Experiments with the DAKON-M convection sensor

We have described an express technique for processing the results of experiments with a DAKON-M convection sensor on board the Service Module of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2011. The technique uses a certain rule to compare the sensor measurements with the calculated data on the quasistatic component of microacceleration at the point of installation. The sensor experiments have been conducted during shuttle docking and undocking, when low-frequency microaccelerations on the ISS were significant. The microaccelerations have been calculated using measurement data of the MAMS low-frequency accelerometer installed in the Lab module and the telemetry data on the ISS rotational motion. This has made it possible to convert the MAMS measurement data to the DAKON-M convection sensor installation point. A comparison of sensor readings with calculated microaccelerations has revealed fairly good agreement between them.     

Assistant systems for aircraft guidance: cognitive man-machine cooperation

This paper presents the concept of cognitive assistant systems which represents an approach to ensure the highest degree possible of situation awareness of the flight crew as well as a satisfactory workload level. This concept offers the solution to counteract susceptibility to pilot errors typical of lack of attention or other cognitive limitations. It is founded on cognitive system engineering. This technology enables a cockpit design in order to systematically comply with the requirements of ‘Human-Centred Automation (HCA)’. The underlying approach behind the concept has become real with the development of the cockpit assistant system prototype family CASSY/CAMA as described in this paper. CASSY/CAMA has been extensively tested in a flight simulator and successfully field tested with the ATTAS (Advanced Technologies Testing Aircraft System) of the DLR. Some of the test results with CAMA will be presented in this paper.     

Magnetic storm cessation during sustained northward IMF

Times of sustained strong northward IMF can interrupt the magnetic storm development and lead to lower levels of geomagnetic activity for many hours. During 1997–2000 we have found two events of this kind observed on November 8, 1998 and October 13, 2000. In both cases, the storms started as usual after arrival of ejecta with a southward IMF component from the Sun to the Earth, but ceased after several hours due to the onset of sustained northward IMF leading to the faster recovery process. After the passage of this so-called positive domain, the storm development started again. The heliospheric magnetic field intensity remained enhanced and nearly constant. The solar origins of the geomagnetic storm interruptions have been investigated. Tentatively they may be related to strong nonlinear Alfvйn type solitary waves excited by non-stationary coronal current variations with a characteristic time-scale of about a day.     

Providing the maximum cycle work as a promising direction in development of gas turbine plants

We consider a possibility of providing the equality of the maximum simple cycle work without energy losses caused by irreversibility of compression and expansion processes and the work of a complex cycle obtained from the simple cycle by introducing the intermediate heating under condition of the equality of effective efficiencies of the simple and complex cycles and an increase of the efficiency of the compression and expansion processes in prospect.     

Calculation and experimental investigation of mixture formation in a vortex mixer

The paper presents the investigation results for an ejection device of preliminary preparation of a fuel-air mixture for low emission combustion chambers. The process of mixture formation was simulated numerically. The experimental investigation of oxidant and gaseous fuel mixing was carried out and the characteristic dependences of the mixture concentration distribution in the exit section were obtained.     

Influence of longitudinal whole animal clinorotation on lens, tail, and limb regeneration in urodeles.

Two species of newts (Urodela) and two types of clinostats for fast clinorotation (60 rpm) were used to investigate the influence of simulated weightlessness on regeneration and to compare results obtained with data from spaceflight experiments. Seven or fourteen days of weightlessness in Russian biosatellites caused acceleration of lens and limb regeneration by an increase in cell proliferation, differentiation, and rate of morphogenesis in comparison with ground controls. After a comparable time of clinorotation the results obtained with Triturus vulgaris using a horizontal clinostat were similar to those found in spaceflight. In contrast, in Pleurodeles waltl using both horizontal and radial clinostats the results were contradictory compared to Triturus. We speculate that different levels of gravity or/and species specific thresholds for gravitational sensitivity could be responsible for these contradictory results.     

Microgravity effects on neural retina regeneration in the newt.

Data on forelimb and eye lens regeneration in urodeles under spaceflight conditions (SFC) have been obtained in our previous studies. Today, evidence is available that SFC stimulate regeneration in experimental animals rather than inhibit it. The results of control on-ground experiments with simulated microgravity suggest that the stimulatory effect of SFC is due largely to weightlessness. An original experimental model is proposed, which is convenient for comprehensively analyzing neural regeneration under SFC. The initial results described here concern regeneration of neural retina in Pleurodeles waltl newts exposed to microgravity simulated in radial clinostat. After clinorotation for seven days (until postoperation day 16), a positive effect of altered gravity on structural restoration of detached neural retina was confirmed by a number of criteria. Specifically, an increased number of Mullerian glial cells, an increased relative volume of the plexiform layers, reduced cell death, advanced redifferentiation of retinal pigment epithelium, and extended areas of neural retina reattachment were detected in experimental newts. Moreover, cell proliferation in the inner nuclear layer of neural retina increased as compared with control. Thus, low gravity appears to intensify natural cytological and molecular mechanisms of neural retina regeneration in lower vertebrates.     

Planetary protection program for Mars 94/96 mission.

Mars surface in-situ exploration started in 1975 with the American VIKING mission. Two probes landed on the northern hemisphere and provided, for the first time, detailed information on the martian terrain, atmosphere and meteorology. The current goal is to undertake larger surface investigations and many projects are being planned by the major Space Agencies with this objective. Among these projects, the Mars 94/96 mission will make a major contributor toward generating significant information about the martian surface on a large scale. Since the beginning of the Solar System exploration, planets where life could exist have been subject to planetary protection requirements. Those requirements accord with the COSPAR Policy and have two main goals: the protection of the planetary environment from influence or contamination by terrestrial microorganisms, the protection of life science, and particularly of life detection experiments searching extra-terrestrial life, and not life carried by probes and spacecrafts. As the conditions for life and survival for terrestrial microorganisms in the Mars environment became known, COSPAR recommendations were updated. This paper will describe the decontamination requirements which will be applied for the MARS 94/96 mission, the techniques and the procedures which are and will be used to realize and control the decontamination of probes and spacecrafts.     

An Experimental Study of the Effect of Vibrations on Supercritical Fluid Transfer Processes under Microgravity Conditions

On the basis of the data obtained in experiments onboard the Mirorbital complex (OC) in March and April 1999 with the ALICE-2 instrument, the influence of vibrations on heat propagation from a point-like source in the hexafluoride sulfur (SF₆) under supercritical parameters is analyzed. The appearance of two different heat propagation regimes is found: along and across the direction of vibrations. Upon the occurrence of the second-type regime, the heating region first stretches in the direction perpendicular to the direction of vibrations and then propagates at a rate typical for the undisturbed case. The temperature relaxation process is analyzed, which takes place near the heater after its turn-off. The relaxation rate grows as the intensity of vibrations increases and the initial temperature tends to the critical one. The determining dimensionless parameters of the problem are suggested.