From TOPEX/Poseidon to Jason-2/OSTM in the Amazon basin

A major interest of radar altimetry over rivers is to monitor water resources and associated risk in basins where there is little or no conventional in situ data. The objective of the present study is to calibrate altimetry data in a place where conventional data are available, and use the results to estimate the potential error committed in the estimation of water levels in an ungauged or poorly gauged basin. The virtual stations extracted with Jason-2 in this study concern a very broad sample of river channel width and complexity. Minimum channel width has been estimated at 400 m. Unlike TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P), Jason-2 seems to have the capability to distinguish the river bed from its floodplain. The quality of the results obtained with Jason-2 is incomparably better than that obtained with T/P. Despite the fact that no absolute calibration has been assessed for river in this study, the bias calculated converge around 0, 35 m, which could be then the error estimated on the water stage derived from Jason-2 ranges, when no other validation is available. ICE3 algorithm seems to be performing as well as ICE1, and further research is needed to design retracking algorithm specifically for continental water.     

Heliotropic dust rings for Earth climate engineering

This paper examines the concept of a Sun-pointing elliptical Earth ring comprised of dust grains to offset global warming. A new family of non-Keplerian periodic orbits, under the effects of solar radiation pressure and the Earth’s J₂ oblateness perturbation, is used to increase the lifetime of the passive cloud of particles and, thus, increase the efficiency of this geoengineering strategy. An analytical model is used to predict the orbit evolution of the dust ring due to solar-radiation pressure and the J₂ effect. The attenuation of the solar radiation can then be calculated from the ring model. In comparison to circular orbits, eccentric orbits yield a more stable environment for small grain sizes and therefore achieve higher efficiencies when the orbit decay of the material is considered. Moreover, the novel orbital dynamics experienced by high area-to-mass ratio objects, influenced by solar radiation pressure and the J₂ effect, ensure the ring will maintain a permanent heliotropic shape, with dust spending the largest portion of time on the Sun facing side of the orbit. It is envisaged that small dust grains can be released from a circular generator orbit with an initial impulse to enter an eccentric orbit with Sun-facing apogee. Finally, a lowest estimate of 1 × 10¹² kg of material is computed as the total mass required to offset the effects of global warming.     

Preparation of the Biochip experiment on the EXPOSE-R2 mission outside the International Space Station

Biochips might be suited for planetary exploration. Indeed, they present great potential for the search for biomarkers – molecules that are the sign of past or present life in space – thanks to their size (miniaturized devices) and sensitivity. Their detection principle is based on the recognition of a target molecule by affinity receptors fixed on a solid surface. Consequently, one of the main concerns when developing such a system is the behavior of the biological receptors in a space environment. In this paper, we describe the preparation of an experiment planned to be part of the EXPOSE-R2 mission, which will be conducted on the EXPOSE-R facility, outside the International Space Station (ISS), in order to study the resistance of biochip models to space constraints (especially cosmic radiation and thermal cycling). This experiment overcomes the limits of ground tests which do not reproduce exactly the space parameters. Indeed, contrary to ground experiments where constraints are applied individually and in a limited time, the biochip models on the ISS will be exposed to cumulated constraints during several months. Finally, this ISS experiment is a necessary step towards planetary exploration as it will help assessing whether a biochip can be used for future exploration missions.     

电容式传声器自由场互易校准数据处理系统设计

基于LabVIEW和Matlab软件开发平台设计了传声器自由场互易校准数据处理系统,该系统可以有效提取电转移阻抗信号,计算声中心和灵敏度级,并通过软件测试证明了系统的可行性。     

基于网络计划技术的冷校靶流程

为提高飞机大修效率,缩短大修时间,对其中航炮冷校靶流程进行了分析,运用网络计划技术原理并根据逻辑关系绘制了航炮冷校靶网络图,采用关键线路法对关键工序进行优化,调整关键线路进而有效缩短航炮冷校靶时间,对于飞机大修其他工作流程也可应用网络计划技术,从而能有效地提高飞机大修效率。     

Changes in hyperspectral reflectance signatures of lettuce leaves in response to macronutrient deficiencies

The adaptation of specific remote sensing and hyperspectral analysis techniques for the determination of incipient nutrient stress in plants could allow early detection and precision supplementation for remediation, important considerations for minimizing mass of advanced life support systems on space station and long term missions. This experiment was conducted to determine if hyperspectral reflectance could be used to detect nutrient stress in Lactuca sativa L. cv. Black Seeded Simpson. Lettuce seedlings were grown for 90 days in a greenhouse or growth chamber in vermiculite containing modified Hoagland’s nutrient solution with key macronutrient elements removed in order to induce a range of nutrient stresses, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Leaf tissue nutrient concentrations were compared with corresponding spectral reflectances taken at the end of 90 days. Spectral reflectances varied with growing location, position on the leaf, and nutrient deficiency treatment. Spectral responses of lettuce leaves under macronutrient deficiency conditions showed an increase in reflectance in the red, near red, and infrared wavelength ranges. The data obtained suggest that spectral reflectance shows the potential as a diagnostic tool in predicting nutrient deficiencies in general. Overlapping of spectral signatures makes the use of wavelengths of narrow bandwidths or individual bands for the discrimination of specific nutrient stresses difficult without further data processing.     

CubeSail: A low cost CubeSat based solar sail demonstration mission

CubeSail is a nano-solar sail mission based on the 3U CubeSat standard, which is currently being designed and built at the Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey. CubeSail will have a total mass of around 3 kg and will deploy a 5 × 5 m sail in low Earth orbit. The primary aim of the mission is to demonstrate the concept of solar sailing and end-of-life de-orbiting using the sail membrane as a drag-sail. The spacecraft will have a compact 3-axis stabilised attitude control system, which uses three magnetic torquers aligned with the spacecraft principle axis as well as a novel two-dimensional translation stage separating the spacecraft bus from the sail. CubeSail’s deployment mechanism consists of four novel booms and four-quadrant sail membranes. The proposed booms are made from tape-spring blades and will deploy the sail membrane from a 2U CubeSat standard structure. This paper presents a systems level overview of the CubeSat mission, focusing on the mission orbit and de-orbiting, in addition to the deployment, attitude control and the satellite bus.     

导弹蒙皮红外辐射特性的数值计算与分析

采用逆向蒙特卡罗(RMC)计算方法,在给定的飞行状态下分别计算出亚声速与超声速导弹蒙皮辐射源在不同方位角的2～μm、8～14 μm波段红外光谱辐射强度及强度场分布.结果表明:对亚声速导弹,相对于8～14 μm,其2～μm的辐射可忽略不计;对超声速导弹,相对于2～μm,其8～14 μm的辐射只有0%左右,但其绝对值较大而不可忽略不计.导弹的红外辐射在0°～90°探测位置内增加,在90°～180°内减小.大气对低空亚声速导弹辐射衰减作用强,对高空超声速导弹辐射衰减作用弱.超声速导弹的最大辐射强度是亚声速的18倍.      

锥柱形药柱环形槽内传热现象的数值研究

采用标准k-ε湍流模型和离散传递热辐射模型对不同来流雷诺数下锥柱形药柱前向环形槽内的流场与传热进行了数值研究。对槽内各表面与热气流之间的换热量进行了比较,并对努塞尔数沿环形槽各表面的变化进行了分析。结果表明来流雷诺数的大小影响环形槽内的旋涡数和旋涡区域的分布,进而影响槽内温度的分布,最终影响槽内装药表面与点火热气流之间的换热量。整个计算结果可为装药设计和分析推进剂的热解燃烧提供参考。     

基于Visual Basic6.0的功率传感器自动校准系统

从硬件组成和软件设计两方面介绍了功率传感器自动校准系统.着重介绍了该系统的软件设计思路,并就其特点进行说明.该自动校准系统在Visual Basic 6.0环境下完成编程,完整地实现了登录、设备信患登记、测试、报告文件输出及查询功能,使用简便、性能可靠且人机交互良好.