Aerocapture is a very useful capability for NASA that can be used across a wide range of planetary mission sizes and destinations. A substantial mass advantage may be realized through aerocapture maneuver implementation. The mass advantage is enabling for certain outer planet mission profiles. Aerocapture technology provides corollary benefits to the related applications of atmospheric entry and precision landing on worlds with atmospheres through aero/aerothermodynamic model validation, hypersonic guided flight, tps materials, and performance model validation. The ST9 Aerocapture flight validation will be sufficient to immediately infuse aerocapture technology into future NASA science missions. The advanced technologies being flight validated will enable the system level goal of performing an aerocapture maneuver. The advanced technologies include: The GN&C System, TPS materials, plus Advanced recession and heat flux sensors.
Overview of a Proposed Flight Validation of Aerocapture System Technology
42nd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit ; 2006 ; Sacramento, CA, United States
2006-07-10
Conference paper
No indication
English
Overview of a Proposed Flight Validation of Aerocapture System Technology for Planetary Missions
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2006
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IEEE | 2008
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