Remote assistance experiment during the manned space flight Altair

This remote assistance trial, performed within the framework of the manned space flight Altaïr, was carried out by CADMOS (CNES), with the cooperation of the Sub-directorate of CNES Operational Systems, Medes, LBM of Tours and Christol Consultants. It consisted of supplying the cosmonaut performing the Orthostatism experiment (echograph acquisition) on board the Mir station with realtime assistance by an expert (LBM of Tours) working from the ground on the CADMOS premises. The various steps of the approach followed during the preparation phase are described, as well as the technical means of communication used between the Mir station and CADMOS.     

Main medical results of extended flights on space station Mir in 1986-1990

During 1986-1990 seven prime spacecrews (16 cosmonauts) have flown on-board the Mir orbital complex. The longest space mission duration was 366 days The principal objectives of the medical tasks were the maintenance of good health and performance of the spacecrews and conducting medical research programs which included study of the cardiovascular, motor, endocrine, blood, immune, and metabolic systems. Results obtained point to the ability of humans to readily adapt to a year-long stay in space and maintain good health and performance. Readaptation had a similar course as after other previous long-term space flights of up to 8 months in duration. Primary body system changes were not qualitatively different from findings after flights aboard the Salyut 6 and 7 space stations. In this case, during and after an 11-12 month flight, body system alterations were even less severe which was a result of adequate countermeasure use, their systematic and creative employment and maintenance of required environments to support life and work in space.     

谈谈航天企业标准化信息数字化服务

阐述了在当今信息时代开展标准化信息数字化服务的必要性与意义,分析了航天企业标准化信息服务工作的现状,提出了航天企业标准化信息数字化服务工作的建议与设想。     

Electrostatic Noise Spectrum at the Electron Cyclotron Frequency and Electromagnetic Emission in the Inhomogeneous Plasma of the Topside Ionosphere

Measurements of the wave emission of the topside ionosphere made onboard the APEX satellite using the electric component of the wave field in the 0.1–10 MHz frequency band are presented. At middle latitudes a wave intensity decrease was observed in the broad-band spectrum of the electrostatic noise at the electron cyclotron frequency. It is shown that a break in the spectrum of electrostatic modes at the electron cyclotron frequency (the absence of the plasma eigen-frequencies) may be a cause of the observed effect. The increase of the intensity at the electron cyclotron frequency in the ionospheric trough and at latitudes above the trough region as compared to middle latitudes may be explained by the capture by plasma irregularities of the electromagnetic emission of the auroral electron fluxes.__________Translated from Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 43, No. 3, 2005, pp. 201–208.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Izhovkina, Prutensky, Pulinets, Kiraga, Klos, Rothkael.     

A new method of determining the spectral index for protons in the energy range about 10<Superscript>13</Superscript> eV

We consider a relationship between the difference in spectral indices of the spectra of single hadrons and all hadrons (_sngl – _h) and the difference in the indices of the spectra of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) protons and nuclei. It is demonstrated that at the mountain level the ratio (_p – _Z)/(_sngl – _h) is always larger than unity, if (_sngl – _h) > 0.1. From the experimental value _sngl – _h = 0.4 ± 0.05 we derive that, in the vicinity of E = 10 TeV, _p – _Z 0.49 ± 0.06 , i.e., _p 3.09 ± 0.06.__________Translated from Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 43, No. 2, 2005, pp. 83–87.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Grigorov, Tolstaya.     

Flow of a water jet into vacuum

At certain intervals excess water has to be dumped into space overboard of the Spacelab cabin. For the development of a useful nozzle the behaviour of a water jet flowing into vacuum was investigated experimentally and theoretical interpretations of the flow phenomena which were found are given. The influence of parameters like the shape of the nozzle, the temperature and the gas content of water were studied. At certain test conditions, the jet leaves the nozzle exit in bundled form and ends abruptly bursting into droplets and ice-particles. The “bursting”-mechanism is explained by a sudden boiling of the water in the jet causing the growth of vapor bubbles decomposing the jet. The formation of vapor bubbles is initiated by a superheating of the water of the jet caused by a sudden pressure drop and a cooling at the surface of the jet. The expansion of vapor bubbles in the jet is retarded by surface tension forces which results in a relaxation time for the bursting of the jet. The vapor flow in radial directions of the jet is approximately described by a plane radial source flow. The measurement of the pitot-pressure radially to the jet proves that the vapor flow is supersonic.     

Mineral and nitrogen balance study: results of metabolic observations on Skylab II 28-day orbital mission

Prediction that the various stresses of flight, particularly weightlessness, would bring about significant derangements in the metabolism of the musculoskeletal system has been based on various observations of long-term immobilized or inactive bed rest. The only attempt at controlled measurement of metabolic changes in space prior to Skylab, a study during the 14-day Gemini VII flight, revealed rather modest losses of important elements. The three astronauts of Skylab II consumed a planned day-by-day, quite constant, dietary intake of major metabolic elements in mixed foods and beverages and provided virtually complete collections of excreta for 31 days preflight, during the 28 days inflight, and for 17 days postflight. Analyses showed that, in varying degree among the crewmen, urinary calcium increased gradually during flight in a pattern similar to that observed in bed-rest studies: the mean plateau peak of urinary calcium excretion in the latter part of flight was double preflight levels. Fecal calcium excretion did not change significantly, but calcium balance, owing to the urinary calcium rise, became either negative or less positive than in preflight measurement. Increased excretion and negative balance of nitrogen and phosphorus indicated appreciable loss of muscle tissue in all three crewmen. Significant losses also occurred inflight in potassium, sodium, and magnesium. Based on the similarity in pattern and degree between these observations and those in bed rest of the losses in calcium, phosphorus, and nitrogen, musculoskeletal integrity would not be threatened in space flights of up to at least 3 months. However, if similar changes occur, indicative of continuing losses of these elements, in the planned Skylab flights for considerably more than 28 days, concern for capable musculoskeletal function should be serious for flights of very many months' duration, and greater research attention will need to be given to development of protective counter-measures.     

Choroidal responses in microgravity. (SLS-1, SLS-2 and hindlimb-suspension experiments)

Fluid and electrolyte shifts occuring during human spaceflight have been reported and investigated at the level of blood, cardio-vascular and renal responses. Very few data were available concerning the cerebral fluid and electrolyte adaptation to microgravity, even in animal models. It is the reason why we developed several studies focused on the effects of spaceflight (SLS-1 and SLS-2 programs, carried on NASA STS 40 and 56 missions, which were 9- and 14-day flights, respectively), on structural and functional features of choroid plexuses, organs which secrete 70–90 % of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and which are involved in brain homeostasis. Rats flown aboard space shuttles were sacrificed either in space (SLS-2 experiment, on flight day 13) or 4–8 hours after landing (SLS-1 and SLS-2 experiments). Quantitative autoradiography performed by microdensitometry and image analysis, showed that lateral and third ventricle choroid plexuses from rats flown for SLS-1 experiment demonstrated an increased number (about x 2) of binding sites to natriuretic peptides (which are known to be involved in mechanisms regulating CSF production). Using electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry, we studied the cellular response of choroid plexuses, which produce cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in brain lateral, third and fourth ventricles. We demonstrated that spaceflight (SLS-2 experiment, inflight samples) induces changes in the choroidal cell structure (apical microvilli, kinocilia organization, vesicle accumulation) and protein distribution or expression (carbonic anhydrase II, water channels,…). These observations suggested a loss of choroidal cell polarity and a decrease in CSF secretion. Hindlimb-suspended rats displayed similar choroidal changes. All together, these results support the hypothesis of a modified CSF production in rats during long-term (9, 13 or 14 days) adaptations to microgravity.     

The ethics of treading on Neil Armstrong''s footprints

The Moon landings of the Apollo programme irrevocably changed the way we see ourselves. Most significantly, this was the first time that humans had set foot on a celestial body other than Earth. The program has left a number of sites on the Moon as well as on Earth. While the management of the sites and artefacts on Earth is fairly straightforward as they are subject to national heritage legislation, it is not so simple with the sites and artefacts on the lunar surface. Moreover, the sites on the Moon differ in one unique aspect from all other heritage sites on Earth: the absence of a lunar atmosphere of any note means that all foot- and track prints of the astronauts are preserved providing a total record of the pioneering phases of human exploration of the Moon. The nascent developments of space tourism, including proposals for lunar heritage tourism, however, threaten the preservation of these traces on the Moon. This paper discusses the terrestrial and in particular the extraterrestrial heritage of the Apollo programme. Set out are the management ethics that need to apply on the lunar surface if this unique heritage is to have a future.     

Precipitating Protons and Their Role in Ionization of the Polar Ionosphere

Spatial distributions of the electron density in the latitude range 60°–90° N were calculated on the basis of a physical model of the E and lower Fregions of the high-latitude ionosphere using statistical models of auroral proton and electron precipitation. It is shown that precipitating protons can play the key role in the ionization of the Eregion in the dusk and midnight sectors of the auroral oval. However, quantitative estimates of the contribution of protons to the ionization depend on the used statistical models of electron precipitation. Comparison of the electron density profiles calculated for two incoherent scatter radars, EISCAT (Tromsö) and ESR (Svalbard), for simultaneous precipitation of electrons and protons and for electron precipitation only show that the influence of protons is the most significant in the dusk sector over the EISCAT radar and in the midnight sector over the ESR radar. The results presented indicate the need to take protons into account when radar data are used to derive precipitating electron spectra.