Human response to high-background radiation environments on Earth and in space

The main long-term objective of the space exploration program is the colonization of the planets of the Solar System. The high cosmic radiation equivalent dose rate represents an inescapable problem for the safe establishment of permanent human settlements on these planets. The unshielded equivalent dose rate on Mars ranges between 100 and 200 mSv/year, depending on the Solar cycle and altitude, and can reach values as high as 360 mSv/year on the Moon. The average annual effective dose on Earth is about 3 mSv, nearly 85% of which comes from natural background radiation, reduced to less than 1 mSv if man-made sources and the internal exposure to Rn daughters are excluded. However, some areas on Earth display anomalously high levels of background radiation, as is the case with thorium-rich monazite bearing sand deposits where values 200–400 times higher than the world average can be found. About 2% of the world’s population live above 3 km and receive a disproportionate 10% of the annual effective collective dose due to cosmic radiation, with a net contribution to effective dose by the neutron component which is 3–4 fold that at sea level. Thus far, epidemiological studies have failed to show any adverse health effects in the populations living in these terrestrial high-background radiation areas (HBRA), which provide an unique opportunity to study the health implications of an environment that, as closely as possibly achievable on Earth, resembles the chronic exposure of future space colonists to higher-than-normal levels of ionizing radiation. Chromosomal aberrations in the peripheral blood lymphocytes from the HBRA residents have been measured in several studies because chromosomal damage represents an early biomarker of cancer risk. Similar cytogenetic studies have been recently performed in a cohort of astronauts involved in single or repeated space flights over many years. The cytogenetic findings in populations exposed to high dose-rate background radiation on Earth or in space will be discussed.     

月面巡视器太阳能帆板功率衰减特性研究

太阳能帆板的功率衰减特性分析,对地外天体表面探测器的功率平衡、电源系统健康管理以及长寿命在轨管理有重要意义。通过对月面巡视器在轨运行第2到11月昼的电流遥测进行研究,提出了一种基于有限遥测的太阳能帆板功率衰减特性分析方法。首先利用一种滞环的方法对大量的电流遥测进行数据处理;然后进行日月距离和太阳入射角的归一化,通过数据拟合计算,得出落月第一年太阳能帆板功率衰减约为2.5%,并利用巡视器历次月昼唤醒时刻的太阳入射角变化情况验证了该方法的有效性,对地外天体的太阳能帆板功率衰减特性计算提供一定参考。     

火星探测器使命轨道捕获策略研究

分析了火星探测器使命轨道捕获策略研究需求,给出了三种可用的典型捕获策略,建立了速度纵向平面内的飞行动力学方程,对三种典型策略进行了飞行动力学仿真,给出了各策略完成捕获所需速度增量、任务耗时及过。通过对仿真结果的分析比较,得出研究结论为：直接制动捕获任务耗时及过载较小,但速度增量需求较大;多次穿越后捕获任务耗时较长,但速度增量需求和过载较小;一次穿越后捕获速度增量需求较小且任务耗时较短,但过载较大。     

一种共轴双旋翼式火星飞行器设计及其试验验证

针对火星飞行器探测需求,提出了一种共轴双旋翼式火星飞行器,基于计算流体力学方法优选了桨叶翼型、平面形状和扭转角等结构参数,基于叶素动量理论建立了旋翼气动力学模型,利用数值模拟方法选择了旋翼转速、旋翼间距和桨叶安装角等飞行参数,设计了原理样机"火星飞鸟-I"的结构与控制系统。构建了火星大气环境模拟器和重力补偿与运动约束装置,开展了模拟火星环境下旋翼式飞行器地面飞行试验,验证了共轴双旋翼式火星飞行器的推进性能,展望了旋翼式火星飞行器技术的发展方向。研究成果对我国开展的火星探测工程具有重要借鉴价值。     

火星探测用降落伞研制试验简介

文章主要介绍了美国火星探测用降落伞研制过程以及在研制过程中的一些主要试验,并同时指出了试验中的一些特点。     

俄罗斯“火星—96”探测器

该文主要叙述俄罗斯“火星—96”探测器的飞行过程,着陆器在火星上的着陆过程以及穿透器的工作情况。     

Space Tweetup – from a participant to a Mars Tweetup organizer and a new format of space communication

In September 2011, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Space Agency (DLR) organized the first European SpaceTweetup during the German Aerospace day. One of the authors was one of 60 participants at this SpaceTweetup in Cologne and experienced the concept of a Tweetup and the engagement of the participants from the inside view.     

Low-cost solutions for Martian base

Technical and architectural problems of a Martian base have been arised in many publications. Usually there is one solution described in detail or general classification is presented. In this paper, a recognition of low-cost solutions for Martian architecture is analyzed. The overview through various building techniques based on previous concepts of extraterrestrial architecture is summarized. Several solutions taking advantages of the shape of terrain, aiming for cost decreasing of human settlement on Mars are proposed.     

Bacterial survival in response to desiccation and high humidity at above zero and subzero temperatures

Earthly microorganisms might have contaminated Mars for millions of years by intellectual activities or natural transfer. Knowledge on the preservation of microorganisms may help our searching for life on outer planets, particularly Mars-contaminated earthly microorganisms at ancient time. Extreme dryness is one of the current Mars characteristics. However, a humid or watery Mars at earlier time was suggested by evidence accumulated in recent decades. It raises the question that whether water helps preservation of the microorganisms or not, particularly those with high possibility of interplanetary transfer like spores and Deinococci. In this study, we examined the effects of desiccation and high humidity on survival and DNA double strand breaks (DSB) of Escherichia coli, Deinococcus radiodurans and spores of Bacillus pumilus at 25, 4 and −70 °C. They exhibited different survival rates and DSB patterns under desiccation and high humidity. Higher survival and less DSB occurred at lower temperature. We suggest that some Mars-contaminated bacteria might have been viably preserved on cold Mars regions for long periods, regardless of water availability. It is more likely to find ancient spores than ancient Deinococci on Mars. In our search for preserved extraterrestrial life, priority should be given to the Mars Polar Regions.     

Thermo-mechanical design and testing of a microbalance for space applications

This work focuses on the thermo-mechanical design of the microbalance used for the VISTA (Volatile In Situ Thermogravimetry Analyzer) sensor. VISTA has been designed to operate in situ in different space environments (asteroids, Mars, icy satellites). In this paper we focus on its application on Mars, where the expected environmental conditions are the most challenging for the thermo-mechanical design.