TPS design for aerobraking at Earth and Mars

Details TPS design for aerobraking at Earth and Mars TPS design for aerobraking at Earth and Mars

Aug 1991

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1991tdae.rept.....w&link_type=abstract

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Physics

Aeroassist, Aerobraking, Aerocapture, Aerodynamic Heating, Heat Shielding, Spacecraft Design, Spacecraft Shielding, Thermal Protection, Ablation, Feasibility Analysis, Interplanetary Flight, Lunar Flight, Orbit Insertion, Spacecraft Trajectories, Thermal Analysis, Weight Analysis

Scientific paper

An investigation was made to determine the feasibility of using an aerobrake system for manned and unmanned missions to Mars, and to Earth from Mars and lunar orbits. A preliminary thermal protection system (TPS) was examined for five unmanned small nose radius, straight bi-conic vehicles and a scaled up Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) vehicle aerocapturing at Mars. Analyses were also conducted for the scaled up AFE and an unmanned Sample Return Cannister (SRC) returning from Mars and aerocapturing into Earth orbit. Also analyzed were three different classes of lunar transfer vehicles (LTV's): an expendable scaled up modified Apollo Command Module (CM), a raked cone (modified AFT), and three large nose radius domed cylinders. The LTV's would be used to transport personnel and supplies between Earth and the moon in order to establish a manned base on the lunar surface. The TPS for all vehicles analyzed is shown to have an advantage over an all-propulsive velocity reduction for orbit insertion. Results indicate that TPS weight penalties of less than 28 percent can be achieved using current material technology, and slightly less than the most favorable LTV using advanced material technology.

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