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Results for “INTERPLANETARY TRAJECTORY”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Seismic Observations of the OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Capsule Reentry: Deployment, Signal Characteristics, and Wavefield Phenomenology

Controlled spacecraft reentries from interplanetary trajectories provide rare, well-characterized hypersonic sources for advancing seismoacoustic observation techniques. Here we present seismic observations of the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule (SRC) reentry on 24 September 2023, recorded by 16 three-component nodal seismometers deployed near Eureka, Nevada, at ground distances of 7–20 km from the capsule trajectory. Air-to-ground coupled signals are detected at all stations, exhibiting impulsive onsets consistent with ballistic shock arrivals from the descending Mach cone. We characterize the seismic wavefield through signal amplitude, period, waveform cross-correlation, and array processing. Signal periods decrease systematically with increasing distance from the trajectory within the airport array, indicating that higher-frequency content becomes more prominent at greater offsets, opposite to expectations from geometric spreading and atmospheric absorption. Seismic array processing identifies frequency-dependent back-azimuth variations whose origin remains unresolved; possible contributing factors include source geometry, scattering by fine-scale layered structure in the stratosphere, and near-surface effects. These observations document a spatially complex seismic wavefield from a well-characterized hypersonic line source and provide constraints for future modeling of atmospheric propagation and air-to-ground coupling.

OSIRIS-REx↗
NASA NTRS1970

Mariner Mars 1971 project

Mariner Mars 1971 project - interplanetary trajectories, orbit calculation, and related prelaunch preparations

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1971

A new guidance system figure-of-merit

Guidance system figure of merit determining relative effectiveness of launch vehicle in delivering spacecraft onto interplanetary trajectory

Young, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Navigation of 1975 Mars Viking mission.

This paper describes the Viking mission objectives and overall navigation profile from trans-Mars injection through the post-landing station-keeping phase. Included are interplanetary trajectory corrections, Mars orbit insertion, satellite orbit trims to acquire the landing site, lander separation and deorbit, entry, landing, and, finally, orbiter station keeping with the lander. The broad spectrum of navigation activities has strongly influenced the design of the Viking spacecraft and mission. The paper discusses fuel requirements to account for trajectory dispersions and uncertainties, requirements for navigation hardware and software, expected inflight uncertainties, satellite orbit adjustment for landing site acquisition, lander targeting techniques, lander trajectory reconstruction, and lander position determination.

Kohlhase, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Summary of Saturn swingby missions to Uranus

The interplanetary trajectory characteristics for missions to Uranus, which employ an intermediate swingby of Saturn to reduce the total trip time are summarized. Opportunities for such swingby missions will occur from 1979 through 1987 and not again until 2025. The general trajectory characteristics (C sub 3; departure, swingby, and arrival dates; swingby radius; and arrival speed) are evaluated, and payload and launch window information for a Titan 3E/Centaur/TE-364-4 class launch vehicle is provided.

Manning, L. A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Ballistic mode Mercury orbiter mission opportunity handbook extension

Interplanetary trajectory characteristics are presented, for Venus swingbys to Mercury, where multiple revolutions about the Sun are permitted. Additional consideration is given to the use of multiple Venus swingbys and/or to midcourse, near perilhelion, propulsive maneuvers to improve the performance of the mission as measured in terms of payload in Mercury orbit. Missions in 1980, 1983, 1985 and 1988 were analyzed with navigation results also developed. An exploratory investigation established the availability of low energy mission opportunities in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999.

Hollenbeck, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Design and systems analysis of a chemical interorbital shuttle. Volume 1: Executive summary

An interorbital shuttle that can be utilized to carry payloads between low earth orbit (180 n mi, 37.6 deg) and lunar or geosynchronous orbits, and also to interplanetary trajectories is discussed. After each mission the stage returns to its earth parking orbit where it delivers the inbound payloads, and where it is maintained and refueled for the subsequent missions. The stage can also be utilized to carry large payloads (150 to 200 KLBS) to the Space Station orbit (270 n mi, 55 deg) when it is used as a second or parallel burn stage to the space shuttle booster. The mission and systems analysis, as well as the results of structural, mechanical and propulsion, and avionics subsystems analysis and design are described. A development plan and cost estimates are also included.

Nissim, W.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Shuttle-launched multi-comet mission 1985

A low-cost multi-comet intercept mission with a launch in March 1985 is proposed. Two cometary spacecraft of identical design will be placed into a low earth parking orbit using a single Shuttle launch vehicle. Solid kick stages will then be used to boost each spacecraft into its required interplanetary trajectory. It is planned to have one spacecraft intercept comet Giacobini-Zinner in September 1985 and then go on to comet Borrelly with an encounter in December 1987. Earth swingby maneuvers will be used to achieve the double cometary intercept. The other spacecraft will be targeted for a pre-perihelion encounter with Halley's comet in December 1985.

Farquhar, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) software analysis

The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) System, an extension of the Space Transportation System (STS) operating regime to include higher orbits, orbital plane changes, geosynchronous orbits, and interplanetary trajectories is presented. The IUS software design, the IUS software interfaces with other systems, and the cost effectiveness in software verification are described. Tasks of the IUS discussed include: (1) design analysis; (2) validation requirements analysis; (3) interface analysis; and (4) requirements analysis.

Grayson, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Mechanisms to deploy the two-stage IUS from the shuttle cargo bay

The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) is a two-stage or three-stage booster used to transport spacecraft from the space shuttle orbit to synchronous orbit or on an interplanetary trajectory. The mechanisms which were designed specifically to perform the two-stage IUS required functions while contained within the cargo bay of the space shuttle during the boost phase and while in a low Earth orbit are discussed. The requirements, configuration, and operation of the mechanisms are described, with particular emphasis on the tilt actuator and the mechanism for decoupling the actuators during boost to eliminate redundant load paths.

Haynie, H. T.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Material capture by double lunar gravity assist

The equations yielding the performance of a single lunar flyby in removing incoming hyperbolic excess velocity to capture payloads on interplanetary trajectories are briefly derived. The impossibility of using a single lunar flyby to capture a body entering the earth-moon system with a hyperbolic velocity in excess of about 1.9 km/s is discussed, and a method of using a double flyby of the moon to significantly improve this performance is developed. The equations for achieving a double lunar flyby are derived by solving the orbital equations and Lambert's problem both for the incoming trajectory in the plane of the moon's orbit and for arbitrary declination. For the in-plane case it is shown that the maximum removable hyperbolic excess velocity is 2.2687 km/s. For the inclined case, it is shown that the use of a double lunar flyby allows capture for declinations in excess of 54 degrees, and that for declinations less than 38 degrees the double lunar flyby offers better performance than the single lunar flyby.

Ross, D. J.↗