This content is not published

Inflatable Systems for Aerocapture and Aerobraking

Wed, 05/11/2022 - 16:33
Start Date: 
2020
Programme: 
Discovery
End Date: 
2021
Programme Reference: 
19-D-S-OPS-02
Country: 
Portugal
Contractor: 
Spin.Works
Status: 
Closed
Description: 

This work has primarily focused on establishing scenarios where inflatable devices could be the most useful. Given that these missions rely on aerodynamic drag that results in (potentially significant) heating, the authors have sought to find solutions to minimize heat fluxes acting on the device surface, and especially keeping it within the limits of flexible/foldable TPS materials for the aerocapture scenario. A second key challenge has been to minimize the mass per unit area, given that the most important way in which an inflatable contributes to a lower heating is by having a large surface (ensuring aerodynamic braking occurs at a lower atmospheric density).

Application Domain: 
Exploration
Technology Domain: 
10 - Flight Dynamics and GNSS
18 - Fluid Dynamics
9 - Mission Operation and Ground Data Systems
5 - Space System Control
4 - Space Systems Environments and Effects
8 - System Design & Verification
Competence Domain: 
2-Structures, Mechanisms, Materials, Thermal
7-Propulsion, Space Transportation and Re-entry Vehicles
10-Astrodynamics, Space Debris and Space Environment
Keywords: 
aerocapture
aerobraking
inflatable
decelerator device
Executive summary: