A mathematical procedure for predicting the touchdown dynamics of a soft-landing vehicle
Mathematical simulation of touchdown characteristics of soft landing spacecraft
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Mathematical simulation of touchdown characteristics of soft landing spacecraft
An investigation was conducted to verify the accuracy of the Landing Dynamics Computer Program (LDCP) used to simulate the landing event of the Viking Lander (VL) on to the Martian surface. This verification was achieved by comparing the analytical data with results from a test program involving a dynamically scaled model of a VL configuration. A secondary objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of the VL to initial rates and orientations, configuration modifications, and footpad friction.
A piloted simulator study was conducted to evaluate an aileron rudder interconnect (ARI) control system for the F-14A airplane in the landing configuration. Effects on pilot performance and handling characteristics were investigated. Two ARI configurations were tested and compared to the standard F-14 fleet control system. A nonlinear aerodynamic model of the F-14 was used in conjunction with a six degree of freedom motion base simulator. The evaluation task, which utilized three subject pilots, consistent of a night carrier approach and landing. Both ARI configurations produced improved pilot performance and pilot ratings when compared to the standard control system. Sideslip due to adverse yaw as considerably reduced by the ARI systems and heading control was more stable and precise. Lateral deviation from centerline was reduced during the approach and lateral touchdown dispersion on the carrier deck was reduced with the ARI control systems.
We briefly describe the core tool capabilities in dynamics, instrument/actuator device models, and real-time simulation engineering.
Full-scale simulations of a Gulfstream G-III aircraft, performed in support of the NASA Acoustic Research Measurements flights, are presented to complement results discussed in earlier studies. The flow solver employed in those studies, Dassault Systèmes’ lattice Boltzmann PowerFLOW®, was also used during this investigation to conduct time-dependent simulations of the entire aircraft in landing configuration with a fully dressed landing gear. The high-fidelity simulations, performed at a Mach number of 0.23 and a Reynolds number of 10.5 × 106 based on mean aerodynamic chord, captured all relevant airframe noise sources. The computations were used to assess the aeroacoustic performance of the main landing gear, with and without noise reduction fairings installed, of a G-III aircraft equipped with Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge technology and conventional Fowler flaps. To facilitate comparison of predicted noise signatures with effective perceived noise levels obtained from flight test measurements, the “as-flown” nose landing gear geometry, missing in our earlier studies, was added to the simulated G-III aircraft configurations. The high fidelity, synthetic data were post-processed using a Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkings integral approach to estimate farfield acoustic behavior, with pressures on the model solid surface or pressure and velocity components on a permeable surface enveloping the acoustic near field used as input.
A simulator evaluation of a remotely piloted research vehicle was conducted at NASA Ames Research Center's Dryden Flight Research Facility to determine the utility of a visual display when studying the influence of changes in the lateral stick gearing gains during landing approaches. The test vehicle used in this study was a highly maneuverable aircraft technology (HiMAT) aircraft, which is a 0.44 scale version of an envisioned small, single seat fighter airplane. Handling qualities ratings and comments obtained from pilots using a simulated visual display of a runway scene and a simulated instrument landing system (ILS) display were compared with the results of actual flight tests. The visual display was found to provide an adequate representation of the test vehicle in a visual landing approach, and it improved the roll response cues provided to the pilot. The handling qualities ratings and comments for flight and simulation visual landing approaches correlated well. The ILS simulation results showed reduced correlation compared with the flight results for ILS approaches. Handling qualities criteria for remotely piloted research vehicles are also discussed in this paper.
A simulator evaluation of a remotely piloted research vehicle was conducted at NASA Ames Research Center's Dryden Flight Research Facility to determine the utility of a visual display when studying the influence of changes in the lateral-stick gearing gains during landing approaches. The test vehicle used in this study was a highly maneuverable aircraft technology (HiMAT) aircraft, which is a 0.44-scale version of an envisioned small, single-seat fighter airplane. Handling qualities ratings and comments obtained from pilots using a simulated visual display of a runway scene and a simulated instrument landing system (ILS) display were compared with the results of actual flight tests. The visual display was found to provide an adequate representation of the test vehicle in a visual landing approach, and it improved the roll response cues provided to the pilot. The handling qualities ratings and comments for flight and simulation visual landing approaches correlated well. The ILS simulation results showed reduced correlation compared with the flight results for ILS approaches. Handling qualities criteria for remotely piloted research vehicles are also discussed in this paper.
Simulator study of instrument landing approach of heavy subsonic jet transport with external-flow jet-flap system used for additional lift
Lunar surface erosion by rockets simulated in laboratory to study hazards of retrorocket landing on airless planetary bodies
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Eleven sensitivity experiments that were made with general circulation models to see how land-surface boundary conditions can influence the rainfall, temperature, and motion fields of the atmosphere are discussed. In one group of experiments, different soil moistures or albedos are prescribed as time-invariant boundary conditions. In a second group, different soil moistures or different albedos are initially prescribed, and the soil moisture (but not the albedo) is allowed to change with time according to the governing equations for soil moisture. In a third group, the results of constant versus time-dependent soil moistures are compared.
Eleven sensitivity experiments that were made with general circulation models to see how land-surface boundary conditions can influence the rainfall, temperature, and motion fields of the atmosphere are discussed. In one group of experiments, different soil moistures or albedos are prescribed as time-invariant boundary conditions. In a second group, different soil moistures or different albedos are initially prescribed, and the soil moisture (but not the albedo) is allowed to change with time according to the governing equations for soil moisture. In a third group, the results of constant versus time-dependent soil moistures are compared. Previously announced in STAR as N83-27536
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Abnormal landing scenarios of the X-38 prototype Crew Rescue Vehicle (CRV) were modeled for three different cases involving non-deployment of landing gear with an explicit dynamic nonlinear finite element code, MSC/DYTRAN. The goal of this research was to develop models to predict the probability of crew injuries. The initial velocity conditions for the X-38 with chute deployed were 10 ft/s vertical and 57 ft/s longitudinal velocity. An MSC/NASTRAN structural model was supplied by JSC and was converted to a dynamic MSC/DYTRAN model. The MSC/NASTRAN model did not include seats or floor structure; thus, the acceleration of a lumped-mass attached to the bulkhead near each assumed occupant location was used to determine injury risk for each occupant. The worst case for injury was nondeployment of all gears. The mildest case was nondeployment of one main gear. Although a probability for minor injury was predicted for all cases, it is expected that the addition of energy-absorbing floor structure and seats would greatly diminish the probability of injury.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
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 exploration or human-scale missions. The year one exploration class mission activity considered technologies capable of delivering a 40-mt payload. This paper provides an overview of the exploration class mission study, including technologies considered, models developed and initial simulation results from the EDL-SA year one effort.
A piloted simulation study was conducted to evaluate the effect on instrument landing system tracking performance of integrating localizer error rate information with the raw localizer error display. The resulting display was named the pseudo command tracking indicator (PCTI) because it provides an indication of any changes of heading required to track the localizer. Eight instrument-rated pilots each flew five instrument approaches with the PCTI and five instrument approaches with a conventional course deviation indicator. The results show good overall pilot acceptance of the PCTI and a significant reduction in localizer tracking error.