Beagle 2: a proposed exobiology lander for ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission.

The aim of the proposed Beagle 2 small lander for ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission is to search for organic material on and below the surface of Mars and to study the inorganic chemistry and mineralogy of the landing site. The lander will have a total mass of 60kg including entry, descent, and landing system. Experiments will be deployed on the surface using a robotic arm. It will use a mechanical mole and grinder to obtain samples from below the surface, under rocks, and inside rocks. Sample analysis by a mass spectrometer will include isotopic analysis. An optical microscope, an X-ray spectrometer and a Mossbauer spectrometer will conduct in-situ rock studies.     

The Solar Isotope Spectrometer for the Advanced Composition Explorer

The Solar Isotope Spectrometer (SIS), one of nine instruments on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), is designed to provide high- resolution measurements of the isotopic composition of energetic nuclei from He to Zn (Z=2 to 30) over the energy range from ∼10 to ∼100 MeV nucl−1. During large solar events SIS will measure the isotopic abundances of solar energetic particles to determine directly the composition of the solar corona and to study particle acceleration processes. During solar quiet times SIS will measure the isotopes of low-energy cosmic rays from the Galaxy and isotopes of the anomalous cosmic-ray component, which originates in the nearby interstellar medium. SIS has two telescopes composed of silicon solid-state detectors that provide measurements of the nuclear charge, mass, and kinetic energy of incident nuclei. Within each telescope, particle trajectories are measured with a pair of two-dimensional silicon-strip detectors instrumented with custom, very large-scale integrated (VLSI) electronics to provide both position and energy-loss measurements. SIS was especially designed to achieve excellent mass resolution under the extreme, high flux conditions encountered in large solar particle events. It provides a geometry factor of ∼40 cm2 sr, significantly greater than earlier solar particle isotope spectrometers. A microprocessor controls the instrument operation, sorts events into prioritized buffers on the basis of their charge, range, angle of incidence, and quality of trajectory determination, and formats data for readout by the spacecraft. This paper describes the design and operation of SIS and the scientific objectives that the instrument will address. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Improvement of forebody/inlet integration for hypersonic vehicle

Results of a numerical (CFD) study of the influence of the forebody shape on local flow parameters at a bottom-mounted inlet entrance are presented. The free-stream Mach number is assumed to be 3.5–7.0. Some recommendations on forebody shape optimization are provided. Main characteristics of the air inlet are evaluated.     

Study of physiological effects of weightlessness and artificial gravity in the flight of the biosatellite Cosmos-936.

In the 18.5-day flight of the Soviet biosatellite Cosmos-936 (3-22, August 1977) com-parative investigations of the physiological effects of prolonged weightlessness (20 rats) and artificial gravity of 1 g (10 rats) were carried out. Throughout the flight artificial gravity was generated by means of animal rotation in two centrifuges with a radius of 320mm. Postflight examination of animals and treatment of the flight data were performed by Soviet scientists in collaboration with the specialists from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, Rumania, France and the U.S.A. During the flight the total motor activity of the weightless rats was higher and their body temperature was lower than those of the centrifuged animals. Postflight examination of the weightless rats showed a greater percentage of errors during maze an increase in water intake and a decrease in diuresis; a fall of the resistance of peripheral red cells; an increase in the conditionally pathogenic microflora in the mouth; a decrease of oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production and energy expenditures; a drop in the static physical endurance; a decline in the capacity to keep balance on the rail; an increase in the latent period of the lifting reflex, etc. The centrifugal animals displayed lesser or no change of the above type. These findings together with the biochemical and morphological data give evidence that during and after flight adaptive processes in the centrifuged rats developed better.     

Communications and radio determination system using twogeostationary satellites. I. System and experiments

We developed two types of hybrid terminals that can provide both satellite communication and position determination services in one system. One terminal uses the single channel per carrier (SCPC) technique and the other uses the spread spectrum (SS) technique. To evaluate the performance of the two systems, we carried out experiments in Japan and in the Pacific Ocean using two geostationary satellites, ETS-V (150°E) and Inmarsat (180°E). The ranging accuracy between the mobile terminals and the base station via the satellites was found to be about 200 m using the SCPC system and about 10 m using the SS system. The measured positioning accuracy was about 1 km in the SCPC system and about 600 m in the SS system when experiments were carried out near Japan. The experimental results show that the positioning errors were mainly caused by the orbital determination errors of the two satellites. Presented here are the configurations and features of the SCPC and SS terminals, the experimental system, and the experimental results     

A method of technologic audit of technical re-equipment projects in aircraft production enterprises

A method of technologic audit for technical re-equipment of enterprises is considered. The method developed is intended to verify technological solutions of projects of technical re-equipment of enterprises according to indicators of productivity.     

Definition of Wingtip Devices Shape and Dimensions for a Subsonic Airliner

The results of flow field numerical simulation on the typical wing-body prototype of the modern DLR-F4 airliner under sub- and transonic compressible air flow are presented. Using the DLR-F4 CAD model, the effect of the wingtip end plate area and of the cant angle of a typical Whitcomb winglet is studied. The dependencies of the model lift-to-drag ratio increment on the flat wingtip end plate relative area and on the cant angle of an airfoil Whitcomb winglet are obtained. The concept of an elliptic winglet with a variable cant angle that similar to the winglet used on Airbus A350 is studied. A technique is developed for solving the multi-parameter design optimization task for the Whitcomb winglet, taking the maximum lift-to-drag ratio of the wing as a criterion for optimization.     

Parametric Identification of a Return Space Vehicle during Vertical Landing

Real values of parameters for a space vehicle and its steering devices are specified by using the motion parameters measured in flight based on solving the differential equations of motion.     

Near-infrared study of open clusters Teutsch 10 and Teutsch 25

The astrophysical parameters have been estimated for two unstudied open star clusters Teutsch 10 and Teutsch 25 using the Two Micron All Sky Survey ($2\mathit{MASS}$) database. Radius is estimated as 4.5 arcmin for both clusters using radial density profiles. We have estimated proper motion values in both RA and DEC directions as $2.28\pm 0.3$ and $-0.38\pm 0.11$?mas?yr^?1 for Teutsch 10 and $0.48\pm 0.3$ and $3.35\pm 0.16$?mas?yr^?1 for Teutsch 25 using $\mathit{PPMXL}$¹ catalog. By estimating the stellar membership probabilities, we have identified 30 and 28 most likely members for Teutsch 10 and Teutsch 25 respectively. We have estimated the reddening as $E(B-V)=0.96\pm 0.3$?mag for Teutsch 10 and $0.58\pm 0.2$?mag for Teutsch 25, while the corresponding distances are $2.4\pm 0.2$ and $1.9\pm 0.1$?kpc. Ages of $70\pm 10$?Myr for Teutsch 10 and $900\pm 100$?Myr for Teutsch 25 are estimated using the theoretical isochrones of metallicity Z?=?0.019. The mass function slopes are derived as $1.23\pm 0.30$ and $1.09\pm 0.35$ for Teutsch 10 and Teutsch 25 respectively. Estimated mass function slope for both the clusters are close to the Salpeter value ($x=1.35$) within the errors. Estimated values of dynamical relaxation time are found to be less than cluster’s age for these objects. This concludes that both objects are dynamically relaxed. The possible reason for relaxation may be due to dynamical evolution or imprint of star formation or both.     

Kink mode m = 1 in magnetic tube with discontinuous magnetic field

In this paper, we study conditions of realization and stability of kink modes with azimuthal wave numbers $m=\pm 1$ in cylindrical plasma flex with twisted magnetic field and homogeneous current along its axis. We assume permanent axial magnetic field both inside and outside the flex, surrounded by currentless plasma. Azimuthal magnetic field decreases inversely proportional to the distance from the boundary beyond the flex. We derived dispersion equations for stable and unstable modes in approximation of “thin” plasma flex. The analysis of equations has been provided for the case of discontinuous axial magnetic field on flex’s boundary. Conditions of propagation of wave modes have been defined. It was shown, that unstable modes can be implemented in certain interval of longitudinal wavenumbers. Results can be applied for the interpretation of solar magnetic tubes behavior, using measurements, provided by spacecrafts.