Progress in multilateral Earth observation cooperation: CEOS, IGOS and the ad hoc Group on Earth Observations

The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) coordinates international civil space-borne missions designed to observe and study planet Earth. With over 100 Earth observation satellites expected to be launched during the next 10 years, it is clear that collaborative opportunities have not been fully maximized. In 2003 CEOS has been focusing on articulating a more comprehensive satellite data utilization approach and in following up on its significant involvement in the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The CEOS Chair also serves as Co-Chair of the Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) Partnership, which seeks to reduce observation gaps and unnecessary overlaps and to harmonize and integrate common interests of space-based and in situ systems. IGOS focused in 2003 on development of a number of themes, including Carbon Cycle, Water Cycle and GeoHazards. The IGOS Ocean Theme is now in its implementation phase. NOAA, while chairing CEOS and co-chairing IGOS, has also been actively involved in organizing and hosting a ministerial-level Earth Observation Summit with a follow-on Group on Earth Observations (GEO) charged with developing the framework for a comprehensive global Earth observation system(s). All these activities demonstrate the commitment to developing more coherent and sustained Earth observation strategies for the good of the planet.     

Planetary resources and astroecology. Planetary microcosm models of asteroid and meteorite interiors: electrolyte solutions and microbial growth--implications for space populations and panspermia

Planetary microcosms were constructed using extracts from meteorites that simulate solutions in the pores of carbonaceous chondrites. The microcosms were found to support the growth of complex algal and microbial populations. Such astroecology experiments demonstrate how a diverse ecosystem could exist in fluids within asteroids, and in meteorites that land on aqueous planets. The microcosm solutions were obtained by extracting nutrient electrolytes under natural conditions from powders of the Allende (CV3) and Murchison (CM2) meteorites at low (0.02 g/ml) and high (10.0 g/ml) solid/solution ratios. The latter solutions contain > 3 mol/L electrolytes and about 10 g/L organics, that simulate natural fluids in asteroids during aqueous alteration and in the pores of meteorites, which can help prebiotic synthesis and the survival of early microorganisms. These solutions and wet solids were in fact found to support complex self-sustaining microbial communities with populations of 4 x 10(5) algae and 6 x 10(6) bacteria and fungi for long periods (> 8 months). The results show that planetary microcosms based on meteorites can: assay the fertilities of planetary materials; identify space bioresources; target astrobiology exploration; and model past and future space-based ecosystems. The results show that bioresources in the carbonaceous asteroids can sustain a biomass of 10(18) kg, comprising 10(32) microorganisms and a human population of 10(14). The results also suggest that protoplanetary nebulae can support and disperse microorganisms and can be therefore effective environments for natural and directed panspermia.     

Long-term manipulations of intact microbial mat communities in a greenhouse collaboratory: simulating earth's present and past field environments

Photosynthetic microbial mat communities were obtained from marine hypersaline saltern ponds, maintained in a greenhouse facility, and examined for the effects of salinity variations. Because these microbial mats are considered to be useful analogs of ancient marine communities, they offer insights about evolutionary events during the >3 billion year time interval wherein mats co-evolved with Earth's lithosphere and atmosphere. Although photosynthetic mats can be highly dynamic and exhibit extremely high activity, the mats in the present study have been maintained for >1 year with relatively minor changes. The major groups of microorganisms, as assayed using microscopic, genetic, and biomarker methodologies, are essentially the same as those in the original field samples. Field and greenhouse mats were similar with respect to rates of exchange of oxygen and dissolved inorganic carbon across the mat-water interface, both during the day and at night. Field and greenhouse mats exhibited similar rates of efflux of methane and hydrogen. Manipulations of salinity in the water overlying the mats produced changes in the community that strongly resemble those observed in the field. A collaboratory testbed and an array of automated features are being developed to support remote scientific experimentation with the assistance of intelligent software agents. This facility will permit teams of investigators the opportunity to explore ancient environmental conditions that are rare or absent today but that might have influenced the early evolution of these photosynthetic ecosystems.     

Methods to obtain the principal parameters of simple attitude control systems for small satellites

The present article deals with methods to determine the dynamical characteristics of satellites with passive and semipassive attitude control systems (ACS). On the basis of determined dynamical characteristics the principal parameters of ACS are obtained. The ACS interacting with the geomagnetic are considered here. It's reputed the ACS of such kind are wide used and simple one. Analytical relationships of these characteristics with the basic attitude control system parameters are presented, and the most important peculiarities of such systems that were found while carrying out satellite dynamics analysis are discussed. The results of system parameters optimization with certain criteria are also given where possible. The results presented may be applied at the preliminary design phase of satellite development.     

Analysis of electromagnetic and electrostatic effects of particle impacts on spacecraft

Particle impacts on spacecraft can cause considerable damage, even leading to complete failure. A theory for the resulting vehicle potential changes and the electromagnetic radiation from impact-induced plasma has been published by Close et al. (2010). Here we compare this theory to impacts registered by the Radio and Plasma Wave Science instrumentation on the Cassini spacecraft. We study both low-velocity (16 km/s) large particles (2.6 μm radius) detected in Saturn’s rings and high-velocity (450 km/s) small particles (1 nm radius) in the solar wind. The agreement with the theory is quite good. We also apply these results to earth orbit and conclude that both Electrostatic Discharge and Electromagnetic Pulse radiation are likely and could lead to spacecraft failure.     

Lunar ground penetrating radar: Minimizing potential data artifacts caused by signal interaction with a rover body

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is the leading geophysical candidate technology for future lunar missions aimed at mapping shallow stratigraphy (<5 m). The instrument’s exploration depth and resolution capabilities in lunar materials, as well as its small size and lightweight components, make it a very attractive option from both a scientific and engineering perspective. However, the interaction between a GPR signal and the rover body is poorly understood and must be investigated prior to a space mission. In doing so, engineering and survey design strategies should be developed to enhance GPR performance in the context of the scientific question being asked. This paper explores the effects of a rover (simulated with a vertical metal plate) on GPR results for a range of heights above the surface and antenna configurations at two sites: (i) a standard GPR testing site with targets of known position, size, and material properties, and; (ii) a frozen lake for surface reflectivity experiments. Our results demonstrate that the GPR antenna configuration is a key variable dictating instrument design, with the XX polarization considered optimal for minimizing data artifact generation. These findings could thus be used to help guide design requirements for an eventual flight instrument.     

Modeling of the outer heliosphere with the realistic solar cycle

Time-dependent kinetic-continuum model of the solar wind interaction with the two-component local interstellar cloud (LIC) has been developed recently [Izmodenov, V., Malama, Y.G., Ruderman, M.S. Solar cycle influence on the interaction of the solar wind with local interstellar cloud. Astron. Astrophys. 429, 1069–1080, 2005a.]. Here, we adopted this model to the realistic solar cycle, when the solar wind parameters at the Earth’s orbit are taken from space data. This paper focuses on the results related to the termination shock (TS) excursion with the solar cycle that may help to understand Voyager 1 data obtained at and after the crossing of the termination shock and to predict the time of the TS crossing by Voyager 2.     

Multipath Channel Model for Over-Water Aeronautical Telemetry

A multipath propagation model for aeronautical telemetry over water at 8.0 GHz is presented. Data recorded during channel sounding experiments, conducted over the Pacific Ocean near Point Mugu, CA was used to model the multipath propagation. The modeling results show that a three-ray model consisting of line-of-sight propagation and two reflected propagation paths is a good fit for the measured channel frequency responses. One of the reflected propagation paths is a strong specular reflection determined by the geometry defined by the airborne transmitter, the ground-based receiver, and the sea surface. For the flight profiles used, the delay of this path is between 10 and 50 ns. The other propagation path is a more diffuse, random reflection whose amplitude is significantly smaller than the amplitude of the specular reflection and whose mean excess delay is 57 ns with an rms delay spread of 25 ns.     

Progress in demonstrating homochiral selection in prebiotic RNA synthesis

The dual properties of RNA as an enzyme catalyst (ribozyme) and its ability to store genetic information suggest that early life could have been based on RNA. We have synthesized RNA oligomers up to 50-mer chain lengths by Na⁺-montmorillonite catalyzed reactions of 5′-activated mononucleotides. For studying chiral selectivity, the reactions of racemic mixtures of D, L-ImpA and D, L-ImpU were carried out on Na⁺-montmorillonite. The dimer, trimer, tetramer and pentamer fractions (yields 43.3%, 14.5%, 5.8% and 3.0%, respectively) were investigated for homochiral selection. These products were collected via ion exchange HPLC, their terminal 5′-phosphate was cleaved by alkaline phosphatase and further analyzed by reverse phase HPLC. Twelve linear and three cyclic dimers were isolated and characterized. The homochirality of dimers was 63.5 ± 0.8%. Out of the sixteen trimers isolated, ten were homochiral with an overall homochirality of 74.2 ± 1.6%. The tetramers and pentamers were separated into 24 and 20 isomers, respectively. Their co-elution with those formed in the binary reactions of D-ImpA with D-ImpU on Na⁺-montmorillonite revealed 92.7 ± 2.0% and 97.2 ± 0.5% homochirality, respectively. These results suggest that Na⁺-montmorillonite not only catalyzes the prebiotic synthesis of RNA but it also facilitates homochiral selection. Work is in progress to determine chiral selectivity in the reaction mixtures of activated nucleotides of racemic A, U, G and C on Na⁺-montmorillonite.     

回归到朴素的真正艺术 《艺术家》影评

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