The Radio Frequency Subsystem and Radio Science on the MESSENGER Mission

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) Radio Frequency (RF) Telecommunications Subsystem is used to send commands to the spacecraft, transmit information on the state of the spacecraft and science-related observations, and assist in navigating the spacecraft to and in orbit about Mercury by providing precise observations of the spacecraft’s Doppler velocity and range in the line of sight to Earth. The RF signal is transmitted and received at X-band frequencies (7.2 GHz uplink, 8.4 GHz downlink) by the NASA Deep Space Network. The tracking data from MESSENGER will contribute significantly to achieving the mission’s geophysics objectives. The RF subsystem, as the radio science instrument, will help determine Mercury’s gravitational field and, in conjunction with the Mercury Laser Altimeter instrument, help determine the topography of the planet. Further analysis of the data will improve the knowledge of the planet’s orbital ephemeris and rotation state. The rotational state determination includes refined measurements of the obliquity and forced physical libration, which are necessary to characterize Mercury’s core state.     

多约束条件下探测器击中月球的轨道设计

讨论了探测器从低高度圆型地球停泊轨道出发，沿速度方向施加脉冲推力进入登月轨道，不加制导自由飞行击中月球的轨道设计问题。考虑的约束条件包括：①着月点光照；②探测器通视；③登月轨道初速及飞行时间限制；④着月时探测器相对月面落速大小和方向限制；等等。利用理论分析和简化假设，考虑节省能量、约束条件①和②，给出了着月区域、着月日期段、着月时刻段的选择方法及算例；基于数据分析和大量计算，考虑约束条件③和④，给出了确定标准轨道的方法和算例。该思路和方法经数值仿真验证是高效实用的，可为实际工程的登月轨道设计提供重要依据     

给定条件下直接命中月球轨道计算方法

在给定飞行时间、着月时间、着月入射角及停泊轨道等约束条件下，建立飞月轨道数学模型；采用可变容差多面体算法及罚函数方法进行二点边值搜索，借助双二体理论近似确定迭代初始条件，得到满足要求直接命中月球的飞月轨道。     

Applying the mathematical theory of stochastic processes to lunar and planetary science: the ancient oceans on Mars case

The Mathematical Statistics Theory (MST) and the Mathematical Theory of Stochastic Processes (MTSP) are different branches of the more general Mathematical Probability Theory (MPT) that represents different aspects of some physical processes we can analyze using mathematics. Each model of a stochastic process according to the MTSP can provide one or more interpretations in the MST domain. The importance of MTSP is that each such interpretation can provide large amount of new information. While large body of work on the impact crater statistics according to MST has already been done, it is yet to be investigated as to how we can model a stochastic process according to MTSP; for example, bombardment of the planetary surface or something else in a Lunar and Planetary Science (LPS) domain. In order to show possible achievements, the possible existence of a Martian ocean was chosen as a query that could be addressed through computations using presumptions according to MTSP, including probability of existence as well as lateral and vertical extent and duration of time. While the presumptions for this particular case will also be addressed in certain degree, this will be done primarily to show complexities of some physical process that can be modeled, rather than to prove correctness of the concrete values computed here. While this in itself can be the objective in some future work toward the formal proof of the probability, extent, and timing of oceans on Mars, the basic idea here is to show the basic principles of MTSP, and its potential for addressing LPS-related phenomena. Here, I attempt to show how this approach can: (1) provide large amounts of previously unknown information about physical processes on the surface of the planet, (2) lead to a better understanding of the processes that have shaped the surface of the planet, and/or (3) help constrain the amount of resurfacing. Coupled with other current methodologies, MTSP can result in a better understanding of the history of Mars, as well as other lunar and planetary bodies.     

平尾均值在武器装备科学技术奖成果评定中的应用

分析、比较了样本均值、截尾均值、平尾均值在统计学意义下的特性和差别,阐述了在武器装备科学技术奖成果评定中,以平尾均值替代样本均值的必要性和意义。     

AATE和ITEP计划下的涡轴发动机分阶段研发综述

为了探索新型航空发动机研制规律,通过收集整理美国AATE和ITEP两项计划中的2237 kW涡轴发动机GE3000和HPW3000研发的一些公开信息,结合美国国防科技的分类分阶段管理,再现了美国新型发动机阶段化研发的全貌.指出美国国防科研的分类管理体现了原始创新和集成创新均衡发展的科技创新理念,国防武器装备研发的分阶段全寿命周期管理反映了基于技术成熟度对复杂系统研发有效的风险管控理念,实力相当的竞争在帮助军方获得最优装备的同时,也促使参与竞标的公司不断提升自身的技术和管理水平,推动了持续的技术创新.     

Scheme design of the CHANG’E-5T1 extended mission

Flight schemes for the CHANG’E-5T1 extended mission are investigated in this paper. In the flight scheme and trajectory design, the remaining propellant of the CHANG’E-5T1 mission is utilized. The CHANG’E-5T1 mission is firstly introduced with feasible flight goals derived based on the terminal trajectory and satellite status. The flight schemes are designed to include a lunar return and the libration points in the Sun-Earth/Moon and Earth-Moon systems, with an emphasis on the Earth-Moon triangle libration point thus far unexplored. Secondly, three schemes are proposed for the CHANG’E-5T1 extended mission with different flight goals. The direct libration point orbit transfer and injection method is adopted to solve the issue in the transfer trajectory design. Furthermore, an innovative concept is proposed to transfer from the Earth-Moon collinear libration point to the triangle point using the Sun-Earth/Moon libration point. Finally, the merits and drawbacks of the three schemes are discussed in terms of flight time, control energy and frequency, flight distance, and goal value. As a result, the scheme including a lunar return and the Earth-Moon L2 libration point is selected for the CHANG’E-5T1 extended mission. A flight to the Earth-Moon libration point is achieved, replicating the achievement of the ARTEMIS mission.     

Free librations of the two-layer Moon and the possibilities of their detection

Based on the forthcoming second stage of the Japanese Lunar mission ILOM (2013), when an optical telescope will be set on the surface near one of the Lunar poles, the possibility to detect free Lunar modes (Chandler-like wobble and free-core nutation) is considered. The difference between the Lunar Eulerian and Chandler-like wobble is explained. The terms “arbitrary libration” and “free libration” are discussed. The geometrical and physical interpretations of the free polar motion over the Lunar surface are considered from the viewpoints of Lunar surface-based observations and the Lunar Navigation Almanac. The dependencies of the free libration period on the core’s radius, density, and ellipticity are modelled and discussed.     

Surface temperatures at the nearside of the Moon as a record of the radiation budget of Earth’s climate system

Understanding the balance between incoming radiation from the Sun and outgoing radiation from Earth is of critical importance in the study of climate change on Earth. As the only natural satellite of Earth, the Moon is a unique platform for the study of the disk-wide radiation budget of Earth. There are no complications from atmosphere, hydrosphere, or biosphere on the Moon. The nearside of the Moon allows for a focus on the solar radiation during its daytime, and on terrestrial radiation during its nighttime. Additionally, lunar regolith temperature is an amplifier of the terrestrial radiation signal because lunar temperature is proportional to the fourth square root of radiation as such is much more sensitive to the weak terrestrial radiation in nighttime than the strong solar radiation in daytime. Indeed, the long-term lunar surface temperature time series obtained inadvertently by the Heat Flow Experiment at the Apollo 15 landing site three decades ago may be the first important observation from deep space of both incoming and outgoing radiation of the terrestrial climate system. A revisit of the lunar surface temperature time series reveals distinct characteristics in lunar surface daytime and nighttime temperature variations, governed respectively by solar and terrestrial radiation.