Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will launch in August 2005 and will achieve Mars Orbit Insertion in March of 2006. It will then take approximately six months to use the process of aerobraking to shape its orbit into the desired science mapping orbit. This six-month period is arguably the phase of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission with the highest risk to the spacecraft, dipping to within 100 km of the planet. This process requires enough atmospheric drag to slow the spacecraft and circularize the orbit while remaining high enough in the Mars atmosphere as to not risk thermal degradation of spacecraft components. This paper will discuss the trajectory simulation and several analyses performed at NASA Langley Research Center to support a successful aerobraking phase of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission.


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    Title :

    NASA Langley Trajectory Simulation Capabilities for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2005


    Size :

    16 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    NASA Langley Trajectory Simulation Capabilities for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

    Prince, Jill L. Hanna / Striepe, Scott A. | NTRS | 2005


    NASA Langley Trajectory Simulation and Analysis Capabilities for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (AAS 05-217)

    Prince, J. L. H. / Striepe, S. A. / American Astronautical Society | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2005