Design-to-Cost Applied Within an Integrated System Model

In an environment of declining financial budgets for space projects, new approaches - such as Design-To-Cost - are being implemented to improve today's satellite design processes. Using an example of a current mission (the power subsystem of the Solar Probe spacecraft) under study at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the main part of the paper discusses an Integrated System Model (structured into a performance model, a cost model, and an effectiveness model) that is part of a model-based design process used to perform cost-effectiveness trades. A simulation tool is used during the first step to size the components of the power subsystem, and then simulate its performance during operation. The determined dimensions are transferred into an EXCEL^TM-spreadsheet and linked to the components' costs. With a cost accounting tool that combines cost estimating relationships with the Work Breakdown Structure of the power subsystem, the life-cycle cost of each alternative design concept is computed. To determine the cost-risk of the different design alternatives for each component, cost probability distributions are introduced. By performing Monte-Carlo simulations, cost sensitivities are revealed. In the next step of the trade study process, the effectiveness of the alternatives is analyzed. Having determined cost and effectiveness, estimates can be made for where the different alternatives lie in the design space. The last part of the paper identifies the main drivers for the spacecraft's performance and cost. Finally it is shown how the mission design benefited from the Integrated System Model and from the application of Design-To-Cost.     

自主火星探测高集成离子与中性粒子分析仪

小型化、高集成化是深空探测载荷发展的主要趋势。在我国自主火星探测计划中,设计了一种高集成化的火星离子与中性粒子分析仪。采用从传感器到电子学进行最大限度共用的设计思路,在一台仪器中实现对离子和能量中性原子进行能量、方向和成分的探测,大大降低了仪器对卫星平台的资源需求。仪器采取静电分析进行离子的方向和能量测量、采取飞行时间方法进行离子成分的测量。中性原子采用电离板电离成带电离子,后端的能量测量和成分测量与离子相同。鉴定件样机已经完成了初步的测试定标,结果表明其满足设计要求。     

火星车三折平展坡道转移方案及转移姿态分析

以火星车从着陆平台安全转移至火星表面为研究目标,提出一种三折平展坡道转移方案。火星车坡道式转移方案难点在于,着陆点地形地貌不确定和着陆器自身姿态的不确定将导致火星车转移姿态不确定从而增大转移风险。为保证火星车坡道式转移安全性,开展火星车坡道式转移姿态分析,获得满足火星车安全转移要求的最小坡道长度并评价出极限转移姿态。为使三折坡道展开总长度尽可能靠近最小坡道长度需求,进行了三折坡道长度优化分析,获得在着陆器构型约束下三折坡道长度最大值,可为我国火星车转移工程实施提供借鉴。     

中国月球探测器的成就与展望

全面而简要地回顾了国内外月球探测的发展历程,介绍了中国月球探测器的工程研制和飞行任务实施情况,总结了中国月球探测器取得的技术成就和科学成果,展望了中国月球探测器的未来发展。     

当量油气比对内燃波转子燃烧特性的影响

为了研究当量油气比对内燃波转子燃烧特性的影响规律,采用控制变量法,保持内燃波转子转速、混气填充速度不变,通过调节燃料喷射体积流量改变混气的当量油气比。在不同的当量油气比下开展内燃波转子燃烧特性试验。试验结果表明:当量油气比对于内燃波转子燃烧过程影响很大,随着当量油气比的增加,内燃波转子获得的燃烧压力增益增大,在内燃波转子转速为900r/min、混气填充速度为6.741m/s、当量油气比为1.442时,6个工作循环内平均燃烧压力增益达到246.29％,火焰平均传播速度随当量油气比呈类似正态分布,在化学恰当比附近达到最大10.8m/s。当量油气比小于1时,两组工况下火焰锋面呈向下倾斜状传播,当量油气比大于1时,两组工况下火焰锋面呈向上倾斜状传播。      

火星探测器降落伞拉直过程中的“绳帆”现象研究

针对火星探测器降落伞在拉直过程中出现的“绳帆”现象,以及火星探测器降落伞开伞前初始参数和大气密度与地球环境下的差异,建立了火星探测器降落伞拉直过程的数学模型,研究了火星环境下,伞包弹射速度、开伞前进入器的攻角、开伞马赫数以及大气密度对“绳帆”现象的影响。研究结果表明,选择较大的伞包弹射速度,并将开伞前进入器的攻角严格限定在较小范围内,将有利于避免或降低“绳帆”现象的发生。这一研究结果可为我国实施火星探测时减速着陆系统的设计分析提供一定参考。     

基于嵌入式MATLAB函数编程的火星车能量平衡仿真系统

在以往航天器研制过程中,电源系统能量平衡分析是基于表格化计算的方法,其运算效率低、显示不直观。文章提出了一种可视性强、易编程、更通用的能量平衡分析方法,即采用嵌入式MATLAB函数对电源系统能量平衡分析的功能模块进行编程实现,以火星车电源系统为应用背景,在MATLAB/SIMULINK平台上搭建了一套用于能量平衡分析的仿真系统,并在特定实例下进行仿真分析,仿真结果采用图表曲线形式显示,能清晰、直观地反映能源利用的动态变化趋势,可为电源系统方案优化设计提供参考依据。     

New trade tree for manned mars missions

Recent studies on human missions to Mars suggest revisiting the parameters that have the most important impact on the complexity, the initial mass in low Earth orbit, the risks and the development costs for the first journey to the red planet. In the last NASA reference mission, a trade tree is proposed.     

Roadmap to a human Mars mission

We propose a new roadmap for the preparation of the first human mission to Mars. This proposal is based on the work of ISECG and several recent recommendations on human Mars mission architectures. A table is proposed to compare the possible benefits of different preparatory missions. Particular attention is paid to the possibility of qualifying important systems thanks to a heavy Mars sample return mission. It is shown that this mission is mandatory for the qualification of Mars aerocapture at scale-1, EDL systems at scale 1 and Mars ascent. Moreover, it is a good opportunity to test many other systems, such as the heavy launcher and the transportation systems for the trips beyond LEO. These tests were not mentioned in the last ISECG report. This strategy is facilitated in the case of the simplified Mars mission scenarios that have recently been presented because it is suggested that relatively small vehicles with small crew sizes are used in order to optimize the payload mass fraction of the landing vehicles and to avoid the LEO assembly. An important finding of the study is that a human mission to the surface of the Moon is not required for the qualification of the systems of a human mission to Mars. Since affordability is a key criterion, two important missions are proposed in the roadmap. The first is a heavy Mars sample return mission and the second is a manned mission to a high Earth orbit or eventually to the vicinity of the Moon. It is shown that both missions are complementary and sufficient to qualify all the critical systems of the Mars mission.     

An innovative navigation scheme of powered descent phase for Mars pinpoint landing

Pinpoint landing (within 100 m from the target) is essential for future Mars exploration missions. This paper deals with one aspect of the pinpoint landing architecture—the navigation performance improvement during the powered descent phase, and proposes an innovative navigation scheme to obtain the vehicle complete and accurate states. On the basis of dead reckoning relying on the Inertial Measurement Unit, measurements of the Integrated Doppler Radar are adopted to correct the vehicle velocity and altitude. Distance between the vehicle and one Mars Orbiter as well as their line-of-sight relative velocity is measured by a radio sensor, and integrated in the filter to correct the vehicle horizontal position. The innovative navigation system is based on an Extend Kalman Filter. Two observation schemes are developed. One considers measurements of the Integrated Doppler Radar and radio range measurement. Another further considers radio velocity measurement. The performance of the innovative navigation scheme is greatly influenced by the position of the Mars Orbiter with respect to the target. Stochastic analyses are performed to obtain optimal locations of Mars Orbiter. Finally, the innovative navigation scheme performances are assessed through stochastic simulations. Its performance improvements are demonstrated by comparison with the Integrated Doppler Radar only navigation scheme.