Further comments on “Optimal sensor selection strategy fordiscrete-time estimators” [and reply]

The fundamental TPBVP usually underlying true “optimal sensor selection strategy” is revisited to obtain practical real-time mechanizations as a solution to an exclusively initial value problem     

Designing planetary protection into the Mars Observer mission.

Planetary protection has been an important consideration during the process of designing the Mars Observer mission. It affected trajectory design of both the interplanetary transfer and the orbits at Mars; these in turn affected the observation strategies developed for the mission. The Project relied mainly on the strategy of collision avoidance to prevent contamination of Mars. Conservative estimates of spacecraft reliability and Martian atmosphere density were used to evaluate decisions concerning the interplanetary trajectory, the orbit insertion phase at Mars, and operations in orbit at Mars and afterwards. Changes in the trajectory design, especially in the orbit insertion phase, required a refinement of those estimates.     

A high performance automotive radar for automatic AICC

The paper describes a recent effort to design, build, and test a 77 GHz radar to be used for “intelligent” cruise control of automobiles. An analysis of requirements is given, design trade-offs are accounted for, and main features of prototypes in manufacturing are detailed. The radar has been thoroughly tested and evaluated both under “controlled” conditions and on roads, also in dense traffic. Results so far are very promising     

Venus Express: Scientific goals, instrumentation, and scenario of the mission

The first European mission to Venus (Venus Express) is described. It is based on a repeated use of the Mars Express design with minor modifications dictated in the main by more severe thermal environment at Venus. The main scientific task of the mission is global exploration of the Venusian atmosphere, circumplanetary plasma, and the planet surface from an orbiting spacecraft. The Venus Express payload includes seven instruments, five of which are inherited from the missions Mars Express and Rosetta. Two instruments were specially designed for Venus Express. The advantages of Venus Express in comparison with previous missions are in using advanced instrumentation and methods of remote sounding, as well as a spacecraft with a broad spectrum of capabilities of orbital observations.     

The Motion of Coaxial Bodies of Varying Composition on the Active Leg of Descent

The motion of a spacecraft (SC) with double rotation and variable mass on the active leg of its descent is considered. The SC consists of two coaxial bodies. The coaxial scheme is used for gyroscopic stabilization of the SC longitudinal axis by the method of partial spin-up. The equations of spatial motion of coaxial bodies of varying composition are derived and approximate solutions for the angles of spatial orientation are found. The condition of decreasing amplitude of nutation oscillations is obtained, which allows the estimation of efficiency of the stabilization by partial spin-up. The errors in the magnitude and direction of the vector of braking thrust are also determined.__________Translated from Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 43, No. 3, 2005, pp. 224–232.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Aslanov, Doroshin, Kruglov.     

Local-area helioseismology as a diagnostic tool for solar variability

Dynamical and thermal variations of the internal structure of the Sun can affect the energy flow and result in variations in irradiance at the surface. Studying variations in the interior is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of the irradiance variations. “Global” helioseismology based on analysis of normal mode frequencies, has helped to reveal radial and latitudinal variations of the solar structure and dynamics associated with the solar cycle in the deep interior. A new technique, - “local-area” helioseismology or heliotomography, offers additional potentially important diagnostics by providing three-dimensional maps of the sound speed and flows in the upper convection zone. These diagnostics are based on inversion of travel times of acoustic waves which propagate between different points on the solar surface through the interior. The most significant variations in the thermodynamic structure found by this method are associated with sunspots and complexes of solar activity. The inversion results provide evidence for areas of higher sound speed beneath sunspot regions located at depths of 4–20 Mm, which may be due to accumulated heat or magnetic field concentrations. However, the physics of these structures is not yet understood. Heliotomography also provides information about large-scale stable longitudinal structures in the solar interior, which can be used in irradiance models. This new diagnostic tool for solar variability is currently under development. It will require both a substantial theoretical and modeling effort and high-resolution data to develop new capabilities for understanding mechanisms of solar variability.     

Relaxation of electron and proton radiation belts of the earth after strong magnetic storms

During strong magnetic storms in July and November of 2004 the fluxes of trapped particles (protons and electrons of MeV energies) in the Earth’s radiation belts have increased by orders of magnitude and then decreased remaining on an enhanced level for several months. These enhancements allowed us to study the processes of relaxation of the radiation belts. Measurements of energetic particles by low-altitude satellites Coronas-F and Servis-1 have shown that predictions of the theory about the rate of pitch-angle diffusion are not always correct, giving both overestimated and underestimated values for the lifetime of energetic particles.