Interplanetary medium – A dusty plasma

The average mass of dust per volume in space equals that of the solar wind so that the interplanetary medium should provide an obvious region to study dust plasma interactions. While dust collective behavior is typically not observed in the interplanetary medium, the dust component rather consists of isolated grains screened by and interacting with the plasma. Space measurements have revealed several phenomena possibly resulting from dust plasma interactions, but most of the dust plasma interactions are at present not quantified. Examples are the production of neutrals and pick-up ions from the dust, dust impact generated field variations at spacecraft and magnetic field variations possibly caused by solar wind interacting with dust trails. Since dust particles carry a surface charge, they are exposed to the Lorentz force in the interplanetary magnetic field and for grains of sub-micrometer sizes acceleration can be substantial.     

月面无人自主采样返回任务动力下降点确定及验证

动力下降点确定是实施月面软着陆的重要环节，是多系统间复杂迭代的过程，涉及轨道设计、制导律设计、着陆目标的采样区确定、着陆及起飞安全分析。其设计结果直接影响了最终着陆点的位置和着陆过程的着陆安全，也间接影响采样安全和采样工程目标的实现结果。针对嫦娥五号在实施月面软着陆前确定动力下降点的任务需求，提出了通过多次轨道控制与最优标称制导轨迹搜索联合控制策略的动力下降点确定方法。首先，根据月面无人自主采样返回任务设计总结了动力下降点确定原理和约束条件；然后，详细论述了月面无人自主采样返回任务软着陆过程动力下降点确定方法；最后，通过嫦娥五号在着陆前主要的几次轨控实施结果分析了其对动力下降点的影响，同时综合了着陆区地形分析及着陆、起飞安全性分析，对动力下降点进行确定并根据最终在轨飞行结果进行验证。验证结果表明，基于“逐次逼近寻优方法”的月面软着陆环节动力下降点的确定方法有效，可以为后续地外天体软着陆等任务提供参考和借鉴。     

韧性材料的冲蚀损伤数值仿真综述

砂尘造成韧性材料的冲蚀损伤现象和损伤演化规律是冲蚀机理研究的重要内容，基于相应冲蚀试验和数值仿真的分析 方法是揭示冲蚀机理的重要手段。回顾了砂尘冲蚀损伤研究的缘起和发展经历，在介绍砂尘冲蚀损伤机理的基础上，总结了当前 数值仿真研究的3种主流方法：有限元方法、无网格方法和计算流体动力学方法。从数值仿真角度针对砂尘对韧性材料造成的破 坏模式、砂尘冲击姿态、砂尘冲击速度和形状、砂尘破碎对材料去除机制的影响等4个方面综述了影响冲蚀损伤机理的主要因素 和当前研究进展。砂尘对韧性材料造成的破坏模式通常分为材料凹陷、滑动、犁削、切削等4种不同机制；砂尘的冲击姿态决定了 材料的损伤模式；砂尘的冲击速度和砂尘的形状决定了材料的损伤严重程度；砂尘破碎现象对材料的去除机制有一定影响。     

Sulfur “concrete” for lunar applications – Sublimation concerns

Melting sulfur and mixing it with an aggregate to form “concrete” is commercially well established and constitutes a material that is particularly well-suited for use in corrosive environments. Discovery of the mineral troilite (FeS) on the moon poses the question of extracting the sulfur for use as a lunar construction material. This would be an attractive alternative to conventional concrete as it does not require water. However, the viability of sulfur concrete in a lunar environment, which is characterized by lack of an atmosphere and extreme temperatures, is not well understood. Here it is assumed that the lunar ore can be mined, refined, and the raw sulfur melded with appropriate lunar regolith to form, for example, bricks. This study evaluates pure sulfur and two sets of small sulfur concrete samples that have been prepared using JSC-1 lunar stimulant and SiO₂ powder as aggregate additions. Each set was subjected to extended periods in a vacuum environment to evaluate sublimation issues. Results from these experiments are presented and discussed within the context of the lunar environment.     

The Coma of Comet 9P/Tempel 1

As comet 9P/Tempel 1 approaches the Sun in 2004–2005, a temporary atmosphere, or “coma,” will form, composed of molecules and dust expelled from the nucleus as its component icy volatiles sublimate. Driven mainly by water ice sublimation at surface temperatures T > 200 K, this coma is a gravitationally unbound atmosphere in free adiabatic expansion. Near the nucleus (≤ 10² km), it is in collisional equilibrium, at larger distances (≥10⁴ km) it is in free molecular flow. Ultimately the coma components are swept into the comet’s plasma and dust tails or simply dissipate into interplanetary space. Clues to the nature of the cometary nucleus are contained in the chemistry and physics of the coma, as well as with its variability with time, orbital position, and heliocentric distance. The DI instrument payload includes CCD cameras with broadband filters covering the optical spectrum, allowing for sensitive measurement of dust in the comet’s coma, and a number of narrowband filters for studying the spatial distribution of several gas species. DI also carries the first near-infrared spectrometer to a comet flyby since the VEGA mission to Halley in 1986. This spectrograph will allow detection of gas emission lines from the coma in unprecedented detail. Here we discuss the current state of understanding of the 9P/Tempel 1 coma, our expectations for the measurements DI will obtain, and the predicted hazards that the coma presents for the spacecraft. An erratum to this article is available at .     

“嫦娥三号”巡视器热试验月面姿态模拟装置研制

月面巡视器在月表移动的过程中,月面起伏和月球(1/6)g重力会对巡视器的热控系统产生不利影响,因此需要在地面试验时对巡视器的热控系统的功能进行验证。文章通过对运动机构在真空低温环境下的适应性研究,研制了一套可以满足"嫦娥三号"巡视器真空热试验中使用的月表姿态模拟装置,该模拟装置通过2套螺旋升降机构实现了巡视器的俯仰和滚动模拟,并经过初样、正样热试验的2次大型试验的使用验证,圆满完成了试验任务,也为以后热试验中运动工装的设计奠定了基础。     

载人登月着陆器奔月窗口搜索方法

对环月轨道共面交会的载人登月任务中,着陆器(LM)奔月零窗口与轨道参数精确快速设计方法进行了研究。任务采用人货分离奔月模式,着陆器于载人飞船到达环月轨道前抵达环月共面交会轨道,着陆器近月点一次共面减速完成近月制动。提出一种三层快速精确奔月窗口搜索方法:第一层采用地心二体轨道理论解析计算月窗口及奔月轨道参数初值,作为正确性基本参考;第二层采用改进的双二体解析动力学模型求解月窗口内奔月轨道参数变化规律;第三层采用高精度轨道动力学模型和SQP_Snopt优化求解奔月零窗口及轨道参数精确解。仿真结果表明,本文提出的三层逐级奔月窗口搜索方法能快速精确求解载人登月任务中着陆器奔月窗口及精确轨道参数,也揭示了影响着陆器奔月窗口的主次因素和规律,为中国未来载人登月工程提供参考。     

Hybrid uncertainty-based design optimization and its application to hybrid rocket motors for manned lunar landing

Design reliability and robustness are getting increasingly important for the general design of aerospace systems with many inherently uncertain design parameters. This paper presents a hybrid uncertainty-based design optimization (UDO) method developed from probability theory and interval theory. Most of the uncertain design parameters which have sufficient information or experimental data are classified as random variables using probability theory, while the others are defined as interval variables with interval theory. Then a hybrid uncertainty analysis method based on Monte Carlo simulation and Taylor series interval analysis is developed to obtain the uncer-tainty propagation from the design parameters to system responses. Three design optimization strategies, including deterministic design optimization (DDO), probabilistic UDO and hybrid UDO, are applied to the conceptual design of a hybrid rocket motor (HRM) used as the ascent propulsion system in Apollo lunar module. By comparison, the hybrid UDO is a feasible method and can be effectively applied to the general design of aerospace systems.     

月球返回舱跳跃式再入弹道设计方法研究

不同于近地航天器返回地球,月球返回舱存在再入速度更高、大气和气动参数误差影响更大以及再入动力学耦合更强烈的特点。为缓解这些突出问题,降低月球返回舱所受到的冲击,对跳跃式再入弹道进行了研究,给出了跳跃式返回弹道的设计流程和算法,分析了不同再入角和航程约束下的弹道形态,并针对7 500 km航程可能出现的横向超调现象提出了3种解决方案。其中控制出口射面法引入了"预测-校正"思想,从根本上解决了自由飞行段可能出现的问题。数值仿真结果验证了弹道设计流程和算法的有效性。     

月球着陆器辐射器安装与散热关系分析

根据月球着陆器初步构型方案,辐射器可采取平行平坦月表安装和倾斜安装两种方式,安装方式不同时辐射器将面临不同的外热流环境。文章通过分析辐射器采取不同安装方式时的散热能力,对辐射器安装方式进行了优化设计。