On the Problem of Testing a Portable Acceleration Recorder under Orbital Flight Conditions.

The paper discusses the possibility of testing and correcting calibration of a portable acceleration recorder under orbital flight conditions. This recorder in-cludes a 3-axis accelerometer. The most difficult stage of calibration tests is the determination of its scale factors. The main difficulty of calibration is the lack of special equipment on the space station. It is proposed to use a standard mass meter installed on the ISS for testing accelerometers. The algorithms considered in the paper use data of the motion of the mass meter platform and the video camera records processing in addition to the recorder readings. For testing the algorithms under earth conditions, recordings were made that simulate conditions of an orbital flight. The proposed algorithms showed 2 % error in determining the scale factors of the accelerometers.

Physics of a Spinning Object Cyclic Inversion at an Orbital Flight

The opening up of space flights is going on with physical discoveries. One of them was a spinning object cyclic inversion revealed on the MIR space station classified in 1985. Later, the NASA International Space Station openly showed the same effect. This physical effect was an object of stare studying by physicists and mathematicians. They developed only approximated and numerical models on the level of assumptions. The inversion of the spinning objects in the condition of free flight is the subject of gyroscope theory. The mass of the spinning object at the orbital flight generates the system of the interrelated inertial torques that results from the action of the inertial torques produced by the curvilinear motion of the object around the earth. This system of the torques acting on the spinning object at an orbital flight manifests its cyclic inversions, which is the gyroscopic effects. The theory of the gyroscopic effects describes the method of application of the system of the inertial torques, the physics of all gyroscopic effects that manifested by any rotating objects under any condition of their motions.

On the sensitivity of large precision space structures of high-modulus fibrous polymer composite materials to microdynamical effects

The paper considers the problem of sensitivity of large precision space structures made of high-modulus fibrous polymer composite materials to external and internal microdynamic effects. This problem is related to the extent of structure forming elements, as well as to an abrupt increase in the elastic modulus of the material when passing the threshold of low stresses. It is found that under low loading in the orbital flight conditions the calculated values of the elastic modulus of large precision space structures made of high-modulus fibrous polymer composite materials may be higher than the real ones by more than 20 times, which must be taken into account in the calculations. Possible ways to reduce the sensitivity of such space structures made of high-modulus fibrous polymer composite materials to external and internal microdynamic effects are shown.

Emerging Legal Issues in Sub-Orbital Flight and Colonization under International Air and Space Law

Space exploration activities constitute an important part of International Air and Space Law. Space Law, which governs matters in outer space beyond the Earth's atmosphere, is a rather new area of law and is to a very large extent connected to Air Law. Not only have we witnessed a tremendous increase in air travel recently, human activities in space has also skyrocketed. Sub-orbital flight and colonization (also known as space tourism) is one of such developments in space activities today and is not without legal implications. This article seeks to x-ray and situates some of these legal issues emerging out of contemporary space exploration activities against the overarching framework of the UN Space Treaties.

Smoke emission and temperature characteristics of the long-term overloaded wire in space

We developed an experimental payload to study the overloaded characteristics of wire insulations on board the China’s SJ-10 satellite. In 2-week microgravity experiments provided by the orbital flight, the smoke emissions of overloaded wire insulations were observed in space for the first time. Two smoke emission modes, namely the end smoke jet and the bubbling smoke jet, were identified with polyethylene insulations. The results showed that the geometry of the pyrolysis front dominated the direction and the range of the end smoke jet. The non-oxidative pyrolysis that occurred between the wire core and the insulation produced the high-temperature smoke and caused the bubbling smoke jet. The bubbling jet has a significant impact on the temperatures of adjacent wires, revealing an additional fire risk in microgravity. The effects of insulation thickness and excess current on the temperature rise were also discussed.