Lunar exploration and development--a sustainable model

A long-term goal of space exploration is the development of a lunar settlement that will not only be largely self-sufficient but also contribute to the economy of the Earth-Moon system. Proposals for lunar mining and materials processing developments, as well as tourism-based applications, have appeared in the literature for many years. However, so great are the technical and financial difficulties associated with sustained lunar development that, more than 30 years after the end of the Apollo programme, there have been no practical advances towards this goal. While this may soon be remedied by a series of proposed unmanned orbiters, landers and rovers, the philosophy of lunar exploration and development remains the same as it has for decades: conquer, exploit, and ignore the consequences. By contrasting the well-recognised problems of Earth orbital debris and the barely recognised issue of intentional spacecraft impacts on the lunar surface, this paper illustrates the need for a new model for lunar exploration and development. This new paradigm would assign a value to the lunar environment and provide a balance between protection and exploitation, creating, in effect, a philosophy of sustainable development for the Moon. It is suggested that this new philosophy should be an integral part of any future strategy for lunar colonisation.     

Time profile of cosmic radiation exposure during the EXPOSE-E mission: the R3DE instrument

The aim of this paper is to present the time profile of cosmic radiation exposure obtained by the Radiation Risk Radiometer-Dosimeter during the EXPOSE-E mission in the European Technology Exposure Facility on the International Space Station's Columbus module. Another aim is to make the obtained results available to other EXPOSE-E teams for use in their data analysis. Radiation Risk Radiometer-Dosimeter is a low-mass and small-dimension automatic device that measures solar radiation in four channels and cosmic ionizing radiation as well. The main results of the present study include the following: (1) three different radiation sources were detected and quantified-galactic cosmic rays (GCR), energetic protons from the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) region of the inner radiation belt, and energetic electrons from the outer radiation belt (ORB); (2) the highest daily averaged absorbed dose rate of 426 μGy d(-1) came from SAA protons; (3) GCR delivered a much smaller daily absorbed dose rate of 91.1 μGy d(-1), and the ORB source delivered only 8.6 μGy d(-1). The analysis of the UV and temperature data is a subject of another article (Schuster et al., 2012 ).     

Dosimetric measurements in manned missions

Detector packages consisting of thermoluminescence detectors (TLDs), nuclear emulsions and plastic nuclear track detectors were exposed in different sections of the MIR space station, inside the Spacelab during the IML1 mission, and inside Spacelab module and tunnel during the D2 mission. This report concentrates on total dose measurements with TLDs during these mission. The results are discussed and compared to results of former missions and to calculations. Finally, dose equivalents and mean quality factors for each mission are presented which are derived from the TLD results and results obtained from the other detector systems. Dose equivalents range between 200 μSvd⁻¹ and 700 μSvd⁻¹.     

Microgravity and space processes

The implications of the STS-107 tragedy on weightlessness research in the NASA program are reviewed.     

Responses of haloarchaea to simulated microgravity

Various effects of microgravity on prokaryotes have been recognized in recent years, with the focus on studies of pathogenic bacteria. No archaea have been investigated yet with respect to their responses to microgravity. For exposure experiments on spacecrafts or on the International Space Station, halophilic archaea (haloarchaea) are usually embedded in halite, where they accumulate in fluid inclusions. In a liquid environment, these cells will experience microgravity in space, which might influence their viability and survival. Two haloarchaeal strains, Haloferax mediterranei and Halococcus dombrowskii, were grown in simulated microgravity (SMG) with the rotary cell culture system (RCCS, Synthecon). Initially, salt precipitation and detachment of the porous aeration membranes in the RCCS were observed, but they were avoided in the remainder of the experiment by using disposable instead of reusable vessels. Several effects were detected, which were ascribed to growth in SMG: Hfx. mediterranei's resistance to the antibiotics bacitracin, erythromycin, and rifampicin increased markedly; differences in pigmentation and whole cell protein composition (proteome) of both strains were noted; cell aggregation of Hcc. dombrowskii was notably reduced. The results suggest profound effects of SMG on haloarchaeal physiology and cellular processes, some of which were easily observable and measurable. This is the first report of archaeal responses to SMG. The molecular mechanisms of the effects induced by SMG on prokaryotes are largely unknown; haloarchaea could be used as nonpathogenic model systems for their elucidation and in addition could provide information about survival during lithopanspermia (interplanetary transport of microbes inside meteorites).     

欧洲极轨平台上的中分辨率成像光谱仪

本文描述了中分辨率成像光谱仪(MERIS)的设计。该仪器已被选为计划于1997年发射的欧洲极轨平台上的一个核心仪器。其光谱覆盖范围为400nm到1050nm,覆盖区宽度为1500km,光谱分辨率为1.5nm,空间分辨率为260m。此仪器主要用于海洋、陆地和大气方面的研究。     

高分辨力机载毫米波FM-CW SAR的研发

紧凑的FM—CW（调频-连续波）雷达技术和高分辨力SAR（合成孔径雷达）处理技术的结合将为体积小、重量轻且性价比高的成像雷达的发展铺平道路。然而，在空中观察地球表面这一领域中，将SAR用于FM—CW雷达是比较新颖的。通信传输和雷达国际研究中心（IRCTR）启动了一项关于FM—CW SAR的可行性研究。在该研究项目框架中，开发并测试了一种完全运转的机载FM—CW SAR验证系统。文中综述了地面测试的情况。此外，2004年6月在柏林附近的Strausberg机场进行了一次非常成功的空中试验。本文将介绍这些机载试验的初步结果。     

Sightseeing [far] beyond the Great Wall

International plans for space tourism are reviewed, with emphasis on plans developed in China and Japan. Economic aspects associated with the satellite launch market are discussed.     

中心孔药柱中燃速的径向变化

大西洋研究公司提出了一种分析固体发动机药柱燃烧状况的计算机程序化方法,本法可直接计算局部燃速对已燃药厚的平均燃速的比。包括使用标准批检验发动机的某些特殊试验在内,对几种不同构形的中心孔药柱燃速比的药厚变化效应(“虹效应”)及数值进行了评估。分析表明这种燃速比的药厚效应是由制造方法引起的.实际上与尺寸、长径比、控制温度、燃速和药厚等发动机参数无关。提出了一种假说,认为此种药厚效应的起因与推进剂富粘合剂层的条痕结构有关,而条痕的形状又与制造方法及药柱构形有关。迄今积累的数据表明,对圆孔药柱而言,事先固定芯子的装药比先浇注后插入芯子的装药燃速约高3—4%。药柱上的各种槽沟往往限制了各点虹效应的精度确定,尽管在全部的构形中均可看到总的虹效应,且最大与最小值的差一般均在3—6%范围内变动。本文给出了各种发动机的燃速比数据,其推进剂重量从10磅左右至2000磅,长径比1:1至8:1,药厚从小于1英寸到大于7英寸,药形有槽管状、锥柱状、一端和两端的圆柱状。     

火箭喷管的二维两相流

本文介绍了编制一组解轴对称喷管气体/粒子流动方程组的计算机程序的进展情况。已经编写了两个程序,是用来解喷管喉部跨声速区的方程组的。第一个程序把两相流体看成是一种具有修正等熵指数和修正分子量的重理想气体,并解跨声速等熵流动方程组,得到的初始流场形状作为第二个程序的输入。第二个程序包含有气体/粒子混合物非平衡效应。这两个程序为进行超声速计算提供准确的初始线数据,这些数据将用作第三个程序的输入。第三个程序是解喷管超声速区两相流动方程组的,不久即将写成。