Learning from living in space

The current state of space life sciences knowledge and research is described. Findings about the health of astronauts in space are reviewed and a plea is made by some former astronauts to increase the amount of research being conducted. Longitudinal studies of the long term effects of space travel, especially radiation exposure, are being conducted and have yet to show any ill effects. Current research focuses are discussed, including Neurolab, an upcoming shuttle mission devoted to neurological and vestibular research. Experiment and spacecraft hardware is discussed, as are future directions in research. Partnership with Russian space life sciences investigators is also underway.     

Intrepid digital microwave. A new approach to bistatic radar

Southwest Microwave, Inc. (SMI) introduced the world's first commercially viable bistatic microwave intrusion detection sensor in 1971. Bistatic microwave has become the paradigm for high security perimeters, and SMI products have become industry standards. With the introduction of the Intrepid Digital Microwave, SMI brings the latest in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and power and data networking to this proven sensor technology     

Optimum Power Division for Phase-Modulated Deep-Space Communications Links

Optimum power division is required in deep-space communications links to maximize transmission range or data rate and to permit efficient performance of both carrier tracking and data reception functions. A simple, graphical technique has been developed for phase-modulated links to determine the particular set of peak phase deviations, or modulation indexes, which results in an optimum power division between the carrier and any combination of sine-wave and square-wave subcarriers. Whereas previous methods for the selection of modulation indexes generally necessitated either lengthy solutions of simultaneous equations or complex computer programs, the methods developed in this paper involve simplified graphical procedures, using the trigonometric and Bessel function expressions which describe the power balance between carrier and subcarriers. The optimization procedure is a valuable tool for preliminary design analysis and should be of interest to communications-system engineers, The techniques developed here are particularly applicable when subcarriers have wide differences in data rates, since under these conditions, it becomes increasingly difficult to select arbitrarily the proper modulation indexes. Channel optimization is developed for both nominal and worst-case link conditions and examples are presented to demonstrate the techniques involved.     

The INTEGRAL view of Gamma-Ray Bursts

After more than six and half years in orbit, the ESA space observatory INTEGRAL has provided new, exciting results in the soft gamma-ray energy range (from a few keV to a few MeV). With the discovery of about 700 hard X-Ray sources, it has changed our previous view of a sky composed of peculiar and “monster” sources. The new high energy sky is in fact full of a large variety of normal, very energetic emitters, characterized by new accretion and acceleration processes (see also IBIS cat4 (Bird et al., 2010). At the same time, about one GRB/month is detected and imaged by the two main gamma-ray instruments on board: IBIS and SPI. In this paper, we review the major achievements of the INTEGRAL observatory in the field of Gamma-Ray Bursts. We summarize the global properties of Gamma-Ray Bursts detected by INTEGRAL, with respect to their duration, spectral index, and peak flux distributions. We recall INTEGRAL results on the spectral lag analysis, showing how long-lag GRBs appear to form a separate population at low peak fluxes. We review the outcome of polarisation studies performed by using INTEGRAL data. Finally, concerning single GRB studies, we highlight the properties of particularly interesting Gamma-Ray Bursts in the INTEGRAL sample.     

Improving intrusion detection radar

The first monostatic microwave intrusion detection sensor with range cutoff was introduced in 1984. This range cutoff circuit as used in the Model 375 and 385 has proven very effective in preventing nuisance alarms beyond a user-defined range. The Intrepid Digital Transceiver introduced in this paper builds upon this proven technology with the addition of a unique digital signal processing routine that measures range to the intruder. Intrepid Digital Transceiver alternately transmits pulses at two discrete frequencies within K-Band. When an intruder enters the detection zone, the Doppler response at each frequency is digitally recorded. The difference between the two frequencies is controlled so that the phase angle between the two Doppler responses can be used to determine the unambiguous range to the target. As a byproduct of the process targets approaching the transceiver can be distinguished from those moving away from the transceiver. Range information is used to enhance the signal processing. The amount of signal integration is increased with range in proportion to the width of the detection pattern so as to optimize the signal to noise ratio (SNR).