On-orbit verification of fuel-free attitude control system for spinning solar sail utilizing solar radiation pressure

This paper introduces a new attitude control system for a solar sail, which leverages solar radiation pressure. This novel system achieves completely fuel-free and oscillation-free attitude control of a flexible spinning solar sail. This system consists of thin-film-type devices that electrically control their optical parameters such as reflectivity to generate an imbalance in the solar radiation pressure applied to the edge of the sail. By using these devices, minute and continuous control torque can be applied to the sail to realize very stable and fuel-free attitude control of the large and flexible membrane. The control system was implemented as an optional attitude control system for small solar power sail demonstrator named IKAROS (Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun). In-orbit attitude control experiments were conducted, and the performance of the controller was successfully verified in comparison with the ground-based analytical performance estimation.     

一种冷热交变环境下太阳帆应力保持方法

针对冷热交变环境导致太阳帆内部应力剧烈变化的问题,基于形状记忆合金(SMA)弹簧提出了太阳帆的张拉方案和薄膜应力保持恒定的方法,该方法利用形状记忆合金在高低温下的刚度非线性特性,有效补偿薄膜和支撑杆之间的间隙变化,以使薄膜内部应力基本保持恒定。针对六边形构型太阳帆开展了数值仿真,首先建立了太阳帆的热分析模型和力学分析模型,获取了高低温工况下的温度场。然后通过热致变形分析得到薄膜与支撑杆在高低温工况下的间隙变化,据此确定形状记忆合金弹簧的参数。最后对太阳帆在高低温工况下的薄膜内部应力进行了验证。     

Closed bioregenerative life support systems: Applicability to hot deserts

Water scarcity in hot deserts, which cover about one-fifth of the Earth’s land area, along with rapid expansion of hot deserts into arable lands is one of the key global environmental problems. As hot deserts are extreme habitats characterized by the availability of solar energy with a nearly complete absence of organic life and water, space technology achievements in designing closed ecological systems may be applicable to the design of sustainable settlements in the deserts. This review discusses the key space technology findings for closed biogenerative life support systems (CBLSS), which can simultaneously produce food, water, nutrients, fertilizers, process wastes, and revitalize air, that can be applied to hot deserts. Among them are the closed cycle of water and the acceleration of the cycling times of carbon, biogenic compounds, and nutrients by adjusting the levels of light intensity, temperature, carbon dioxide, and air velocity over plant canopies. Enhanced growth of algae and duckweed at higher levels of carbon dioxide and light intensity can be important to provide complete water recycling and augment biomass production. The production of fertilizers and nutrients can be enhanced by applying the subsurface flow wetland technology and hyper-thermophilic aerobic bacteria for treating liquid and solid wastes. The mathematical models, optimization techniques, and non-invasive measuring techniques developed for CBLSS make it possible to monitor and optimize the performance of such closed ecological systems. The results of long-duration experiments performed in BIOS-3, Biosphere 2, Laboratory Biosphere, and other ground-based closed test facilities suggest that closed water cycle can be achieved in hot-desert bioregenerative systems using the pathways of evapotranspiration, condensation, and biological wastewater treatment technologies. We suggest that the state of the art in the CBLSS design along with the possibility of using direct sunlight for photosynthesis and recent advances in photovoltaic engineering can be used as a basis for building sustainable settlements producing food, water, and energy in hot deserts.     

Converging motion of conjugate flaring kernels during two large solar flares

In this paper, we analyze the footpoint motion of two large solar flares using observations made by the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) and Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI). The two flares are the M5.7 flare of March 14, 2002 and the X10 flare of October 29, 2003. They are both classical two-ribbon flares as observed in TRACE 1600 or 171 Å images and have long-duration conjugate hard X-ray (HXR) footpoint emission. We use the ‘center-of-mass’ method to locate the centroids of the UV/EUV flare ribbons. The results are: (1) The conjugate UV/EUV ribbons and HXR footpoints of the two flares show a converging (inward) motion during the impulsive phase. For the two flares, the converging motion lasts about 3 and 10 min, respectively. The usual separation (outward) motion for the flare ribbons and footpoints take place only after the converging motion. (2) During the inward and the outward motion, the conjugate ribbons and footpoints of the two events exhibit a strong unshear motion. In obtaining above results, TRACE UV/EUV and RHESSI HXR data show an overall agreement. The two events demonstrate that the magnetic reconnection for the flares occurs in highly sheared magnetic field. Furthermore, the results support the magnetic model constructed by Ji et al. [Ji, H., Huang, G., Wang, H. Astrophys. J. 660, 893–900, 2007], who proposed that the contracting motion of flaring loops is the signature of the relaxation of sheared magnetic fields.     

Mechanical behavior of the metal parts welded with extraterrestrial regolith simulant by the solar concentrator in ISRU & ISRF application

The use of in-situ resources plays an important role on future extraterrestrial human activities for the facility repair and habitat construction, especially in sustainable space exploration of Moon and Mars. A method of the metal welded with extraterrestrial regolith simulant using solar processing under ambient conditions is presented. Metal parts are made of Q235B ferroalloy and TA2 titanium alloy into standard tensile members according to the ASTM code. They are disconnected from the middle in advance, and then welded together with lunar and Martian regolith simulant under ambient conditions, respectively. The entire welding process and precautions are detailed. Additionally, the mechanical behavior of weldments is characterized regarding their tensile strength. Furthermore, the fusion zone of weldments is studied by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The results show that it is possible to weld metal parts together with extraterrestrial regolith simulant by the solar concentrator. The average ultimate tensile strength of ferroalloy specimens welded with lunar and Martian regolith simulant is 2.94 MPa and 1.66 MPa; The average ultimate tensile strength of titanium alloy specimens welded with lunar and Martian regolith simulant is 4.95 MPa and 2.59 MPa. Moreover, the failure mode of all weldments was brittle failure. The welding joints strength derives from the phases that the regolith as the solder fusing into ferroalloys in a homogeneous way and titanium alloys in an inhomogeneous way. The presented method may provide a new thought for astronaut assistance associating with repairing and fabricating in subsequent Moon and Mars missions.     

PROGRESS IN HELIOSPHERIC PHYSICS

This is an overview of progresses in heliospheric physics made in China in the period of June, 2000 to May, 2002. The report is focused on theoretical studies,modelling and observational analysis of interplanetary physical phenomena, and consists of five sections: the acceleration and heating of the solar wind, corona structures, coronal mass ejections, magnetic reconnection phenomena, and in terplanetary transient phenomena. The main achievements made recently by Chinese scientists in related areas are simply listed in corresponding sections without any priority, only certain editorial consideration.     

Climatology of extreme upper atmospheric heating events

We use a trio of empirical models to estimate the relative contributions of solar extreme ultraviolet heating, Joule heating and particle heating to the global energy budget of the earth’s upper atmosphere. Daily power values are derived from the models for the three heat sources. The SOLAR2000 solar irradiance specification model provides estimates of the daily extreme EUV solar power input. Geomagnetic power comes from a combination of satellite-derived electron precipitation power and an empirical model of Joule power derived from hemispherically integrated estimates of high-latitude heating, which we discuss in this paper. From 1975 to mid-2002, the average daily contributions were electrons: 51 GW, Joule: 95 GW and solar: 784 GW. Joule and particle heating combine to provide more than 17% of the total global upper atmospheric heating. For the top 10% and 1% of heating events, contributions rise to 20% and 25%, respectively. In the top 15 heating events, geomagnetic power contributed more than 50% of the total power budget. During three events, the Joule power alone exceeded solar power.     

Relation between solar wind velocity and properties of its source region

Different kinds of coronal holes are sources of different kind of solar winds. A successful solar wind acceleration model should be able to explain all those solar winds. For the modeling it is important to find a universal relation between the solar wind physical parameters, such as velocity, and coronal physical parameters such as magnetic field energy. To clarify the physical parameters which control the solar wind velocity, we have studied the relation between solar wind velocity and properties of its source region such as photospheric/coronal magnetic field and the size of each coronal hole during the solar minimum. The solar wind velocity structures were derived by using interplanetary scintillation tomography obtained at Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Japan. Potential magnetic fields were calculated to identify the source region of the solar wind. HeI 1083 nm absorption line maps obtained at Kitt Peak National Solar Observatory were used to identify coronal holes. As a result, we found a relation during solar minimum between the solar wind velocity and the coronal magnetic condition which is applicable to different kind of solar winds from different kind of coronal holes.     

Comparison of heliospheric conditions near the earth during four recent solar maxima

Statistical properties of the daily averaged values of the solar activity (sunspot numbers, total solar irradiance and 10.7 cm radio emission indices), the solar wind plasma and the interplanetary magnetic field parameters near the Earth’s orbit are investigated for a period from 1964 to 2002 covering the maxima of four solar cycles from 20th to 23rd. Running half-year averages show significant solar cycle variations in the solar activity indices but only marginal and insignificant changes in comparison with background fluctuations for heliospheric bulk plasma and magnetic field parameters. The current 23rd cycle maximum is weaker than 21st and 22nd maxima, but slightly stronger than 20th cycle in most of solar and heliospheric manifestations.     

Test alert service against very large SEP Events

The Aragats Solar Environment Center provides real time monitoring of different components of secondary cosmic ray fluxes. We plan to use this information to establish an early warning alert system against extreme, very large solar particle events with hard spectra, dangerous for satellite electronics and for the crew of the Space Station. Neutron monitors operating at altitude 2000 and 3200 m are continuously gathering data to detect possible abrupt variations of the particle count rates. Additional high precision detectors measuring muon and electron fluxes, along with directional information are under construction on Mt. Aragats. Registered ground level enhancements, in neutron and muon fluxes along with correlations between different species of secondary cosmic rays are analyzed to reveal possible correlations with expected times of arrival of dangerous solar energetic particles.