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 NASA. The 2001 NASA In-Space Propulsion Program (ISP) technology prioritization effort identified aerocapture as one of the top three propulsion technologies for solar system exploration missions. An additional finding was that aerocapture needed a better system definition and that supporting technology gaps needed to be identified. Consequently, the ISP program sponsored an aerocapture systems analysis effort that was completed in 2002. The focus of the effort was on aerocapture at Titan with a rigid aeroshell system. Titan was selected as the initial destination for the study due to potential interest in a follow-on mission to Cassini/Huygens. Aerocapture is feasible, and the performance is adequate, for the Titan mission and it can deliver 2.4 times more mass to Titan than an all-propulsive system for the same launch vehicle.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Aerocapture Systems Analysis for a Titan Mission



    Publication date :

    2006-02-01


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Aerocapture Systems Analysis for a Titan Mission

    R. W. Bailey / C. G. Justus / A. Duvall et al. | NTIS | 2006


    Titan Aerocapture Systems Analysis

    Lockwood, Mary Kae | AIAA | 2003


    Titan aerocapture mission and spacecraft design overview

    Bailey, R. / Hall, J. / Spilker, T. | NTRS | 2003



    Titan aerocapture mission and spacecraft design overview

    Bailey, R. W. / Hall, J. L. / Spilker, T. R. | NTRS | 2003