Toward optimizing lighting as a countermeasure to sleep and circadian disruption in space flight

Light is being used as a pre-launch countermeasure to circadian and sleep disruption in astronauts. The effect of light on the circadian system is readily monitored by measurement of plasma melatonin. Our group has established an action spectrum for human melatonin regulation and determined the region of 446-477 nm to be the most potent for suppressing plasma melatonin. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of 460 and 555 nm for suppressing melatonin using a within-subjects design. Subjects (N=12) were exposed to equal photon densities (7.18 x 10(12) photons/cm2/s) at 460 and 555 nm. Melatonin suppression was significantly stronger at 460 nm (p<0.02). An extension to the action spectrum showed that 420 nm light at 16 and 32 microW/cm2 significantly suppressed melatonin (p<0.04 and p<0.002). These studies will help optimize lighting countermeasures to circadian and sleep disruption during spaceflight.     

Animal protein production modules in biological life support systems: novel combined aquaculture techniques based on the Closed Equilibrated Biological Aquatic System (C.E.B.A.S.)

Based on the experiences made with the Closed Equilibrated Biological Aquatic System (C.E.B.A.S.) which was primarily deveoloped for long-term and multi-generation experiments with aquatic animals and plants in a space station highly effective fresh water recycling modules were elaborated utilizing a combination of ammonia oxidizing bacteria filters and higher plants. These exhibit a high effectivity to eliminate phosphate and anorganic nitrogen compounds and arc. in addidition. able to contribute to the oxygen supply of the aquatic animals. The C.E.B.A.S. filter system is able to keep a closed artificial aquatic ecosystem containing teleost fishes and water snails biologically stable for several month and to eliminate waste products deriving from degraded dead fishes without a decrease of the oxygen concentration down to less than 3.5 mg/l at 25 °C. More advanced C.E.B.A.S. filter systems, the BIOCURE filters, were also developed for utilization in semiintensive and intensive aquaculture systems for fishes. In fact such combined animal-plant aquaculture systems represent highly effective productions sites for human food if proper plant and fish species are selected The present papers elucidates ways to novel aquaculture systems in which herbivorous fishes are raised by feeding them with plant biomass produced in the BIOCURE filters and presents the scheme of a modification which utilizes a plant species suitable also for human nutrition. Special attention is paid to the benefits of closed aquaculture system modules which may be integrated into bioregenerative life support systems of a higher complexity for, e. g.. lunar or planetary bases including some psychologiccal aspects of the introduction of animal protein production into plant-based life support systems. Moreover, the basic reproductive biological problems of aquatic animal breeding under reduced gravity are explained leading to a disposition of essential research programs in this context.     

Chronic orthostatic and antiorthostatic restraint induce neuroendocrine, immune and neurophysiologial disorders in rats

The tail-cast suspension rat model has been developed in ground laboratories interested in space physiology for extensive study of mechanisms causing the pathophysiological syndrome associated with space flights. We used individually-caged male rats to explore the effects of acute and chronic (7d) orthostatic restraint (OR) and head-down anti-orthostatic restraint (AOR) on a series of physiological variables. The acute restraint study showed that (1) the installation of the OR device induced an acute reaction for 2 days, with a substantial rise in ACTH (x2) and CORT (x6), and that (2) the head-down tilt from OR to AOR induced (i) within 10 min and lasting 60 min a 2-fold rise in the intra-cerebro-ventricular pressure (Picv) monitored with an icv telemetric recording system, which receded to normal between 60 and 120 min; and (ii) within 30 min a short-lived 4-fold rise in plasma ACTH and CORT levels. Chronic OR induced (1) the suppression of the diurnal ACTH/CORT rhythm, with increased mean levels, especially for ACTH, (2) a degraded circadian locomotor activity rhythm manifested by a significant reduction in the spectral power of the 24h periodicity and a concomitant emergence of shorter (ultradian) periodicities, (3) an associated, but less pronounced alteration of the diurnal rhythm in body temperature; and (4) a marked increase in baseline plasma levels of IL-1β and an increased reactivity in cytokine release following an E. coli endotoxin (LPS) challenge. AOR induced (1) a similar obliteration of the circadian ACTH/CORT rhythm, (2) the loss of close correlation between ACTH and CORT, (3) a generalized increase in baseline plasma IL-1β levels and (4) more extensive degradation of the arcadian periodicity for both locomotor activity and, to a lesser extent, body temperature, replaced by dominant spectral powers for ultradian periodicities (3 to 10h). In conclusion, both experimental paradigms — but AOR more than OR — caused a blockade of the arcadian rhythmicity of major physiological variables, the loss of normal correlations between ACTH and CORT, and inflammatory-immune hyperreactivity. These pathophysiological disorders may all be parts of a complex chronic stress syndrome.     

Natural killer cells after ALTAIR mission

Reduced in vitro NK cytotoxic activity have routinely been observed after both prolonged and short-term space flights. This study investigated the effects of space flight on NK cell functions, NK cell counts and the production of IL-2 and TNF by lymphocytes of French-Russian crew members. In the French cosmonaut, after 21 days space flight, the cytotoxic activity of NK cells, the capacity the NK cells to bind and lyse the individual target cells and the percentage of NK cells were decreased. In this cosmonaut a twofold reduction TNF production in cultures of lymphocytes stimulated with PMA and with the mixture of PHA and PMA was observed on the first day after landing. However, the activity of the production of TNF in 48-hour PHA-cultures of lymphocytes was unchanged and the biological activity of IL-2 was not reduced. The immunological examination did not detecte any substantial deviations from the norm in both russian cosmonauts after 197 days space flight. Various explanations for decreased cytotoxicity in cosmonauts after space flight can be proposed, and these include the defective function of NK cells and reduced numbers of circulating effector cells.     

飞行模拟摄象装置中解决景深问题的新方法

在飞行模拟目视系统中,象是由闭路电视的光学探头由地景模型摄取的,对横过整个象区的模型表面成象,特别是当探头入瞳非常接近模型时的成象是一个重要的问题。当我们试图改善闭路电视摄象机的鉴别率和减小地景模型的比例时,这个问题就更加大了,使得在探头光学系统内部移动和倾斜透镜的普通技术对某些重要的探头系统不足以解决问题。对于大范围的物体共轭距离,探头系统光学象差的校正是一个密切相关的问题。对于标准的电视系统和激光电视系统中的这些问题都作了评论。叙述了一种新型的倾斜透镜系统。     

非地球同步轨道的应用潜力

最近的一项研究详细论述了在通信业务高峰期,利用非地球同步轨道卫星通信系统所具有的巨大优势。     

动态辅助惯性导航系统

本文研究利用飞机动态模型作为辅助手段来改善低等级惯性导航系统性能的可能性。文中介绍了辅助方案的组成，导出了其相应的数学模型，并将其用于合适的扩展卡尔曼滤波器设计中，对由飞机动态参数波（摄）动引起的误差进行了灵敏度分析，验证了这一方案的鲁棒性。与此同时，也证明了机动飞行对于鲁棒性的重要意义。完成的仿真表明：利用飞机动态辅助低等级惯性导航系统，使组合导航系统的性能得到改善，从某种程度上来说，实质上类似     

单片集成温度传感器

本文介绍利用双极型晶体管和集成电路构成温度传感器的各种方法。讨论了单晶体管敏感元件的性能。文中提出二种集成电路,其一的输出电流精确地正比于绝对温度。另一种新型的集成电路的输出电流可按°C、°F或任意分度。此外还介绍了一些供特殊应用的集成温度传感器,其中包括精密的小量程温度传感器、具有逻辑及模似信号输出的温度传感器和温控振荡器。     

固体火箭发动机点火器热通量的测量

使用箔式铂热通量计,对两种几何形状不同的点火器进行瞬间和轴向热通量分布的测量。所用的参数是不同的点火药量,管子长度和喷管喉径。对烟火剂燃烧产生的粒状物质的粒度分布作了研究,并且推论了这种粒子分布对总热量的影响。辐射在总热量传递过程中相对来说是不重要的,而在点火器作用期间,业径发现,由于粒子传热引起的“点”的热通量是热传递的最重要方式之一,事实上,这种传热方式可能是固体火箭发动机中点火火焰最初出现的原因。     

惯性顶级发动机壳体研制

本文详细介绍了化学系统分公司(OSD)研制的惯性顶级(IUS)推进系统采用的63英寸和92英寸直径的凯夫拉/环氧纤维缠绕的火箭发动机壳体的设计和试验结果。IUS 要求发动机壳体结构性能超过大型复合材料发动机壳体当前的技术水平。尤其要求 SRM—1裙的结构承载超过凯夫拉/环氧裙当前水平的50%,压力容器的性能超过当前水平的35%。至今多次全尺寸爆破压力试验表明惯性顶级发动机壳体超过了当前技术水平的要求,壳体效率(PV/W)高达1.27×10~6英寸。SRM—1结构试验在压缩线载荷—3564磅/英寸和峰值为2298磅/英寸的剪切载荷联合作用下,超过当前技术水平48%,超过要求值的18%。