An Earth smallsat mission architecture is developed to demonstrate the feasibility of aerocapture. The mission concept proposes to transfer from a geosynchronous transfer orbit rideshare trajectory to a low Earth orbit. Single-event drag modulation is used as a straightforward means of achieving the control required during the maneuver. Low- and high-fidelity guidance algorithm choices are considered. Numeric trajectory simulations and Monte Carlo uncertainty analyses are performed to show the robustness of the system to day-of-flight environments and uncertainties. Related investigations are described for Mars mission concepts to show the relevance of the proposed flight test to potential future applications.
Mission Design and Performance Analysis of a Smallsat Aerocapture Flight Test
Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets ; 56 , 6 ; 1704-1713
2019-07-16
10 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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