ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) Science Ground Segment (SGS)

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) Science Ground Segment (SGS), comprised of payload Instrument Team, ESA and Russian operational centres, is responsible for planning the science operations of the TGO mission and for the generation and archiving of the scientific data products to levels meeting the scientific aims and criteria specified by the ESA Project Scientist as advised by the Science Working Team (SWT). The ExoMars SGS builds extensively upon tools and experience acquired through earlier ESA planetary missions like Mars and Venus Express, and Rosetta, but also is breaking ground in various respects toward the science operations of future missions like BepiColombo or JUICE. A productive interaction with the Russian partners in the mission facilitates broad and effective collaboration. This paper describes the global organisation and operation of the SGS, with reference to its principal systems, interfaces and operational processes.     

Thick galactic cosmic radiation shielding using atmospheric data

NASA is concerned with protecting astronauts from the effects of galactic cosmic radiation and has expended substantial effort in the development of computer models to predict the shielding obtained from various materials. However, these models were only developed for shields up to about 120 g/cm² in mass thickness and have predicted that shields of this mass thickness are insufficient to provide adequate protection for extended deep space flights. Consequently, effort is underway to extend the range of these models to thicker shields and experimental data is required to help confirm the resulting code. In this paper empirically obtained effective dose measurements from aircraft flights in the atmosphere are used to obtain the radiation shielding function of the Earth's atmosphere, a very thick, i.e. high mass, shield. Obtaining this result required solving an inverse problem and the method for solving it is presented. The results are shown to be in agreement with current code in the ranges where they overlap. These results are then checked and used to predict the radiation dosage under thick shields such as planetary regolith and the atmosphere of Venus.     

Roadmap to a human Mars mission

We propose a new roadmap for the preparation of the first human mission to Mars. This proposal is based on the work of ISECG and several recent recommendations on human Mars mission architectures. A table is proposed to compare the possible benefits of different preparatory missions. Particular attention is paid to the possibility of qualifying important systems thanks to a heavy Mars sample return mission. It is shown that this mission is mandatory for the qualification of Mars aerocapture at scale-1, EDL systems at scale 1 and Mars ascent. Moreover, it is a good opportunity to test many other systems, such as the heavy launcher and the transportation systems for the trips beyond LEO. These tests were not mentioned in the last ISECG report. This strategy is facilitated in the case of the simplified Mars mission scenarios that have recently been presented because it is suggested that relatively small vehicles with small crew sizes are used in order to optimize the payload mass fraction of the landing vehicles and to avoid the LEO assembly. An important finding of the study is that a human mission to the surface of the Moon is not required for the qualification of the systems of a human mission to Mars. Since affordability is a key criterion, two important missions are proposed in the roadmap. The first is a heavy Mars sample return mission and the second is a manned mission to a high Earth orbit or eventually to the vicinity of the Moon. It is shown that both missions are complementary and sufficient to qualify all the critical systems of the Mars mission.     

Spectroscopic data and Stark broadening of Cu I and Ag I spectral lines: Selection and analysis

Optical emission and linear laser absorption spectroscopy techniques were used in investigation of plasma with copper and silver admixture. The method of selection of spectral lines and spectroscopic data with the aim of diagnostics of multicomponent air plasma with two metal vapors admixture was developed. Energy level populations behavior on the Boltzmann plot were used for Cu I and Ag I spectroscopic data selection. In this way the selection of spectroscopic data for some of Cu I and Ag I lines was realized. Stark broadening parameters of Cu I and Ag I were examined. Experimentally obtained temperature and electron density radial distributions were used in the calculation of plasma composition in the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium. Linear laser absorption spectroscopy was used to examine the state of plasma.     

Stochastic processes for line shapes and intensities

Stochastic processes provide flexible and fast calculations for modeling dynamical interactions between an atom and charged particles. We use a stochastic renewal process for the plasma microfield being the cause of Stark broadening. The accuracy and improvement possibilities of Lyman profiles calculations with a renewal process are analyzed by comparing to ab initio simulations for ion broadening only. Stochastic processes may also be applied to out of equilibrium plasmas. We present our first results for the effect of Langmuir waves on a line broadened by electrons only, and for the changes of atomic populations submitted to strong temperature fluctuations.     

遗传算法综合阵列的幅度和相位方向图

分析了阵列方向图分别为对称、实的或实的且对称时所对应的单元激励关系,简要介绍了遗传算法,并将其用于阵列方向图综合.遗传算法是一种自适应全局优化概率搜索算法,它直接以目标函数作为搜索信息.通过合理地设计目标函数,遗传算法不仅可以综合幅度方向图,还可以综合相位,适合于需要进行幅度和相位补偿的情况,以及多目标的情况.最后,结合平顶波束方向图与抛物面天线初级馈源的正割平方方向图进行综合,证明了遗传算法的有效性和灵活性,说明使用遗传算法时尽量利用方向图的实的或对称特性,可以减少待优化变量的数目,加快收敛.并提出将传统遗传算法与传统方向图综合方法相结合,可以进一步减少得到最优解所需要的进化代数.     

捷联式天线稳定平台动力学建模与仿真分析

对于体积有限制的战术导弹应用,导引头天线伺服系统的体积受到严格限制,传统的速率陀螺稳定平台的应用受到挑战,为此提出采用捷联稳定方式来解决视线稳定问题.根据弹载捷联式天线平台的结构特点及稳定原理,应用坐标变换方法,完整地建立了两自由度捷联式天线平台的运动学与动力学模型.通过分析平台框架运动学耦合关系,表明捷联稳定方式与速率陀螺稳定方式的基本区别在于信息的获取和控制方式上,速率陀螺稳定方式是一种直接硬件稳定方法,而捷联稳定方式是一种软件补偿方法.在此基础上,对框架动力学耦合特性进行了数值仿真,结果表明:弹体对框架的耦合较强,需要进行弹体解耦,而框架之间的交叉耦合相对较弱,实际设计时可以忽略.所得结果为进一步研究捷联式天线稳定平台提供了理论基础,也为小型化导引头视线稳定平台系统的工程设计提供了一种解决方案.     

厚度和环境对复合涂层导电性能的影响

为了给数字化刻铣曲面频率选择表面(FSS)结构的制作和加工提供参考和依据,对比研究了含片状银粉颗粒的聚氨酯基和环氧树脂基2种复合导电涂层的基本性能,并通过环境加速试验,重点研究了温度、湿度以及腐蚀气氛对2种导电涂层的界面强度、微观结构和导电性能的影响.通过电桥法测量涂层表面电阻的变化,并通过扫描电境观察环境试验前后,涂层表面和剖面的微观结构和形貌变化.试验结果表明:聚氨酯基涂层的综合性能优于环氧树脂基涂层;在实验所涉及的参数变化范围内,环境因素对2种涂层与基体的界面结合影响不大,但对其导电性能的影响比较明显.环境因素对导电性能的削弱作用,源于相应过程中导电涂层的微观结构损伤.     

An economically viable space power relay system

This paper describes and analyzes the economics of a power relay system that takes advantage of recent technological advances to implement a system that is economically viable. A series of power relay systems are described and analyzed which transport power ranging from 1,250 megawatts to 5,000 megawatts, and distribute it to receiving sites at transcontinental distances.

Two classes of systems are discussed—those with a single reflector and delivering all the power to a single rectenna, and a second type which has multiple reflectors and distributes it to 10 rectenna sites, sharing power among them. It is shown that when offering electricity at prices competitive to those prevalent in developed cities in the US that a low IRR is inevitable, and economic feasibility of a business is unlikely. However, when the target market is Japan where the prevalent electricity prices are much greater, that an IRR exceeding 65% is readily attainable. This is extremely attractive to potential investors, making capitalization of a venture likely.

The paper shows that the capital investment required for the system can be less than $1 per installed watt, contributing less than 0.02 $/KW-hr to the cost of energy provision. Since selling prices in feasible regions range from 0.18 to over 030 $/kW-hr, these costs are but a small fraction of the operating expenses. Thus a very large IRR is possible for such a business.     

空间高阶差分近似对三维ADI-FDTD数值色散的影响

研究采用空间高阶差分近似的三维交替方向隐式时域有限差分法(ADI-FDTD,Alternating-Direction Implicit Finite-Difference Time-Domain)数值色散问题,首先推导了采用空间高阶差分近似的数值色散迭代公式,分别对最小相速方向和最大相速方向进行二阶、四阶、六阶、十阶空间差分数值色散误差的数值计算和比较,并分析数值色散对空间差分阶数的依赖关系,最后发现在均匀网格中采用四阶空间差分能得到较好的效果.