Roadmap to a human Mars mission

We propose a new roadmap for the preparation of the first human mission to Mars. This proposal is based on the work of ISECG and several recent recommendations on human Mars mission architectures. A table is proposed to compare the possible benefits of different preparatory missions. Particular attention is paid to the possibility of qualifying important systems thanks to a heavy Mars sample return mission. It is shown that this mission is mandatory for the qualification of Mars aerocapture at scale-1, EDL systems at scale 1 and Mars ascent. Moreover, it is a good opportunity to test many other systems, such as the heavy launcher and the transportation systems for the trips beyond LEO. These tests were not mentioned in the last ISECG report. This strategy is facilitated in the case of the simplified Mars mission scenarios that have recently been presented because it is suggested that relatively small vehicles with small crew sizes are used in order to optimize the payload mass fraction of the landing vehicles and to avoid the LEO assembly. An important finding of the study is that a human mission to the surface of the Moon is not required for the qualification of the systems of a human mission to Mars. Since affordability is a key criterion, two important missions are proposed in the roadmap. The first is a heavy Mars sample return mission and the second is a manned mission to a high Earth orbit or eventually to the vicinity of the Moon. It is shown that both missions are complementary and sufficient to qualify all the critical systems of the Mars mission.     

星球巡视器任务规划技术发展综述

首先阐述了星球巡视器任务规划的定义、内容和特点,并分别从任务规划算法、全局路径规划算法、局部路径规划算法三个层面对国内外星球巡视器任务规划技术的研究现状进行了分析和评述。在任务规划层面,当前研究主要集中在基于资源调度的方法和基于路径的方法;在全局路径规划层面,介绍了路径图法、单元分解法等几何模型构建算法以及A*类算法等图搜索算法;在局部路径规划层面,介绍了人工势场法、Bug类算法、启发式动态重规划算法、基于地形评估的算法等几类常用算法。最后,对星球巡视器任务规划技术的未来发展方向进行了展望。     

Comparison of Antarctic riometer radio wave absorption and THEMIS mission energetic electron fluxes

Simultaneous observations of in situ plasma properties in the tail of the Earth’s magnetosphere and of ground based instruments, lying on the same geomagnetic field lines, have recently proved to yield significant new results. In most cases magnetosphere ionosphere interactions during the night-time northern hemisphere conditions are studied. Here, observations of energetic electrons in the tail of the Earth’s magnetosphere made by the THEMIS mission satellites are compared with auroral radio wave absorption determined by riometers in the Antarctic for sunlit conditions. Days for which satellites and riometers are connected by the same geomagnetic field line are selected using a geomagnetic field model. The six days analysed show clear associations between fluxes and absorptions in some cases. However, these do not necessarily correspond to conjugacy intervals. Hours of positive associations are 1.65 times those for negative associations, all hours and days considered (1.42–3.6 on five days and 0.58 on the other day). These computations are assumed appropriate since the footprints of the satellites used approximately follow corrected geomagnetic parallels for all six days studied. The use of a finer parameterization of geomagnetic models to determine conjugacy may be needed.     

“伽利略”卫星在轨任务控制系统高级规范综述

重点描述了＂伽利略＂卫星在轨任务控制系统高级规范的相关内容,其中包括系统规范和子系统规范,如系统监测和控制子系统、遥测监测子系统、遥控指令子系统和数据归档子系统等;就如何借鉴＂伽利略＂卫星在轨任务控制系统高级规范,提出了一些开展我国星座卫星在轨任务控制系统设计的策略和方法,如设计方法、实现途径、自动化和安全策略等。     

实际工程中混合模型的任务可靠性分配方法

随着可靠性工程在航空产业中的逐步开展,适合于实际工程中的可靠性分配方法变得日益重要,尤其对于实际工程中混合模型的任务可靠性指标分配来说,因其对应的可靠性模型一般为串、并联等混合的复杂模型,可靠性指标分配相当困难。本文将实际工程中常见的比例组合法和专家评分分配法有效地结合起来,为实际工程中混合模型的任务可靠性分配提供了一种简便易行的方法。     

多指标约束下考虑报废的可修复备件携行方案优化

针对任务期间普遍存在的故障件报废和备件多指标约束问题,提出了多层级装备的可用度近似评估方法及携行备件方案优化方法。首先通过忽略维修时间将考虑报废率的多层级可修件转化为单层级消耗件,进而利用伽马分布的可加性建立装备可用度评估模型。在此基础上以装备可用度、备件总质量为约束指标,以备件总体积最低为目标构建多约束备件优化模型。模型求解过程中引入拉格朗日因子,并采用边际算法对约束因子进行动态调整。算例中通过与仿真结果的对比、分析得出：当维修时间取值在部件等效平均寿命的一半以内时,提出的近似方法合理可行,平均误差小于5%。     

技术成熟度评价方法及其在交会对接任务中的应用

介绍了技术成熟度等级和评价的概念,简述了技术成熟度评价在国外航天工程中的应用情况,提出了航天工程技术成熟度评价标准,包括开展技术成熟度评价的目的、技术成熟度的详细定义及其内涵,并以技术成熟度等级五级为例,给出了具有可操作性的评价细则以及实施要点,通过交会对接任务中运载火箭评价应用实例对技术成熟度评价的应用进行了说明。     

Preparation of the Biochip experiment on the EXPOSE-R2 mission outside the International Space Station

Biochips might be suited for planetary exploration. Indeed, they present great potential for the search for biomarkers – molecules that are the sign of past or present life in space – thanks to their size (miniaturized devices) and sensitivity. Their detection principle is based on the recognition of a target molecule by affinity receptors fixed on a solid surface. Consequently, one of the main concerns when developing such a system is the behavior of the biological receptors in a space environment. In this paper, we describe the preparation of an experiment planned to be part of the EXPOSE-R2 mission, which will be conducted on the EXPOSE-R facility, outside the International Space Station (ISS), in order to study the resistance of biochip models to space constraints (especially cosmic radiation and thermal cycling). This experiment overcomes the limits of ground tests which do not reproduce exactly the space parameters. Indeed, contrary to ground experiments where constraints are applied individually and in a limited time, the biochip models on the ISS will be exposed to cumulated constraints during several months. Finally, this ISS experiment is a necessary step towards planetary exploration as it will help assessing whether a biochip can be used for future exploration missions.     

Comparative assessment of human–Mars-mission technologies and architectures

We compare a variety of mission scenarios to assess the strengths and weaknesses of options for Mars exploration. The mission design space is modeled along two dimensions: trajectory architectures and propulsion system technologies. We examine direct, semi-direct, stop-over, semi-cycler, and cycler architectures, and we include electric propulsion, nuclear thermal rockets, methane and oxygen production on Mars, Mars water excavation, aerocapture, and reusable propulsion systems in our technology assessment. The mission sensitivity to crew size, vehicle masses, and crew travel time is also examined. Many different combinations of technologies and architectures are applied to the same Mars mission to determine which combinations provide the greatest potential reduction in the injected mass to LEO. We approximate the technology readiness level of a mission to rank development risk, but omit development cost and time calculations in our assessment. It is found that Earth–Mars semi-cyclers and cyclers require the least injected mass to LEO of any architecture and that the discovery of accessible water on Mars has the most dramatic effect on the evolution of Mars exploration.