EXPOSE-E: an ESA astrobiology mission 1.5 years in space

The multi-user facility EXPOSE-E was designed by the European Space Agency to enable astrobiology research in space (low-Earth orbit). On 7 February 2008, EXPOSE-E was carried to the International Space Station (ISS) on the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) platform in the cargo bay of Space Shuttle STS-122 Atlantis. The facility was installed at the starboard cone of the Columbus module by extravehicular activity, where it remained in space for 1.5 years. EXPOSE-E was returned to Earth with STS-128 Discovery on 12 September 2009 for subsequent sample analysis. EXPOSE-E provided accommodation in three exposure trays for a variety of astrobiological test samples that were exposed to selected space conditions: either to space vacuum, solar electromagnetic radiation at >110?nm and cosmic radiation (trays 1 and 3) or to simulated martian surface conditions (tray 2). Data on UV radiation, cosmic radiation, and temperature were measured every 10?s and downlinked by telemetry. A parallel mission ground reference (MGR) experiment was performed on ground with a parallel set of hardware and samples under simulated space conditions. EXPOSE-E performed a successful 1.5-year mission in space.     

Survival of spores of the UV-resistant Bacillus subtilis strain MW01 after exposure to low-earth orbit and simulated martian conditions: data from the space experiment ADAPT on EXPOSE-E

In the space experiment "Molecular adaptation strategies of microorganisms to different space and planetary UV climate conditions" (ADAPT), bacterial endospores of the highly UV-resistant Bacillus subtilis strain MW01 were exposed to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and simulated martian surface conditions for 559 days on board the European Space Agency's exposure facility EXPOSE-E, mounted outside the International Space Station. The survival of B. subtilis MW01 spores from both assays (LEO and simulated martian conditions) was determined by a colony-formation assay after retrieval. It was clearly shown that solar extraterrestrial UV radiation (λ≥110?nm) as well as the martian UV spectrum (λ≥200?nm) was the most deleterious factor applied; in some samples only a few spore survivors were recovered from B. subtilis MW01 spores exposed in monolayers. However, if shielded from solar irradiation, about 8% of MW01 spores survived in LEO conditions, and 100% survived in simulated martian conditions, compared to the laboratory controls. The results demonstrate the effect of shielding against the high inactivation potential of extraterrestrial solar UV radiation, which limits the chances of survival of even the highly UV-resistant strain of B. subtilis MW01 in the harsh environments of outer space and the martian surface.     

Pervasive orbital eccentricities dictate the habitability of extrasolar earths

The long-term habitability of Earth-like planets requires low orbital eccentricities. A secular perturbation from a distant stellar companion is a very important mechanism in exciting planetary eccentricities, as many of the extrasolar planetary systems are associated with stellar companions. Although the orbital evolution of an Earth-like planet in a stellar binary system is well understood, the effect of a binary perturbation on a more realistic system containing additional gas-giant planets has been very little studied. Here, we provide analytic criteria confirmed by a large ensemble of numerical integrations that identify the initial orbital parameters leading to eccentric orbits. We show that an extrasolar earth is likely to experience a broad range of orbital evolution dictated by the location of a gas-giant planet, which necessitates more focused studies on the effect of eccentricity on the potential for life.     

Thyroid cell growth: sphingomyelin metabolism as non-invasive marker for cell damage acquired during spaceflight

Prolonged spaceflights are known to elicit changes in human cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems, whose functions are regulated by the thyroid gland. It is known that sphingomyelin metabolism is involved in apoptosis (programmed cell death) of thyroid cells induced by UVC radiation, but at present no data exists with regard to this phenomenon, which occurs during space missions. The aim of this study was to analyze, for the first time, the effect of spaceflight on the enzymes of sphingomyelin metabolism, sphingomyelinase, and sphingomyelin synthase, and to determine whether the ratio between the two enzymes might be used as a possible marker for thyroid activity during space missions. Both quiescent thyroid cells and thyroid cells stimulated to proliferate with thyrotropin (TSH) were cultured during the Eneide and Esperia missions on the International Space Station. The results show that during space missions the cells treated with TSH grew only 1.5?±?0.65-fold and, thus, behave similarly to quiescent cells, while on the ground the same cells, maintained in experimental conditions that reproduced those of the flight, grew 7.71?±?0.67-fold. Comparison of the sphingomyelinase/sphingomyelin-synthase ratio and the levels of Bax, STAT3, and RNA polymerase II in proliferating, quiescent, pro-apoptotic, or apoptotic cells demonstrated that thyroid cells during space missions were induced into a pro-apoptotic state. Given its specificity and the small amount of cells needed for analysis, we propose the use of the sphingomyelinase/sphingomyelin-synthase ratio as a marker of functional status of thyroid cells during space missions. Further studies could lead to its use in real time during prolonged spaceflights.     

Astrobiologically interesting stars within 10 parsecs of the sun

The existence of life based on carbon chemistry and water oceans relies upon planetary properties, chiefly climate stability, and stellar properties, such as mass, age, metallicity, and galactic orbits. The latter can be well constrained with present knowledge. We present a detailed, up-to-date compilation of the atmospheric parameters, chemical composition, multiplicity, and degree of chromospheric activity for the astrobiologically interesting solar-type stars within 10 parsecs of the Sun. We determined their state of evolution, masses, ages, and space velocities, and produced an optimized list of candidates that merit serious scientific consideration by the future space-based interferometry probes aimed at directly detecting Earthsized extrasolar planets and seeking spectroscopic infrared biomarkers as evidence of photosynthetic life. The initially selected stars number 33 solar-type within the total population (excluding some incompleteness for late M-dwarfs) of 182 stars closer than 10 parsecs. A comprehensive and detailed data compilation for these objects is still lacking; a considerable amount of recent data has so far gone unexplored in this context. We present 13 objects as the nearest "biostars," after eliminating multiple stars, young, chromospherically active, hard x-ray- emitting stars, and low metallicity objects. Three of these "biostars"-- Zeta Tucanae, Beta Canum Venaticorum, and 61 Virginis -- closely reproduce most of the solar properties and are considered as premier targets. We show that approximately 7% of the nearby stars are optimally interesting targets for exobiology.     

PAMIR—一种宽带相控阵SAR／MTI系统

在未来的各种监视侦察任务中，机载及星载成像雷达系统必须满足越来越严格的要求。下一代最高水平的合成孔径雷达(SAR)系统将具有高灵敏度地面动目标指示能力和多种复杂工作模式，其中包括高分辨率和远距离成像能力。只有通过运用可重构相控阵天线连同综合宽带系统设计以及多通道能力才能完成各种任务。在FGAN已经设想出一种新的X波段实验雷达，该雷达最终将被改进成拥有由16个自动可重构子孔径组成的电控相控阵，5个独立的接收通道和大约1．8GHz的总信号带宽。这种传感器叫做PAMIR(多功能相控阵成像雷达)。着重用实例说明远距离超高分辨率SAR成像。借助于地面动目标的逆SAR(ISAR)成像也能实现高分辨率。而且，通过空时自适应信号处理和超高3一D分辨率单向干涉SAR(IfSAR)，接收通道的数目将提供地面动目标指示(GMTI)。在一个接收通道和机械控制天线阵列的情况下，PAMIR在其现行发展阶段中是切实可行的。文章介绍了PAMIR的系统设计和预期能力，并提供了高分辨率SAR及ISAR成像的地面及机载实验结果。     

SPOT—4卫星HRVIR工程模型达标

对ＳＰＯＴ－４卫星上的高分辨率可见光／红外成像仪（ＨＲＶＩＲ）的测试目前已告一段落，全部指标均已达到。本文在一般性介绍这种多光谱相机之后，对探测装置、电子系统及探测器拼接及配准所需的相关设备做进一步详细的描述、突出强调新型短波红外通道的温控和机械设计的重要性及配准星上全部通道的优点。     

Simulation Tools for a Fiber-Optic Based Structural Health Monitoring System

Probability of detection(POD)graphics allow for a change from qualitative to quantitative assessment for every damage detection system,and as such it is a main request for conventional non-destructive testing(NDT)techniques.Its availability can greatly help towards the industrialization of the corresponding Structural health monitoring(SHM)system.But having in mind that for SHM systems the sensors are at fixed positions,and the location of a potential damage would change its detectability.Consequently robust simulation tools are required to obtain the model assisted probability of detection(MAPOD)which is needed to validate the SHM system.This tool may also help for the optimization of the sensor distribution,and finally will allow a probabilistic risk management.INDEUS,simulation of ultrasonic waves SHM system,was a main milestone in this direction.This article deals with the simulation tools for a strain based SHM system,using fiber optic sensors(FOS).FOS are essentially strain/temperature sensors,either with multi-point or with distributed sensing.The simulation tool includes the finite element model(FEM)for the original and damaged structure,and algorithms to compare the strain data at the pre-established sensors locations,and from this comparison to extract information about damage occurrence and location.The study has been applied to the structure of an all-composite unmanned aircraft vehicle(UAV)now under construction,designed at Universidad Politecnica de Madrid for the inspection of electrical utilities networks.Distributed sensing optical fibers were internally bonded at the fuselage and wing.Routine inspection is planned to be done with the aircraft at the test bench by imposing known loads.From the acquired strain data,damage occurrence may be calculated as slight deviations from the baselines.This is a fast inspection procedure without requiring trained specialists,and it would allow for detection of hidden damages.Simulation indicates that stringer partial debondings are detected before they become critical,while small delaminations as those produced by barely visible impact damages would require a prohibited number of sensing lines.These simulation tools may easily be applied to any other complex structure,just by changing the FEM models.From these results it is shown how a fiber optic based SHM system may be used as a reliable damage detection procedure.     

The Main Results and the Perspectives in the Researches at SSRT

In this report briefly presented the contemporary state of the experimental base of Radio Astrophysical Observatory (RAO) of the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP), the methodology of radioheliographic monitoring of the solar corona, the SSRT database, the RAO Web-pages, factors limiting the effective use of SSRT. Here are formulated the original results of the basic directions of the solar activity researches and the problems solutions on SSRT: (1) active regions at various development stages, morphology, modeling,signs of energy accumulation and flares buildup, forecast of powerful flares; (2) scenario, topology and the fine temporal picture of flares development, signs of primary energy release, radio emission mechanisms, scatter effects of radio emission in turbulent corona, energetic particles fluxes; (3) filaments; (4) CME with the localization of their initiation at the solar disk background, development scenario of filament activation + CME +flare; (5) coronal holes, and (6) bright coronal points.