Microbial fuel cells applied to the metabolically based detection of extraterrestrial life

Since the 1970s, when the Viking spacecrafts carried out experiments to detect microbial metabolism on the surface of Mars, the search for nonspecific methods to detect life in situ has been one of the goals of astrobiology. It is usually required that a methodology detect life independently from its composition or form and that the chosen biological signature point to a feature common to all living systems, such as the presence of metabolism. In this paper, we evaluate the use of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for the detection of microbial life in situ. MFCs are electrochemical devices originally developed as power electrical sources and can be described as fuel cells in which the anode is submerged in a medium that contains microorganisms. These microorganisms, as part of their metabolic process, oxidize organic material, releasing electrons that contribute to the electric current, which is therefore proportional to metabolic and other redox processes. We show that power and current density values measured in MFCs that use microorganism cultures or soil samples in the anode are much larger than those obtained with a medium free of microorganisms or sterilized soil samples, respectively. In particular, we found that this is true for extremophiles, which have been proposed as potential inhabitants of extraterrestrial environments. Therefore, our results show that MFCs have the potential to be used for in situ detection of microbial life.     

Comparative survival analysis of Deinococcus radiodurans and the haloarchaea Natrialba magadii and Haloferax volcanii exposed to vacuum ultraviolet irradiation

The haloarchaea Natrialba magadii and Haloferax volcanii, as well as the radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, were exposed to vacuum UV (VUV) radiation at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory. Cell monolayers (containing 10(5) to 10(6) cells per sample) were prepared over polycarbonate filters and irradiated under high vacuum (10(-5) Pa) with polychromatic synchrotron radiation. N. magadii was remarkably resistant to high vacuum with a survival fraction of (3.77±0.76)×10(-2), which was larger than that of D. radiodurans (1.13±0.23)×10(-2). The survival fraction of the haloarchaea H. volcanii, of (3.60±1.80)×10(-4), was much smaller. Radiation resistance profiles were similar between the haloarchaea and D. radiodurans for fluences up to 150?J m(-2). For fluences larger than 150?J m(-2), there was a significant decrease in the survival of haloarchaea, and in particular H. volcanii did not survive. Survival for D. radiodurans was 1% after exposure to the higher VUV fluence (1350?J m(-2)), while N. magadii had a survival lower than 0.1%. Such survival fractions are discussed regarding the possibility of interplanetary transfer of viable microorganisms and the possible existence of microbial life in extraterrestrial salty environments such as the planet Mars and Jupiter's moon Europa. This is the first work to report survival of haloarchaea under simulated interplanetary conditions.     

推进剂供应系统增压过程仿真

在大型液体火箭推进系统中,推进剂供应系统对贮箱压力有着严格的要求,增压系统作为可靠性环节的关键系统,工作过程复杂,需要进行仿真分析和试验验证,以改进设计。应用系统仿真技术,对某推进剂供应系统的增压过程进行了仿真,仿真结果与试验情况基本吻合。仿真结果表明缓冲阀可以有效地抑制增压过程压力振荡。此外,系统增压时间不能低于17s。     

火箭残骸处理方式及风险控制

一般而言,火箭残骸包括飞行过程中再入大气层的部分,以及火箭与有效载荷分离之后进入太空的一部分箭体.火箭的结构体包括助推器、子级乃至整流罩,在发挥完各自作用后,都会在火箭飞行的不同阶段分离、掉落.火箭残骸的处理方式及风险控制是值得关注的话题. 一、残骸处理方式 根据火箭残骸分离时刻的速度和高度,可以把火箭残骸分为入轨和不...     

弯曲壁面流动分离及再附的尺度解析模拟

为准确预测弯曲壁面发生的流动分离及再附现象,基于模拟应力混合思想构建了新的RANS/LES混合框架,涡黏系数和湍动能耗散项中的长度尺度同步切换、涡解析区动态确定亚过滤尺度模型系数、采用混合过滤尺度匹配动态模型,并据此构造了k-ω基动态应力混合模型。首先利用槽道湍流检验了基准的亚过滤尺度模型和近壁RANS模型,前者解析获得了正确的湍流脉动近壁行为和相干结构,后者以很小代价捕捉到了雷诺应力分量的各向异性和松弛效应。随后利用周期性山算例考核了动态应力混合模型对分离再附湍流的预测精度,并与DDES,IDDES及SAS模型进行了对比。结果表明,三项改进使得动态应力混合模型具有近壁模拟能力且不存在对数律不匹配问题,涡解析能力优于DES类隐含的准代数模型,能够更好地捕捉压力梯度诱导的流动分离和再附,获得更为准确的壁面剪切应力、摩擦系数、压力系数、回流区,分离剪切层相干结构的分辨率更高。     

靶场标准化及自动化计划第二阶段

一、靶场背景 美国主要的航天发射场,包括东靶场(位于弗罗里达州卡纳维拉尔角)和西靶场(位于加利福尼亚州范登堡空军基地)起源于50年代,在随后的几十年内进行了逐步扩展和改进。直到前不久移交给空军空间司令部时,这些靶场才更多地用作研究和开发单位,而不只是操作运行单位。逐步改造使它们具备了支持发射新型航天器、弹道导弹以及逐步发展起来的     

大数据分析方法在风洞试验中的应用

针对风洞常规试验采用阶梯抽样采集的方法,得到的试验数据和信息较少,导致试验数据分析和试验故障分析困难的问题,尝试在风洞常规试验中构建起风洞试验大数据的采集、收集和分析处理平台,并利用大数据较强的洞察能力,助力风洞试验中的疑难问题的分析。主要通过将风洞采集方法改为连续采集试验全程数据,开发杂混数据的通用风洞试验数据处理程序,开发海量试验数据分析显示软件等步骤,搭建起风洞试验大数据综合处理系统。并通过此平台对风洞试验大数据进行挖掘计算,使隐含的有用信息显现出来,为试验数据和试验故障深入分析指明方向。该平台在2m量级的高速风洞试验中的应用表明,此系统实现了风洞试验全程全部试验数据信息的采集,实现了风洞试验大数据的处理分析和结果展示。通过大数据分析有助于快速理清常规试验中的疑难问题。通过对风洞传统采集、处理方法的改进,实现了风洞试验从传统的阶梯抽样采集的小数据时代到采集全部试验数据信息的大数据时代的转变。从风洞试验大数据中获取的频率、概率、相关关系等数据可以为故障的定位分析、事件因果关系的分析等提供有力的数据支持。     

NASA深空网（DSN）的现状及发展趋势

详细介绍了美国深空网的发展过程、目前的状况以及未来的主要发展计划。     

ETS—VI上搭载的用于S波段星间通信的星上轨道计算和跟踪系统

本文介绍了日本工程试验卫星-Ⅵ(ETS-Ⅵ,将于1992年发射)上的S波段星间通信设备(SIC)的星上轨道计算和跟踪系统。该星间通信设备有一副多波束相控阵天线,用54个移相器调整波束指向。根据星载微处理器的星上轨道计算结果来控制54个移相器,使波束指向任何所需的用户卫星。星间通信要求精确的星上波束指向,本文介绍了一种方法,可用于星上轨道计算并估计由系统所考虑的各摄动所引起的波束指向误差。     

指挥中心STS轨道器各系统飞行监视操作自动化

约翰逊航天中心任务操作部的主要任务是为空间运输系统提供地面保障和训练宇航员。随着轨道器飞行频度增加，而且航天计划日益成为国家的科技实用资源，用现有方法和设施提供高质量的保障，产品以及宇航员训练面临着极其严峻的挑战，为此正在进行几项工作，通过应用自动化技术（特别是在遥测监视和分析领域）减轻目前在训练有素的操作人员肩上的重担，利用由操作人员设计和开发的软件，分阶段引进多任务分布式工作站的工程也在顺利进