Accurate knowledge on density-altitude and pressure-altitude profiles of Mars and Venus can be determined through use of small, lightweight, spherical probe injected into planetary atmosphere either from flyby spacecraft prior to planetary encounter or from planetary orbiter prior to orbit injection; its entry flight-path angle and its velocity history before and after communications blackout can be obtained through two-way doppler measurement by Deep Space Instrumentation Facility (DSIF); system considerations and development of theory for conversion of DSIF data into density altitude and pressure-altitude profiles are presented.
Planetary atmospheric determination utilizing semipassive probe
J Spacecraft Rockets
Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets ; 3 , n 5
1966
8 pages
Article (Journal)
English
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