Air-LUSI: A robotic telescope design for lunar spectral measurements

This paper presents the mechanical design of a new robotic telescope that was designed and built to acquire lunar spectral measurements from the science pod of NASA's ER-2 aircraft while flying at an altitude of 70,000 feet (21.34 km). The robotic telescope used a double gimbal design that allowed for target tracking in azimuth and elevation. In addition to the challenging and restrictive geometry of the science pod, each component needed to be carefully selected to ensure that they could withstand the operating conditions at high altitude such as harsh temperatures extending as low as −54 °C and atmospheric pressure less than 1.05 psi (7.23 kPa). Due to the cold temperatures, low atmospheric pressure and the likely exposure to moisture, high strength industrial linear actuators were used to create an adjustable linkage system that controlled the pointing and tracking of the telescope. Although unconventional, this allowed for a robust design that outperformed the team's expectations by tracking the Moon for 40 min with an average tracking error under 0.05°. The results presented within this paper were acquired during a first set of engineering test flights, with further scientific missions to follow.     

Applying fuzzy bi-dimensional scenario-based model to the assessment of Mars mission architecture scenarios

Sending man to Mars has been a long-held dream of humankind. NASA plans human planetary explorations using approaches that are technically feasible, have reasonable risks and have relatively low costs. This study presents a novel Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM) model for evaluating a range of potential mission scenarios for the human exploration of Mars. The three alternatives identified by the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) include split mission, combo lander and dual scenarios. The proposed framework subsumes the following key methods: first, the conjunction method is used to minimize the number of alternative mission scenarios; second, the Fuzzy Risk Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (RFMEA) is used to analyze the potential failure of the alternative scenarios; third, the fuzzy group Real Option Analysis (ROA) is used to estimate the expected costs and benefits of the alternative scenarios; and fourth, the fuzzy group permutation approach is used to select the optimal mission scenario. We present the results of a case study at NASA’s Johnson Space center to demonstrate: (1) the complexity of mission scenario selection involving subjective and objective judgments provided by multiple space exploration experts; and (2) a systematic and structured method for aggregating quantitative and qualitative data concerning a large number of competing and conflicting mission events.     

NASA TrapWing高升力标模数值模拟研究

针对NASA TrapWing高升力全展襟翼构型，采用计算流体力学（ CFD）方法进行三维复杂流场仿真模拟，考察网格尺度和湍流模型对高升力模型气动特性的影响。采用“超立方体”概念，生成绕TrapWing模型的不同网格密度高质量多块结构网格，通过求解雷诺平均Navier-Stokes方程，研究网格尺度对高升力模型气动特性的影响。在此基础上选取中等规模计算网格，考察Spalart Allmaras和Menter k-ωSST湍流模型对高升力全展构型流场模拟能力，分析湍流模型对气动特性的影响。研究结果表明：网格策略具有较好的网格收敛性；湍流模型对翼稍附近位置上翼面压力系数的预测稍有影响，SA湍流模型预测的压力系数较SST更接近实验值。确认研究工作为大型飞机增升装置数值模拟提供了一定的参考。     

跨音速压气机附面层组合抽吸方案对比分析

以NASA Rotor35为研究对象,应用数值模拟方法深入研究了叶表抽吸和端壁抽吸的不同抽吸组合布局对该跨音速压气机流场结构以及其性能影响规律.研究结果表明:四种抽吸组合在不同的抽吸量下均使压气机的压比和效率有所提高,相对叶表抽吸或端壁抽吸,其在较大的抽吸量时对压气机性能的提升较大,在抽吸量Sc=2.0%时最佳抽吸组合...     

NASA和ESA的空间系统维修性/维修技术研究

本文对维修性／维修工程技术在NASA和ESA的发展做了简要回顾，并从人的因素对空间系统的影响、承制方负责全寿命周期保障、改进的RCM方法、RMA信息的标准化、仿真技术、在轨维修等几个方面对NASA和ESA在维修性／维修工程领域的理论、技术，以及NASA和ESA在这些方面实施维修性／维修工程的情况作了介绍和分析，其中对改进的RCM方法作了详细的介绍。     

叶顶间隙对离心叶轮内部流动及气动性能的影响

通过求解 N- S方程 ,数值研究了叶顶间隙对 NASA低速大尺度离心压缩机 (L SCC)三维粘性流场及气动性能的影响 ,在计算程序中采用了当地时间步长、多重网格以及隐式参差光顺来进行加速。对具有 0 .0 % ,5 0 % ,10 0 % ,2 0 0 %倍设计间隙的 4种离心叶轮的流场及气动性能进行了数值预测。研究结果表明 (1) NASA低速大尺度离心压缩机 (L SCC)半开式叶轮的低速尾迹区在压力面与轮盖的角区 ,而相应的闭式叶轮的低速尾迹区聚集在轮盖的中心位置 ;(2 )数值实验表明 ,叶顶间隙并非越小越好 ,可能存在一个最优间隙 ,使得叶轮流动损失最小     

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Overview: The Instrument Suite and Mission

NASA’s Lunar Precursor Robotic Program (LPRP), formulated in response to the President’s Vision for Space Exploration, will execute a series of robotic missions that will pave the way for eventual permanent human presence on the Moon. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is first in this series of LPRP missions, and plans to launch in October of 2008 for at least one year of operation. LRO will employ six individual instruments to produce accurate maps and high-resolution images of future landing sites, to assess potential lunar resources, and to characterize the radiation environment. LRO will also test the feasibility of one advanced technology demonstration package. The LRO payload includes: Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) which will determine the global topography of the lunar surface at high resolution, measure landing site slopes, surface roughness, and search for possible polar surface ice in shadowed regions, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) which will acquire targeted narrow angle images of the lunar surface capable of resolving meter-scale features to support landing site selection, as well as wide-angle images to characterize polar illumination conditions and to identify potential resources, Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) which will map the flux of neutrons from the lunar surface to search for evidence of water ice, and will provide space radiation environment measurements that may be useful for future human exploration, Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (DLRE) which will chart the temperature of the entire lunar surface at approximately 300 meter horizontal resolution to identify cold-traps and potential ice deposits, Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) which will map the entire lunar surface in the far ultraviolet. LAMP will search for surface ice and frost in the polar regions and provide images of permanently shadowed regions illuminated only by starlight. Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER), which will investigate the effect of galactic cosmic rays on tissue-equivalent plastics as a constraint on models of biological response to background space radiation. The technology demonstration is an advanced radar (mini-RF) that will demonstrate X- and S-band radar imaging and interferometry using light weight synthetic aperture radar. This paper will give an introduction to each of these instruments and an overview of their objectives.     

Starting to partner with NASA in space and Earth science

NASA research programs offer many opportunities for productive partnerships with investigators in other countries. While spacecraft projects are complex and very expensive, there are other, lower-cost partnerships that can yield important scientific results and offer excellent opportunities for building up new space and Earth science programs and for training new researchers.