This paper presents a technology development initiative focused on delivering SmallSats to orbit a variety of bodies using aerocapture. Aerocapture uses the drag of a single pass through the atmosphere to capture into orbit instead of relying on large quantities of rocket fuel. Using drag modulation flight control, an aerocapture vehicle adjusts its drag area during atmospheric flight through a single-stage jettison of a drag skirt, allowing it to target a particular science orbit in the presence of atmospheric uncertainties. A team from JPL, NASA Ames, and CU Boulder has worked to address the key challenges and determine the feasibility of an aerocapture system for SmallSats less than 180kg. Key challenges include the ability to accurately target an orbit, stability through atmospheric flight and the jettison event, and aerothermal stresses due to high heat rates.
SmallSat aerocapture to enable a new paradigm of planetay missions
2019-03-02
Preprint
Keine Angabe
Englisch
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