Bioconversion systems for food and water on long term space missions

An imperative for prolonged Space flight missions is the conservation of resources. Extensive resupply could pose technological and logistical challenges for those responsible for the management and successful completion of the mission. Therefore, the biological waste water reclamation system (BWWR) which requires little or no expendable supplies and the waste cellulose to edible mushroom conversion system (CMCS) which is conceived as a low energy crop waste recycling system are prototype instruments which have been conceived as solutions to the mission resupply problem. Out tests, conducted with relatively crude devices based on the original concepts, indicate that further research on the basic principles underlying the systems and refinement of the engineering designs will lead to hardware with the potential to satisfy the requirement for minimal re-supply while providing recycled water and edible mushrooms.     

A reply from Earth?

An approach is proposed to developing a message from Humankind to extraterrestrial intelligence if we detect it.     

Modern cockpit complexity challenges pilot interfaces

Advances in the use of automated cockpits are examined. Crashes at Nagoya and Toulouse in 1994 and incidents at Manchester, England, and Paris Orly are used as examples of cockpit automation versus manual operation of aircraft. Human factors researchers conclude that flight management systems (FMS) should have fewer modes and less authority. Reducing complexity and authority override systems of FMS can provide pilots with greater flexibility during crises. Aircraft discussed include Boeing 737-300 and 757-200, Airbus A300-600 and A310, McDonnell Douglas MD-11, and Tarom A310-300.     

Fatty acid composition of plasma lipids and erythrocyte membranes during simulated extravehicular activity

Ten subjects (from 27 to 41 years) have been participated in 32 experiments. They were decompressed from ground level to 40-35 kPa in altitude chamber when breathed 100% oxygen by mask and performed repeated cycles of exercises (3.0 Kcal/min). The intervals between decompressions were 3-5 days. Plasma lipid and erythrocyte membrane fatty acid composition was evaluated in the fasting venous blood before and immediately after hypobaric exposure. There were 7 cases decompression sickness (DCS). Venous gas bubbles (GB) were detected in 27 cases (84.4%). Any significant changes in the fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membranes and plasma didn't practically induce after the first decompression. However, by the beginning of the second decompression the total lipid level in erythrocyte membranes decreased from 54.6 mg% to 40.4 mg% in group with DCS symptoms and from 51.2 mg% to 35.2 mg% (p<0.05) without DCS symptoms. In group with DCS symptoms a tendency to increased level of saturated fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes (16:0, 18:0), the level of the polyunsaturated linoleic fatty acid (18:2) and arachidonic acid (20:4) tended to be decreased by the beginning of the second decompression. Insignificant changes in blood plasma fatty acid composition was observed in both groups. The obtained biochemical data that indicated the simulated extravehicular activity (EVA) condition is accompanied by the certain changes in the blood lipid metabolism, structural and functional state of erythrocyte membranes, which are reversible. The most pronounced changes are found in subjects with DCS symptoms.     

The Urey instrument: an advanced in situ organic and oxidant detector for Mars exploration

The Urey organic and oxidant detector consists of a suite of instruments designed to search for several classes of organic molecules in the martian regolith and ascertain whether these compounds were produced by biotic or abiotic processes using chirality measurements. These experiments will also determine the chemical stability of organic molecules within the host regolith based on the presence and chemical reactivity of surface and atmospheric oxidants. Urey has been selected for the Pasteur payload on the European Space Agency's (ESA's) upcoming 2013 ExoMars rover mission. The diverse and effective capabilities of Urey make it an integral part of the payload and will help to achieve a large portion of the mission's primary scientific objective: "to search for signs of past and present life on Mars." This instrument is named in honor of Harold Urey for his seminal contributions to the fields of cosmochemistry and the origin of life.     

网络计算环境下任务调度问题研究

利用网上空闲处理机组成机群并行计算环境是快速增长的研究领域,任务调度是其中最关键性的问题之一.在基于消息传递机制的网络并行计算环境下,针对一类大粒度计算任务并行时协同同步工作问题,发展了一种新的静态调度模型,提出了调度算法,它映射一类特殊的并行程序任务到由网络上若干空闲处理机组成的机群中.研究表明该算法能减少此类并行程序的完成时间.      

集群卫星网络信息拓扑控制技术探讨

集群卫星网络所具有的高动态拓扑、信息异构及灵活组网的特性,使其对信息层面的拓扑控制提出了新的挑战,需要在现有的卫星网络拓扑控制技术的基础上进一步研究。在深入解析集群卫星网络信息拓扑控制内涵的基础上,根据集群卫星网络特点,提出通用的集群卫星网络信息拓扑模型及星地拓扑控制策略,并对现有的卫星拓扑控制算法进行分类说明,根据拓扑的分类方法,分析不同卫星拓扑控制技术在运用于集群卫星网络中的限制条件,最后针对应用需求及技术特点,指出集群卫星网络拓扑控制技术的发展趋势及研究方向。