DAME: planetary-prototype drilling automation

We describe results from the Drilling Automation for Mars Exploration (DAME) project, including those of the summer 2006 tests from an Arctic analog site. The drill hardware is a hardened, evolved version of the Advanced Deep Drill by Honeybee Robotics. DAME has developed diagnostic and executive software for hands-off surface operations of the evolved version of this drill. The DAME drill automation tested from 2004 through 2006 included adaptively controlled drilling operations and the downhole diagnosis of drilling faults. It also included dynamic recovery capabilities when unexpected failures or drilling conditions were discovered. DAME has developed and tested drill automation software and hardware under stressful operating conditions during its Arctic field testing campaigns at a Mars analog site.     

Establishment of a rearing system of the extremotolerant tardigrade Ramazzottius varieornatus: a new model animal for astrobiology

Studies on the ability of multicellular organisms to tolerate specific environmental extremes are relatively rare compared to those of unicellular microorganisms in extreme environments. Tardigrades are extremotolerant animals that can enter an ametabolic dry state called anhydrobiosis and have high tolerance to a variety of extreme environmental conditions, particularly while in anhydrobiosis. Although tardigrades have been expected to be a potential model animal for astrobiological studies due to their excellent anhydrobiotic and extremotolerant abilities, few studies of tolerance with cultured tardigrades have been reported, possibly due to the absence of a model species that can be easily maintained under rearing conditions. We report the successful rearing of the herbivorous tardigrade, Ramazzottius varieornatus, by supplying the green alga Chlorella vulgaris as food. The life span was 35 +/- 16.4 d, deposited eggs required 5.7 +/- 1.1 d to hatch, and animals began to deposit eggs 9 d after hatching. The reared individuals of this species had an anhydrobiotic capacity throughout their life cycle in egg, juvenile, and adult stages. Furthermore, the reared adults in an anhydrobiotic state were tolerant of temperatures of 90 degrees C and -196 degrees C, and exposure to 99.8% acetonitrile or irradiation with 4000 Gy (4)He ions. Based on their life history traits and tolerance to extreme stresses, R. varieornatus may be a suitable model for astrobiological studies of multicellular organisms.     

独联体国家的多数运输机已用完使用寿命

前苏联航空公司使用的中程和远程运输机大约有80％现已用完原定的使用寿命极限,而研制取代机的工作按进度至少推迟了5年。 设在莫斯科的国立民航科学研究院(GosNIGA)汇集的资料表明,苏联现役机队中12％～15％的飞机到1996年应当退役,到2000年有50％的飞机应当退役。 西方对空中安全水平日益关注;俄国人企图采取高收费办法飞日益增多的进口欧美飞机。在这种形势下,日益迫切要求前苏联民用飞机装备序列大规模现代化。 据GosNIGA估计,独联体各国现在有1650架飞机飞中程和远程航     

用双基超宽带合成孔径雷达提取地面动目标信息

讨论了在超宽带波束合成孔径雷达，系统中利用双基天线构造进行地面动目标显示的方法。为了抑制强杂波信号，雷达信道具有同样严格的要求。在双基系统中这些信道是不一样的，作者研究了如何补偿这种双基构造。双基杂波散射的影响是不可能补偿的，因此尝试对地面动目标显示的双基散射影响进行估算。在时域和频域中可把宽天线波束的双基合成孔径转换成单元基合成孔径。雷达信道间的失配会引起杂波泄漏，明确了时域和频域脉冲压缩冲激响应泄漏。