Aerobraking has become a proven approach for orbital missions at Mars. A launch of a 1000 kg class spacecraft on a Delta class booster saves 90% of the post-MOI fuel otherwise required to circularize the orbit. In 1997, Mars Global Surveyor demonstrated the feasibility and Mars 2001 Odyssey completed a nearly trouble free aerobraking phase in January 2002. In 2006, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will also utilize aerobraking. From the flight operations standpoint, however, aerobraking is labor intensive and high risk due to the large density variability in the Mars thermosphere. The maximum rate of aerobraking is typically limited by the maximum allowable temperature of the solar array which is the primary drag surface. Prior missions have used a surrogate variable, usually maximum free stream heat flux, as a basis for performing periapsis altitude corridor control maneuvers. This paper provides an adaptive sequential method for operationally relating measured temperatures to heat flux profile characteristics and performing maneuvers based directly on measured temperatures and atmospheric properties derived from the heat flux profiles. Simulations of autonomous aerobraking are performed using Odyssey mission data.


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    Title :

    Autonomous Aerobraking at Mars


    Contributors:
    J. L. Hanna (author) / R. Tolson (author) / A. D. Cianciolo (author) / J. Dec (author)

    Publication date :

    2002


    Size :

    8 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Autonomous Aerobraking at Mars

    Hanna, J. / European Space Agency | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003


    Autonomous Aerobraking at Mars

    Hanna, Jill L. / Tolson, Robert / Cianciolo, Alicia Dwyer et al. | NTRS | 2002



    12.0301 Mars Odyssey Aerobraking: The First Step Towards Autonomous Aerobraking Operations

    Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003


    Approaches to Autonomous Aerobraking at Mars

    Hanna, J.L. | Online Contents | 2002