Effects of lunar and mars dust simulants on HaCaT keratinocytes and CHO-K1 fibroblasts

Exposure to lunar dust during Apollo missions resulted in occasional reports of ocular, respiratory and dermal irritations which showed that lunar dust has a risk potential for human health. This is caused by its high reactivity as well as its small size, leading to a wide distribution also inside habitats. Hence, detailed information regarding effects of extraterrestrial lunar dusts on human health is required to best support future missions to moon, mars or other destinations. In this study, we used several methods to assess the specific effects of extraterrestrial dusts onto mammalian skin by exposing HaCaT keratinocytes and CHO-K1 fibroblasts to dusts simulating lunar or mars soils. These particular cell types were chosen because the skin protects the human body from potentially harmful substances and because a well orchestrated program ensures proper wound healing. Keratinocytes and fibroblasts were exposed to the dusts for different durations of time and their effects on morphology and viability of the cells were determined. Cytotoxicity was measured using the MTT assay and by monitoring culture impedance, while phalloidin staining of the actin cytoskeleton was performed to address structural integrity of the cells which was also investigated by propidium iodide intake. It was found that the effects of the two types of dust simulants on the different features of both cell lines varied to a considerable extent. Moreover, proliferation of HaCaT keratinocytes, as analyzed by Ki67 labeling, was suppressed in sub-confluent cultures exposed to lunar dust simulant. Furthermore, experimental evidence is provided for a delay in regeneration of keratinocyte monolayers from scratch-wounding when exposed to lunar dust simulant. The obtained results will facilitate further investigations of dust exposure during wound healing and will ease risk assessment studies e.g., for lunar lander approaches. The investigations will help to determine safety measures to be taken during extraterrestrial expeditions in order to minimize risks to human health associated with exposure of human skin to dust contaminants.     

The first new application of the Mathematical Theory of Stochastic Processes to lunar and planetary science: Topography-Profile Diagrams of Mars

The Mathematical Statistics Theory (MST) and the Mathematical Theory of Stochastic Processes (MTSP) are different branches of the more general Mathematical Probability Theory (MPT) that can be used to investigate physical processes through mathematics. Each model of a stochastic process, according to MTSP, can provide one or more interpretations in the MST domain. A large body of work on impact crater statistics according to MST exists, showing cumulative crater frequency (N km⁻²) as a function of age (years) for some particular crater diameter. However, this is only one possible representation in the MST domain of the bombardment of the planetary surface modeled as a stochastic process according to MTSP. The idea that other representations are possible in the MST domain of the same stochastic process from MTSP has been recently presented. The importance of the approach is that each such mathematical-based interpretation can provide a large amount of new information. Coupled with MOLA data, Topography-Profile Diagrams (TPD) are one of the many examples that can provide a large amount of new information regarding the history of Mars. TPD consists of: (1) Topography-Profile Curve (TPC), which is a representation of the planet’s topography, (2) Density-of-Craters Curve (DCC), which represents density of craters, (3) Filtered-DCC (FDCC), which represents DCC filtered by a low-pass filter, included with the purpose of reducing the noise, and (4) Level-of-Substance-Over-Time Curve (LSOTC), which represents interpretation of the influence on the distribution of craters shown by FDCC. TPC uniquely corresponds to the computation of TPD, whereas DCC depends on algorithms for computing the elevation of each crater according to the topography, center coordinates, and radius of impact crater, and FDCC relies on the architecture of the custom designed low-pass filter for filtering DCC. However, all variations of DCC and FDCC, which includes the various impact crater data sets, showed a correlation among the density of craters and elevation over 70–80% of the planet surface. Additionally, if we assume that the ocean primarily caused the noted correlation, LSOTC offers a mathematical approach for estimating topographic change of the ocean’s extent over time. Accordingly, TPD is the first new practical application of MTSP to lunar and planetary sciences, showing correlation of topography to a physical process.     

Four-month Moon and Mars crew water utilization study conducted at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station,Devon Island,Nunavut

A categorized water usage study was undertaken at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island, Nunavut in the High Canadian Arctic. This study was conducted as part of a long duration four-month Mars mission simulation during the summer of 2007. The study determined that the crew of seven averaged 82.07 L/day over the expedition (standard deviation 22.58 L/day). The study also incorporated a Mars Time Study phase which determined that an average of 12.12 L/sol of water was required for each crewmember. Drinking, food preparation, hand/face, oral, dish wash, clothes wash, shower, shaving, cleaning, engineering, science, plant growth and medical water were each individually monitored throughout the detailed study phases. It was determined that implementing the monitoring program itself resulted in an approximate water savings of 1.5 L/day per crewmember. The seven person crew averaged 202 distinct water draws a day (standard deviation 34) with high water use periods focusing around meal times. No statistically significant correlation was established between total water use and EVA or exercise duration. Study results suggest that current crew water utilization estimates for long duration planetary surface stays are more than two times greater than that required.     

A review of observed variability in the dayside ionosphere of Mars

Recent measurements by Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Express have greatly increased the number of observations of the martian dayside ionosphere available for study. Together with earlier measurements from the Viking era, these datasets have been used to investigate variations in well-known properties of the martian dayside ionosphere and to discover new ionospheric features. The dayside ionosphere includes the main peak, called the M2 layer, and a lower layer, called the M1 layer. In the topside, above the M2 layer, electron densities exponentially decrease with increasing altitude.     

火星大气进入段轨迹优化与制导技术研究进展

首先根据国际上实施的火星探测任务及未来火星着陆探测的发展需求,阐述火星大气进入段轨迹优化与制导的重要性。结合火星着陆环境和探测器的气动特性等,归纳出火星大气进入段轨迹优化与制导面临的挑战。在此基础上,结合未来火星着陆任务的安全精确着陆目标,梳理火星大气进入段轨迹优化与制导所需解决的关键技术,分析目前火星进入段轨迹优化与制导技术研究进展及发展趋势。最后,对未来火星精确着陆所需的进入段轨迹优化与制导技术发展方向进行了展望。     

回转体倾斜入水空泡试验及六自由度数值计算研究

为研究回转体倾斜入水空泡及参数变化,基于低速入水试验装置和CFD软件对该问题进行了试验和数值仿真研究。通过试验对回转体倾斜入水的空泡演变进行研究,得到了不同时刻空泡形态图。数值计算选用基于N-S方程的雷诺平均(RANS)方法和基于k-ω的SST二方程湍流模型,建立了六自由度数值仿真方法。结果表明:数值计算得到的空泡形态与试验结果一致性较好,依次经历了撞击水面、空泡形成、颈缩、空泡断裂、空泡闭合、表面紊乱和空泡溃灭的过程。进一步分析发现速度、加速度和压力均在入水瞬间和空泡断裂时刻发生波动;偏转角度在回转体尾部刺穿空泡后增幅明显;随着入水角度增加,入水瞬间速度衰减加快、压力峰值增加,峰值出现越早,空泡闭合越难。     

用于火星表面生命信息探测的激光拉曼技术进展

生命信息探测一直是深空探测中重要的一个部分。简要介绍了拉曼光谱技术探测有机物的优势和火星生命信息探测进展,以及常见的火星生命信息探测技术;重点概述了国内外用于火星有机物和生命信息探测的激光拉曼光谱技术的进展,分析总结了火星表面有机物质探测技术的发展趋势;最后简要概述了拉曼光谱技术在火星探测领域的发展前景。     

大偏心率火星探测器轨道外推的近似方法

对于快自转天体,如地球和火星,由于其非球形引力位中田谐项的振动频率与卫星运动频率相当,会给构造大偏心率环绕型探测器轨道分析解带来无法克服的困难。本文以轨道偏心率e≈0.9的＂萤火虫一号＂（YH-1）火星环绕探测器为例,探讨在精度要求不高的情况下,给出近似分析解和计算效率与其相当的数值解计算方案,以满足在计算资源有限的制约下快速轨道外推的要求。     

火星探测无人机快速景象匹配算法

针对火星无人机探测飞行过程的特点及其机载计算机的局限性,在充分研究了矩阵奇异值向量性质特点的基础上,对奇异值向量进行主分量分析,提出了一种应用于火星无人机平飞段的基于奇异值分解的分层快速景象匹配算法,并给出了与之相应的机载特征数据存储方法.与相关算法的对比性实验表明,本文提出的算法具有准确,稳定,且速度更快,数据量更小的优点.通过仅在飞行末段,将本文算法切换成现有的基于SIFT算子的匹配算法,能在实现火星无人机全程快速景象匹配的同时,有效降低对其机载计算机综合性能的要求.     

月球返回舱跳跃再入弹道特性分析与优化设计

对月球返回舱跳跃再入大气层的初始再入段弹道特性与过载约束下轨迹优化问题进行了分析。首先介绍了跳跃再入的基本概念与优点,对不同再入角、不同升阻比情况下初始再入段的弹道特性进行了分析。然后采用庞特里亚金极大值原理以总吸热量最小为优化目标,对过载约束下再入轨道的初始再入段进行了优化设计,给出了升力系数的最优表达式。仿真研究表明,该方法能有效地降低飞行过程中的过载。