Energy requirements of a thermally processed ISRU radiation shield for a lunar habitat

The purpose of this study was to establish, on a first principles basis, the order of magnitude of energy requirements for a thermally processed, lunar regolith radiation shield constructed using an in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) approach. This was done by developing a reference scenario habitat and using thermodynamic relationships and specific heat capacity expressions to determine the energy required to bring such a regolith volume up to sintering temperatures (c. 1,375 K). Once the energy requirements were developed some power system architectures were outlined conceptually and a nuclear power plant of c. 400 kW was suggested as a means to supply the necessary energy. This is well beyond current space nuclear applications. The study concludes that it is likely that the most efficient near-term solution is chemical processing of regolith, from an energy requirements perspective. The technology is also more mature and likely to be delivered on near term projects as it does not require such scaled-up power system architectures. Alternatively, bringing storm shelters up with the habitat to provide a means of weathering major solar events, and adding additional radiation protection to habitat quarters, possibly through a water blanket or similar mechanism, could provide a non-ISRU solution with current technology. However, in the longer term, the development of MW-scale power system architectures (fission, solar etc.), may permit a very large volume of material to be processed thermally for construction material, making a large, permanent human presence on the Moon more easily realisable.     

深空探测对航天器热控技术的推动

工程热物理学广泛应用于航天领域,一方面解决了具体航天工程问题,另一方面逐步发展成为交叉学科——空间热物理。随着我国在深空探测领域不断拓展,以深空探测器研制中的工程热物理问题为需求背景,推动着航天器热控制技术、防热技术等取得新的发展。文章在介绍深空探测器技术体系的基础上,分析了热设计、热分析、热试验、热控硬件、防热等方面的技术进步,并就深空探测领域进一步拓展对工程热物理发展的牵引进行了展望,分析了工程热物理学与航天技术间相互促进、相互推动的关系。     

中国月球探测器的成就与展望

全面而简要地回顾了国内外月球探测的发展历程,介绍了中国月球探测器的工程研制和飞行任务实施情况,总结了中国月球探测器取得的技术成就和科学成果,展望了中国月球探测器的未来发展。     

Modeling and experimental validation of sawing based lander anchoring and sampling methods for asteroid exploration

This paper presents a novel lander anchoring system based on sawing method for asteroid exploration. The system is composed of three robotic arms, three cutting discs, and a control system. The discs mounted at the end of the arms are able to penetrate into the rock surface of asteroids. After the discs cut into the rock surface, the self-locking function of the arms provides forces to fix the lander on the surface. Modeling, trajectory planning, simulations, mechanism design, and prototype fabrication of the anchoring system are discussed, respectively. The performances of the system are tested on different kinds of rocks, at different sawing angles, locations, and speeds. Results show that the system can cut 15?mm deep into granite rock in 180?s at sawing angle of 60°, with the average power of 58.41?W, and the “weight on bit” (WOB) of 8.637?N. The 7.8?kg anchoring system is capable of providing omni-directional anchoring forces, at least 225?N normal and 157?N tangent to the surface of the rock. The system has the advantages of low-weight, low energy consumption and balance forces, high anchoring efficiency and reliability, and could enable the lander to move and sample or assist astronauts and robots in walking and sampling on asteroids.     

基于粒子群算法的电帆轨迹优化设计

电帆是一种利用太阳风动量的新颖的无工质空间推进系统,文章研究了以电帆为对象的行星际转移轨迹优化问题。以地球轨道转移到火星、金星轨道为任务对象,采用连续推力模型,研究极坐标系下最小时间转移轨迹优化设计问题。提出了两种基于粒子群算法(PSO)的直接优化方法,避免对协态变量初值敏感的两点边值问题（TPBVP）求解。方法一是通过打靶法直接离散化控制量输入,将最优控制问题转化为非线性规划参数优化问题,采用PSO算法寻优,获得近似最优的转移轨迹。方法二是针对任何连续控制律曲线都能以一定精度的多项式函数进行曲线拟合的特性,设计逼近最优转移轨迹控制律的多项式函数,通过PSO算法优化多项式函数参数获得逼近最优解的转移轨迹。仿真结果表明采用上述两种方法进行转移轨迹优化设计,具有随机猜测初值、全局收敛、鲁棒性强的特点。     

High-adaption locomotion with stable robot body for planetary exploration robot carrying potential instruments on unstructured terrain

There is a strong demand for Planetary Exploration Mobile robots (PEMRs) that have the capability of the traversability, stability, efficiency and high load while tackling the specialized tasks on planet surface. In this paper, an electric parallel wheel-legged hexapod robot which has high-adaption locomotion on the unstructured terrain is presented. Also, the hybrid control framework, which enables robot to stably carry the heavy loads as well as to traverse the uneven terrain by utilizing both legged and wheeled locomotion, is also proposed. Based on this framework, robot controls the multiple DOF leg for performing high-adaption locomotion to negotiate obstacles via Gait Generator (GG). Additionally, by using Whole-Body Control (WBC) of framework, robot has the capability of flexibly accommodating the uneven terrain by Attitude Control (AC) kinematically adjusting the length of legs like an active suspension system, and by Force/torque Balance Control (FBC) equally distributing the Ground Reaction Force (GRF) to maintain a stable body. The simulation and experiment are employed to validate the proposed framework with the physical system in the planetary analog environments. Particularly, to smoothly demonstrate the performance of robot transporting heavy loads, the experiment of carrying 3-person load of about 240 kg is deployed.     

月球取样返回器回收半实物仿真系统研究

月球取样返回器回收半实物仿真系统是通过模拟返回器取压孔附近压力环境,将回收程控装置硬件实物接入仿真系统并构成实时仿真回路的半实物仿真平台。文章介绍了月球取样返回器回收半实物仿真系统的研制意义,对系统总体结构和设计方案、网络环境、运行流程和新的设计特点进行概括,在面向对象的基础上建立了分阶段的月球取样返回器降落伞回收系统整个工作过程的动力学模型,利用空投试验测量数据对模型的仿真精度进行验证分析,并对半实物仿真系统的实时性和压力模拟精度进行了分析。结果表明,半实物仿真系统的各项技术参数均达到设计指标,可为中国探月工程三期中月球取样返回器回收分系统的可靠性评估提供重要的技术支持。     

Optimal nodal flyby with near-Earth asteroids using electric sail

The aim of this paper is to quantify the performance of an Electric Solar Wind Sail for accomplishing flyby missions toward one of the two orbital nodes of a near-Earth asteroid. Assuming a simplified, two-dimensional mission scenario, a preliminary mission analysis has been conducted involving the whole known population of those asteroids at the beginning of the 2013 year. The analysis of each mission scenario has been performed within an optimal framework, by calculating the minimum-time trajectory required to reach each orbital node of the target asteroid. A considerable amount of simulation data have been collected, using the spacecraft characteristic acceleration as a parameter to quantify the Electric Solar Wind Sail propulsive performance. The minimum time trajectory exhibits a different structure, which may or may not include a solar wind assist maneuver, depending both on the Sun-node distance and the value of the spacecraft characteristic acceleration. Simulations show that over 60% of near-Earth asteroids can be reached with a total mission time less than 100 days, whereas the entire population can be reached in less than 10 months with a spacecraft characteristic acceleration of 1 mm/s².     

气球型深空探测器技术研究进展

气球型深空探测器能够大大提高深空探测的机动能力,它不仅可以获取区域范围内的高分辨率观测数据,而且还可实现不同高度大气的原位测量。文章针对气球型深空探测器按技术特征进行了分类,并简述了各类气球探测器的原理和特点,重点总结了各类气球探测器在金星、火星和土卫六上应用的研究现状。针对我国未来的气球型深空探测器技术发展,提出首先以火星热气球为发展方向,与地球临近空间浮空器技术的发展彼此借鉴,促进关键技术领域的技术突破等建议,可为我国未来深空探测提供参考。     

用于火星探测的电子分析器定标

用于火星探测的电子分析器采用了带偏转板的同轴圆柱形静电分析器, 该传感器方案在满足性能指标的同时实现了小型化. 利用法国空间辐射研究中心(CESR)的电子源, 对电子分析器两个传感器通道的静电分析器因子、能量分辨率、偏转板偏转因子、 方位角分辨率和极角分辨率进行了定标. 给出了上述参数的定标结果, 并对结果进行了分析. 结果表明,仪器的能量范围、能量分辨率、方位角视场及角度分辨率等参数均优于指标要求. 定标结果为电子分析器在轨数据处理和分析以及在轨运行参数设置提供了依据.