VentureStar… reaping the benefits of the X-33 program

Major X-33 flight hardware has been delivered, and assembly of the vehicle is well underway in anticipation of its flight test program commencing in the summer of 1999. Attention has now turned to the operational VentureStar^TM, the first single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) reusable launch vehicle. Activities are grouped under two broad categories: (1) vehicle development and (2) market/business planning, each of which is discussed. The mission concept is presented for direct payload delivery to the International Space Station and to low Earth orbit, as well as payload delivery with an upper stage to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and other high energy orbits. System requirements include flight segment and ground segment. Vehicle system sizing and design status is provided including the application of X-33 traceability and lessons learned. Technology applications to the VentureStar^TM are described including the structure, propellant tanks, thermal protection system, aerodynamics, subsystems, payload bay and propulsion. Developing a market driven low cost launch services system for the 21st Century requires traditional and non-traditional ways of being able to forecast the evolution of the potential market. The challenge is balancing both the technical and financial assumptions of the market. This involves the need to provide a capability to meet market segments that in some cases are very speculative, while at the same time providing the financial community with a credible revenue stream. Furthermore, the market derived requirements need to be assessed so as not to impose unnecessary requirements on the vehicle design that add unreasonable cost to the development of the system, yet provides the right capabilities for new markets that could be triggered by dramatically lower space transportation prices.     

Function,geometry and spatial prepositions: Three experiments

In this paper the results of three experiments are reported whichaddress the issue of the relative extent to which functionalrelations versus geometric relations affect spatial language. Theexperiments examine the role of a discourse context on the useand rating of the preposition in to describe a visual scenewhere the constraint of spatial containment between figure(object located) and ground (reference object) does not hold. Allthree experiments demonstrate that in is used more andrated to be significantly more appropriate in a functionalcontext than in a no context condition. The implications of thesestudies for spatial language and spatial representation arediscussed.     

Changes in organ perfusion and weight ratios in post-simulated microgravity recovery

Head-down tilt models have been used as ground-based simulations of microgravity. Our previous animal research has demonstrated that there are significant changes in fluid distribution within 2 h after placement in a 45 degrees head-down tilt (45HDT) position and these changes in fluid distribution were still present after 14 days of 45HDT. Consequently, we investigated changes in fluid distribution during recovery from 16 days of 45HDT. Changes in radioactive tracer distribution and organ/body weight ratio were examined in rats randomly assigned to a 45HDT or prone control group. The 45HDT rats were suspended for 16 days and then allowed to recover at the prone position 0, 77, 101, or 125 h post-suspension. Animals were injected with technetium-labeled diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (99mTcDTPA, MW=492 amu, physical half-life of 6.02 h) and then killed 30 min post-injection. Lungs, heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and brain were harvested, weighed, and measured for radioactive counts. Statistical analyses included two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) that compared 45HDT versus controls at the four experimental time points. The organ weight divided by the body weight ratio for the brain, heart, kidneys and liver in the 45HDT rats was significantly different than the control rats, regardless of time (treatment). There was no difference between the different time points (time). The average 99mTcDTPA count divided by the organ weight ratio values for the heart, liver, and spleen were significantly higher in the 45HDT group than the control group. The average counts for the heart and spleen were significantly higher at 77, 101, and 125 h than at time zero. We conclude that the major organs have different recovery patterns after 45HDT for 16 days in the rat.     

Women and couples in isolated extreme environments: applications for long-duration missions

Expedition teams provide a number of analogs relevant to crew selection for long-duration space missions. Three groups were studied that varied in team composition. Group 1 was a two woman international dyad that traversed the Antarctic continent in 97 days. Similarities in problem solving approach, respect for each other's opinions, and a collaborative process of decision making were evident. Group 2 was composed of four women, all from different countries, engaged in a six week trek across Greenland. The most important factors in overcoming interpersonal difficulties and contributing to the successful completion of the expedition were mutual respect and motivation to maintain positive and supportive relationships. Group 3 consisted of three married couples from different countries icelocked on a boat in the High Arctic for a 9 month period. The emotional support of and ability to confide in their partner were extremely important in alleviating interpersonal tensions, and contributed to the generally effective functioning of the group. Women add an element of emotional support and help to other team members that is not as evident in all-male groups. Selection of couples with strong bonds to each other is another paradigm for crew selection for extended missions.     

System identification of dynamic closed-loop control of total peripheral resistance by arterial and cardiopulmonary baroreceptors.

Prolonged exposure to microgravity in space flight missions (days) impairs the mechanisms responsible for defense of arterial blood pressure (ABP) and cardiac output (CO) against orthostatic stress in the post-flight period. The mechanisms responsible for the observed orthostatic intolerance are not yet completely understood. Additionally, effective counter measures to attenuate this pathophysiological response are not available. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of our proposed system identification method to predict closed-loop dynamic changes in TPR induced by changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and right atrial pressure (RAP). For this purpose we designed and employed a novel experimental animal model for the examination of arterial and cardiopulmonary baroreceptors in the dynamic closed-loop control of total peripheral resistance (TPR), and applied system identification to the analysis of beat-to-beat fluctuations in the measured signals. Grant numbers: NAG5-4989.     

Strategies for telecommunications and navigation in support of Mars exploration

The planned exploration of Mars will pose new and unique telecommunications and navigation challenges. The full range of orbital, atmospheric, and surface exploration will drive requirements on data return, energy-efficient communications, connectivity, and positioning. In this paper we will summarize the needs of the currently planned Mars exploration mission set, outline design trades and options for meeting these needs, and quantify the specific telecommunications and navigation capabilities of an evolving infrastructure.     

Intelsat's next generation satellite for the Americas

In order to meet the growing demand for high performance C- and Ku-Band services in the Americas, INTELSAT contracted with Astrium in February 2000 to procure a high capacity communications spacecraft for its 310°E operational location. The spacecraft platform is based on Astrium's next generation platform, the Eurostar 3000. Several new technologies such as integrated Data Handling System, Plasma Propulsion System, etc. are integral features of this platform. The communication payload comprises 36 C-Band and 20 high power Ku-Band transponders. The beam coverages are tailored for the 310°E orbital location and are implemented using a hybrid shaped antenna design approach, where multiple C-Band coverages are generated from a single shaped reflector utilizing a pair of Tx/Rx feed horns for each coverage. The Ku-Band coverages are generated by the classical dual Gregorian shaped reflector antenna design approach. With a total dry mass on the order of 2650 kg and a separated launch mass of 5400 kg, the spacecraft is compatible with most of the available launch vehicles providing mission life of greater than 13 years. The paper will provide technical details of the spacecraft.     

Brines in seepage channels as eluants for subsurface relict biomolecules on Mars?

Water, vital for life, not only maintains the integrity of structural and metabolic biomolecules, it also transports them in solution or colloidal suspension. Any flow of water through a dormant or fossilized microbial community elutes molecules that are potentially recognizable as biomarkers. We hypothesize that the surface seepage channels emanating from crater walls and cliffs in Mars Orbiter Camera images results from fluvial erosion of the regolith as low-temperature hypersaline brines. We propose that, if such flows passed through extensive subsurface catchments containing buried and fossilized remains of microbial communities from the wet Hesperian period of early Mars (approximately 3.5 Ga ago), they would have eluted and concentrated relict biomolecules and delivered them to the surface. Life-supporting low-temperature hypersaline brines in Antarctic desert habitats provide a terrestrial analog for such a scenario. As in the Antarctic, salts would likely have accumulated in water-filled depressions on Mars by seasonal influx and evaporation. Liquid water in the Antarctic cold desert analogs occurs at -80 degrees C in the interstices of shallow hypersaline soils and at -50 degrees C in salt-saturated ponds. Similarly, hypersaline brines on Mars could have freezing points depressed below -50 degrees C. The presence of hypersaline brines on Mars would have extended the amount of time during which life might have evolved. Phototrophic communities are especially important for the search for life because the distinctive structures and longevity of their pigments make excellent biomarkers. The surface seepage channels are therefore not only of geomorphological significance, but also provide potential repositories for biomolecules that could be accessed by landers.