SPOT-2 and TOPEX/Poseidon precise orbit determination from DORIS doppler tracking

The French earth observation satellite SPOT-2 has served as a testbed for precise orbit determination from DORIS doppler tracking in anticipation of the TOPEX/Poseidon mission. Using the most up-to-data gravity field model, JGM-2, a radial orbit accuracy of about 2–9 cm was achieved, with an rms of fit of the tracking data of about 0.64 mm/s. Furthermore, it was found that the coordinates of the ground stations can be determined with an accuracy of the order of 2–5 cm after removal of common rotations, and translations.

Using a slightly different model for atmospheric drag, but the same gravity model, precise orbits of TOPEX/Poseidon from DORIS tracking data were determined with a radial orbit accuracy of the order of 4–5 cm, which is far within the 13 cm mission requirement. This conclusion is based on the analysis of 1-day overlap of successive 11-day orbits, and the comparisons with orbits computed from satellite laser tracking (SLR) and from the combination of SLR and DORIS tracking. Results indicate a consistency between the different orbits of 1–4 cm, 4–20 cm, and 6–13 cm in the radial, cross-track, and along-track directions, respectively. The residual rms is about 4–5 cm for SLR data and 0.56 mm/s for DORIS tracking. These numbers are roughly twice as large as the system noise levels, reflecting the fact that there are still some modeling errors left.     

Issues of exploration: human health and wellbeing during a mission to Mars.

Today, the tools are in our hands to enable us to travel away from our home planet and become citizens of the solar system. Even now, we are seriously beginning to develop the robust infrastructure that will make the 21st century the Century of Space Travel. But this bold step must be taken with due concern for the health, safety and wellbeing of future space explorers. Our long experience with space biomedical research convinces us that, if we are to deal effectively with the medical and biomedical issues of exploration, then dramatic and bold steps are also necessary in this field. We can no longer treat the human body as if it were composed of muscles, bones, heart and brain acting independently. Instead, we must lead the effort to develop a fully integrated view of the body, with all parts connected and fully interacting in a realistic way. This paper will present the status of current (2000) plans by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute to initiate research in this area of integrative physiology and medicine. Specifically, three example projects are discussed as potential stepping stones towards the ultimate goal of producing a digital human. These projects relate to developing a functional model of the human musculoskeletal system and the heart.     

Gravisensing: ionic responses, cytoskeleton and amyloplast behavior.

In Zea mays L., changes in orientation of stems are perceived by the pulvinal tissue, which responds to the stimulus by differential growth resulting in upward bending of the stem. Gravity is perceived in the bundle sheath cells, which contain amyloplasts that sediment to the new cell base when a change in the gravity vector occurs. The mechanism by which the mechanical signal is transduced into a physiological response is so far unknown for any gravity perceiving tissue. It is hypothesized that this involves interactions of amyloplasts with the plasma membrane and/or ER via cytoskeletal elements. To gain further insights into this process we monitored amyloplast movements in response to gravistimulation. In a pharmacological approach we investigated how the dynamics of plastid sedimentation are affected by actin and microtubule (MT) disrupting drugs. Dark grown caulonemal filaments of the moss Physcomitrella patens respond to gravity vector changes with a reorientation of tip growth away from the gravity vector. MT distributions in tip cells were monitored over time and MTs were seen to accumulate preferentially on the lower flank of the tip 30 min after a 90 degree turn. Using a self-referencing Ca2+ selective ion probe, we found that growing caulonemal filaments exhibit a Ca2+ influx at the apical dome, similar to that reported previously for other tip growing cells. However, in gravistimulated Physcomitrella filaments the region of Ca2+ influx is not confined to the apex, but extends about 60 micrometers along the upper side of the filament. Our results indicate an asymmetry in the Ca2+ flux pattern between the upper and side of the filament suggesting differential activation of Ca2+ permeable channels at the plasma membrane.     

Indirect search for Dark Matter with H.E.S.S.

Observations of the Galactic center region with the H.E.S.S. telescopes have established the existence of a steady, extended source of gamma-ray emission coinciding with the position of the super massive black hole Sgr A^*. This is a remarkable finding given the expected presence of dense self-annihilating Dark Matter in the Galactic center region. The self-annihilation process is giving rise to gamma-ray production through hadronization including the production of neutral pions which decay into gamma-rays but also through (loop-suppressed) annihilation into final states of almost mono-energetic photons. We study the observed gamma-ray signal (spectrum and shape) from the Galactic center in the context of Dark Matter annihilation and indicate the prospects for further indirect Dark Matter searches with H.E.S.S.     

A space radiation transport method development.

Improved spacecraft shield design requires early entry of radiation constraints into the design process to maximize performance and minimize costs. As a result, we have been investigating high-speed computational procedures to allow shield analysis from the preliminary design concepts to the final design. In particular, we will discuss the progress towards a full three-dimensional and computationally efficient deterministic code for which the current HZETRN evaluates the lowest-order asymptotic term. HZETRN is the first deterministic solution to the Boltzmann equation allowing field mapping within the International Space Station (ISS) in tens of minutes using standard finite element method (FEM) geometry common to engineering design practice enabling development of integrated multidisciplinary design optimization methods. A single ray trace in ISS FEM geometry requires 14 ms and severely limits application of Monte Carlo methods to such engineering models. A potential means of improving the Monte Carlo efficiency in coupling to spacecraft geometry is given in terms of re-configurable computing and could be utilized in the final design as verification of the deterministic method optimized design.     

The electrical Environment of the Earth's Atmosphere: A Review

The study of the electrical environment of the Earth's atmosphere has rapidly advanced during the past century. Great strides have been made towards the understanding of lightning and thunderstorms and in relating them to the global electric circuit. The electromagnetic fields and currents connect different parts of the Earth's environment, and any type of perturbation in one region affects another region. Starting from the traditional views in which the electrodynamics of one region has been studied in isolation from the neighboring regions, the modern theory of the global electrical circuit has been discussed briefly. Interconnection and electrodynamic coupling of various regions of the Earth's environment can be easily studied by using the global electric circuit model. Deficiencies in the model and the possibility of improvement in it have been suggested. Application of the global electric circuit model to the understanding of the Earth's changes of climate has been indicated.     

Lessons Learned: Solutions to "...It was a good idea at the time..."

One of the panel sessions at IECEC 2002 was entitled "...It seemed like a good idea at the time...". A few examples of the type of lessons learned by the author and sources for other vicarious experiences are provided.     

Detection of long-duration narrowband processes

Detecting long, weak signals that are narrowband but of unknown frequency structure is an important signal processing challenge, with many applications in remote sensing and process monitoring. An ad hoc scheme is developed. Its stages include the discrete Fourier transform (DFT), a multiresolution decomposition in the frequency domain, and a generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT). The computational load is light, and the performance is remarkably good. This is so not just in the original narrowband situation, but also, due to an inherent adaptivity to the data, in the detection of signals that are relatively broadband in nature. Generalizations are given to constant false alarm rate (CFAR) operation in both prewhitened and unwhitened cases, and to the detection of multiband signals. As regards the last, it is discovered that there is little loss from overestimating the number of bands