Radar Altimeter Optimization for Geodesy Over the Sea

The optimum processor and its accuracy limit for radar altimetry for geodetic use over the sea are studied with a model accounting for random surface reflectivity, sea height variation, additive noise, and pointing errors, and allowing for arbitrary antenna patterns, signal modulations, and other system parameters. The ?threshold? case solution (which can have any specified accuracy) dictates a signal modulation bandwidth just shy of resolving the sea height variation and/or illuminated sea area (as scaled into time delay and ?smeared? by pointing errors). For such a modulation a relatively complete solution is obtained. These results are used to determine practical radar altimeter designs, additionally accounting for antenna size, stability, and peak power restraints. Conditions allowing neglecting of limiting or complicating effects due to temporally varying reflectivity, sea height, and vehicle position are given and shown to be satisfied for a typical satellite.     

The effect of aerosols on climate and aerosol climatology on the basis of observations from space

Principal aspects of the effect of aerosols on climate are discussed and the possibilities of obtaining a climatic data set of global aerosols are analyzed. Based on the analysis of space images, new data have been obtained on gigantic dust outbreaks in various regions of the Earth. It has been shown that dust outbreaks can propagate over hundreds and sometimes thousands of kilometers. The western Sahara - Atlantic Ocean is the major region of propagation of these outbreaks. The continent-to-continent trajectories of dust clouds have been discovered (from Africa to the coast of America, from Central Asia to the Pacific Ocean). Maps of the sources of strong dust transformations have been studied and drawn. In particular, an anthropogenic dust source has been found out on the northeastern coast of the Aral Sea. A striped mesostructure of dust formations has been analyzed, determined by both the inhomogeneous surface and peculiarities of the eddy dust transport. The techniques have been discussed in detail for retrieving the parameters of aerosol size distribution and the vertical profiles of the coefficients of aerosol extinction in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere from the data on the brightness of the twilight and daytime horizon as well as occultation measurements of solar radiation attenuation by the atmosphere.The difficulty of reliably predicting possible environmental changes arises both from the problems of estimating complex interactions of numerous processes and from a lack of information concerning various environmental parameters. For example, an important factor in present day climatic changes is the increased dust content of the atmosphere due to man's activities. However, a reliable estimate of this influence is found to be impossible due to the absence of definitive data on the global distribution of atmospheric dust and the properties of dust in various parts of the world [4,5,13–15]. The impact of aerosols on climate has been discussed in detail in a number of monographs [12–15].Observations from space have opened up new possibilities for studying atmospheric dust. For this purpose, both the imagery and spectrometry of the Earth's atmosphere from space are used. Rather attractive are the prospects for laser sounding [1].     

Wind Power System Using an Adaptive Sherbius Induction Machine

A wind turbine driven variable speed power generation system using a static Sherbius scheme in the generation mode is described. A control methodology to adapt the power output characteristics of double output induction generator to the output characteristics of the driving turbine is proposed. The control scheme has been implemented and experimental test results show that the induction machine can be made to adapt to the desired characteristics.     

Multitarget tracking using the joint multitarget probability density

This work addresses the problem of tracking multiple moving targets by recursively estimating the joint multitarget probability density (JMPD). Estimation of the JMPD is done in a Bayesian framework and provides a method for tracking multiple targets which allows nonlinear target motion and measurement to state coupling as well as nonGaussian target state densities. The JMPD technique simultaneously estimates both the target states and the number of targets in the surveillance region based on the set of measurements made. We give an implementation of the JMPD method based on particle filtering techniques and provide an adaptive sampling scheme which explicitly models the multitarget nature of the problem. We show that this implementation of the JMPD technique provides a natural way to track a collection of targets, is computationally tractable, and performs well under difficult conditions such as target crossing, convoy movement, and low measurement signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).     

Exploration of Mars in the SPICAM-IR experiment onboard the Mars-Express spacecraft: 2. Nadir observations: Simultaneous observations of water vapor and O2 glow in the Martian atmosphere

The SPICAM experiment onboard the Mars-Express spacecraft includes sounding the Martian atmosphere in the ultra-violet (118–320 nm) and near IR (1–1.7 μm) ranges. The infrared spectrometer operates in the range of 1–1.7 μm with a resolution of 3.5 cm^?1 in the mode of nadir observations and solar and stellar occulations. This paper is devoted to analyzing the basic results of nadir observations of the infra-red SPICAM channel during the first Martian year of the instrument operation: from January 2004 to November 2005. One of the primary goals of SPICAM-IR is water vapor monitoring in the atmosphere of Mars in the band of 1.37 μm and ozone abundance determination from the day-time airglow of molecular oxygen O₂(a ¹Δ_g) in the band of 1.27 μm. Simultaneous measurements of these minor constituents of the planet are necessary for understanding photochemical processes in the Martian atmosphere. The degree of their anticorrelation and a comparison with the results of photochemical modeling of the atmosphere will contribute to our knowledge of the Martian atmosphere stability.     

The modular optelectronic multispectral scanner system for spaceborne remote sensing

A multispectral scanner system for spaceborne remote sensing of land and coastal/ocean features is under development for the German Ministry for Research and Technology. The system is based on the use of multilinear detector arrays for visible and infrared spectral bands.The electronically scanning image system MOMS (Modular Optoelectronical Multispectral Scanner) consists of individual spectral channel modules which can be grouped to dedicated mission tasks. Those dedicated tasks are land surface thematic mapping, sea or vegetation monitoring and in a stereo mode conventional photo interpretation and mapping.The basic performance data would allow up to 10,000 pixels per scan line, corresponding to about 20 m resolution at 200 km swath width out of observation satellite altitudes with narrower spectral bands than used on the current systems. High spectral resolution (up to 20 nm) is feasible at medium spatial resolution (～ 60 m).An experimental airborne scanner has been successfully flown in spring 1978. High-resolution modules development in the visible/NIR is under way and will be flight tested in early 1981.     

Trajectory Control for a Spacecraft with an Inflatable Braking Device in the Martian Atmosphere

The possibility of using an inflatable braking device for controlled descent in the Martian atmosphere of large-capacity cargoes is analyzed. The most complicated version of the trajectory control problem is considered, namely, the injection of a spacecraft at hyperbolic velocity into a parking orbit after braking in the atmosphere.     

Radar sounding of Mars from the orbit of the Mars-Express automatic interplanetary station

On the base of the laser altimetry results obtained using the orbital altimeter MOLA (the MGS mission) and the data of radio occultation experiments of transionospheric sounding of the Mars ionosphere, a method for interpretation of the planet radar sounding data is developed. The proposed method includes a program package for numerical simulation of the process of radiowave propagation through the media under study.     

Central and regional hemodynamics in prolonged space flights.

This paper presents the results of measuring central and regional (head, forearm, calf) hemodynamics at rest and during provocative tests by the method of tetrapolar rheography in the course of Salyut-6-Soyuz and Salyut-7-Soyuz missions. The measurements were carried out during short-term (19 man-flights of 7 days in duration) and long-term (21 man-flights of 65-237 days in duration) manned missions. At rest, stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO) as well as heart rate (HR) decreased insignificantly (in short-term flights) or remained essentially unchanged (in long-term flights). In prolonged flights CO increased significantly in response to exercise tests due to an increase in HR and the lack of changes in SV. After exercise tests SV and CO decreased as compared to the preflight level. During lower body negative pressure (LBNP) tests HR and CO were slightly higher than preflight. Changes in regional hemodynamics included a distinct decrease of pulse blood filling (PBF) of the calf, a reduction of the tone of large vessels of the calf and small vessels of the forearm. Head examination (in the region of the internal carotid artery) showed a decrease of PBF of the left hemisphere (during flight months 2-8) and a distinct decline of the tone of small vessels, mainly, in the right hemisphere. During LBNP tests the tone of pre- and postcapillary vessels of the brain returned to normal while PBF of the right and left hemisphere vessels declined. It has been shown that regional circulation variations depend on the area examined and are induced by a rearrangement of total hemodynamics of the human body in microgravity. This paper reviews the data concerning changes in central and regional circulation of men in space flights of different duration.     

A new type of magnetic gimballed momentum wheel and its application to attitude control in space

A new type of magnetically suspended gimbal momentum wheel utilizing permanent magnets is described. The bearing was composed of four independent thrust actuators which control the rotor thrust position and gimbal angles cooperatively, so that the bearing comes to have a simple mechanism with high reliability and light weight. The high speed instability problem due to the internal damping was easily overcome by introducing anisotropic radial stiffness. A momentum flywheel with the 3-axis controlled magnetic bearing displays good performance for attitude control of satellite with biased momentum.