The biological effectiveness of HZE-particles of cosmic radiation studied in the Apollo 16 and 17 Biostack experiments

The Biostack experiments I and II were flown on board the Apollo 16 and 17 command modules in order to obtain information on the biological damage produced by the bombardment of heavy high-energy (HZE) particles of cosmic radiation during spaceflight. Such data are required for estimating radiation hazards in manned spaceflight. Seven biological systems in resting state (Bacillus subtilis spores, Colpoda cucullus cysts, Arabidopsis thaliana seeds, and eggs of Artemia salina, Tribolium castaneum and of Carausius morosus) were accommodated in the two Biostacks. By using a special sandwich construction of visual track detectors and layers of biological objects, identification of each hit biological object was achieved and the possible biological damage correlated with the physical features of the responsible HZE-particle. In the different systems the degree of damage depended on whether the hit cell was replaceable or not. A high sensitivity to HZE-particle bombardment was observed on Artemia salina eggs; 90% of the embryos, which were induced to develop from hit eggs, died at different developmental stages. Malformations of the abdomen or the extremities of the nauplius were frequently induced. In contrast, the growth of hit Vicia faba radiculae and the germination of hit Arabidopsis thaliana seeds and hit Bacillus subtilis spores were not influenced remarkably. But there was an increase in multicaulous plants and a reduction in the outgrowth of the bacterial spores. In addition, information was obtained on the fluence of the HZE-particles, on their spectrum of charge and energy loss, and on the absorption by the Apollo spacecraft and the Biostack material itself. This will help to improve knowledge concerning radiation conditions inside of spacecrafts, necessary to secure a maximum possible protection to the astronauts.     

航天发动机高空模拟试验新设施

本文介绍了 BPD 公司的 ISA2 高空模拟试验新设施,其性能大大超过本公司原有的 ISA 1航天发动机试验设施。本文介绍了该设施特有的蒸气发生设备、专用试车架、冷却系统和控制系统。同时还谈到了设施的某些特点,如在蒸气发生器内采用饱和水和用机械泵来实现初步真空。分析了设施性能以及它与预测值的一致性,并报导了在真空度大约为0.6千帕(约4.5毫米汞柱)情况下的某些测试结果。     

ENRZ码特性综述

本文对用于磁带记录的增强不归零码(ENRZ)的特性作了概述。给出了码的主要别性的定义,并在必要之处与竞争的记录码型作了比较。对如何获得最大的记录密度又不滥用磁带记录通道的有限的带宽这一问题作了相当深入的研究。提出了几种目前实地使用着的多磁道消扭格式标准结系,通过率可以达到20MBPS。描述了为把低尖磁带的误码率降到10~(-10)而采取的检错与纠错技术。     

冲压发动机试验和模拟技术

模拟冲压发动机工作状态的流动条件需要独特的地面试验能力、暂冲式吹风试车台是一个经济设备,它能满足高流量和高压力比的要求。污染空气加热器提供了一种灵活而廉价的模拟弹道温度变化的有效方法。自由射流试验中,适当地模拟进口流动条件对发动机研制起着很重要的作用。本文讨论了冲压发动机地面试验要求,评论了直联式与自由射流的试验中模拟可用参数的方法,描述了满足气动模拟要求的技术与设备,并已证实是有效的。     

应用技术卫星的远地点发动机总结报告

本报告记述了应用技术卫星(ATS)远地点发动机的设计、研制、鉴定和飞行试验。这一远地点发动机用来把 NASA 哥达特航天中心(GSFC)的 ATS 卫星从椭园轨道送入近同步轨道。总体对于燃烧过程中的推力向量和对燃烧前后的动平衡的要求都是很高、很严格的。所以研制阶段中主要问题是制造高精度部件。研制阶段试验中,安排了一系列试车,以进一步确定制造工艺,部件设计以及在模拟发射和宇宙空间环境条件下的发动机生存能力,并确定发动机的初步性能特性。鉴定试验由八发高空模拟试车组成,自旋速率100周/分,药温保持在.5℃或38℃,用来确定发动机准确的性能参数。     

土星磁层顶的Kelvin-Helmholtz不稳定性和磁流体表面波

本文采用可压缩磁流体力学近似并选取Voyager-1的观测数据,讨论了土星磁层顶的Kelvin-Helmholtz不稳定性和磁流体表面波.计算表明,土星磁层随星体自转同磁鞘流之间的速度差,可以在地方时午前、中午和距中午不远的午后磁层顶激发不稳定性;午前和午后区有很强的非对称性.计算所得的波的特性与观测一致.      

Interplanetary transfer of photosynthesis: an experimental demonstration of a selective dispersal filter in planetary island biogeography

We launched a cryptoendolithic habitat, made of a gneissic impactite inoculated with Chroococcidiopsis sp., into Earth orbit. After orbiting the Earth for 16 days, the rock entered the Earth's atmosphere and was recovered in Kazakhstan. The heat of entry ablated and heated the rock to a temperature well above the upper temperature limit for life to below the depth at which light levels are insufficient for photosynthetic organisms ( approximately 5 mm), thus killing all of its photosynthetic inhabitants. This experiment shows that atmospheric transit acts as a strong biogeographical dispersal filter to the interplanetary transfer of photosynthesis. Following atmospheric entry we found that a transparent, glassy fusion crust had formed on the outside of the rock. Re-inoculated Chroococcidiopsis grew preferentially under the fusion crust in the relatively unaltered gneiss beneath. Organisms under the fusion grew approximately twice as fast as the organisms on the control rock. Thus, the biologically destructive effects of atmospheric transit can generate entirely novel and improved endolithic habitats for organisms on the destination planetary body that survive the dispersal filter. The experiment advances our understanding of how island biogeography works on the interplanetary scale.