Flow-field analyses for future planetary entry

Abstract

Scientific exploration of the planets by means of instrumented probes and landers provides a means of enhancing our knowledge concerning the solar system. A prime requirement for a successful planetary entry mission is that the design of a vehicle be based on a reliable definition of the aerothermal environment encountered during entry. This paper briefly reviews some of the past developments and current examples of computational flow-field analyses for predicting the aerothermal environment of planetary probes. All of the flow-field solutions presented are for a very severe aerothermal entry environment, representative of the entry environment that the Galileo probe will encounter when it enters Jupiter's atmosphere in 1985. Finally, areas for analysis improvements and extensions are identified for current and future planetary missions.