Omicron space habitat—research stage II

The design presented in this paper is in response to the revolution in private space activities, the increasing public interest in commercial flights to space and the utilization of structures such as space hotels or private orbital habitats. The baseline for the Omicron design concept is the Russian Salyut derived space station module. Salyut was the first space station to orbit the Earth. Its unique design and technical features were what made the development of space stations Salyut 1–7, MIR and the International Space Station (ISS) Zwezda service module possible. Due to its versatility and the reliable operating launch vehicle Proton, this space module series has the potential to be adapted for space hotel development. This paper proposes a conceptual design of the space habitat called Omicron, with particular focus on interior design for the microgravity environment. The Omicron concepts address the needs of space tourism with a strong emphasis on the safety and comfort of the spaceflight participants. The Omicron habitat supports three inhabitants in nominal conditions (e.g., two passengers and one astronaut). The habitat provides a flexible interior, facilities and spaces dynamically transforming in order to accommodate various types of activities, which will be performed in an organically formed interior supporting spatial orientation and movement in microgravity. The future development potential of Omicron is also considered. The baseline version is composed solely of one rigid module with an inverted cupola for observations. An alternative version offers more space using an inflatable structure. Finally, a combination of multiple Omicron modules enables the creation of a larger orbital habitat. The Omicron's subsystems support a few days visit by trained passengers. The transport to the habitat would be provided e.g., by the Soyuz TMA spacecraft carried by the Soyuz launch vehicle in the early stage of Omicron's development, before a fully reusable spacecraft would be available.     

Artificial equilibrium points and bi-impulsive maneuvers to observe 243 Ida

In the restricted three-body problem, the traditional Lagrange points L₁ and L₂ are the only equilibrium points near the asteroid 243 Ida. The thrust generated by a solar sail over a spacecraft enables the existence of new artificial equilibrium points, which depend on the position of the spacecraft with respect to the asteroid and the attitude of the solar sail. Such equilibrium points generate new spots to observe the body from above or below the plane of motion. Such points are very good observational locations due to their stationary condition. This work provides a preliminary analysis to observe Ida through the use of artificial equilibrium points as spots combined with transfer maneuvers between them. Such combination can be used to observe the asteroid from more different points of view in comparison to fixed ones. The analyses are made for a spacecraft equipped with a solar sail and capable of performing bi-impulsive maneuvers. The solar radiation pressure is used both to maintain the equilibrium condition and to reduce the costs of the transfers and/or to create transfers with longer duration. This is a new aspect of the present research, because it combines the continuous thrust with initial and final small impulses, which are feasible for most of the spacecraft, because the magnitudes of the impulses are very low. These combined maneuvers may reduce the transfer times of the maneuvers in most of the cases, compared with the maneuvers based only on continuous thrust. Several options involved in these transfers are shown, like to minimize the fuel spent ($\mathrm{\Delta }\mathit{v}$) as a function of the transfer time or to extend the duration of the travel between the points. Extended transfer times can be useful when observations are required during the transfers.     

Observations of the atmospheres and winds of O-stars,LBVs and Wolf-Rayet stars

This review summarises recent studies of O-stars, Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs) and Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars, emphasising observations and analyses of their atmospheres and stellar winds yielding determinations of their physical and chemical properties. Studies of these stellar groups provide important tests of both stellar wind theory and stellar evolution models incorporating mass-loss effects. Quantitative analyses of O-star spectra reveal enhanced helium abundances in Of and many luminous O-supergiants, together with CNO anomalies in OBN and Ofpe/WN9 stars, indicative of evolved objects. Enhanced helium, and CNO-cycle products are observed in several LBVs, implying a highly evolved status, whilst for the WR stars there is strong evidence for the exposition of CNO-cycle products in WN stars, and helium-burning products in WC and WO stars. The observed wind properties and mass-loss rates derived for O-stars show, in general terms, good agreement with predictions from the latest radiation-driven wind models, although some discrepancies are apparent. Several LBVs show similar mass-loss rates at maximum and minimum states, contrary to previous expectations, with the mechanism responsible for the variability and outbursts remaining unclear. WR stars exhibit the most extreme levels of mass-loss and stellar wind momenta. Whilst alternative mass-loss mechanisms have been proposed, recent calculations indicate that radiation pressure alone may be sufficient, given the strong ionization stratification present in their winds.     

使用高温粘方法修理和替换内衬密封条

在大多数商用飞机使用高效率的涡轮风扇喷气发动机时代到来的同时,飞机维修人员也面临着新的挑战,即如何修理和替换发动机上的耐磨损内衬密封条,也称风扇轨道。装在涡轮喷气飞机上涡扇发动机,一般其装在前部的风扇由它位于初级涡轮后面的二级涡轮驱动,它的作用是增加发动机中心的气流,以减少燃油消耗并提供更大的推力。为了得到涡轮风扇发动机提供的高空气通过率,必须迫使尽量多的空气通过风扇,因此需要使风扇顶端到风扇罩内核之间的间隙尽可能地小。如果风扇叶片和发动机内罩都是金属结构,由温度升高或离心力引起的任何叶片长度膨胀都可能…     

The first SETI observations with the Allen telescope array

The Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) finally has its own full-time telescope. The Allen telescope array (ATA) in Northern California was dedicated on October 11, 2007. This array, which will eventually be composed of 350 small radio antennas, each 6.1 m in diameter, is being built as a partnership between the SETI Institute and the University of California Radio Astronomy Laboratory. Last October, Paul G. Allen (who provided the funds for the technology development and the first phase of array construction) pushed a silver button and all 42 antennas of the current ATA-42 slewed to point in the direction of the distant galaxy M81. Specialized electronic backend detectors attached to the ATA began making a radio map of that galaxy and simultaneously began SETI observations of HIP48573, a G5V star near M81 on the sky and a distance of 264 light years from Earth. The Allen telescope array will greatly improve the speed of conducting SETI searches over the next few decades, and it will allow a suite of different search strategies to be undertaken. This paper summarizes some of the earliest SETI observations from the array, and describes the search strategies currently being planned.     

On uncertainties in carbon flux modelling and remotely sensed data assimilation: The Brasschaat pixel case

Uncertainty on carbon fluxes is determined by the uncertainties of ecosystem model structure, data and model parameter uncertainties and the temporal and spatial inaccuracy of the input data retrieval. The objective of this paper is to understand the error propagation and uncertainty of evaporative fraction (EF), soil moisture content (SMC) and water limited net ecosystem productivity (NEP). In this respect, C-Fix and spaceborne remote sensing are used for the ‘Brasschaat’ pixel. A simple model based on error theory and a Monte-Carlo approach are used. Different error scenarios are implemented to assess input uncertainty on EF, SMC and NEP as estimated with C-Fix.     

Compressive and Rarefactive Electron-Acoustic Solitons and Double Layers in Space Plasmas

Space observations in several near-Earth environments have revealed the presence of positive-potential, large-amplitude electrostatic structures, associated with high-frequency disturbances, and indicative of electron dynamics. Earlier models proposed in terms of electron-acoustic solitary waves in a two-electron-temperature plasma were inadequate, because only negative potential structures could thus be obtained, whereas the observations point to positive potential structures. In this paper, it is shown that the theoretical restriction to negative potential solitons is due to the neglect of the inertia of the hot electrons, implicitly or explicitly assumed in previous papers. If hot electron inertia is retained, however, there exists a parameter range where positive potential solitary waves are formed, which can have important consequences for the re-interpretation of several astrophysical phenomena involving two-electron-temperature plasmas. PACS: 52.35.Mw, 52.35.Sb, 96.50.Ry     

The rotational speed of the upper atmosphere

This paper describes the method for determining the rotational speed of the Earth's upper atmosphere from the changes in the orbital inclinations of satellites, and briefly reviews the observational results so far obtained at heights above 180 km, both by this method and by measuring the movements of vapour trails. The results from satellite orbits indicate that the upper atmosphere at heights of 200–300 km is on average rotating 1.3 times faster than the Earth, corresponding to a mean west-to-east wind of about 100 m/s in mid latitudes. The physical processes which may control upper-atmosphere movements are outlined, and possible mechanisms for the observed motions are briefly discussed. It should be emphasized that the subject is full of uncertainties, and this paper is intended to draw attention to the difficulties, rather than to provide a coherent picture of the actual conditions.     

Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL): Mapping the Lunar Interior from Crust to Core

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) is a spacecraft-to-spacecraft tracking mission that was developed to map the structure of the lunar interior by producing a detailed map of the gravity field. The resulting model of the interior will be used to address outstanding questions regarding the Moon’s thermal evolution, and will be applicable more generally to the evolution of all terrestrial planets. Each GRAIL orbiter contains a Lunar Gravity Ranging System instrument that conducts dual-one-way ranging measurements to measure precisely the relative motion between them, which in turn are used to develop the lunar gravity field map. Each orbiter also carries an Education/Public Outreach payload, Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle-School Students (MoonKAM), in which middle school students target images of the Moon for subsequent classroom analysis. Subsequent to a successful launch on September 10, 2011, the twin GRAIL orbiters embarked on independent trajectories on a 3.5-month-long cruise to the Moon via the EL-1 Lagrange point. The spacecraft were inserted into polar orbits on December 31, 2011 and January 1, 2012. After a succession of 19 maneuvers the two orbiters settled into precision formation to begin science operations in March 1, 2012 with an average altitude of 55 km. The Primary Mission, which consisted of three 27.3-day mapping cycles, was successfully completed in June 2012. The extended mission will permit a second three-month mapping phase at an average altitude of 23 km. This paper provides an overview of the mission: science objectives and measurements, spacecraft and instruments, mission development and design, and data flow and data products.