An investigation into the loss of the Brazilian space programme's launch vehicle VLS-1 V03

There has been a rapid increase in the complexity and integration of many safety-critical systems. In consequence, it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify the causes of incidents and accidents back through the complex interactions that lead to an adverse event. At the same time, there is a growing appreciation of the need to consider a broad range of contextual factors in the aftermath of any mishap. A number of regulators, operators and research teams have responded to these developments by proposing novel techniques to support the analysis of complex, safety-critical incidents. It is important to illustrate these different approaches by applying them to a number of common case studies. The following pages, therefore, show how STAMP and AcciMap might support the Serviço Público Federal investigation into the explosion and fire of the Brazilian launch vehicle VLS-1 VO3. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shopping center: consumo do espaço, cotidianidade e fetichismo

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A study of the relative velocities of small particles that are orbiting the earth

The evolution of the velocity of the particles with respect to the circular orbits of satellites that are around the Earth that the particles will cross, suggests a range of possible velocities of impact as a function of the altitude of the satellite. A study made from those results show that the maximum relative velocities occur at the semi-latus rectum, independent of the initial semi-major axis of the particle. Considering both the solar radiation pressure and the oblateness of the Earth, it is visible that a precession in the orbit occurs and there is also a variation in the eccentricity of the particle as a function of its orbital region and its size. This is important information, because the damage caused in a spacecraft depends on the impact velocity.

O centro de Recife e suas formas comerciais: transformações e persistências

Pós-graduação em Geografia - IGCE

The aster mission: Exploring for the first time a triple system asteroid

2001 SN263 is a triple system asteroid. Although it was discovery in 2001, in 2008 astronomical observation carried out by Arecibo observatory revealed that it is actually a system with three bodies orbiting each other. The main central body is an irregular object with a diameter about 2.8 km, while the other two are small objects with less than 1 km across. This system presents an orbital eccentricity of 0.47, with perihelion of 1.04 and aphelion of 1.99, which means that it can be considered as a Near Earth Object. This interesting system was chosen as the target for the Aster mission - first Brazilian space exploration undertaking. A small spacecraft with 150 kg of total mass, 30 kg of payload with 110 W available for the instruments, is scheduled to be launched in 2015, and in 2018 it will approach and will be put in orbit of the triple system. This spacecraft will use electric propulsion and in its payload it will carry image camera, laser rangefinder, infrared spectrometer, mass spectrometer, and experiments to be performed in its way to the asteroid. This mission represents a great challenge for the Brazilian space program. It is being structured to allow the full engagement of the Brazilian universities and technological companies in all the necessary developments to be carried out. In this paper, we present some aspects of this mission, including the transfer trajectories to be used, and details of buss and payload subsystems that are being developed and will be used. Copyright ©2010 by the International Astronautical Federation. All rights reserved.

The triple near-Earth asteroid (153591) 2001 SN263: an ultra-blue, primitive target for the Aster space mission

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Fotointerpretação comparativa de fotografias pancromáticas coloridas e infravermelhas coloridas através da drenagem

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar quantitativamente as informações obtidas por diferentes tipos de fotografias. Os estudos basearam-se em fotografias pancromáticas, coloridas e infravermelhas coloridas de uma área teste localizada no município de Campinas - SP. A cobertura fotográfica denominada Missão 96 resultou da colaboração científica entre INPE - Instituto de Pesquisas Espaciais, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration e IAC - Instituto Agronômico do Estado de São Paulo. A rede de drenagem foi o elemento de comparação tendo sido estudados dois parâmetros: número de segmentos de rios e comprimentos de rios. A rede de drenagem foi estudada em monoscopia e em estereoscopia, onde as medições foram efetuadas em amostras circulares de 10 km² (parcelas), sendo que o delineamento experimental foi o de parcelas inteiramente casualizadas. Os dados obtidos foram utilizados para avaliar a eficiência de cada tipo de fotografia, para; os parâmetros considerados. Para as condições estudadas, obteve-se as seguintes conclusões principais: a) a fotografia infravermelha forneceu maior número de informações comparativamente às fotografias pancromáticas e coloridas, as quais ofereceram resultados semelhantes; b) os resultados obtidos pela análise monoscópica da fotografia infravermelha foram semelhantes aos resultados obtidos pela análise estereoscópica da fotografia pancromática, o que pode facilitar bastante o processo fotointerpretativo.

Deriving the magnitude of niobium off-center displacement in ferroelectric niobates from infrared spectroscopy

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Arithmetic fuchsian groups and space time block codes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Dynamics of a spacecraft and normalization around Lagrangian points in the Neptune-Triton system

The problem of a spacecraft orbiting the Neptune-Triton system is presented. The new ingredients in this restricted three body problem are the Neptune oblateness and the high inclined and retrograde motion of Triton. First we present some interesting simulations showing the role played by the oblateness on a Neptune's satellite, disturbed by Triton. We also give an extensive numerical exploration in the case when the spacecraft orbits Triton, considering Sun, Neptune and its planetary oblateness as disturbers. In the plane a x I (a = semi-major axis, I = inclination), we give a plot of the stable regions where the massless body can survive for thousand of years. Retrograde and direct orbits were considered and as usual, the region of stability is much more significant for the case of direct orbit of the spacecraft (Triton's orbit is retrograde). Next we explore the dynamics in a vicinity of the Lagrangian points. The Birkhoff normalization is constructed around L-2, followed by its reduction to the center manifold. In this reduced dynamics, a convenient Poincare section shows the interplay of the Lyapunov and halo periodic orbits, Lissajous and quasi-halo tori as well as the stable and unstable manifolds of the planar Lyapunov orbit. To show the effect of the oblateness, the planar Lyapunov family emanating from the Lagrangian points and three-dimensional halo orbits are obtained by the numerical continuation method. Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of COSPAR.

FLIGHT RANGE of AFRICANIZED HONEYBEES, Apis mellifera L. 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) IN AN APPLE GROVE

O estudo do raio de ação das abelhas na coleta de néctar e pólen é de extrema importância para se saber até que distância a polinização por este inseto é promovida com eficiência. Para tanto, cinco colônias de abelhas africanizadas marcadas com 32P foram levadas a um pomar de maçã, sendo agrupadas no centro de uma área de 0,8 ha, a partir do qual foram colocadas estacas a cada 10m, formando quatro alas correspondentes às direções Norte, Sul, Leste e Oeste. As abelhas foram capturadas duas vezes por dia e por dez dias consecutivos, quando visitavam as flores das macieiras, até 50m do centro. Verificou-se que o número de abelhas marcadas coletadas, diminuiu linearmente à medida em que as mesmas se afastavam das colméias. Não houve interferência das orientações geográficas no comportamento de vôo das abelhas.

Synthesis, structure and redox properties of an unexpected trinuclear copper(II) complex with aspartame: [Cu(apm)(2)Cu(mu-N,O : O '-apm)(2)(H2O)Cu(apm)(2)(H2O)]center dot 5H(2)O

Structural, magnetic and spectroscopic data of a new trinuclear copper(II) complex with the ligand aspartame (apm) are described. [Cu(apm)(2)CU(mu-N,O:O'-apm)(2)(H2O)Cu(apm)(2)(H2O)]-5H(2)O crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P1 (#1) with a = 7.3300(1) angstrom, b = 15.6840(1) angstrom, c = 21.5280(1) angstrom, alpha = 93.02(1)degrees, beta = 93.21 (1)degrees, gamma = 92.66(1)degrees and Z = 1. Aspartame coordinates to Cu(II) through the carboxylate and beta-amino groups. The carboxylate groups of the two central ligands act as bidentate bridges in a syn-anti conformation while the carboxylate groups of the four peripheral ligands are monodentate in a syn conformation. The central copper ion is in a distorted square pyramidal geometry with the apical position being occupied by one oxygen atom of the water molecule. The two terminal copper(II) atoms are coordinated to the ligands in the same position but their coordination sphere differs from each other due to the fact that one copper atom has a water molecule in an apical position leading to an octahedral coordination sphere while the other copper atom is exclusively coordinated to aspartame ligands forming a distorted square pyramidal coordination sphere. Thermal analysis is consistent with the X-ray structure. EPR spectra and CV curves indicate a rupture of the trinuclear framework when this complex is dissolved in ethanol or DMF, forming a mononuclear species, with a tetragonal structure. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New Ni(II)-sulfonamide complexes: Synthesis, structural characterization and antibacterial properties. X-ray diffraction of [Ni(sulfisoxazole)(2)(H2O)(4)] center dot 2H(2)O and [Ni(sulfapyridine)(2)]

The synthesis, structural characterization, voltammetric experiments and antibacterial activity of [Ni(sulfisoxazole)(2)(H2O)(4)] center dot 2H(2)O and [Ni(sulfapyridine)(2)] were studied and compared with similar previously reported copper complexes. [Ni(sulfisoxazole)(2)(H2O)(4)] center dot 2H(2)O crystallized in a monoclinic system, space group C2/c where the nickel ion was in a slightly distorted octahedral environment, coordinated with two sulfisoxazole molecules through the heterocyclic nitrogen and four water molecules. [Ni(sulfapyridine)(2)] crystallized in a orthorhombic crystal system, space group Pnab. The nickel ion was in a distorted octahedral environment, coordinated by two aryl amine N from two sulfonamides acting as monodentate ligands and four N atoms (two sulfonamidic N and two heterocyclic N) from two different sulfonamide molecules acting as bidentate ligands. Differential pulse voltammograms were recorded showing irreversible peaks at 1040 and 1070 mV, respectively, attributed to Ni(II)/Ni(III) process. [Ni(sulfisoxazole)(2)(H2O)(4)] center dot 2H(2)O and [Ni(sulfapyridine)(2)] presented different antibacterial behavior against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli from the similar copper complexes and they were inactive against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical study of the spherically symmetric Gross-Pitaevskii equation in two space dimensions

The Gross-Pitaevskii equation for Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in two space dimensions under the action of a harmonic oscillator trap potential for bosonic atoms with attractive and repulsive interparticle interactions was numerically studied by using time-dependent and time-independent approaches. In both cases, numerical difficulty appeared for large nonlinearity. Nonetheless, the solution of the time-dependent approach exhibited intrinsic oscillation with time iteration which is independent of space and time steps used in discretization.

Modernizing the Brazilian active control network

The Brazilian Network for Continuous Monitoring of GPS - RBMC, since its foundation in December of 1996, has been playing an essential role for the maintenance and user access of the fundamental geodetic frame in the country,. It provides users with a direct link to the Brazilian Geodetic System - SGB. Its role has become more relevant with the increasing use of space navigation technology in the country. Recently, Brazil adopted a new geodetic system, SIRGAS2000, in February 2005, fully compatible with GNSS technology. The paper provides an overview of the recent modernization phases the RBMC network has undergone highlighting its future steps. From its current post-mission mode, the RBMC will evolve into a real-time network, providing real-time data and real-time correction to users. The network enhanced with modern GPS receivers and the addition of atomic clocks will be used to compute WADGPS-type corrections to be transmitted, in real time, to users in Brazil and surrounding areas. It is estimated that users will be able to achieve a horizontal accuracy around 0.5 m (1σ) in static and kinematic positioning and better for dual frequency users. The availability of the WADGPS service will allow users to tie to the new SIRGAS2000 system in a more rapid and transparent way for positioning and navigation applications. It should be emphasized that support to post-mission static positioning will continue to be provided to users interested in higher accuracy levels. In addition to this, a post-mission Precise Point Positioning (PPP) service will be provided based on the one currently provided by the Geodetic Survey Division of NRCan (CSRS-PPP). The modernization of the RBMC is under development based on a cooperation signed at the end of 2004 with the University of New Brunswick, supported by the Canadian International Development Agency and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency. The Geodetic Survey Division of NRCan is also participating in this modernization effort under the same project.