgravity – is perhaps the greatest challenge to resolve. This paper describes a conceptual Gravity Loading Countermeasure Skinsuit (GLCS) that induces loading on the body to mimic standing and – when integrated with other countermeasures – exercising on Earth. Comfort, mobility and other operational issues were explored during a pilot study carried out in parabolic flight for prototype suits worn by three subjects. Compared to the 1- or 2-stage Russian Pingvin Suits, the elastic mesh of the GLCS can create a loading regime that gradually increases in hundreds of stages from the shoulders to the feet, thereby reproducing the weight-bearing regime normally imparted by gravity with much higher resolution. Modelling shows that the skinsuit requires less than 10 mmHg (1.3 kPa) of compression for three subjects of varied gender, height and mass. Negligible mobility restriction and excellent comfort properties were found during the parabolic flights, which suggests that crewmembers should be able to work normally, exercise or sleep while wearing the suit. The suit may also serve as a practical 1 g harness for exercise countermeasures and vibration applications to improve dynamic loading.