Fast Calculation of Abort Return Trajectories for Manned Missions to the Moon

In order to support the anytime abort requirements of a manned mission to the Moon, the vehicle abort capabilities for the translunar and circumlunar phases of the mission must be studied. Depending on the location of the abort maneuver, the maximum return time to Earth and the available propellant, two different kinds of return trajectories can be calculated: direct and fly-by. This paper presents a new method to compute these return trajectories in a deterministic and fast way without using numerical optimizers. Since no simplifications of the gravity model are required, the resulting trajectories are very accurate and can be used for both mission design and operations. This technique has been extensively used to evaluate the abort capabilities of the Orion/Altair vehicles in the Constellation program for the translunar phase of the mission

An Optimal Initial Guess Generator for Entry Interface Targeters

If a pure numerical iterative approach is used, targeting entry interface (EI) conditions for nominal and abort return trajectories or for correction maneuvers can be computationally expensive. This paper describes an algorithm to obtain an optimal impulsive maneuver that generates a trajectory satisfying a set of EI targets: inequality constraints on longitude, latitude and azimuth and a fixed flight-path angle. Most of the calculations require no iterations, making it suitable for real-time applications or large trade studies. This algorithm has been used to generate initial guesses for abort trajectories during Earth-Moon transfers

Ab Initio Calculation Applied To The Study Of Organic Non-rigid Molecules With (at Least) Three Torsional Modes

Methods applicable to the spectroscopic study of non-rigid organic molecular species with various large amplitude motions (torsions and inversions), are shown. Recent studies of ethylene glycol, \chem{C_3O_6H_6} isomers, and other species containing C, H, O, and N are employed as examples. Many organic molecules display non-rigidity. Vibrational modes (inversions and torsions) interconvert different conformers separated by relatively low barriers. Some conformers can be stabilized by the presence of hydrogen intermolecular bonds that can determine their geometry, symmetry, the shape of the potential energy surface and the internal dynamics. When a species displays three or more large amplitude motions, which cannot be separated because they interact strongly, the variational calculation of vibrational levels is complex and requires to search for ways reducing computational efforts. Especially tricky is the classification of the vibrational levels and their splittings

Theoretical Foundation of Copernicus: A Unified System for Trajectory Design and Optimization

The fundamental methods are described for the general spacecraft trajectory design and optimization software system called Copernicus. The methods rely on a unified framework that is used to model, design, and optimize spacecraft trajectories that may operate in complex gravitational force fields, use multiple propulsion systems, and involve multiple spacecraft. The trajectory model, with its associated equations of motion and maneuver models, are discussed

Theoretical spectroscopic characterization at low temperatures of methyl hydroperoxide and three S-analogs

9 pags.; 3 figs.; 6 tabs.© 2015 AIP Publishing LLC. The low temperature spectra of the detectable species methyl hydroperoxide (CH3OOH) and three sulfur analogs, the two isomers of methanesulfenic acid (CH3SOH and CH3OSH) and the methyl hydrogen disulfide (CH3SSH), are predicted from highly correlated ab initio methods (CCSD(T) and CCSD(T)-F12). Rotational parameters, anharmonic frequencies, torsional energy barriers, torsional energy levels, and their splittings are provided. Our computed parameters should help for the characterization and the identification of these organic compounds in laboratory and in the interstellar medium.This research was supported by the MINECO of Spain Grant No. FIS2013-40626-P and by a Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Program under Grant No. PIRSES-GA-2012-31754. The authors acknowledge the COST Actions CM1002 CODECS and CM1401 “Our Astrochemical History.” The authors acknowledge the CTI (CSIC) and CESGA for computing facilities.Peer Reviewe

CCSD(T) Study of CD3-O-CD3 and CH3-O-CD3 Far-Infrared Spectra

From a vibrationally corrected 3D potential energy surface determined with highly correlated ab initio calculations (CCSD(T)), the lowest vibrational energies of two dimethyl-ether isotopologues, 12CH3–16O–12CD3 (DME-d3) and 12CD3–16O–12CD3 (DME-d6), are computed variationally. The levels that can be populated at very low temperatures correspond to the COC-bending and the two methyl torsional modes. Molecular symmetry groups are used for the classification of levels and torsional splittings. DME-d6 belongs to the G36 group, as the most abundant isotopologue 12CH3–16O–12CH3 (DME-h6), while DME-d3 is a G18 species. Previous assignments of experimental Raman and far-infrared spectra are discussed from an effective Hamiltonian obtained after refining the ab initio parameters. Because a good agreement between calculated and experimental transition frequencies is reached, new assignments are proposed for various combination bands corresponding to the two deuterated isotopologues and for the 020 → 030 transition of DME-d6. Vibrationally corrected potential energy barriers, structural parameters, and anharmonic spectroscopic parameters are provided. For the 3N – 9 neglected vibrational modes, harmonic and anharmonic fundamental frequencies are obtained using second-order perturbation theory by means of CCSD and MP2 force fields. Fermi resonances between the COC-bending and the torsional modes modify DME-d3 intensities and the band positions of the torsional overtones

Abort Options for Human Lunar Missions between Earth Orbit and Lunar Vicinity

Apollo mission design emphasized operational flexibility that supported premature return to Earth. However, that design was tailored to use expendable hardware for short expeditions to low-latitude sites and cannot be applied directly to an evolutionary program requiring long stay times at arbitrary sites. This work establishes abort performanc e requirements for representative onorbit phases of missions involvin g rendezvous in lunar-orbit, lunar-surface and at the Earth-Moon libr ation point. This study submits reference abort delta-V requirements and other Earth return data (e.g., entry speed, flight path angle) and also examines the effect of abort performance requirements on propul sive capability for selected vehicle configurations

Weak intramolecular interactions effcts on the structure and the torsional spectra of ethylene glycol, an astrophysical species

A variational procedure of reduced dimensionality based on CCSD(T)-F12 calculations is applied to understand the far infrared spectrum of Ethylene-Glycol. This molecule can be classified in the double molecular symmetry group G8 and displays nine stable conformers, gauche and trans. In the gauche region, the effect of the potential energy surface anisotropy due to the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds is relevant. For the primary conformer, the ground vibrational state rotational constants are computed at 6.3 MHz, 7.2 MHz and 3.5 MHz from the experimental parameters. Ethylene glycol displays very low torsional energy levels whose classification is not straightforward. Given the anisotropy, tunneling splittings are significant and unpredictable. The ground vibrational state splits into 16 sublevels separated approximately 142 $cm^{-1}$. Transitions corresponding to the three internal rotation modes allow assign previous observed Q branches. Band patterns, calculated between 362.3 $cm^{-1}$ and 375.2 $cm^{-1}$, between 504 $cm^{-1}$ and 517 $cm^{-1}$ and between 223.3 $cm^{-1}$ and 224.1 $cm^{-1}$, that correspond to the tunnelling components of the v21 fundamental ($\nu_{21}$ = OH-torsional mode), are assigned to the prominent experimental Q branches

Patients' satisfaction with community treatment: a pilot cross-sectional survey adopting multiple perspectives.

ACCESSIBLE SUMMARY: Patients' satisfaction is scarcely studied within the context of community treatment for adolescents. Thus, this study adopts a multiple perspective on patients' satisfaction (including service users as well as staff members). The results highlighted that all informants (patients, foster carers in foster homes and professional caregivers from community treatment teams) perceived the patients to be satisfied, with foster carers reporting the highest patient satisfaction rate. Considering the patient satisfaction rate from multiple perspectives provides complementary understandings. Clinical outcomes and, specifically, a reduction in emotional difficulties were related to patient's satisfaction, but only from the patients' perspective. ABSTRACT: Community treatment (CT) teams in Switzerland provide care to patients who are unable to use regular child and adolescent mental health services (i.e. inpatient and outpatients facilities). No study has considered patients' self-rated satisfaction alongside with staff members' perspectives on patient satisfaction. Thus, adopting a cross-sectional survey design, we collected patients' satisfaction using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8), rated by multiple informants (patients, foster carers in foster homes and professional caregivers from CT teams). Professional caregivers assessed clinical outcomes using the Health of the Nation Outcome Scale for Children and Adolescents. The results indicated that all informants were satisfied with the community treatment teams. The satisfaction scores were not correlated across informants; however, the alleviation of emotional symptoms was correlated with patients' satisfaction. This study indicated that the use of a combined approach including the views of service users and professionals gives important complementary information. Finally, in our sample, lower emotional symptoms were linked to enhanced patient satisfaction. This study demonstrated the importance of considering multiple perspectives to obtain the most accurate picture of patients' satisfaction. Second, focusing on the reduction of emotional symptoms might lead to a higher degree of patients' satisfaction

Natural and sail-displaced doubly-symmetric Lagrange point orbits for polar coverage

This paper proposes the use of doubly-symmetric, eight-shaped orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem for continuous coverage of the high-latitude regions of the Earth. These orbits, for a range of amplitudes, spend a large fraction of their period above either pole of the Earth. It is shown that they complement Sun-synchronous polar and highly eccentric Molniya orbits, and present a possible alternative to low thrust pole-sitter orbits. Both natural and solar-sail displaced orbits are considered. Continuation methods are described and used to generate families of these orbits. Starting from ballistic orbits, other families are created either by increasing the sail lightness number, varying the period or changing the sail attitude. Some representative orbits are then chosen to demonstrate the visibility of high-latitude regions throughout the year. A stability analysis is also performed, revealing that the orbits are unstable: it is found that for particular orbits, a solar sail can reduce their instability. A preliminary design of a linear quadratic regulator is presented as a solution to stabilize the system by using the solar sail only. Finally, invariant manifolds are exploited to identify orbits that present the opportunity of a ballistic transfer directly from low Earth orbit