Ares V launch vehicle: An enabling capability for future space science missions

NASA's planned Ares V cargo launch vehicle offers the potential to completely change the paradigm of future space science mission architectures. Future space science telescopes desire increasingly larger telescope collecting aperture. But, current launch vehicle mass and volume constraints are a severe limit. The Ares V greatly relaxes these constraints. For example, while current launch vehicles have the ability to place a 4.5 m diameter payload with a mass of 9400 kg on to a Sun-Earth L2 transfer trajectory, the Ares V is projected to have the ability to place an 8.8 m diameter payload with a mass of approximately 60,000 kg on to the same trajectory, or 180,000 kg into Low Earth Orbit. Also the Ares V could place approximately 3000 kg (13,000 kg with a Centaur upper stage) on to a trajectory with a C3 of 106 km²/s², arriving at Saturn in 6.1 years without the use of gravity assists. This paper summarizes the current planned Ares V payload launch capability.     

月球穿透器与月震仪组网探测研究

提出了一种利用月球穿透器实现多点月震仪的布设,对着陆点选取、分离与下降过程、载荷配置及穿透器系统等进行了分析与设计。穿透器与环绕器分离后完成制动,下降并侵彻月球浅表,开展科学探测,并实现大尺度的月震仪布设。研究可为我国未来月球地震仪组网和月球基地建立提供参考。     

Etherospermia: Conceptual art,science and allegory in the sky-seeding project

This paper presents the practice of the artist/researcher Ioannis Michaloudis. It showcases his use of a space technology nanomaterial, silica aerogel, and its potential in the cultural utilization of space. Since 2001, his projects have centered around the esthetic, sculptural and conceptual use of silica aerogel. For Michaloudis, this material is highly allegorical of what he terms ‘our breaking sky’. For the authors, the step towards space is a real ‘bridge moment’, analogous to the evolutionary progression of organisms from water to earth. In this current era of space exploration, it is clear that humans need to develop new organs and survival skills – or, cultivate new skies in response to the breaking of our atmosphere?s dome. It is also clear that science and art need to collaborate more productively. To this end, it is argued that allegory provides the link between imaginability, experiment and representation in both scientific and artistic practices. Etherospermia (εθεροσπερμ?α) is an invented word from ether and panspermia. The Etherospermia project pursues, allegorically, the creation of new atmospheres on other planets, in order to draw attention to the degradation and destruction of the earth?s protective veil. Imagine an astronaut who, during a space walk, scatters fragments of Michaloudis? silica aerogel as seed material to alter the atmospheres of other planets, making them habitable. The paper discusses nine artworks as a way of presenting the conceptual core of the etherospermia allegory.     

Prioritizing scientific exploration: A comparison of the ethical justifications for space development and for space science

I argue that the moral justification for space science is more compelling than the moral justification for space development. Thus, we ought to reemphasize the status of science as a major stakeholder in space, especially when entertaining policies which might encourage the kinds of space development activities (e.g. resource exploitation) that are liable to conflict with the scientific uses of space.     

新世纪新千年的一些联想——兼议信息科技发展

科学与文化是人类文明的两大基石,优秀的中华文化应在新世纪对人类发展做出较大的贡献。在人类进化中,人类反馈研究自身的科学——人类学领域未来将是一个挑战性重要内容,而信息科技与之结合是重要的发展趋势和内容。发展信息科技是人类进化的永恒主题,其中研究具有一定思维能力的信息处理工具是计算机发展必然的途径。信息科技、信息系统的发展是和经济、社会发展密不可分的,有很大空间,但必须符合发展系统规律。     

文明与政治文明

文章通过文明与野蛮的词义分析,认为文明是与野蛮相对、与善和美相联系的人的存在方式;政治文明则是文明的政治.文明的政治,是政治行为文明的政治,是法治的政治,是民主和科学相结合的政治.     

基于三维地形匹配的月球软着陆导航方法研究

针对月球探测器定点着陆任务的需要,研究了基于三维地形匹配的导航方法。对三维地形匹配问题,将高程方差图局部极值点作为三维地形特征,在构建地形特征之间的相对位置与角度不变量的基础上,提出了基于投票的三维地形匹配策略。针对测量噪声统计特性的不确定性,将Sage\|Husa噪声估计算子与迭代卡尔曼滤波相结合,通过对测量噪声进行在线估计有效避免滤波精度下降甚至滤波发散的出现。数字仿真结果表明所研究的导航方法能够有效地实现探测器相对位置和姿态的精确估计。     

科技信息研究在科技发展战略研究中的作用探讨

科技信息研究是科技发展战略研究的基础,是科学决策的依据。文章归纳了科技信息研究中涉及的几个重要方面,包括科技信息研究在科技发展战略决策各环节中的作用、科技信息研究的选题检索、成果体现与评价的基本标准以及科技信息研究人员的素质要求等,得出了有关结论和启示。     

Towards validation of SCIAMACHY lunar occultation NO2 vertical profiles

Vertical profiles of stratospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) have been retrieved from moderate resolution lunar occultation transmission spectra measured by Scanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) on board the European Environmental Satellite (ENVISAT). These measurements were taken over the high southern latitude of 50°–90° during the period of 2003–2005. To assess the accuracy of the retrieved NO₂ profiles, the SCIAMACHY nighttime NO₂ profiles were compared with NO₂ profiles retrieved from sunrise solar occultation spectra measured by the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiments II (SAGE II) using a photochemical correction model. The validation results show good agreement of SCIAMACHY lunar occultation NO₂ with scaled HALOE and SAGE II profiles. The relative mean differences (rmd) with scaled HALOE profiles are within −13% to +5% and standard deviations (rms) of the relative differences are within 3–19% between 25 and 38 km. The rmd and rms with scaled SAGE II NO₂ profiles are in the range of −9 to +7 and 10–17% respectively between 22 and 39 km.     

Simulation study for the determination of the lunar gravity field from PRARE-L tracking onboard the German LEO mission

A simulation study has been performed at GFZ Potsdam, which shows the anticipated improvement of the lunar gravity field model with respect to current (LP150Q model) or near-future (SELENE) knowledge in the framework of the planned German Lunar Explorations Orbiter (LEO) mission, based on PRARE-L (Precise Range And Range-rate Equipment – Lunar version) Satellite-to-Satellite (SST) and Satellite-Earth-Satellite (SEST) tracking observations. It is shown that the global mean error of the lunar gravity field can be reduced to less than 0.1 mGal at a spatial resolution of 50 km. In the spectral domain, this means a factor of 10 (long wavelengths) and some 100 (mid to short wavelengths) improvement as compared to predictions for SELENE or a factor of 1000 with respect to LP150Q. Furthermore, a higher spatial resolution of up to 28 km seems feasible and would correspond to a factor of 2–3 improvement of SELENE results. Moreover, PRARE-L is expected to derive the low-degree coefficients of the lunar gravity field with unprecedented accuracy. Considering long mission duration (at least 1 year is planned) this would allow for the first time a precise direct determination of the low-degree tidal Love numbers of the Moon and, in combination with high precision SEST, would provide an experimental basis to study relativistic effects such as the periselenium advance in the Earth–Moon system.