Cave biosignature suites: microbes,minerals, and Mars

Earth's subsurface offers one of the best possible sites to search for microbial life and the characteristic lithologies that life leaves behind. The subterrain may be equally valuable for astrobiology. Where surface conditions are particularly hostile, like on Mars, the subsurface may offer the only habitat for extant lifeforms and access to recognizable biosignatures. We have identified numerous unequivocally biogenic macroscopic, microscopic, and chemical/geochemical cave biosignatures. However, to be especially useful for astrobiology, we are looking for suites of characteristics. Ideally, "biosignature suites" should be both macroscopically and microscopically detectable, independently verifiable by nonmorphological means, and as independent as possible of specific details of life chemistries--demanding (and sometimes conflicting) criteria. Working in fragile, legally protected environments, we developed noninvasive and minimal impact techniques for life and biosignature detection/characterization analogous to Planetary Protection Protocols. Our difficult field conditions have shared limitations common to extraterrestrial robotic and human missions. Thus, the cave/subsurface astrobiology model addresses the most important goals from both scientific and operational points of view. We present details of cave biosignature suites involving manganese and iron oxides, calcite, and sulfur minerals. Suites include morphological fossils, mineral-coated filaments, living microbial mats and preserved biofabrics, 13C and 34S values consistent with microbial metabolism, genetic data, unusual elemental abundances and ratios, and crystallographic mineral forms.     

Optimization of Low-Thrust Interplanetary Transfers

A method for approximate analytical optimization of low-thrust transfers, described in [1] and based on linearization of the equations of motion, is considered. A more precise method of reducing the errors due to linearization is suggested. The method of optimization is generalized for the case of a mission to several celestial bodies.     

Exosemiotics: an inter-disciplinary approach

Over the past several hundred years, many ideas have been expressed as to how human beings might communicate with extraterrestrials. These ideas have been put forth by experts from a diverse range of fields including physical scientists, mathematicians, behavioral scientists, philosophers and creative writers who have widely differing views on how to express ourselves coherently with civilizations from other worlds.This paper will look at some of these differing viewpoints and stress the need for an inter-disciplinary approach to the challenges of sending and, perhaps most important, receiving messages. Could we decipher a message if we got one? Who is doing the listening and what advantages could an inter-disciplinary approach bring to these efforts? What are some inter-disciplinary approaches to sending messages to extraterrestrials?     

光纤嵌入法监测复合材料固化的研究

通过嵌入光纤对芳纶／五氧复合材料板及环氧树脂浇注体的固化进行初步研究，结果表明，光纤嵌入法能准确监测出浇注体及芳纶／环氧复合材料的瞬时固化情况。     

Success criteria and risk management for the new millennium program

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) New Millennium Program (NMP) is a technology development and validation program that will flight-validate advanced, new technologies with space flight applications. NMP's purpose is twofold. First, it will develop technologies that will enable future spacecraft to be smaller, more capable and reliable, and to be launched more frequently. Second, it will validate the technologies in flight to reduce the risks to future science missions that fly these technologies for the first time. To measure the program's success, NMP has devised a set of criteria that stresses the relevance of technologies selected for flight validation to NASA's 21st-century science mission needs. Also, NMP has instituted a ‘risk management’ policy, where, through a combination of adequate resources and early risk assessment and risk mitigation plans for the technologies, the overall risk of the NMP flights can be rendered acceptable.     

Goals and preparation method for ground operations for the manned space flight Altair

The mission's success fully depends on the Payload Operations conducted during the space flight. The Ground Team has to be trained to assist the Space Crew, to replan the cosmonaut's activities when contingengies occurr onboard and to change or cancel Payload activities when required. In order to act efficiently during the mission, the Ground Team must be prepared in advance of the flight and able to operate special tools for tracking the mission's progress, anticipating problems and taking decisions in realtime.

This document sets out the approach for conducting such a preparation for Ground Operation. It will be focused on the Altaïr mission performed in July 1993 onboard the Russian Mir space station.     

轴对称横向喷流强干扰流场的巨型机向量并行计算

本文在国产巨型计算机ＹＨ－１和ＹＨ－２上对ＭａｃＣｏｒｍａｃｋ显格式解轴对称横向喷流强干扰流场的计算程序进行了重构和向量优化使其能并行执行。得到该程序在ＹＨ－１上的向量加速比约为６．０，ＹＨ－２单机向量运行速度约为ＹＨ－１上的向量运行速度的３倍。与传统的串行计算相比较，并行计算大大缩短了程序运行的ＣＰＵ时间。     

ZN3火箭姿态测量用太阳角计

本文给出了用于ＺＮ３火箭姿态测量太阳角计的原理和测量结果，讨论了背景抑制和标定方法，分析了误差来源。该仪器采用选取适当探测波段和比值测量方法较好地消除了地外太阳辐照和大气消光的影响，也有效地抑制了背景辐射的干扰，大大提高了测量精度。实测结果表明，火箭姿态角测量的均方根误差约为０．７°。这一方法适用于各种自旋稳定飞行器的姿态测量。     

Ensuring equal access to the benefits of space technologies for all countries

There is a concern in the developing world that industrialized countries have not done all they might under Article 1 of the Outer Space Treaty to make the benefits of space technology available to all countries; some are now seeking codification of rights and responsibilities in this sphere. This article discusses recent debate on the issues by COPUOS and its Legal Subcommittee on whether an additional legal framework is necessary to ensure a fairer distribution of benefits. G77 countries were strongly in favour of some form of technology and information transfer, while industrialized countries favoured the existing practice of developing international cooperative space projects. The author believes that a new set of principles will be formulated in the next few years and that organizations like Intelsat and Inmarsat can provide valuable models for ensuring access through cooperative programmes.     

固体发动机喷管烧蚀和温度场测量

介绍了含铝复合推进剂发动机试验时,对其喷管进行的烧蚀和温度场测量,获得了复合喷管结构中的烧蚀和瞬时温度分布.