United Nations Human Space Technology Initiative (HSTI)

The Human Space Technology Initiative was launched in 2010 within the framework of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications implemented by the Office for Outer Space Affairs of the United Nations. It aims to involve more countries in activities related to human spaceflight and space exploration and to increase the benefits from the outcome of such activities through international cooperation, to make space exploration a truly international effort.     

Challenges and perspectives of transport cargo vehicles utilization for performing research in free flight

Russian Progress transport cargo vehicles have successfully been used in different space station programs since 1978. At present time, they play an important role in the International Space Station (ISS) project. Main tasks performed by the transport cargo vehicle (TCV) in the station program are the following: refueling of the station, delivery of consumables and equipment, waste removal, station attitude control and orbit correction maneuver execution.     

Preliminary characterization of carbon dioxide transfer in a hollow fiber membrane module as a possible solution for gas–liquid transfer in microgravity conditions

In microgravity, one of the major challenge encountered in biological life support systems (BLSS) is the gas–liquid transfer with, for instance, the necessity to provide CO₂ (carbon source, pH control) and to recover the evolved O₂ in photobioreactors used as atmosphere bioregenerative systems.     

Progress of microgravity material research during the period of 2007—2009

Orbital experimental researches on crystal growth of Mn-doped GaSb and Bi2Se0.21Te2.79 are briefly summarized. The space experiments were completed in September of 2007 on broad the Foton-M3 satellite of Russia. Ground-based researches on the solidification behaviors of Al-Al3Ni, Al-Al2Cu, Ag-Cu eutectic, Al-Pb monotectic and Cu-Co peritectic alloys in a 50-meter-high drop tube were investigated. New experimental results on the ultrasonic field and the temperature recycling induced to chiral symmetry breaking of NaClO3 crystal also were reported in the present paper.      

The effect of the space flight environment on mucin production in the mouse uterine tube

Numerous studies have indicated that the microgravity environment of space has harmful effects on several tissues throughout the body. Although this phenomenon is well documented, research in this area is still in its relative infancy. This study investigates the effects of space flight on mucin production of the uterine tubes of mice. This study examined the epithelium of the uterine tubes from female mice that were flown on the space shuttle Endeavour for 13 days in August, 2007 and their concomitant controls. The tissue was qualitatively analyzed for the type of mucin produced, i.e., acidic, neutral, acidic/neutral mixture. Further, the tissue was quantitatively analyzed for the amounts of mucins produced by measuring the thickness of the mucin layer for each region of the uterine tube: isthmus, ampulla, and infundibulum. One way ANOVA tests were used to compare mucin thickness between all three sets of animals. Results indicate similar but not identical results between the three regions of the uterine tube. The Baseline tissue had the thickest mucin layer regardless of treatment group. In the ampulla the mucin layer was the thinnest in the Flight tissue, followed by the Ground Control, with the Baseline being the thickest. Analysis of the mucin layer of the infundibulum of the three treatment groups indicated no difference in its thickness between the three regions of the uterine tube. These results indicate a trend toward thinning of the mucin layer of the uterine tube in space flight, but also indicate an influence by the housing environment.     

地面模拟微重力条件下Cu-Pb合金的制备及微观结构与摩擦性能研究

利用地面上建立的微重力电磁模拟设备成功制备出了Cu-Pb二元难混合金,并对其微观组织结构与摩擦性能进行了分析与测试。样品SEM分析结果表明,模拟微重力状态下制备的合金样品较好地克服了地面上因重力影响而产生的严重成分偏析,少数弥散相较均匀地分布于基体中,少数相含量越低,弥散体尺寸越小,分布越均匀;摩擦性能测试结果显示合金模拟样品的摩擦性能明显好于基体金属,且摩擦系数随少数相Pb的含量的增大而减小,体积磨损率随少数相含量的增大先快速减小而后又缓慢增大。同时对实验结果进行了简单的分析与讨论。      

卫星搭载导线着火前期特性实验研究

导线绝缘层的过热及由此发生的着火和燃烧是载人航天飞行器中引起火灾的主要原因.研究微重力下导线绝缘层的可燃性对于预防飞船中火灾的发生有重要意义.本文描述了SJ-8卫星搭载实验项目导线着火前期特性硬件研制以及实验情况.实验中获得了导线着火前期的温度和辐射特性.在搭载实验中,研究了导线过载电流和导线捆绑方式对导线绝缘层着火前期特性的影响.同时将微重力下的实验结果与地面功能模拟的实验结果进行了对比.实验结果表明,微重力环境下自然对流基本消失,导线和电子电气元件的散热情况恶化,在过载的情况下,就可能过热,从而导致失火.搭载实验中导线先期着火征兆的获得,将为开发我国微重力下的着火监测和早期报警装置提供新的技术途径,为我国载人航天飞行器内安全防火的工程技术工作提供科学依据和基础数据资料.      

池沸腾现象中热毛细对流的成因

针对微重力条件下单组份液体池沸腾现象,探讨了有关热毛细效应作用及其成因的不同观点,指出正确描述气液相变界面两侧的温度关系是解决争议的关键.详细评述了现有的气液相变界面温度模型,发现气液相变的非平衡特征会导致气液界面上产生温度梯度,引起表面张力的显著差异,从而驱动热毛细对流的形成.但现有气液相变界面温度模型机理差异迥然,预测结果也差别很大,因此,需要更深入研究.      

落塔微重力水平激光干涉测量方法中的干扰因素分析

落塔是获得微重力环境的重要设施,落塔微重力水平的测量对微重力科学实验的研究至关重要. 激光干涉是测量落塔微重力水平的一种新方法,这种方法的基本原理是让一个参考落体在落舱中自由下落,落舱由于受到服外空气阻力的作用将与自由落体运动略有差异,1 11. 肫内的参考落体则更接近理想的自由落体运动,这就使得落舱与参考落体之间存在着加速度差,这种加速度差便反映了落服的微重力水平,其所导致的相对运动则可通过激光干涉的方法测量出来. 本文对落塔微重力水平的激光干涉测量方法中将会遇到的一些主要干扰因素进行了分析,计算结果表明,这些干扰网素所造成的总误差约为 1.2 x 10-7g,低于微重力水平的预测值 10-4~lO-6 g,因此该方法是一种比较可行的测量方法.      

空间站燃烧科学实验系统设计

建立空间站燃烧实验系统,可满足未来空间微重力燃烧实验系统需求.通过空间站微重力燃烧实验研究,可拓展空间燃烧学研究.根据所要实现的功能及燃烧实验需求,对中国空间站燃烧柜的燃烧科学实验系统进行了设计和分析.燃烧科学实验系统由8个子系统组成,是一个适合开展气、液、固多种燃料燃烧实验的综合性实验系统.考虑到强度设计要求,在完成方案设计后,对系统进行了有限元分析,并在研制的结构件上进行了力学环境实验.实验与分析结果表明,本文设计的实验系统能够满足环模实验的要求,结构合理可行.