Space exploration and human survival

I am sympathetic to the view that, given the likelihood of massive natural disasters, such as collisions between the Earth and large asteroids, we should engage in large-scale space exploration and colonization so as to hedge our bets against extinction. I will consider several criticisms of this view. For example, some philosophers may raise objections against the notion of long-term human survival as a value. How can we have obligations towards beings who have not even been conceived yet and thus cannot be properly said to have rights? On a different note, Wendell Berry argues that the abundance of resources in space will produce bad character, for good character requires the discipline of finitude. Others challenge the connection between space exploration and survival, for they fear that by entertaining the promise of new Earths in the heavens we are more likely to neglect our planet, thus leading to our downfall. Presumably, we should instead increase our efforts to restore and preserve the balance of nature. I will advance a variety of replies. For example, we do decide for posterity to a great extent. We may plant the trees from which “our” descendants will receive nourishment and shade, or we may destroy what could have given them a fighting chance against drought and famine. We have an obligation not to plant a bomb that will go off two years from now in a hospital nursery, and another to ensure that the buildup of chemicals in the hospital water tank will not reach critical mass and kill most of the newborns in ten years. The “balance of nature” involved in another objection is a myth that cannot be justified by natural history, whether astronomical or biological. Moreover, the inevitable changes in the environment, independent of asteroid impacts, will make the Earth uninhabitable in a few hundreds of millions and years. In addition, in order to act wisely we need an understanding of the Earth as a planet, and this requires the exploration of space.     

中国首次火星探测任务地面应用系统

中国首次火星探测任务(HX-1)计划2020年通过一次发射实现火星环绕和着陆巡视,对火星开展全球性、综合性的环绕探测,在火星表面开展区域巡视探测。地面应用系统是首次火星探测任务工程五大系统之一,主要负责科学探测计划制定,有效载荷运行管理,探测数据的接收、处理、解译和管理,组织开展科学数据的应用和研究等任务。在分析国外类似系统和火星探测地面应用系统的特点和难点基础上,从系统的主要任务和技术指标出发,介绍了系统总体布局、分系统主要功能、组成和设计。     

月球受光面上月尘静电浮扬特性分析

基于单粒子轨道理论及空间尘埃等离子体充电方程,建立了月球受光面上尘埃微粒的静态荷电模型.基于光电子能量Maxiwellian分布假设,确定了月面垂直空间电场强度和光电子鞘层内带电粒子密度的函数表达式.利用牛顿运动定律和静电场力表达式,构建了月球受光面上尘埃微粒的静电浮扬动力学模型,并进行月尘静态浮扬特性的数值计算.研究结果显示:太阳高度角与颗粒粒径是控制月尘静电浮扬发生及动力学特性的两个基本参量;月尘静电浮扬发生在月球的黎明和黄昏;随着粒径的减少,月尘颗粒的最大浮扬高度不断增加.     

助烧剂对无压烧结Si3N4力学性能的影响

研究了三种助烧剂MgO、Al2O3+AlN和Y2O3+AlN对1800℃×3h工艺下无压烧结Si3N4力学性能的影响情况。发现材料力学性能主要决定于助烧剂的种类,其次取决于含量。其Y2O3+AlN虽使最终生成的β-Si3N4长径比较小,线度尺寸最短,但最利于致密化,因而使材料力学性能最佳,添加量(质量分数)为12%Y2O3+6%AlN时,陶瓷的抗弯强度、断裂韧性和维氏硬度分别达到431.6MPa、5.10MPa*m1/2和14.52GPa。     

Long term and safe relative orbit design for heterogeneous spacecraft clusters

The problem of obtaining long term relative orbit configurations for spacecraft clusters with realistic operational considerations such as safety, station keeping and inter-spacecraft distances is addressed. Two different approaches are developed for station keeping and safety objectives. In the first approach, relative orbit configurations, or relative TLEs, are found minimizing deviations from reference mean orbit which would maximize the station-keeping objective. In second one, relative configurations are found from a reference initial condition by minimizing probability of collision, hence maximizing the safety objective, between the spacecraft in the cluster which are propagated numerically through a high precision orbit propagator. For the design optimization, a derivative free algorithm is proposed. Effectiveness of the approaches is demonstrated through simulations. Using this design framework, several configurations can be found by exploring the limits of the clusters in terms of spacecraft number, distance bounds and probabilities of collision for long time intervals.     

月面探测器燃料电池应用的初步研究

燃料电池是一种高效的清洁能源,早在20世纪60年代就成功应用于美国载人登月工程中。我国对燃料电池的研究工作开展较早,当前已初步具备了研发航天器燃料电池的技术能力,但由于燃料电池属于一次性能源,使其应用一直受限于航天领域,近年来我国新型航天器的研发为燃料电池提供了新的应用背景。在调研分析的基础上,提出了一种使用氢氧燃料电池作为月面探测器主电源的配置方案,通过与传统供电方案的综合比较总结了燃料电池的优点,并归纳了后续应用的关键技术和解决途径,为燃料电池在我国航天领域的应用提供了一种新思路。     

八面钻超声振动钻削钛合金出口毛刺形成机理

钛合金在传统麻花钻常规钻孔后,会产生较大的孔出口毛刺,这将导致孔出口去毛刺困难且影响紧固件装配质量。本文引入一种八面钻新刃型刀具,并利用超声振动钻削技术,进行了八面钻超声振动钻削钛合金出口毛刺形成的基础理论和试验研究。理论分析了普通钻削和超声振动钻削的出口毛刺形成过程以及超声振动钻削的出口毛刺降低机理,同时试验验证了超声振动钻削的出口毛刺降低效果。结果表明:相比于钛合金普通钻削,超声振动钻削极大地提高了钻头刀具的切削能力,分别降低了钻削力16%~20%、切削温度18%~21%和出口毛刺高度82%~89%,有效降低了装配过程的去毛刺困难和生产成本。     

载人月面着陆及起飞技术初步研究

载人登月任务中最具特色的就是载人月面着陆及起飞过程,其技术体系丰富,是影响载人登月任务成败的关键环节。文章详细分析了载人月面着陆及起飞阶段的飞行方案,阐述了载人任务与无人任务设计准则上的区别,剖析了载人月面着陆及起飞技术的内涵。此外重点分析了低温推进剂蒸发量控制技术、10∶1深度变推力液体发动机技术、发动机推力矢量控制技术、大承载着陆缓冲技术、发动机羽流导流与防护技术、月尘清除及防护技术等六项与载人登月舱推进系统和结构系统相关的关键技术,分析提出了相应的技术途径和解决方案,对深入认识载人登月飞行器系统的技术体系及技术难度具有重要意义。     

火星探测的主要科学问题

在太阳系的行星中,火星与地球之间存在最多的相似之处,因此,火星是一颗承载人类最多梦想的星球。火星有水和生命存在的问题,激发了人类火星探索的好奇心,成为人类持续探测火星的推动力。火星的起源和演化与太阳系形成过程的关系,火星与类地行星的共性和特性,是当代行星科学研究的重要内容。为了人类社会的可持续发展,火星可否改造成为适宜人类居住的绿色星球——这些是人类在火星探测中必须面对的重大科学问题。只有这些重大科学问题被一一解答,我们才能清晰地去思考地球和人类自身的未来！     

月球软着陆制动段飞行轨迹与制导律研究

对自环月轨道开始的月球软着陆制动段飞行轨迹和制导律进行了研究。建立了统一的均匀球体三维软着陆模型,采用燃料次优解析制导方法,通过单步优化获得了局部最优的推力角解析式。同时,在推力角中引入前馈项,用于消除初始位置和速度偏差对软着陆的影响。对制动段飞行轨迹的仿真分析验证了制导律设计的有效性。