Analysis of a spacecraft life support system for a Mars mission

This report summarizes a trade study conducted as part of the Fall 2002 semester Spacecraft Life Support System Design course (ASEN 5116) in the Aerospace Engineering Sciences Department at the University of Colorado. It presents an analysis of current life support system technologies and a preliminary design of an integrated system for supporting humans during transit to and on the surface of the planet Mars. This effort was based on the NASA Design Reference Mission (DRM) for the human exploration of Mars [NASA Design Reference Mission (DRM) for Mars, Addendum 3.0, from the world wide web: http://exploration.jsc.nasa.gov/marsref/contents.html.]. The integrated design was broken into four subsystems: Water Management, Atmosphere Management, Waste Processing, and Food Supply. The process started with the derivation of top-level requirements from the DRM. Additional system and subsystem level assumptions were added where clarification was needed. Candidate technologies were identified and characterized based on performance factors. Trade studies were then conducted for each subsystem. The resulting technologies were integrated into an overall design solution using mass flow relationships. The system level trade study yielded two different configurations--one for the transit to Mars and another for the surface habitat, which included in situ resource utilization. Equivalent System Mass analyses were used to compare each design against an open-loop (non-regenerable) baseline system.     

Conversations with Sally Ride. Interview by Linda Voss

Sally Ride discusses her career after leaving the astronaut corps, particularly her company, Imaginary Lines, which encourages middle school-aged girls to pursue careers in science and mathematics.     

Physical simulation for low-energy astrobiology environmental scenarios

Speculations about the extent of life of independent origin and the potential for sustaining Earth-based life in subsurface environments on both Europa and Mars are of current and relevant interest. Theoretical modeling based on chemical energetics has demonstrated potential options for viable biochemical metabolism (metabolic pathways) in these types of environments. Also, similar environments on Earth show microbial activity. However, actual physical simulation testing of specific environments is required to confidently determine the interplay of various physical and chemical parameters on the viability of relevant metabolic pathways. This testing is required to determine the potential to sustain life in these environments on a specific scenario by scenario basis. This study examines the justification, design, and fabrication of, as well as the culture selection and screening for, a psychrophilic/halophilic/anaerobic digester. This digester is specifically designed to conform to physical testing needs of research relating to potential extent physical environments on Europa and other planetary bodies in the Solar System. The study is a long-term effort and is currently in an early phase, with only screening-level data at this time. Full study results will likely take an additional 2 years. However, researchers in electromagnetic biosignature and in situ instrument development should be aware of the study at this time, as they are invited to participate in planning for future applications of the digester facility.     

Biogenesis and early life on Earth and Europa: favored by an alkaline ocean?

Recent discoveries about Europa--the probable existence of a sizeable ocean below its ice crust; the detection of hydrated sodium carbonates, among other salts; and the calculation of a net loss of sodium from the subsurface--suggest the existence of an alkaline ocean. Alkaline oceans (nicknamed "soda oceans" in analogy to terrestrial soda lakes) have been hypothesized also for early Earth and Mars on the basis of mass balance considerations involving total amounts of acids available for weathering and the composition of the early crust. Such an environment could be favorable to biogenesis since it may have provided for very low Ca2+ concentrations mandatory for the biochemical function of proteins. A rapid loss of CO2 from Europa's atmosphere may have led to freezing oceans. Alkaline brine bubbles embedded in ice in freezing and impact-thawing oceans could have provided a suitable environment for protocell formation and the large number of trials needed for biogenesis. Understanding these processes could be central to assessing the probability of life on Europa.     

Lessons learned from the Space Flyer Unit (SFU) mission

The Space Flyer Unit (SFU) system and mission chronology are briefly introduced. Lessons learned from the SFU mission are categorized as programmatic and engineering lessons. In the programmatic category are dealt with both international and domestic collaborations. As for the engineering lessons safety design, orbital operation, in-flight anomaly, and post flight analyses are the major topics reviewed.     

The face inversion effect in microgravity: is gravity used as a spatial reference for complex object recognition?

Complex objects are better recognized under a specific orientation. When presented upside down, a face, even very familiar, is recognized with greater difficulty than when presented upright ("Inversion effect"). Up to now it was not possible to decide whether the direction provided by gravity or the one provided by the retina and the body constitutes the spatial reference involved in this "Inversion effect". Three cosmonautes learned photographed faces on the ground and had to recognize them both on ground and on flight. Other photographed faces were learned in flight and where presented for recognition on flight. Results show that the Inversion effect is still present on flight for faces that have been learned on ground as well as for those learned on flight. Persistence of the inversion effect in 0-G shows that gravity is not involved as a spatial reference in recognition of faces. Learning and recognition performances of faces learned in flight were significantly lower than performances for faces learned on ground. A possible role of gravity in configural processing, but not in the Inversion effect, is suggested.     

Solar Activity and the Climate of Prebaikalia

This paper presents convincing evidence for the reality of manifestations of solar variability in climate characteristics of the Prebaikalia. A numerical estimate is obtained of this influence on ground air temperature. It is shown that the main meaningful variations in air temperature in the region for the period1881-1960 were caused by solar activity. Since the 1960s till the present, with the influence of solar variability continuing, a clear-cut influence of another factor has been observed, the role of which has been steadily increasing, and in the hst decade it has now exceeded the contribution of solar variability. Research results on the variations in hydrological characteristics of Lake Baikal and the Angara river and their connection with solar activity are presented. It is shown that these characteristics are closely correlated with the duration of solar cycles.      

舰队弹道导弹计划（2）“北极星”蜕变

是的，在舰队弹道导弹计划发展进程中．那种高昂的士气贯穿始终。无论是一个技术难点，还是一次政府攻关；是在实验室的操作台前．还是会议上的每次讨论。那种团结是推动计划的原动力。     

一种用于测量谐振频率和Q值的数字系统

最近研制和测试了一种用于准确测量射频和微波谐振电路的谐振频率和Q值的计算机控制的自动系统。在此系统中,谐振曲线的拐点利用联机数字计算机通过数学计算过程进行识别,并利用它计算谐振频率和Q值。这个系统的主重优点是它的结果与谐振电路谐振频率的性能无关,与信号源的3dB点、幅度、频率漂移无关。也与检测器的不稳定性无关。设计、安装并测试了一种在1—2千兆赫之间工作的试验系统,用实验室小型计算机PDP11/34进行数据采集与处理以及对整个系统的控制。Q值的测量范围在100—1500之间,估计的谐振频率的不确定度为40ppm,Q值为1000的谐振电路的Q值的不确定度为百分之七。     

用于石英谐振器研究的频域反射计

本文介绍一种用于精确测量石英晶体谐振频率特性的调相频域反射计系统的概念和工作原理。反射计法容许被测晶体谐振器远置于一环境试验箱中;这系统还能同时而又单独地对任一给定晶体中发生的不同谐振模(例如,SC切晶体中的b模和c模谐振)进行频率测量。这一反射计技木主要适用于对谐振器进行以下基本研究:频率一温度特性的研究;滞后现象和热冲击效应的研究;幅度一频率因数和多模激励特性的研究以及核幅射效应的研究,等等。本仪器也可应用于晶体生产过程,包括自动化生产、测试以及质量控制等。