A fixed-base simulator study of piloted entry into the earth's atmosphere at parabolic velocity
Spacecraft piloted entry into earth atmosphere at parabolic velocity investigated on fixed base analog simulator
PARABOLIC VELOCITY↗
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Development and Test Plans for the MSR EEV
The goal of the proposed Mars Sample Return mission is to bring samples from the surface of Mars back to Earth for thorough examination and analysis. The Earth Entry Vehicle is the passive entry body designed to protect the sample container from entry heating and deceleration loads during descent through the Earth s atmosphere to a recoverable location on the surface. This paper summarizes the entry vehicle design and outlines the subsystem development and testing currently planned in preparation for an entry vehicle flight test in 2010 and mission launch in 2013. Planned efforts are discussed for the areas of the thermal protection system, vehicle trajectory, aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics, impact energy absorption, structure and mechanisms, and the entry vehicle flight test.
Dillman, Robert↗
Dynamic Finite Element Predictions for Mars Sample Return Cellular Impact Test #4
The nonlinear finite element program MSC.Dytran was used to predict the impact pulse for (he drop test of an energy absorbing cellular structure. This pre-test simulation was performed to aid in the design of an energy absorbing concept for a highly reliable passive Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV) that will directly impact the Earth without a parachute. In addition, a goal of the simulation was to bound the acceleration pulse produced and delivered to the simulated space cargo container. EEV's are designed to return materials from asteroids, comets, or planets for laboratory analysis on Earth. The EEV concept uses an energy absorbing cellular structure designed to contain and limit the acceleration of space exploration samples during Earth impact. The spherical shaped cellular structure is composed of solid hexagonal and pentagonal foam-filled cells with hybrid graphite-epoxy/Kevlar cell walls. Space samples fit inside a smaller sphere at the enter of the EEV's cellular structure. The material models and failure criteria were varied to determine their effect on the resulting acceleration pulse. Pre-test analytical predictions using MSC.Dytran were compared with the test results obtained from impact test #4 using bungee accelerator located at the NASA Langley Research Center Impact Dynamics Research Facility. The material model used to represent the foam and the proper failure criteria for the cell walls were critical in predicting the impact loads of the cellular structure. It was determined that a FOAMI model for the foam and a 20% failure strain criteria for the cell walls gave an accurate prediction of the acceleration pulse for drop test #4.
Fasanella, Edwin L.↗
Mars Sample Return – An Overview of the Capture, Containment and Return System
The Mars Sample Return campaign aims at bringing back soil, rock and atmospheric samples from Mars to Earth to answer key questions about Mars’ biological evolution by means of four missions. The first one, Mars 2020, landed on the red planet on February 18, 2021 and has to date collected a number of samples through the Perseverance rover. The three subsequent missions will recover the sample tubes, launch them into Mars orbit and transport them back to Earth. These missions are currently in the planning and design stages of development and represent an international effort comprising NASA, ESA and many industry partners. The work presented here provides an overview of the current design and concept of operations of the NASA-provided Capture, Containment, and Return System (CCRS), which is the payload of the ESA-provided Earth Return Orbiter (ERO). ERO will rendezvous with the orbiting samples and CCRS will capture them, contain them and robotically insert them into a capsule that will return the samples to Earth, the Earth Entry System (EES). Three days before arrival on Earth, CCRS will release the EES, which will fly through space, enter Earth’s atmosphere, descend on a well-defined trajectory and safely land at the Utah Test and Training Range. The decision to implement Mars Sample Return will not be finalized until NASA’s completion of the National Environmental Policy Act process. This document is being made available for information purposes only.
Mars Sample Return↗
Effects of structural flexibility on entry vehicle control systems
Control system/structure interactions of space vehicles during planetary and earth entry were investigated with principal emphasis on atmospheric entry and aerodynamic deceleration to subsonic speeds
Source record↗
Planetary/DOD entry technology flight experiments. Volume 1: Executive summary
The feasibility of using the space shuttle to launch planetary and DoD entry flight experiments was examined. The results of the program are presented in two parts: (1) simulating outer planet environments during an earth entry test, the prediction of Jovian and earth radiative heating dominated environments, mission strategy, booster performance and entry vehicle design, and (2) the DoD entry test needs for the 1980's, the use of the space shuttle to meet these DoD test needs, modifications of test procedures as pertaining to the space shuttle, modifications to the space shuttle to accommodate DoD test missions and the unique capabilities of the space shuttle. The major findings of this program are summarized.
Christensen, H. E.↗
Comparative Measurements of Earth and Martian Entry Environments in the NASA Langley HYMETS Facility
Arc-jet facilities play a major role in the development of heat shield materials for entry vehicles because they are capable of producing representative high-enthalpy flow environments. Arc-jet test data is used to certify material performance for a particular mission and to validate or calibrate models of material response during atmospheric entry. Materials used on missions entering Earth s atmosphere are certified in an arc-jet using a simulated air entry environment. Materials used on missions entering the Martian atmosphere should be certified in an arc-jet using a simulated Martian atmosphere entry environment, which requires the use of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide has not been used as a test gas in a United States arc-jet facility since the early 1970 s during the certification of materials for the Viking Missions. Materials certified for the Viking missions have been used on every entry mission to Mars since that time. The use of carbon dioxide as a test gas in an arc-jet is again of interest to the thermal protection system community for certification of new heat shield materials that can increase the landed mass capability for Mars bound missions beyond that of Viking and Pathfinder. This paper describes the modification, operation, and performance of the Hypersonic Materials Environmental Test System (HYMETS) arc-jet facility with carbon dioxide as a test gas. A basic comparison of heat fluxes, various bulk properties, and performance characteristics for various Earth and Martian entry environments in HYMETS is provided. The Earth and Martian entry environments consist of a standard Earth atmosphere, an oxygen-rich Earth atmosphere, and a simulated Martian atmosphere. Finally, a preliminary comparison of the HYMETS arc-jet facility to several European plasma facilities is made to place the HYMETS facility in a more global context of arc-jet testing capability.
Splinter, Scott C.↗
State of the Art Thermal Protection Systems at NASA for Outer Planet Probes and TPS Developments in Support of Mars Sample Return Mission
In the recent NASA Planetary Science Decadal Survey (2023-2032) the committee recommended that the highest scientific priority of NASA’s robotic exploration efforts this decade should be completion of Mars Sample Return (MSR) and recommended to prioritize the Uranus Orbiter and Probe as the highest-priority new flagship missions for the next decade while Saturn Probe is one of the themes still under consideration for New Frontiers. This short course presentation will discuss relevant environments for outer planet missions and TPS materials under development at NASA and their readiness to meet mission needs. In addition the presentation will discuss the status of thermal protection system for the MSR Earth Entry System that brings the Martian samples safely through the Earth’s atmosphere.
Thermal Protection Systems↗
Three Dimensionally Woven Mid-Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP) is a Novel Single Piece Ablative TPS for Extreme Entry Environments
Three Dimensionally Woven Mid-Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP) is robust, single piece, carbon phenolic ablative thermal protection system under development at NASA Ames Research Center initially for the Mars Sample Return Earth Entry System (MSR EES). The MSR EES requirements drove the need for TPS with no seams, capable of surviving the highest entry conditions for any NASA Earth return capsule with heat fluxes >2000 W/cm2 and pressures >1.5 atmospheres. To produce 3MDCP required development of new weaving infrastructure to enable weaving of preforms large enough to form into a single piece heatshield. It required development of forming techniques to transform a flat woven panel into a sphere cone shape and enhanced infusion processes to support larger scale infusion of resin into the formed preforms. A rigorous performance testing campaign was conducted to develop and validate the materials thermal response model used to determine the required material thickness and to demonstrate the material can survive the extreme entry conditions. The end of the development effort (end of FY26) will result in a TPS at Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 6 and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) 6+ for the MSR EES mission and a mature system ready to support other missions. This poster will provide a snapshot of where 3MDCP is in its development phase.
Ablator↗
Technology and operational considerations for low-heat-rate trajectories
A broad parametric study which examines several critical aspects of low-heat-rate entry trajectories is performed. Low planform loadings associated with future winged earth-entry vehicles coupled with the potential application of metallic thermal protection systems (TPS) suggest that such trajectories are of particular interest. Studied are three heating conditions - reference, stagnation, and windward centerline, for both laminar and turbulent flow; configuration-related factors including planform loading and hypersonic angle of attack; and mission-related factors such as cross-range and orbit inclination. Results indicate benefits in the design of TPS to be gained by utilizing moderate angles of attack as opposed to high-lift coefficient, high angles of attack, during entry. An assessment of design and technology implications is made.
Wurster, K. E.↗
Aerothermal Effects of Cavities and Protuberances for High-Speed Sample Return Capsules
Extraterrestrial sample return is a growing component of solar system exploration. Currently, four missions, Stardust, 1 Muses-C, 2 Genesis, and Mars Sample Return, are under development that employ sample return as a prime component of the mission architecture. Respectively, these missions will return samples from the tail of a comet, an asteroid, the solar wind, and, Mars. An important component of these missions and the focus of this paper is the design of the sample return capsule (SRC). The purpose of the SRC is to safely return to Earth any gathered samples for terrestrial analysis. The two major design constraints for any SRC are as follows: 1) it must be able to survive a high-speed Earth entry (11 km/s to as a high as 15 km/s), 2) the mass of the SRC must be as small as possible. Because the SRC mass is carried from Earth to the sample sight and back, the SRC mass is a strong driver in the mission mass budget. Further, for the Mars Sample Return Capsule, planetary protection is another constraint. For this capsule, the probability of planetary contamination at Earth due to an SRC failure at entry must be minimal. For an SRC, a possible failure mechanism is severe local heating as a result of cavities and or protuberances in the SRC forebody heatshield. For example, the Apollo Command Module had a number of cavities and protuberances as part of the baseline designs Wind-tunnel tests of models containing small cavities and protuberances showed severe local heating augmentations in the vicinity of these surface discontinuities.4-5 As another example, the Genesis SRC forebody heat-shield contains penetrations (cavities) to mount the vehicle to the carrier bus. It is expected that these penetrations will also experience a severe local heating environment. A concern is that the large thermal gradients may produce sufficient thermal stress to cause local mechanical failure of the heatshield. Penetrations to the forebody heat-shield can also result from damage at vehicle integration, during launch, or during transportation of the sample return capsule from earth to the sample site and back. For example, the Starting SRC was damaged near the shoulder during the heatshield integration process producing a local surface discontinuity. Also, the Starting SRC traverses through the tail of a comet and is in space for 7 years. Thus, damage to the heatshield as a result of micrometeroid impact is a concern. Finally, it is difficult to characterize the effects of these potential heatshield singularities with ground-test facilities. Either detailed simulation or a dedicated flight test is required.
Olynick, David↗
Status and Mission Applicability of NASA's In-Space Propulsion Technology Project
The In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) project develops propulsion technologies that will enable or enhance NASA robotic science missions. Since 2001, the ISPT project developed and delivered products to assist technology infusion and quantify mission applicability and benefits through mission analysis and tools. These in-space propulsion technologies are applicable, and potentially enabling for flagship destinations currently under evaluation, as well as having broad applicability to future Discovery and New Frontiers mission solicitations. This paper provides status of the technology development, near-term mission benefits, applicability, and availability of in-space propulsion technologies in the areas of advanced chemical thrusters, electric propulsion, aerocapture, and systems analysis tools. The current chemical propulsion investment is on the high-temperature Advanced Material Bipropellant Rocket (AMBR) engine providing higher performance for lower cost. Investments in electric propulsion technologies focused on completing NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system, a 0.6-7 kW throttle-able gridded ion system, and the High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAC) thruster, which is a mid-term product specifically designed for a low-cost electric propulsion option. Aerocapture investments developed a family of thermal protections system materials and structures; guidance, navigation, and control models of blunt-body rigid aeroshells; atmospheric models for Earth, Titan, Mars and Venus; and models for aerothermal effects. In 2009 ISPT started the development of propulsion technologies that would enable future sample return missions. The paper describes the ISPT project's future focus on propulsion for sample return missions. The future technology development areas for ISPT is: Planetary Ascent Vehicles (PAV), with a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) being the initial development focus; multi-mission technologies for Earth Entry Vehicles (MMEEV) needed for sample return missions from many different destinations; propulsion for Earth Return Vehicles (ERV), transfer stages to the destination, and Electric Propulsion for sample return and low cost missions; and Systems/Mission Analysis focused on sample return propulsion. The ISPT project is funded by NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD).
Anderson, David J.↗
NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return Program
NASA's Perseverance mission arrived at Jezero Crater on Mars in February 2021 and began scientific studies and acquisition of Martian samples for return to Earth by future missions, consistent with the recommendations of the U.S. science community in the previous Planetary Science Decadal Survey. NASA and ESA have established a joint Mars Sample Return (MSR) program to safely deliver these samples back to Earth, allowing researchers to use advanced scientific instrumentation that cannot be transported on robotic spacecraft and enable future studies of carefully curated samples using capabilities that have not yet been developed. The MSR architecture consists of two flight elements to follow Perseverance, the NASA-led Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL) and the ESA-led Earth Return Orbiter (ERO). The ERO is designed to orbit Mars and provide relay services for the SRL, including its ESA Sample Fetch Rover (SFR) and the NASA Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). The SRL deploys the SFR to retrieve Martian samples cached by the Perseverance rover and then returns the samples to the Orbiting Sample container (OS) on board the MAV using the ESA Sample Transfer Arm (STA). Independently, Perseverance could also deliver samples retained onboard to the OS. The MAV would launch and release the OS into low Mars orbit for rendezvous with the ERO. Upon successful capture of the OS in the ERO’s primary payload, the NASA Capture/Containment Return System (CCRS), the OS would be safely contained and loaded into the Earth Entry System (EES). The ERO will leave Mars orbit and release the EES on Earth approach on a ballistic reentry trajectory through the Earth's atmosphere for landing in the United States. Following return of the samples to Earth, the samples would be protected, preserved, assessed, curated, and made available to the international science community for scientific research and analysis. The NASA SRL and ESA ERO missions are expected to launch as early as 2026, with the return of Martian samples to Earth as early as 2031. MSR’s primary objective is the return of scientifically selected Mars samples for detailed investigation in terrestrial laboratories. The mission would also further inform the design of future human missions. The Mars Sample Return campaign is underway with the successful collection of several scientifically selected samples in Jezero Crater. The MSR Program is working towards a confirmation review in 2023 for the remaining flight elements.
Mars↗
The NASA In-Space Propulsion Technology Project's Current Products and Future Directions
Since its inception in 2001, the objective of the In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) project has been developing and delivering in-space propulsion technologies that enable or enhance NASA robotic science missions. These in-space propulsion technologies are applicable, and potentially enabling for future NASA flagship and sample return missions currently under consideration, as well as having broad applicability to future Discovery and New Frontiers mission solicitations. This paper provides status of the technology development, applicability, and availability of in-space propulsion technologies that recently completed, or will be completing within the next year, their technology development and are ready for infusion into missions. The paper also describes the ISPT project s future focus on propulsion for sample return missions. The ISPT technologies completing their development are: 1) the high-temperature Advanced Material Bipropellant Rocket (AMBR) engine providing higher performance for lower cost; 2) NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system, a 0.6-7 kW throttle-able gridded ion system; and 3) aerocapture technologies which include thermal protection system (TPS) materials and structures, guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) models of blunt-body rigid aeroshells; and atmospheric and aerothermal effect models. The future technology development areas for ISPT are: 1) Planetary Ascent Vehicles (PAV); 2) multi-mission technologies for Earth Entry Vehicles (MMEEV) needed for sample return missions from many different destinations; 3) propulsion for Earth Return Vehicles (ERV) and transfer stages, and electric propulsion for sample return and low cost missions; 4) advanced propulsion technologies for sample return; and 5) Systems/Mission Analysis focused on sample return propulsion.
Anderson, David J.↗
Case Study of Meteoroid Fluence on a Mars Sample Return Mission
This paper presents results from an analysis to assess the fluence of meteoroids on the Mars Sample Return Campaign Micrometeoroid Protection System (MMPS) and probability of damage to the Earth Entry System Thermal Protection System (TPS). Results are presented for the mission Outbound trajectory from Earth to Mars. The MEM3 meteoroid environment model was used for the assessment. Results are presented showing the reduction in fluence on cube faces and on the MMPS that can be achieved by selection of an anti-velocity orientation of the MMPS. A methodology is presented that determines the cumulative fluence on the MMPS using the MEM3 meteoroid fluxes and the spacecraft attitude profile over the trajectory. Resulting distributions of fluence over impact velocity, angle, and mass are presented. The fluence results are used to establish velocity-angle scenarios for hydrocode simulation and to assess net damage fluence to the TPS. Example tables containing Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics Code (SPHC) simulation scenarios as well as hypothetical hydrocode simulation scenarios for illustration purposes are presented. The tables present the resulting net damaging fluence to the TPS for each scenario and the total across the scenarios. Additionally, examples of CTH hydrocode simulation are included, demonstrating their use for determining critical impactor across the impactor parameter space, and damage of impactors that penetrate the MMPS.
Micrometeoroid↗
TPS Certification by Analysis: Model-Driven Characterization of Properties and Failure in Woven Thermal Protection Systems
Woven, ablative thermal protection system (TPS) materials provide a robust option for aggressive (re)entries and thus have been baselined for the upcoming Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission's Earth Entry System (EES). The reliability requirements for MSR-EES necessitate understanding of material property variability, which could be significant given the complex structure and anisotropic nature of properties in TPS weaves, as well as the response to potential impact with micrometeoroids or orbital debris during the EES re-entry. The TPS Certification by Analysis effort within the Entry Systems Modeling project seeks to provide computational models and analyses that support the certification against such material-based risks. For the present talk, focus will be given to the characterization of baseline woven TPS material properties and mechanical failure limits, which entails (1) use of computational techniques (e.g., machine learning) to interpret computed tomography images of the weave to generate representative structural models and (2) application of multiscale material modeling approaches to characterize thermomechanical and failure properties.
thermal protection systems↗
TPS Certification by Analysis: Model-Driven Characterization of Properties and Failure in Woven Thermal Protection Systems
Woven, ablative thermal protection system (TPS) materials provide a robust option for aggressive (re)entries and thus have been baselined for the upcoming Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission’s Earth Entry System (EES). The reliability requirements for MSR-EES necessitate understanding of material property variability, which could be significant given the complex structure and anisotropic nature of properties in TPS weaves, as well as the response to potential impact with micrometeoroids or orbital debris during the EES re-entry. The TPS Certification by Analysis effort within the Entry Systems Modeling project seeks to provide computational models and analyses that support the certification against such material-based risks. For the present talk, focus will be given to the characterization of baseline woven TPS material properties and mechanical failure limits, which entails (1) use of computational techniques (e.g., machine learning) to interpret computed tomography images of the weave to generate representative structural models and (2) application of multiscale material modeling approaches to characterize thermomechanical and failure properties.
Justin B. Haskins↗
Benchmark Shock Tube Experiments for Radiative Heating Relevant to Earth Re-Entry
Detailed spectrally and spatially resolved radiance has been measured in the Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) facility for conditions relevant to high speed entry into a variety of atmospheres, including Earth, Venus, Titan, Mars and the Outer Planets. The tests that measured radiation relevant for Earth re-entry are the focus of this work and are taken from campaigns 47, 50, 52 and 57. These tests covered conditions from 8 km/s to 15.5 km/s at initial pressures ranging from 0.05 Torr to 1 Torr, of which shots at 0.1 and 0.2 Torr are analyzed in this paper. These conditions cover a range of points of interest for potential fight missions, including return from Low Earth Orbit, the Moon and Mars. The large volume of testing available from EAST is useful for statistical analysis of radiation data, but is problematic for identifying representative experiments for performing detailed analysis. Therefore, the intent of this paper is to select a subset of benchmark test data that can be considered for further detailed study. These benchmark shots are intended to provide more accessible data sets for future code validation studies and facility-to-facility comparisons. The shots that have been selected as benchmark data are the ones in closest agreement to a line of best fit through all of the EAST results, whilst also showing the best experimental characteristics, such as test time and convergence to equilibrium. The EAST data are presented in different formats for analysis. These data include the spectral radiance at equilibrium, the spatial dependence of radiance over defined wavelength ranges and the mean non-equilibrium spectral radiance (so-called 'spectral non-equilibrium metric'). All the information needed to simulate each experimental trace, including free-stream conditions, shock time of arrival (i.e. x-t) relation, and the spectral and spatial resolution functions, are provided.
Shock Tube↗