火星太阳电池翼除尘方法综述

“萤火一号”火星探测器即将发射升空,标志着我国火星探测计划实施的开始。然而,火星尘埃在范德华力和静电力的作用下积聚在太阳电池翼的表面,使其转换效率下降,影响火星探测器的寿命。因此,开展火星太阳电池翼除尘技术的研究是非常有意义的。文章主要介绍了火星太阳电池翼的除尘方法,特别是目前最受关注的电帘除尘方法,并对其基本结构、除尘原理、除尘效率和透光性做了详细的描述,对开展火星太阳电池翼除尘技术的研究具有一定的参考作用。     

萤火一号火星轨道器开环追踪技术

中国首个火星探测器萤火一号计划于2009年10月和俄罗斯的火卫一采样探测器一道发射升空。萤火一号将探测火星的空间环境,并验证深空导航测控与通信技术。与常规的火星探测任务不同,该探测器的轨道与位置测量主要利用天文甚长基线干涉测量技术、开环跟踪测量技术、差分单程测距测速技术、同波束干涉测量技术以及单程Doppler测速技术承担。     

Using cross correlation to estimate Doppler frequency

Doppler frequency estimation with high accuracy is very important for precise orbit determination and scientific studies in deep space exploration. In this paper, we propose a new method which implements cross correlation of only received signals from one single station to estimate Doppler frequency. The algorithm is relatively simple and it can achieve high accuracy even when signal to noise ratio (SNR) is very low. Moreover, the accuracy can be further improved by implementing frequency compensation, especially when the frequency dynamic range is high. Simulations were performed and results proved the validity of this method. X-band observations on MEX (Mars Express) and Juno were performed by a 13 m telescope of Wuhan University, which was equipped by two back ends, i.e. CDAS (Chinese Data Acquisition System) and RSR (Radio Science Receiver). Raw data recorded by the CDAS were processed by using the proposed method, and the estimated frequencies were in good agreement with the real time frequency estimation values by the RSR. What’s more, the accuracy by using cross correlation was higher than the one of RSR.     

Radio/FADS/IMU integrated navigation for Mars entry

Supposing future orbiting and landing collaborative exploration mission as the potential project background, this paper addresses the issue of Mars entry integrated navigation using radio beacon, flush air data sensing system (FADS), and inertial measurement unit (IMU). The range and Doppler information sensed from an orbiting radio beacon, the dynamic pressure and heating data sensed from flush air data sensing system, and acceleration and attitude angular rate outputs from an inertial measurement unit are integrated in an unscented Kalman filter to perform state estimation and suppress the system and measurement noise. Computer simulations show that the proposed integrated navigation scheme can enhance the navigation accuracy, which enables precise entry guidance for the given Mars orbiting and landing collaborative exploration mission.     

A roadmap to cave dwelling on the Moon and Mars

Habitat in lava tubes recently discovered on the Moon and Mars, should become a unifying concept for occupancy. Basic motivations and specifications for such a habitat are briefly reviewed.     

国外火星飞机及火星风洞研究

在简述火星与地球大气飞行环境差异的基础上,分析研究了火星飞机主要布局特征和动力推进问题;阐述了国外开展火星飞机研究发展的地面模拟设备--火星风洞的情况,意在跟踪国外新技术走向,为国内航空航天未来发展提供参考.     

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.     

Overview of current capabilities and research and technology developments for planetary protection

The pace of scientific exploration of our solar system provides ever-increasing insights into potentially habitable environments, and associated concerns for their contamination by Earth organisms. Biological and organic-chemical contamination has been extensively considered by the COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection (PPP) and has resulted in the internationally recognized regulations to which spacefaring nations adhere, and which have been in place for 40 years. The only successful Mars lander missions with system-level “sterilization” were the Viking landers in the 1970s. Since then different cleanliness requirements have been applied to spacecraft based on their destination, mission type, and scientific objectives. The Planetary Protection Subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council has noted that a strategic Research & Technology Development (R&TD) roadmap would be very beneficial to encourage the timely availability of effective tools and methodologies to implement planetary protection requirements. New research avenues in planetary protection for ambitious future exploration missions can best be served by developing an over-arching program that integrates capability-driven developments with mission-driven implementation efforts. This paper analyzes the current status concerning microbial reduction and cleaning methods, recontamination control and bio-barriers, operational analysis methods, and addresses concepts for human exploration. Crosscutting research and support activities are discussed and a rationale for a Strategic Planetary Protection R&TD Roadmap is outlined. Such a roadmap for planetary protection provides a forum for strategic planning and will help to enable the next phases of solar system exploration.     

Investigation of the Mars Express HRSC color channel calibration

The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) onboard the Mars Express spacecraft in orbit about Mars has four detector channels dedicated to produce images in four spectral channels. Utilizing these spectrophotometric data requires understanding the instrument radiometric calibration and other photometric properties of the data. We present here some results of our investigation into the HRSC color data characteristics. This covers comparison of HRSC measurements with those of telescopes and the Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activité (OMEGA) instrument, also on Mars Express. We also investigate the dependence of HRSC Color measurements on solar phase angle and altitude of the Mars surface. These results confirm and extend our earlier findings [McCord, T.B., Adams, J.B., Bellucci, G., Combe, J.-Ph., Hansen, G., Hoffman, H., Jaumann, R., Lumme, K., Neukum, G., Pinet, P., Poulet, F., the HRSC Co-I Team, The Mars Express high Resolution Stereo Camera spectrophotometric data: characteristics and science analysis. J. Geophys. Res. 112, E6, 2007.]. A basic finding from our study is that there are nearly constant offsets between the I/F value derived from the HRSC data and those determined from OMEGA and groundbased telescope measurements, especially in the HRSC red bandpass. These offsets are nearly independent of solar phase angle and Mars surface altitude but are considerably larger for the one comparison at Phobos we were able to make. Several hypotheses could explain these effects: atmospheric scattering, surface photometric effects, shift of the spatial registration or calibration. All these possibilities were investigated.