Flight Mechanics Feasibility Assessment for Co-Delivery of Direct-Entry Probe and Aerocapture Orbiter
Abstract
The co-delivery of a direct-entry probe and an aerocapture orbiter from a single atmospheric entry state is a novel way to include ride-along probes or orbiters on interplanetary missions. This is made possible through combining two technologies: low-cost small satellites and aerocapture. This study investigates the feasibility of this co-delivery method from a flight-mechanics perspective. The availability of direct-entry and aerocapture trajectories from a single entry flight-path angle is assessed for a large range of feasible ballistic coefficients at Earth, Mars, Venus, Titan, and Neptune. Apoapsis altitude, peak heat flux, total heat load, and peak g-load are also quantified across this trade space. A representative scenario implementing closed-loop guidance is presented for a proof of concept, and the trajectory dispersions due to relevant uncertainties are quantified in a Monte Carlo analysis. Passive ballistic impactor or penetrator probes as a secondary mission with a primary lift-modulated aerocapture orbiter is identified as the most promising configuration.
Additional Information
© 2021 by Samuel W. Albert. Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission. Presented as Paper 2020-718 at the 2020 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Lake Tahoe (Virtual Conference), August 9–12, 2020; received 8 September 2020; revision received 9 June 2021; accepted for publication 28 June 2021; published online 9 September 2021. This work was supported by a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship. The first author thanks Jay McMahon and Soumyo Dutta for help with the Fully Numerical Predictor–Corrector Aerocapture Guidance and the Fully Numerical Predictor–Corrector Entry Guidance materials.Attached Files
Published - 1.a34953.pdf
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 111069
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20210927-225706017
- NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship
- 80NSSC19K1139
- Created
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2021-09-28Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2022-02-01Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- GALCIT
- Other Numbering System Name
- AIAA Paper
- Other Numbering System Identifier
- 2020-0718