Dynamic Modelling of the Hipparcos Attitude

We present a new method for a high-accuracy reconstruction of the attitude for a slowly spinning satellite. This method, referred to as the fully-dynamic approach, explores the possibility to describe the satellite's attitude as that of a rigid body subject to continuous external torques. The method is tried out on the Hipparcos data and is shown to reduce the noise for the along-scan attitude reconstruction for that mission by about a factor two to three. The dynamic modelling is expected to give a more accurate representation of the satellite's attitude than was obtained with a pure mathematical modelling. As such, it decreases the degrees of freedom in the a posteriori reconstruction. Some of the decrease is obtained through accumulating and subsequently implementing information on high frequency components in the solar radiation torques, which show to be systematic and predictable. This could be expected, as they are primarily linked to the external geometry and optical properties of the satellite. In the context of an astrometric mission, the methods presented here can only be applied as a final iteration step: the star positions that are used to reconstruct the attitude are also part of the scientific objectives of the mission. An estimate for the potential of a re-reduction of the Hipparcos data using the fully-dynamic model for the attitude reconstruction was obtained from test reductions of the first 24 months of mission data. Improvement of the accuracies of the astrometric parameters for all stars brighter than Hp=9.0 appears possible. The noise on the astrometric parameters for these stars was affected significantly by the along-scan attitude noise, which dominated for stars brighter than Hp=4.5. The possible improvement for stars brighter than about Hp=4.5 may, after iterations, be as much as a factor three. The reduced noise levels also allow a more accurate calibration and monitoring of instrument parameters, leading potentially to a better understanding of the instrument and the scientific data obtained with it. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Case study of September 24–26, 1998 magnetic storm

We compute global magnetospheric parameters based upon solar wind data obtained from the WIND spacecraft upstream. Using the paraboloid magnetospheric model, calculations of the dynamic global magnetospheric current systems have been made. The solar wind dynamic pressure, the interplanetary magnetic field, the strength of the tail current, and the ring current control the polar cap and auroral oval size and location during the magnetic storm. The model calculations demonstrate that the polar cap and the auroral oval areas are mainly controlled by the tail current. The substorm onset at 0630 UT on September 25, 1998 happened near the minimum in the main phase field depression. The substorm expansion onset time is also marked by a sudden enhancement in the solar wind dynamic pressure and an enhancement in the tail current. The magnetic signatures of these two effects cancel each other, which explains why the D_st profile shows no strong time variation during the substorm. Evidence for the substorm expansion includes not only the signature in the AL index but also the strong asymmetry of the low latitude magnetic disturbances (substorm positive bay signature). Model calculations were checked by comparison with the GOES 8 and 10 magnetic field measurements.     

Numerical modelling of radiance of the presumed dust torus around Mars in the 0.350–1 μm spectral range

With the use of high performance liquid chromatography the products of abiogenic synthesis of adenine nucleotides in solid films were indentified and estimated quantitatively. The main products of photosynthesis appeared to be adenosine and deoxyadenosine monophosphates. Maximal yield of these products in case of adenosine has been 0.36 for 5′AMP, 0.41% for 2′(3′)AMP, 0.20 for 2′3′cAMP; in case of deoxyadenosine 0.13% for 5′dAMP, 0.15% for 3′dAMP, 0.24% for 3′5′cdAMP. The destruction of initial adenosine and deoxyadenosine by the end of the experiment was 10 and 15%, respectively. By the increasing of irradiation dose, 5′AMP and 5′dAMP synthesized in the cource of VUV photolysis were destructed up to adenine, its yield being 15% in both cases.     

Astronaut training for the European ISS contributions Columbus module and ATV

An essential part of increment preparation for the ISS is the training of the flight crews. Each international partner is responsible for the basic training of its own astronauts, where a basic knowledge is taught on space science and engineering, ISS systems and operations and general astronaut skills like flying, diving, survival, language, etc. The main parts of the ISS crew training are the Advanced Training, e.g., generic ISS operations; nominal and malfunction systems operations and emergencies, and the Increment-Specific Training, i.e., operations and tasks specific to a particular increment. The Advanced and Increment-Specific Training is multilateral training, i.e., each partner is training all ISS astronauts on its contributions to the ISS program. Consequently, ESA is responsible for the Basic Training of its own astronauts and the Advanced and Increment-Specific Training of all ISS crews after Columbus activation on Columbus Systems Operations, Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), and ESA payloads.

This paper gives an overview of the ESA ISS Training Program for Columbus Systems Operations and ATV, for which EADS Space Transportation GmbH is the prime contractor. The key training tasks, the training flow and the training facilities are presented.     

Women''s place in space exploration

A Mars manned space mission would be characterized by long-lasting psycho-social stress for its human participants. Based on the results of our and other authors' experiments with small human groups under simulated space stress conditions, and bearing in mind historical evidence of the changing role of women in human society, the differences of feminine and masculine cognitive patterns should be taken into greater account. Participation of women in astronautics should be reconsidered from the point of view of the roles of women as members of a space ship crew, as members of a space control centre and in relation to the family life of male astronauts on long-term space missions.     

小卫星星座自主定轨的论证与仿真

在建立星座自主定轨条件方程的基础上,对其求解的可行性进行了分析、论证和仿真计算。结果表明：在仅考虑一阶摄动理论的情况下,升交点赤经总是秩亏的,即使考虑更精密的摄动模型,其条件方程也近似病态。其它根数在很多情况下也有相关性。因此,为了最大限度地满足自主定轨的要求,在星座结构设计时应尽量考虑不同类型轨道的卫星。     

Graviperception in ciliates: steps in the transduction chain.

Ciliates represent suitable model systems to study the mechanisms of graviperception and signal transduction as they show clear gravity-induced behavioural responses (gravitaxis and gravikinesis). The cytoplasm seems to act as a "statolith" stimulating mechanosensitive ion channels in the cell membrane. In order to test this hypothesis, electrophysiological studies with Stylonychia mytilus were performed, revealing the proposed changes (de- or hyperpolarization) depending on the cell's spatial orientation. The behaviour of Paramecium and Stylonychia was also analyzed during variable acceleration conditions of parabolic flights (5th German Parabolic Flight Campaign, 2003). The corresponding data confirm the relaxation of the graviresponses in microgravity as well as the existence of thresholds of graviresponses, which are found to be in the range of 0.4xg (gravikinesis) and 0.6xg (gravitaxis).     

DNA structures and radiation injury.

In the present paper experimental results from radiobiological investigations of the sedimentation behaviour of damaged and restored DNA-subunits attached to the nuclear membrane have been summarized. The studies were carried out preferably with Chinese Hamster cells V79-4 irradiated with different kinds of radiation (gamma-rays, neutrons and carbon ions) using the nucleoid sedimentation technique. Single-strand breaks relax the supercoiled DNA in the subunits resulting in a decreased sedimentation velocity. Rejoining leads to a correct restoration of the structure as can be studied by means of postincubation irradiation. Double-strand breaks release DNA fragments, again leading to an increased sedimentation velocity. If the average number of the induced double-strand breaks per subunit increases to a number higher than one, the measured results suggest that the structures should not be restored completely. The results are compatible with a new repair model developed in our laboratory on the assumption that, firstly, the single DNA subunits are the sensitive target rather than the whole DNA and, secondly, the repair of DNA damage takes place independently in each subunit.     

Protozoa as model systems for the study of cellular responses to altered gravity conditions.

The orientation behavior of Paramecium changed in a similar way after transition to conditions of free-fall in a sounding rocket and after transition to conditions of simulated weightlessness on a fast rotating clinostat. After a period of residual orientation, Paramecium cells distributed themselves randomly 80 s (120 s) after onset of free-fall (simulated weightlessness). Swimming velocity increased significantly; however, the increase was transient and subsided after 3 min in the rocket experiments, while the velocity remained enhanced even during 2 h of rotation on a fast clinostat. Trichocysts were present and without morphological changes in Paramecium cells which had been exposed to a rocket flight, as well as to fast or slow rotation on a clinostat. Regeneration of the oral apparatus of Stentor and morphogenesis of Eufolliculina proceeded normally on the clinostat. The results demonstrate that the clinostat is a useful tool to simulate the conditions of weightlessness on earth and to detect gravisensitive cellular functions.