This white paper from the Thermal Protection System (TPS) community to the NRC Decadal Survey Sub-Panels provides an overview of TPS materials needed for future Sample Return (SR) missions. We consider the capability of heritage TPS material used by recent SR missions and identify appropriate materials for future SR missions. A prime conclusion is that the current TPS materials, if properly maintained, offer good low-density solutions for lower velocity (<13.5 km/s) sample return missions without planetary protection back-contamination concerns. Furthermore, missions that have a larger capsule, a higher entry speed (>13.5 km/s), or back-protection concerns will leverage recently developed mid-density TPS materials. To maintain NASA's Sample Return capabilities in the coming decade, we recommend that NASA continue to invest in sustainment of relevant TPS materials, as well as ground-test facilities, predictive entry modeling, and flight instrumentation.
An integrated, distributed engineering environment being used to analyze and design Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) is presented. A foundation for the development of this environment is established through the presentation of a history of the project and the motivations for its continued development. It facilitates integration of the analysis tools employed by both vehicle performance disciplines and life-cycle disciplines.Current performance disciplines supported include: weights and sizing, aerodynamics, trajectories, propulsion, structural loads, and CAD-based geometries. Current life-cycle disciplines supported include: DDT&E cost, production costs, operations costs, turn around times, safety and reliability, and system economics. Involving six NASA centers (ARC, LaRC, MSFC, KSC, GRC and JSC), the Advanced Engineering Environment has been tailored to serve as a web-accessed agency-wide source for all of NASA's future launch vehicle systems engineering functions. Thus, it is configured to facilitate (a) data management, (b) automated tool/process integration, execution and management, and (c) data visualization and presentation. The core components of the integrated framework are a customized PTC Windchill product data management server, a set of RLV analysis and design tools integrated using Phoenix Integration's Model Center, and an XML-based data capture and transfer protocol.
This paper describes the development of an XML-based Weights Analysis Tool (XWAT)using the Launch Vehicle Language in the Advanced Engineering Environment, which demonstrates a methodology that readily accommodates weights analysis of disparate vehicles.
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