Engineering topics

Ivanov, Mark C.

Publications and source records attributed to Ivanov, Mark C..

11 records

NASA NTRS2020

Challenges of Mars Sample Return Lander Entry, Descent, and Landing

The proposed Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign would be perhaps the most ambitious robotic mission ever attempted in space exploration. The notional cam-paign consists of three Flagship-class missions operating in cooperation for over a decade in order to return samples of the Martian surface and atmosphere to Earth for analysis. The Mars 2020 rover, scheduled to launch in July 2020, will cache samples and place them on the surface for possible return. The second mission would be a Sample Return Lander (SRL) that consists of a small Sample Fetch Rover (SFR) to gather the samples, a Sample Transfer Arm (STA) to load the samples into a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), and the MAV itself to launch the samples into orbit around Mars. The third mission would be an Earth Return Or-biter (ERO) designed to rendezvous and capture the Orbiting Sample (OS), return to Earth, and separate the Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV) for Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) at a location to be determined. This paper will focus on the SRL mission concept, specifically the EDL phase. Given the ambitious SRL sample re-trieval baseline surface mission, including a rocket launch of the samples into Mars orbit, it is estimated that the EDL system may be required to deliver as much as 2100 kg of dry mass to the surface. This represents an approximate 20-25% in-crease in mass capability over previous landed Mars missions. Additionally, there is a high probability that SRL would have to land very close to the samples on the surface to expedite retrieval operations; therefore, Pin Point Landing (PPL) accu-racy may be required. To address these challenges, promising EDL configuration augmentations were studied to include larger forebody/higher drag entry capsules, hypersonic/supersonic inflatable/non-inflatable aerodynamic decelerators, hypersonic trim tabs, ballute drag devices, larger parachutes, higher Mach and higher dynamic pressure parachute deployments, lower parachute deployment altitudes having shorter chute timelines necessitating more efficient terrain sensor strategies, and ad-ditional fuel for longer powered descent diverts to the target landing site. Over-arching the entire trade study was an attempt to stay as close to the experience base of past successful missions as possible to reduce implementation cost and risk. This paper will discuss the entire SRL EDL trade study in detail. The information presented about the potential MSR campaign is pre-decisional and is provided for planning and discussion purposes only.

Ivanov, Mark C.↗

NASA NTRS2018

ASPIRE Flight Mechanics Modeling and Post Flight Analysis

The Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research and Experiment (ASPIRE) is a series of sounding rocket flights aimed at understanding the dynamics of supersonic parachutes that are used for Mars robotic applications. SR01 was the first sounding rocket flight of ASPIRE that occurred off the coast of Wallops Island, VA on Oct. 4, 2017 and showed the successful deployment and inflation of a Mars Science Laboratory built-to- print parachute in flight conditions similar to the 2012 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. SR02 was the second sounding rocket flight that also occurred off the coast of Wallops Island on March 31, 2018 and showcased the successful deployment and inflation of a new strengthened parachute being considered for the Mars 2020 mission at fifty percent higher dynamic pressure than observed on MSL. Prior to both flights, a multi-body flight dynamics simulation was developed to predict the parachute dynamics and was used, in conjunction with other tools, to target Mars-relevant flight conditions. After each flight, the reconstructed trajectory was used to validate the pre-flight dynamics simulation and recommend changes to improve predictions for future flights planned for the ASPIRE pro- gram. This paper describes the flight mechanics simulation and the post flight reconciliation process used to validate the flight models.

Dutta, Soumyo↗

NASA NTRS2016

LDSD POST2 Modeling Enhancements in Support of SFDT-2 Flight Operations

Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories II (POST2) was utilized to develop trajectory simulations characterizing all flight phases from drop to splashdown for the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) project's first and second Supersonic Flight Dynamics Tests (SFDT-1 and SFDT-2) which took place June 28, 2014 and June 8, 2015, respectively. This paper describes the modeling improvements incorporated into the LDSD POST2 simulations since SFDT-1 and presents how these modeling updates affected the predicted SFDT-2 performance and sensitivity to the mission design. The POST2 simulation flight dynamics support during the SFDT-2 launch, operations, and recovery is also provided.

White, Joseph↗

NASA NTRS2016

Post-Flight Assessment of Low Density Supersonic Decelerator Flight Dynamics Test 2 Simulation

NASA's Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) project conducted its second Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test (SFDT-2) on June 8, 2015. The Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories II (POST2) was one of the flight dynamics tools used to simulate and predict the flight performance and was a major tool used in the post-flight assessment of the flight trajectory. This paper compares the simulation predictions with the reconstructed trajectory. Additionally, off-nominal conditions seen during flight are modeled in the simulation to reconcile the predictions with flight data. These analyses are beneficial to characterize the results of the flight test and to improve the simulation and targeting of the subsequent LDSD flights.

Dutta, Soumyo↗

NASA NTRS2016

Construction of Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test (SFDT-2) Vehicle Monte Carlo Splashdown Footprints for Use in Range Safety and Recovery Operations

The Low-Density Supersonic Dececlerator (LDSD) project performed the second test flight of a supersonic inflatable device (SIAD) and ring-sail parachute on June 8, 2015 over the Pacific Ocean west of Kauai. In order for recovery ships to quickly extract the test vehicle hardware from the ocean, and in the interest of safety to the population of the islands of Kauai and Nihau, statistical estimates of the splashdown location had to be performed. This paper describes the modeling assumptions used to generate the Monti Carlo splashdown trajectory simulation results and the use of the splashdown probability ellipses in support of satisfying range safety requirements.

Strauss, William D.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test 1 - Post-Flight Assessment of Simulation Performance

NASA's Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) project conducted its first Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test (SFDT-1) on June 28, 2014. Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories II (POST2) was one of the flight dynamics codes used to simulate and predict the flight performance and Monte Carlo analysis was used to characterize the potential flight conditions experienced by the test vehicle. This paper compares the simulation predictions with the reconstructed trajectory of SFDT-1. Additionally, off-nominal conditions seen during flight are modeled in post-flight simulations to find the primary contributors that reconcile the simulation with flight data. The results of these analyses are beneficial for the pre-flight simulation and targeting of the follow-on SFDT flights currently scheduled for summer 2015.

Dutta, Soumyo↗

NASA NTRS2015

LDSD POST2 Simulation and SFDT-1 Pre-Flight Launch Operations Analyses

The Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) Project's first Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test (SFDT-1) occurred June 28, 2014. Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories II (POST2) was utilized to develop trajectory simulations characterizing all SFDT-1 flight phases from drop to splashdown. These POST2 simulations were used to validate the targeting parameters developed for SFDT- 1, predict performance and understand the sensitivity of the vehicle and nominal mission designs, and to support flight test operations with trajectory performance and splashdown location predictions for vehicle recovery. This paper provides an overview of the POST2 simulations developed for LDSD and presents the POST2 simulation flight dynamics support during the SFDT-1 launch, operations, and recovery.

Bowes, Angela L.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Toward Improved Landing Precision on Mars

Mars landers to date have flown ballistic entry trajectories with no trajectory control after the final maneuver before entry. Improvements in landing accuracies (from approx.150 km from the target for Mars Pathfinder to approx.30-40 km for MER and Phoenix) have been driven by approach navigation improvements. MSL will fly the first guided-entry trajectory to Mars, further improving accuracy to approx.10-12 km from the target.

powered descent guidance↗

NASA NTRS2011

Mars Science Laboratory Entry Guidance Improvements for Mars 2018 (DRAFT)

In 2011, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) will be launched in a mission to deliver the largest and most capable rover to date to the surface of Mars. A follow on MSL-derived mission, referred to as Mars 2018, is planned for 2018. Mars 2018 goals include performance enhancements of the Entry, Descent and Landing over that of its predecessor MSL mission of 2011. This paper will discuss the main elements of the modified 2018 EDL preliminary design that will increase performance on the entry phase of the mission. In particular, these elements will increase the parachute deploy altitude to allow for more time margin during the subsequent descent and landing phases and reduce the delivery ellipse size at parachute deploy through modifications in the entry reference trajectory design, guidance trigger logic design, and the effect of additional navigation hardware.

Garcia-Llama, Eduardo↗

NASA NTRS2010

Overview of the NASA Entry, Descent and Landing Systems Analysis Study

NASA senior management commissioned the Entry, Descent and Landing Systems Analysis (EDL-SA) Study in 2008 to identify and roadmap the Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) technology investments that the agency needed to make in order to successfully land large payloads at Mars for both robotic and human-scale missions. This paper summarizes the approach and top-level results from Year 1 of the Study, which focused on landing 10-50 mt on Mars, but also included a trade study of the best advanced parachute design for increasing the landed payloads within the EDL architecture of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission.

Zang, Thomas A.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Entry, Descent and Landing Systems Analysis Study: Phase 1 Report

NASA senior management commissioned the Entry, Descent and Landing Systems Analysis (EDL-SA) Study in 2008 to identify and roadmap the Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) technology investments that the agency needed to make in order to successfully land large payloads at Mars for both robotic and human-scale missions. This paper summarizes the motivation, approach and top-level results from Year 1 of the study, which focused on landing 10-50 mt on Mars, but also included a trade study of the best advanced parachute design for increasing the landed payloads within the EDL architecture of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission

DwyerCianciolo, Alicia M.↗