Assessment of Aerocapture Flight at Titan Using a Drag-Only Device

Westhelle, Carlos H.; Masciarelli, James

doi:10.2514/6.2003-5389

Cited by 17 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The target orbit is a 1700 km circular orbit. The AI velocity and apoapsis target were selected to match the available literature [9,12,19]. …”

Section: Aerocapture At Titanmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These studies all assumed that drag could be controlled continuously within a given interval. Discrete-event drag modulation has been studied for planetary aerocapture missions at the conceptual level, but few studies address realistic guided-system performance [8][9][10]. Miller et al present a real-time predictive algorithm for single-stage jettison aerocapture at Titan using a trailing toroidal ballute but provide only limited information on flight performance [11].…”

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confidence: 99%

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Drag-Modulation Flight-Control System Options for Planetary Aerocapture

Putnam

Braun

2014

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

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Drag-modulation flight control may provide a simple method for controlling energy during aerocapture. Several drag-modulation flight-control system options are discussed and evaluated, including single-stage jettison, two-stage jettison, and continuously variable drag-modulation systems. Performance is assessed using numeric simulation with real-time guidance and targeting algorithms. Monte Carlo simulation is used to evaluate system robustness to expected day-of-flight uncertainties. Results indicate that drag-modulation flight control is an attractive option for aerocapture systems at Mars, where low peak heat rates enable the use of lightweight inflatable drag areas. Aerocapture using drag modulation at Titan is found to require large drag areas to limit peak heat rates to nonablative thermal-protection system limits or advanced lightweight ablators. The large gravity well and high peak heat rates experienced during aerocapture at Venus make drag-modulation flight control unattractive when combined with a nonablative thermal-protection system. Significantly larger drag areas or advances in fabric-based material thermal properties are required to improve feasibility at Venus.

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“…The target orbit is a 1700 km circular orbit. The AI velocity and apoapsis target were selected to match the available literature [9,12,19]. …”

Section: Aerocapture At Titanmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Drag-Modulation Flight-Control System Options for Planetary Aerocapture

Putnam

Braun

2014

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

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“…During a dual-use ballute trajectory, the ballute/lander is typically released just after periapsis, but we note that peak heating rates occur prior to periapsis. In prior work, 17 we show that the lander is typically subjected to the highest g-load, immediately after release, but these loads are not technologically challenging. Using the analytical solutions for ballistic capture trajectories, we obtain expressions for maximum heating rates, maximum deceleration (prior to release), and maximum dynamic pressure, as a functions of the ballistic coefficient and the capture trajectory.…”

Section: Peak Conditions During Dual-use Ballute Trajectoriesmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…Numerical results presented throughout this paper use the conditions and parameters displayed in Tables 1 and 2. The range of entry speeds examined at Earth, Mars, Titan, and Neptune are adapted from previous studies 1,2,8,9,16,17 and are displayed in Table 2. We choose an entry flight path angle that targets a circular orbit at exit (assuming the ballute/lander is not released).…”

Section: Numerical Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analytic Solutions for Aerocapture, Descent, and Landing Trajectories for Dual-Use Ballute Systems

Medlock

Ayoubi

Longuski

et al. 2006

AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference and Exhibit

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In a dual-use ballute system, we use the ballute first, to aerocapture the orbiter, and second, to soft-land the payload. Using Vinh's analytic theory for aerocapture trajectories, we derive expressions for the maximum heating rates, maximum deceleration, and maximum dynamic pressure as functions of the ballistic coefficient and of the capture trajectory, which in turn provides the required size (area/mass ratio) of the ballute. We follow a similar approach in developing an analytic theory for the ballute-lander. We apply our results to Earth (returns), Mars, Titan, and Neptune.

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“…These studies all assumed that drag could be controlled continuously within a given interval. Discrete-event drag modulation has been studied for planetary aerocapture missions at the conceptual level [8][9][10][11], but only a few studies address realistic guided system performance [12][13][14]. This study seeks to extend discrete-event drag-modulation systems to EDL at Mars.…”

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confidence: 99%

Precision Landing at Mars Using Discrete-Event Drag Modulation

Putnam

Braun

2014

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

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An entry, descent, and landing architecture capable of achieving Mars Science Laboratory-class landed accuracy (within 10 km of target) while delivering a Mars Exploration Rover-class payload to the surface of Mars is presented. The architecture consists of a Mars Exploration Rover-class aeroshell with a rigid, annular drag skirt. Maximum vehicle diameter, including drag skirt, is limited to be compatible with current launch-vehicle fairings. A single dragskirt jettison event is used to control range during entry. Three-degree-of-freedom trajectory simulation is used in conjunction with Monte Carlo techniques to assess the flight performance of the proposed architecture. Results indicate that landed accuracy is competitive with preflight Mars Science Laboratory estimates, and peak heat rate and integrated heat load are significantly reduced relative to the Mars Exploration Rover entry system. Modeling parachute descent within the onboard guidance algorithm is found to remove range error bias present at touchdown; the addition of a range-based parachute deploy trigger is found to significantly improve landed accuracy. Nomenclature a = acceleration vector, m∕s 2 a axial = axial acceleration magnitude, m∕s 2 a sens = sensed acceleration magnitude, m∕s 2 C A = axial force coefficient= mass, kg P = covariance matrix r = position vector, m S ref = aerodynamic reference area, m 2 t = time, s v = inertial velocity vector, m∕s v rel = planet-relative velocity magnitude, m∕s v wind = wind-relative velocity magnitude, m∕s x = random vector x = random variable β = ballistic coefficient, kg∕m 2 η = Markov process noise ρ = atmospheric density, kg∕m 3 σ = standard deviation τ = time constant, s Δ = change in parameter

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Assessment of Aerocapture Flight at Titan Using a Drag-Only Device

Cited by 17 publications

References 5 publications

Drag-Modulation Flight-Control System Options for Planetary Aerocapture

Drag-Modulation Flight-Control System Options for Planetary Aerocapture

Analytic Solutions for Aerocapture, Descent, and Landing Trajectories for Dual-Use Ballute Systems

Precision Landing at Mars Using Discrete-Event Drag Modulation

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