Performance projections for aerocapture show a vehicle mass savings of between 40 and 80%, dependent on destination, for an aerocapture vehicle compared to an all-propulsive chemical vehicle. In addition aerocapture is applicable to multiple planetary exploration destinations of interest to the NASA Office of Space Science. These results led to the identification of aerocapture as one of the top three propulsion technologies for solar system exploration missions during the 2001 NASA In-Space Propulsion Program (ISP) technology prioritization effort, led by Marshall Space Flight Center, to rank current ISP propulsion technologies. An additional finding was that aerocapture needed a better system definition and that supporting technology gaps needed to be identified.
Aerocapture Systems Analysis for a Titan Mission
2006
130 pages
Report
No indication
English
Aerocapture Systems Analysis for a Titan Mission
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|Titan aerocapture mission and spacecraft design overview
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|Structural Design of the Titan Aerocapture Mission
AIAA | 2003
|Titan aerocapture mission and spacecraft design overview
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