Mars Science Laboratory Entry Atmospheric Data System Trajectory and Atmosphere Reconstruction

Karlgaard, Christopher D.; Kutty, Prasad; Schoenenberger, Mark; Munk, Michelle M.; Little, Alan; Kuhl, Christopher A.; Shidner, Jeremy D.

doi:10.2514/1.a32770

Cited by 68 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Papers by Karlgaard et al [13,14] describe the preliminary reconstruction process and a preliminary Kalman Filter reconstruction using all available data sets. For this analysis, the DIMU and MEADS data were used together to estimate the best entry trajectory of the MSL entry capsule.…”

Section: Reconstruction Of Msl Entry Trajectorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of the Reconstructed Aerodynamics of the Mars Science Laboratory Entry Vehicle

Schoenenberger

Norman

Karlgaard

et al. 2014

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

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On August 5, 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory entry vehicle successfully entered Mars atmosphere, flying a guided entry until parachute deploy. The Curiosity rover landed safely in Gale crater upon completion of the Entry Descent and Landing sequence. This paper compares the aerodynamics of the entry capsule extracted from onboard flight data, including Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) accelerometer and rate gyro information, and heatshield surface pressure measurements. From the onboard data, static force and moment data has been extracted. This data is compared to preflight predictions. The information collected by MSL represents the most complete set of information collected during Mars entry to date. It allows the separation of aerodynamic performance from atmospheric conditions. The comparisons show the MSL aerodynamic characteristics have been identified and resolved to an accuracy better than the aerodynamic database uncertainties used in preflight simulations. A number of small anomalies have been identified and are discussed. This data will help revise aerodynamic databases for future missions and will guide computational fluid dynamics (CFD) development to improved prediction codes.

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Section: Reconstruction Of Msl Entry Trajectorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of the Reconstructed Aerodynamics of the Mars Science Laboratory Entry Vehicle

Schoenenberger

Norman

Karlgaard

et al. 2014

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

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“…Figure 11 and Table 4 summarize the conditions at the selected CFD points. The MEADS system measured a small angle of sideslip (<1 deg) [37], and so CFD solutions were obtained on a halfsymmetry grid assuming no sideslip. Figure 12 compares LAURA peak instantaneous conditions along the heat shield symmetry plane for the BET and TPS design trajectories.…”

Section: Best-estimated Trajectory Cfd Results Compared With Prementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The BET was reconstructed [36][37][38] using MEADS data to estimate dynamic pressure, atmospheric density, and capsule attitudes. The reference time (t 0) was chosen at a spacecraft clock time of 397,501,714.997338 s, or 540 s after the MEDLI power was turned on.…”

Section: Best-estimated Trajectory Cfd Results Compared With Prementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Numerous computational [15][16][17][18][19][20][21] and experimental [22][23][24][25][26][27][28] studies have been written that summarize the analyses for various MSL aeroshell configurations and design trajectories. Recent studies [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] have used the MISP and MEADS data to reconstruct the as-flown aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics. This paper continues the postflight analysis by focusing on the MISP temperature data and updated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis on the as-flown best-estimated trajectory (BET).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Mars Science Laboratory Heat Shield Aerothermodynamics: Design and Reconstruction

Edquist

Hollis

Johnston

et al. 2014

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

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The Mars Science Laboratory heat shield was designed to withstand a fully turbulent heat pulse using information from ground testing and computational analysis on a preflight design trajectory. Instrumentation on the flight heat shield measured in-depth temperatures to permit reconstruction of the surface heating. The data indicate that boundary-layer transition occurred at five of seven measurement locations before peak heating. Data oscillations at three pressure measurement locations may also indicate transition. This paper presents the heat shield temperature and pressure data, possible explanations for the timing of boundary-layer transition, and a comparison of reconstructed and computational heating on the actual trajectory. A smooth-wall boundary-layer Reynolds number that was used to predict transition is compared with observed transition at various heat shield locations. A single transition Reynolds number criterion does not uniformly explain the timing of boundary-layer transition observed during flight. A roughness-based Reynolds number suggests that transition due to discrete or distributed roughness elements occurred. However, the distributed roughness height from acreage heat shield material would have needed to be larger than expected. The instrumentation confirmed the predicted location of maximum turbulent heat flux near the lee-side shoulder. The reconstructed heat flux at that location is bounded by smooth-wall turbulent convective heating, indicating that a significant augmentation due to surface roughness did not occur. Turbulent heating on the downstream side of the heat shield nose exceeded smooth-wall convective levels, assuming a supercatalytic surface, indicating that roughness may have augmented heating. The stagnation region heating also exceeded calculated convective heating; the cause of elevated heating may be attributed to a combination of shocklayer radiation and a heating augmentation of unknown origin that was also evident in ground test data.m 2 ∕s D = aeroshell diameter, m H r = recovery enthalpy, J∕kg h = altitude, km h w = wall enthalpy, J∕kg k = roughness height, m k s = equivalent sand-grain roughness height, m k = roughness augmentation Reynolds number, ρ w U τ k s ∕μ w M = Mach number m = entry system mass, kg p = pressure, Earth atm; one Earth atm is equal to 101,325 Pa Q = integrated heat load, ∫ q dt, J∕cm 2 q = heat flux, W∕cm 2 q ∞ = freestream dynamic pressure, 1∕2ρ ∞ V 2 ∞ , Pa Re k;k = roughness Reynolds number, ρ k u k k∕μ k Re θ = momentum thickness Reynolds number, ρ e u e θ∕μ e Re ∞ = freestream Reynolds number, ρ ∞ V ∞ D∕μ ∞ St = Stanton number, q w ∕ρ ∞ V ∞ H ∞ − H w T = temperature,°C t = time from atmospheric interface, s U τ = shear velocity, τ w ∕ρ w p , m∕s V = velocity relative to atmosphere, km∕s α = angle of attack, deg Subscripts D = aeroshell diameter e = boundary-layer edge, where H e is equal to 0.99H ∞ i = atmospheric interface lam = laminar trim = aerodynamic trim condition turb = turbulent w = wall w, k = rough wall w, 0 = smooth wall ∞ = fr...

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“…MEDLI data has since been used for reconstruction of aerodynamic drag, vehicle attitude, in situ atmospheric density, aerothermal heating, transition to turbulence, in-depth TPS performance and TPS ablation. [2,3] In addition to validating predictive models, MEDLI data has highlighted extra margin available in the MSL forebody TPS. Because the Mars 2020 entry vehicle is nearly identical to that flown for MSL, the additional mass found on the forebody TPS could potentially be removed if needed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mars 2020 Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrumentation (MEDLI2)

Bose

Wright

White

et al. 2016

46th AIAA Thermophysics Conference

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The Mars Entry Descent and Landing Instrumentation 2 (MEDLI2) sensor suite will measure aerodynamic, aerothermodynamic, and TPS performance during the atmospheric entry, descent, and landing phases of the Mars 2020 mission. The key objectives are to reduce design margin and prediction uncertainties for the aerothermal environments and aerodynamic database. For MEDLI2, the sensors are installed on both the heatshield and backshell, and include 7 pressure transducers, 17 thermal plugs, and 3 heat flux sensors (including a radiometer). These sensors will expand the set of measurements collected by the highly successful MEDLI suite, collecting supersonic pressure measurements on the forebody, a pressure measurement on the aftbody, direct heat flux measurements on the aftbody, a radiative heating measurement on the aftbody, and multiple near-surface thermal measurements on the thermal protection system (TPS) materials on both the forebody and aftbody. To meet the science objectives, supersonic pressure transducers and heat flux sensors are currently being developed and their qualification and calibration plans are presented. Finally, the reconstruction targets for data accuracy are presented, along with the planned methodologies for achieving the targets.

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Mars Science Laboratory Entry Atmospheric Data System Trajectory and Atmosphere Reconstruction

Cited by 68 publications

References 37 publications

Assessment of the Reconstructed Aerodynamics of the Mars Science Laboratory Entry Vehicle

Assessment of the Reconstructed Aerodynamics of the Mars Science Laboratory Entry Vehicle

Mars Science Laboratory Heat Shield Aerothermodynamics: Design and Reconstruction

Mars 2020 Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrumentation (MEDLI2)

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