Development of a thin section device for space exploration: Rock cutting mechanism

We have developed a rock cutting mechanism for in situ planetary exploration based on abrasive diamond impregnated wire. Performance characteristics of the rock cutter, including cutting rate on several rock types, cutting surface lifetime, and cut rock surface finish are presented. The rock cutter was developed as part of a broader effort to develop an in situ automated rock thin section (IS-ARTS) instrument. The objective of IS-ARTS was to develop an instrument capable of producing petrographic rock thin sections on a planetary science spacecraft. The rock cutting mechanism may also be useful to other planetary science missions with in situ instruments in which sub-sampling and rock surface preparation are necessary.     

Multi-instrument observations of large-scale atmospheric gravity waves/traveling ionospheric disturbances associated with enhanced auroral activity over Svalbard

This study reports on observations of large-scale atmospheric gravity waves/traveling ionospheric disturbances (AGWs/TIDs) using Global Positioning System (GPS) total electron content (TEC) and Fabry–Perot Interferometer’s (FPI’s) intensity of oxygen red line emission at 630?nm measurements over Svalbard on the night of 6 January 2014. TEC large-scale TIDs have primary periods ranging between 29 and 65?min and propagate at a mean horizontal velocity of $～$749–761?m/s with azimuth of $～$345–347$°$ (which corresponds to poleward propagation direction). On the other hand, FPI large-scale AGWs have larger periods of $～$42–142?min. These large-scale AGWs/TIDs were linked to enhanced auroral activity identified from co-located all-sky camera and IMAGE magnetometers. Similar periods, speed and poleward propagation were found for the all-sky camera ($～$60–97?min and $～$823?m/s) and the IMAGE magnetometers ($～$32–53?min and $～$708?m/s) observations. Joule heating or/and particle precipitation as a result of auroral energy injection were identified as likely generation mechanisms for these disturbances.     

Preliminary validation of computational procedures for a new atmospheric ionizing radiation (AIR) model.

A new computational procedure to determine particle fluxes in the Earth's atmosphere is presented. The primary cosmic ray spectrum has been modeled through an analysis of simultaneous proton and helium measurements made on high altitude balloon flights and spacecraft. An improved global fit to the data was achieved through applying a unique technique utilizing the Fokker-Plank equation with a non-linear rigidity-dependent diffusion coefficient. The propagation of primary particles through the Earth's atmosphere is calculated with a three-dimensional Monte Carlo transport program called FLUKA. Primary protons and helium nuclei (alphas) are generated within the rigidity range of 0.5 GV-20 TV uniform in cos2 theta. For a given location, primaries above the effective cutoff rigidity are transported through the atmosphere. Alpha particles are initially transported with a separate package called HEAVY to simulate fragmentation. This package interfaces with FLUKA to provide interaction starting points for each nucleon originating from a helium nucleus. Results from this calculation are presented and compared to measurements.     

Vertical distribution of disequilibrium species in Jupiter's troposphere

Sources of organic matter and inorganic tracers on Jupiter, including solar UV photolysis, lightning discharges, and convective quenching of hot gases from the lower atmosphere, are reviewed in light of Earth-based and Voyager data with the purpose of predicting the tropospheric steady-state abundances and vertical distributions of HCN, CH₂O, and other species.It is concluded that a steady-state mole fraction of HCN in the Jovian troposphere of only 10^-12 could be maintained by vertical transport of hot gases from the deep atmosphere. The observed HCN abundance (roughly X_HCN = 10^-9) appears to be due to photochemical reactions.After HCN, the most abundant organic disequilibrium species in the troposphere is probably C₂H₆, derived from direct photolysis of CH₄ at high altitudes, with a mole fracton of 10^-10 at the H₂O cloud level. Inorganic tracers of disequilibrium processes are also briefly summarized.     

The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) Emirates Mars InfraRed Spectrometer (EMIRS) Instrument

Space Science Reviews - Modern observatories have revealed the ubiquitous presence of magnetohydrodynamic waves in the solar corona. The propagating waves (in contrast to the standing waves) are...     

The Israeli satellite launch: Capabilities, intentions and implications

The launch of the Israeli satellite Ofeq-1 during September 1988 has significant regional and global implications. These include the proliferation of both surveillance satellites and ballistic missiles, the latter having the potential to deliver conventional, chemical and nuclear warheads to areas situated many hundreds of miles away. This paper addresses both the origins of the Israeli booster technology and the many implications of the satellite launch. It then speculates on their political and arms control consequences. It concludes that in light of the parallelism that has evolved between nuclear and chemical weapons and ballistic missiles, there is an increasing need to develop global and, if appropriate, regional and bilateral strategies to limit missile proliferation and bring the issue to the forefront of international political debate.     

US and Soviet ballistic missile defence programmes : Implications for the 1972 ABM treaty

This article reviews the key provisions of the ABM Treaty and the major issues of interpretation which need to be resolved. The various phases of the US Strategic Defense Initiative are discussed, showing that permitted SDI research may cross over the prohibited development and testing beginning in 1988. Cooperative research with US allies is discussed in terms of the Treaty constraints. US and Soviet ballistic missile defence programmes are summarized and the major US and Soviet compliance issues, including the Krasnoyarsk radar, are reviewed. The author argues that limitations on defensive systems remain a precondition to limitations on offensive systems. The ABM Treaty should be enhanced by agreed interpretations, a separate ASAT treaty, and perhaps four amendments to the ABM Treaty.     

Tail phenomena

An overview of tail phenomena is presented based on worldwide submissions to the Large-Scale Phenomena Discipline Specialist Team of the International Halley Watch. Examples of tail phenomena and science are presented along with estimates of total expected yield from the Network. The archive of this material will clearly be very valuable for studying the solar-wind/comet interaction during the 1985–1986 apparition of Halley's Comet.     

Finding the suitable drag-free acceleration noise level for future low-low satellite-to-satellite tracking geodesy missions

This paper evaluates the impact of residual acceleration noise on the estimation of the Earth’s time-varying gravity field for future low-low satellite-to-satellite tracking missions. The goal is to determine the maximum level of residual acceleration noise that does not adversely affect the estimation error. The Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) has provided monthly average gravity field solutions in spherical harmonic coefficients for more than a decade. It provides information about land and ocean mass variations with a spatial resolution of ～350?km and with an accuracy within 2?cm throughout the entire Earth. GRACE Follow-on was launched in May 2018 to advance the work of GRACE and to test a new laser ranging interferometer, which measures the range between the two satellites with higher precision than the K-Band ranging system used in GRACE. Moreover, there have been simulation studies that show, an additional pair of satellites in an inclined orbit increases the sampling frequency and reduces temporal aliasing errors. Given the fact that future missions will likely continue to use the low-low satellite-to-satellite tracking formation with laser ranging interferometry, it is expected that the residual acceleration noise will become one of the largest error contributor for the time-variable gravity field solution. We evaluate three different levels of residual acceleration noise based on demonstrated drag-free systems to find a suitable drag-free performance target for upcoming geodesy missions. We analyze both a single collinear polar pair and the optimal double collinear pair of drag-free satellites and assume the use of a laser ranging interferometer. A partitioned best linear unbiased estimator that was developed, incorporating several novel features from the ground up is used to compute the solutions in terms of spherical harmonics. It was found that the suitable residual acceleration noise level is around 2?×?10^?12?ms^?2?Hz^?1/2. Decreasing the acceleration noise below this level did not result in more accurate gravity field solutions for the chosen mission architecture.     

Prediction of the LISA-Pathfinder release mechanism in-flight performance

In the LISA Pathfinder mission, the grabbing positioning and release mechanism will perform a critical phase, which is the injection of a test mass into a perfect free-fall condition (also called geodesic trajectory). A possible failure is the test mass remaining adhered to the mechanism or released with an excessive velocity, which would hinder the subsequent capacitive control to the desired geodesic status.