High energy-density propulsion—reducing the risk to humans in planetary exploration

The potential benefits to humankind of space exploration are tremendous. Space is not only the final frontier but is also the next marketplace. The orbital space above Earth offers tremendous opportunities for both strategic assets and commercial development. The critical obstacle retarding the use of the space around the Earth is the lack of low cost access to orbit. Further out, the next giant leap for mankind will be the human exploration of Mars. Almost certainly within the next 30 years, a human crew will brave the isolation, the radiation, and the lack of gravity to walk on and explore the Red planet. Both of these missions will change the outlook and perspective of every human being on the planet. However, these missions are expensive and extremely difficult. Chemical propulsion has demonstrated an inability to achieve orbit cheaply and is a very high-risk option to accomplish the Mars mission. An alternative solution is to develop a high performance propulsion system. Nuclear propulsion has the potential to be such a system. The question will be whether humanity is willing to take on the challenge.     

EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR THE NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SPACE PLASMAS

The Cluster mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) will allow, for the first time three-dimensional measurements in key regions of the Earth's magnetosphere to be carried out. The European Numerical Simulation Network (ENSN) aims at providing a theoretical support to the mission. We describe the achievements of the ENSN during its first period of activity 1991–1994, during which the network was funded by the European Union. In particular, the ENSN has set up (i) thematic Working Groups on the prime scientific goals of the mission, (ii) a code development Working Group to develop numerical simulation codes specifically adapted to studying magnetospheric boundaries and the corresponding scale mixing, and (iii) software models of Cluster instruments to test in a numerical simulation what the set of four instruments will measure.     

Scientific Planning and Commanding of the Rosetta Payload

ESA’s Rosetta mission was launched in March 2004 and is on its way to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, where it is scheduled to arrive in summer 2014. It comprises a payload of 12 scientific instruments and a Lander. All instruments are provided by Principal Investigators, which are responsible for their operations. As for most ESA science missions, the ground segment of the mission consists of a Mission Operations Centre (MOC) and a Science Operations Centre (SOC). While the MOC is responsible for all spacecraft-related aspects and the final uplink of all command timelines to the spacecraft, the scientific operations of the instruments and the collection of the data and ingestion into the Planetary Science Archive are coordinated by the SOC. This paper focuses on the tasks of the SOC and in particular on the methodology and constraints to convert the scientific goals of the Rosetta mission to operational timelines.     

飞机空中加油任务剖面优化设计

介绍了某型飞机执行作战任务途中何时进行空中加油，并按照最大航程截击对飞机各个飞行任务段的飞行性能进行了计算，得出了最佳巡航速度，确定了最优的加油时机和加油量。计算过程中采用了遗传算法，考虑了爬升过程和巡航过程中飞机变质量的难点问题，提高了计算结果的可信度。     

基于DSPN的航天测控系统任务可靠性仿真建模

提出了基于确定与随机Petri网（deterministic and stochastic Petri nets,DSPN）的航天测控系统（tracking,telemetry and command,TT&C）任务可靠性定量分析方法,旨在对相关航天测控方案进行可靠性预计.通过对TT&C系统任务剖面进行时序弧段划分,考虑实际系统中测控单元阶段依赖、单元故障可修以及各单元参与任务起止时间不同等其他建模方法难以处理的复杂因素,建立了“单元层-系统逻辑层-阶段层”3层相互关联的TT&C系统任务可靠性DSPN模型.通过对模型仿真运行,实现了对给定测控方案下TT&C系统任务可靠性定量化评估.分析表明:仿真结果随着仿真次数增加逐渐收敛,与Markov解析方法求得的精确值对比误差控制在1%以内.      

美国加速任务试车技术在军用航空发动机上的应用

加速任务试车(AMT)是目前国外研究军用航空发动机耐久性的标准试验,是发动机寿命管理的重要方法。本文以美国F404-GE-402发动机、F110-GE-100发动机为例,介绍了AMT技术在发动机设计验证、部件改进、寿命管理、维修计划等方面的具体做法,对有效提高我国发动机型号研制的风险管理与控制能力和实现发动机的高可靠性具有重要的研究与借鉴价值。     

The Grain Impact Analyser and Dust Accumulator (GIADA) Experiment for the Rosetta Mission: Design, Performances and First Results

The Grain Impact Analyser and Dust Accumulator (GIADA) onboard the ROSETTA mission to comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko is devoted to study the cometary dust environment. Thanks to the rendezvous configuration of the mission, GIADA will be plunged in the dust environment of the coma and will be able to explore dust flux evolution and grain dynamic properties with position and time. This will represent a unique opportunity to perform measurements on key parameters that no ground-based observation or fly-by mission is able to obtain and that no tail or coma model elaborated so far has been able to properly simulate. The coma and nucleus properties shall be, then, clarified with consequent improvement of models describing inner and outer coma evolution, but also of models about nucleus emission during different phases of its evolution. GIADA shall be capable to measure mass/size of single particles larger than about 15 μm together with momentum in the range 6.5 × 10⁻¹⁰ ÷ 4.0 × 10⁻⁴ kg m s⁻¹ for velocities up to about 300 m s⁻¹. For micron/submicron particles the cumulative mass shall be detected with sensitivity 10⁻¹⁰ g. These performances are suitable to provide a statistically relevant set of data about dust physical and dynamic properties in the dust environment expected for the target comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Pre-flight measurements and post-launch checkouts demonstrate that GIADA is behaving as expected according to the design specifications. The International GIADA Consortium (I, E, UK, F, D, USA).     

载人登月人货分运与人货合运模式对比分析

由于载人航天任务所具有的确保航天员安全的特殊属性,载人登月任务模式往往因此必须考虑救生等多种环节和因素,变得十分复杂。针对目前载人登月人货分运及人货合运两种任务模式,通过比较分析表明,从安全性、任务风险、飞船设计约束、发射窗口、测控支持复杂度方面来看,人货合运模式要优于人货分运模式,但是人货合运模式中的重型火箭如果被要求按照载人火箭标准进行设计和考核,其研制周期、经费方面的投入将会增加。     

基于地外天体起飞的真空羽流导流技术仿真与试验研究

针对着航天器发动机羽流导流问题,基于工程经验提出了四种典型导流装置型面(包含内凹槽形式和导流锥形式等),利用计算流体动力学/直接模拟蒙特卡罗(CFD/DSMC)耦合方法,对起飞过程中羽流导流带来的气动力和气动热效应进行了数值模拟,并对不同导流装置情况下羽流场激波、航天器表面压强和热流密度分布规律进行了分析,给出了四种导流装置的导流效果评价。最后以导流锥形式开展试验,对仿真算法进行了验证。结果表明：羽流导流并没有导致发动机燃烧不稳定;综合考虑航天器羽流和发动机安全性,大导流锥导流的方案最优;在导流锥附近的激波位置及形态和仿真一致,仿真与试验的变化趋势一致,仿真算法可信,数据规律可以作为工程参考。     

面向军用飞机任务能力的健康评估方法

军用飞机健康评估在工程实际中存在应用困难的问题。以军用飞机为研究对象,开展包括面向任务 的能力分析、基于故障劣化的功能分析以及参数化的健康评估等研究,得到基于任务分析的“飞机-任务功 能-影响参数暠两级映射作为健康评估的对象;综合利用劣化度、严酷度及极大熵改进区间层次分析法等多种 方法,得到飞机健康状态评估结果。结合具体实例及参数分析结果,表明该评估方法可信度高,具有较高的工 程实用价值。