Space astronomy in China: 2008—2010

In 2008 to 2010, the main activities in Chinese space astronomy were focused on: fulfilling the long-term plan of Chinese space astronomy; initiating the long-term plan of Chinese space astronomy; undertaking some astronomical missions set by CNSA in ``Development Program of Space Science for 2006--2010'. This paper summarizes in brief all these activities.     

Space telescope and cosmology

The status of institutional arrangements and of the hardware development for Space Telescope are highlighted. After a brief summary of instrument characteristics, some examples are given on the possible use of the ST to study objects of interest to cosmology.     

Early effects of low dose C ion or X-ray irradiation on human peripheral blood lymphocytes

The aim of this study was to estimate the acute effects of low dose ¹²C⁶⁺ ions or X-ray radiation on human immune function. The human peripheral blood lymphocytes (HPBL) of seven healthy donors were exposed to 0.05 Gy ¹²C⁶⁺ ions or X-ray radiation and cell responses were measured at 24 h after exposure. The cytotoxic activities of HPBL were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT); the percentages of T and NK cells subsets were detected by flow cytometry; mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon (IFN)-γ were examined by real time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR); and these cytokines protein levels in supernatant of cultured cells were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The results showed that the cytotoxic activity of HPBL, mRNA expression of IL-2, IFN-γ and TNF-α in HPBL and their protein levels in supernatant were significantly increased at 24 h after exposure to 0.05 Gy ¹²C⁶⁺ ions radiation and the effects were stronger than observed for X-ray exposure. However, there was no significant change in the percentage of T and NK cells subsets of HPBL. These results suggested that 0.05 Gy high linear energy transfer (LET) ¹²C⁶⁺ radiation was a more effective approach to host immune enhancement than that of low LET X-ray. We conclude that cytokines production might be used as sensitive indicators of acute response to LDI.     

IDS contribution to ITRF2008

For the first time, the International DORIS Service (IDS) has produced a technique level combination based on the contributions of seven analysis centers (ACs), including the European Space Operations Center (ESOC), Geodetic Observatory Pecny (GOP), Geoscience Australia (GAU), the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the Institut Géographique National (IGN), the Institute of Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences (INASAN, named as INA), and CNES/CLS (named as LCA). The ACs used five different software packages to process the DORIS data from 1992 to 2008, including NAPEOS (ESA), Bernese (GOP), GEODYN (GAU, GSC), GIPSY/OASIS (INA), and GINS (LCA). The data from seven DORIS satellites, TOPEX/Poseidon, SPOT-2, SPOT-3, SPOT-4, SPOT-5, Envisat and Jason-1 were processed and all the analysis centers produced weekly SINEX files in either variance–covariance or normal equation format. The processing by the analysis centers used the latest GRACE-derived gravity models, forward modelling of atmospheric gravity, updates to the radiation pressure modelling to improve the DORIS geocenter solutions, denser parameterization of empirically determined drag coefficients to improve station and EOP solutions, especially near the solar maximum in 2001–2002, updated troposphere mapping functions, and an ITRF2005-derived station set for orbit determination, DPOD2005. The CATREF software was used to process the weekly AC solutions, and produce three iterations of an IDS global weekly combination. Between the development of the initial solution IDS-1, and the final solution, IDS-3, the ACs improved their analysis strategies and submitted updated solutions to eliminate troposphere-derived biases in the solution scale, to reduce drag-related degradations in station positioning, and to refine the estimation strategy to improve the combination geocenter solution. An analysis of the frequency content of the individual AC geocenter and scale solutions was used as the basis to define the scale and geocenter of the IDS-3 combination. The final IDS-3 combination has an internal position consistency (WRMS) that is 15 to 20 mm before 2002 and 8 to 10 mm after 2002, when 4 or 5 satellites contribute to the weekly solutions. The final IDS-3 combination includes solutions for 130 DORIS stations on 67 different sites of which 35 have occupations over 16 years (1993.0–2009.0). The EOPs from the IDS-3 combination were compared with the IERS 05 C04 time series and the RMS agreement was 0.24 mas and 0.35 mas for the X and Y components of polar motion. The comparison to ITRF2005 in station position shows an agreement of 6 to 8 mm RMS in horizontal and 10.3 mm in height. The RMS comparison to ITRF2005 in station velocity is at 1.8 mm/year on the East component, to 1.2 mm/year in North component and 1.6 mm/year in height.     

航天器交会快速接近机动策略

对航天器交会接近段V-bar上保持点间的转移,单向(轨道径向或周向)推力机动的最短转移时间为半个轨道周期(对应双径向推力冲量)。若要求转移时间小于半个轨道周期,须采用双向(径向与周向联合)推力。为此,提出5种机动方案:1)起点双向冲量与终点双向冲量机动;2)途中双向连续推力机动;3)起点双向冲量与途中双向连续推力机动;4)途中双向连续推力与终点双向冲量机动;5)起点切向冲量与途中径向连续推力及终点切向冲量机动(即直线路径转移)。其中,方案1)(冲量机动)的速度增量最小,但轨迹视界角最大;方案5)(直线路径)的视界角最小(近似为零),但当转移时间T>0.292P(P为轨道周期)时,所需的速度增量较大。机动方案的选择应全面考虑转移轨迹安全性、速度增量需求、转移轨迹视界角,以及机动复杂程度等多方面因素。若视界角可满足总体设计要求,宜选择方案1);当T<0.292P时,也可考虑方案5)。     

The hydroxyl radical as an indicator of SEP fluxes in the high-latitude terrestrial atmosphere

The low background values at nighttime of the mesospheric hydroxyl (OH) radical make it easier to single out the atmospheric response to the external solar forcing in Polar Regions. Because of the short lifetime of HO_x, it is possible to follow the trails of Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events in the terrestrial atmosphere, as shown by Storini and Damiani (2008). The sensitivity of this indicator makes discernible not only extreme particle events with a flux peak of several thousand pfu [1 pfu = 1 particle/(cm² s sr)] at energies >10 MeV, but also those with lower flux up to about 300 pfu. Using data from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on board the EOS AURA satellite, we examined the correlation of OH abundance vs. solar proton flux for almost all the identified SEP events spanning from November 2004 to December 2006 (later on no more SEP events occurred during Solar Cycle no. 23). The channels at energies greater than 5 MeV and 10 MeV showed the best correlation values (r ∼ 0.90–0.95) at altitudes around 65–75 km whereas, as expected, the most energetic channels were most highly correlated at lower altitudes. Therefore, it is reasonably possible to estimate the solar proton flux from values of mesospheric OH (and viceversa) and it could be useful in studying periods with gaps in the records of solar particles.     

基于CCSDS标准的航天器上行遥控链路 协议体系与可靠性技术

针对航天测控领域中上行遥控业务的协议体系选择与可靠性设计问题,在对我国现行国军标技术指标要求与现有航天测控系统天地基遥控技术特点进行归纳梳理的基础上,基于空间段信息传输无线链路特点与CCSDS(Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems,空间数据系统咨询委员会)标准规范,研究给出了适用于我国航天测控任务的空间段遥控协议体系与可靠性措施,利用梳理统计方法对上行遥控体制进行了数学建模分析,并与CCSDS给出的应用算例进行了对比分析.分析结果表明,所涉及的上行遥控体制与CCSDS标准规范的工作效能基本相当,能够满足我国航天任务上行遥控任务使用需求.     

故障星分布对星座PDOP可用性影响的建模及评价

 导航星座定位精度衰减因子（PDOP）可用性是卫星导航系统顶层设计的重要指标。研究了不同故障星分布状况对全球导航星座PDOP可用性的影响。首先,从概率角度并采用组合方法建立了全球导航星座PDOP可用性指标的统计评价模型。进而对给定数量的故障星分布在单个或多个轨道面内的不同状况下,典型的Walker δ构型导航星座的PDOP可用性如何变化进行了仿真计算和比较分析。仿真结果表明,故障星分布状况和轨道平面数对星座PDOP可用性有较显著影响,适当地减少轨道平面数对于改善星座的PDOP可用性是有利的。提出的评价模型物理意义明确,避免了主观性和局限性,且可以保证较高的指标评价效率。     

月球卫星精密定轨

随着空间应用需求的日益增大,深空探测已成为现实,而月球显然是人类走向深空的首选目标。发射月球探测器通常分3个阶段,其运动状态分别对应3种不同类型的轨道:近地停泊轨道、地月转移轨道和绕月轨道。月球是1个慢自转天体且无大气,就轨道解而言这些因素导致环月卫星的运动与地球卫星有所差别。本文针对月球探测任务的特点,从月球与地球的差别入手,在仔细分析月球卫星的受力状况前提下,着重阐述月球探测器在环月段精密定轨的方法原理和具体实现过程。