High energy-density propulsion—reducing the risk to humans in planetary exploration

The potential benefits to humankind of space exploration are tremendous. Space is not only the final frontier but is also the next marketplace. The orbital space above Earth offers tremendous opportunities for both strategic assets and commercial development. The critical obstacle retarding the use of the space around the Earth is the lack of low cost access to orbit. Further out, the next giant leap for mankind will be the human exploration of Mars. Almost certainly within the next 30 years, a human crew will brave the isolation, the radiation, and the lack of gravity to walk on and explore the Red planet. Both of these missions will change the outlook and perspective of every human being on the planet. However, these missions are expensive and extremely difficult. Chemical propulsion has demonstrated an inability to achieve orbit cheaply and is a very high-risk option to accomplish the Mars mission. An alternative solution is to develop a high performance propulsion system. Nuclear propulsion has the potential to be such a system. The question will be whether humanity is willing to take on the challenge.     

EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR THE NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SPACE PLASMAS

The Cluster mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) will allow, for the first time three-dimensional measurements in key regions of the Earth's magnetosphere to be carried out. The European Numerical Simulation Network (ENSN) aims at providing a theoretical support to the mission. We describe the achievements of the ENSN during its first period of activity 1991–1994, during which the network was funded by the European Union. In particular, the ENSN has set up (i) thematic Working Groups on the prime scientific goals of the mission, (ii) a code development Working Group to develop numerical simulation codes specifically adapted to studying magnetospheric boundaries and the corresponding scale mixing, and (iii) software models of Cluster instruments to test in a numerical simulation what the set of four instruments will measure.     

Scientific Planning and Commanding of the Rosetta Payload

ESA’s Rosetta mission was launched in March 2004 and is on its way to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, where it is scheduled to arrive in summer 2014. It comprises a payload of 12 scientific instruments and a Lander. All instruments are provided by Principal Investigators, which are responsible for their operations. As for most ESA science missions, the ground segment of the mission consists of a Mission Operations Centre (MOC) and a Science Operations Centre (SOC). While the MOC is responsible for all spacecraft-related aspects and the final uplink of all command timelines to the spacecraft, the scientific operations of the instruments and the collection of the data and ingestion into the Planetary Science Archive are coordinated by the SOC. This paper focuses on the tasks of the SOC and in particular on the methodology and constraints to convert the scientific goals of the Rosetta mission to operational timelines.     

载人航天可靠性与空间环境试验

文章通过对国外载人航天事故统计,分析各种空间环境条件对航天器及航天员的影响,阐述了空间环境试验对提高载人航天可靠性的重要意义,提出为了提高载人航天的可靠性,应进行充分和严格的空间环境模拟试验。     

月食过程月表太阳辐照和温度变化模拟

月食对月球轨道探测器的温度有重要的影响,分析月食时月表的太阳辐照和温度,具有重要意义。文章给出了通用的月表温度模型和月食时月表太阳辐照模型,根据某次月食的天文参数,用太阳辐照模型可求出月表任一点在月食时的太阳直接辐照变化过程,代入温度模型可求出任一点的温度变化过程。此模型和方法可用于对任何一次月食的分析,并以2007年8月28日的月食为例,模拟了该次月食的表面太阳直接辐照和温度的变化过程。     

载人航天的发展

简述了国外主要载人航天器的种类、技术参数和发展过程。介绍了我国载人航天工程的发展概况和主要技术指标,并分析了我国发展载人航天在科学、经济和政治等方面的重要意义。     

返回舱和着陆系统设计的新理念

文章描述了美俄合作提出的一种低成本和低风险的载人返回舱概念。方案采用已有的硬件和技术，由美国负责电子设备和软件，充分利用俄罗斯在返回舱方面的技术和低成本。提出的这种返回舱概念是把联盟-TN按比例增大到可以容纳8位乘员，而且着陆系统增加了气囊，对伤病航天员的着陆具有更好的缓冲作用。     

航天器舷窗玻璃的强度检验方法和寿命预测

以断裂力学为基础,结合热钢化玻璃应力分布的特点,首次提出了热钢化玻璃的检验试验和寿命预测方法,为热钢化舷窗玻璃的强度检验提供了理论基础。分析示例的计算表明,即使通过相同的检验应力,在不同的使用环境中允许的使用应力是不同的;不同环境下,同样的使用应力,玻璃的使用寿命相差很大。     

飞机空中加油任务剖面优化设计

介绍了某型飞机执行作战任务途中何时进行空中加油，并按照最大航程截击对飞机各个飞行任务段的飞行性能进行了计算，得出了最佳巡航速度，确定了最优的加油时机和加油量。计算过程中采用了遗传算法，考虑了爬升过程和巡航过程中飞机变质量的难点问题，提高了计算结果的可信度。     

月球探测器姿态大角度机动的反作用轮控制

研究了月球探测器转速与控制力矩受限的姿态大角度机动问题。根据时间变尺度思想，提出了双回路反馈的姿态大角度机动控制方法。以某型月球控测器为例，对该方法进行了仿真验证。结果表明，利用该控制方法，可使探测器以期望的角速度转动，从而完成探测器的姿态大角度机动。