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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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NASA NTRS2020

NASA Planetary Mission Concept Study: Assessing: Dwarf Planet Ceres' past and Present Habitability Potential

The Dawn mission revolutionized our understanding of Ceres during the same decade that has also witnessed the rise of ocean worlds as a research and exploration focus. We will report progress on the Planetary Mission Concept Study (PMCS) on the future exploration of Ceres under the New Frontiers or Flagship program that was selected for NASA funding in October 2019. At the time this writing, the study was just kicked off, hence this abstract reports the study plan as presented in the proposal.

Castillo-Rogez, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2024

Multiple Probe Measurements at Uranus Motivated By Spatial Variability

Predictably, a major motivation for multiple atmospheric probe measurements at Uranus is the understanding of dynamic processes that create and maintain spatial variation in thermal structure, composition, and horizontal winds. But origin questions---regarding the planet's formation and evolution, and conditions in the protoplanetary disk---are also major science drivers for multiprobe exploration. Spatial variation in thermal structure reveals how the atmosphere transports heat from the interior, and measuring compositional variability in the atmosphere is key to ultimately gaining an understanding of the bulk abundances of several heavy elements. We review the current knowledge of spatial variability in Uranus' atmosphere, and we outline how multiple probe exploration would advance our understanding of this variability. The other giant planets are discussed, both to connect multiprobe exploration of those atmospheres to open questions at Uranus, and to demonstrate how multiprobe exploration of Uranus itself is motivated lessons learned about the spatial variation at Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. We outline the measurements of highest value from miniature secondary probes (which would complement more detailed investigation by a larger flagship probe), and present the path toward overcoming current challenges and uncertainties in areas including mission design, cost, trajectory, instrument maturity, power, and timeline.

Uranus↗
NASA NTRS2023

Atmospheric Science Questions for a Uranian Probe

The Ice Giants represent a unique and relatively poorly characterized class of planets that have been largely unexplored since the brief Voyager 2 flyby in the late 1980’s. Uranus is particularly enigmatic, due to its extreme axial tilt, offset magnetic field, apparent low heat budget, mysteriously cool stratosphere and warm thermosphere, as well as a lack of well-defined, long-lived storm systems and distinct atmospheric features. All these characteristics make Uranus a scientifically intriguing target, particularly for missions able to complete in situ measurements. The 2023-2032 Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology prioritized a flagship orbiter and probe to explore Uranus with the intent to “...transform our knowledge of Ice Giants in general and the Uranian system in particular” (National Academies of Sciences and Medicine, 2022). In support of this recommendation, we present community-supported science questions, key measurements, and a suggested instrument suite that focuses on the exploration and characterization of the Uranian atmosphere by an in situ probe. The scope of these science questions encompasses the origin, evolution, and current processes that shape the Uranian atmosphere, and in turn the Uranian system overall. Addressing these questions will inform vital new insights about Uranus, Ice Giants and Gas Giants in general, the large population of Neptune-sized exoplanets, and the Solar System as a whole.

Uranus↗
NASA NTRS2015

Breakthrough Capability for UVOIR Space Astronomy: Reaching the Darkest Sky

We describe how availability of new solar electric propulsion (SEP) technology can substantially increase the science capability of space astronomy missions working within the near-UV to far-infrared (UVOIR) spectrum by making dark sky orbits accessible for the first time. We present two case studies in which SEP is used to enable a 700 kg Explorer-class and 7000 kg flagship-class observatory payload to reach an orbit beyond where the zodiacal dust limits observatory sensitivity. The resulting scientific performance advantage relative to a Sun-Earth L2 point (SEL2) orbit is presented and discussed. We find that making SEP available to astrophysics Explorers can enable this small payload program to rival the science performance of much larger long development-time systems. Similarly, we find that astrophysics utilization of high power SEP being developed for the Asteroid Redirect Robotics Mission (ARRM) can have a substantial impact on the sensitivity performance of heavier flagship-class astrophysics payloads such as the UVOIR successor to the James Webb Space Telescope.

Space↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Impact of Impulsive Vs Finite Maneuver Modeling on Launch Transfer Trajectories for The Roman Space Telescope

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (RST) is a flagship astrophysics observatory developed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for launch in the mid-2020’s. The nominal mission orbit for RST is a Sun-Earth L2 quasi-halo orbit subject to stringent geometric and dynamical constraints necessary for achieving mission science objectives. After award of the launch vehicle contract to SpaceX, comparing the launch solutions produced by the RST Flight Dynamics team and the SpaceX team revealed that despite targeting the same interface states, modeling the second-stage insertion burn with an impulsive delta-V vs. a higher fidelity finite burn model can result in substantial differences in achieved libration point orbit properties. In this paper, these differences are explored and leveraged to update the models and targeting strategies used by the RST Flight Dynamics tools. These updates allow the mission to achieve more flight-like ascent and insertion dynamics for the libration point transfer, as well as reveal interesting relationships between the dynamics of impulsive models and finite burn models for libration point transfer trajectories in general.

Lauren Schlenker↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Sustaining Thermal Protection Systems Needed for Uranus Probes

Summary: Achieving Uranus in-situ science objectives through deploying probes in the atmosphere requires thermal protection systems capable of withstanding extreme entry environments. NASA’s 3-D Woven based thermal protection systems (TPS), developed specifically to meet this challenge, are mature, efficient, and capable of withstanding such entry. These science-enabling capabilities need to be sustained, otherwise mission implementation risk may increase to the point that the mission is untenable. The heatshield technology has been developed in concert with industry, and manufacturing processes have been technology transferred. Current technology readiness does not guarantee future availability. Sustainment requires maintaining expertise within NASA as well as ensuring that proven industrial expertise and capabilities will be readily available in the future. A constant awareness and risk assessment followed by risk mitigation are required. The scientific community needs to be aware of these challenges. It needs to engage NASA to ensure these capabilities will be available when needed. As was the case with the atrophy of heritage carbon phenolic that led to developing the 3-D Woven capabilities, our vigilance is again needed to sustain these enabling TPS capabilities for Uranus and for other missions. Background: NASA invested in and developed Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET) TPS that was matured to TRL 6 in 2019 as a tiled system with seams and gap-fillers. Manufacturing readiness included development of specialized looms, molding, and infusion processes using commercial partners. In support of the Mars Sample Return mission, a single-layer, seamless, single-piece variant referred to as 3MDCP (3-D woven Mid-Density Carbon-Phenolic) was developed and is limited to a 1.3m maximum diameter scale due to weaving width limitations of 80”. Molding techniques developed to transform a flat, 2”-thick 3-D woven preform into a sphere-cone shape prior to phenolic resin infusion has been demonstrated. A team at NASA Ames is currently working with industry to demonstrate infusion at full-scale. By 2026, 3MDCP will be at a high level of maturity in technical, manufacturing, and integration readiness as well as material characterization. HEEET and 3MDCP for Uranus Entry: Several system studies have evaluated and baselined 3-D Woven TPS for Uranus entry, both HEEET as well as 3MDCP. If the aeroshell carrying the descent probe is 1.3m or less, then 3MDCP is a very capable and the most mass-efficient choice. If the aeroshell is bigger than 1.3m diameter, then HEEET can meet the mission need as it allows for an aeroshell of any diameter. HEEET and 3MDCP are capable of Saturn in-situ science missions prioritized in the New Frontiers-5 draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO) and if Saturn is the mission of choice, there is a pathway for sustaining the capability. Capability Sustainment: Given NASA’s current budgetary constraints, the postponement of the next New Frontiers AO to no earlier than 2026 and the unknown delay in starting the UOP flagship effort point to potential gap years for the HEEET and 3MDCP capabilities. The first step in capability sustainment is to understand the risks as they emerge, assess those risks, and develop plans to mitigate them. Keeping the science community, who are interested in UOP as well as the larger Giant Planet missions, informed of the emerging challenges requires continuous risk assessment/mitigation. Without these steps, atrophy is more likely within the industrial partners with which NASA has partnered. This presentation will provide more details as well as steps NASA can take to minimize the impact to the UOP mission.

Ethiraj Venkatapathy↗
NASA NTRS2018

Apodized Pupil Lyot Coronagraphs Designs for Future Segmented Space Telescopes

A coronagraphic starlight suppression system situated on a future flagship space observatory offers a promising avenue to image Earth-like exoplanets and search for biomarkers in their atmospheric spectra. One NASA mission concept that could serve as the platform to realize this scientific breakthrough is the Large UV/Optical/IR Surveyor (LUVOIR). Such a mission would also address a broad range of topics in astrophysics with a multi-wavelength suite of instruments. The apodized pupil Lyot coronagraph (APLC) is one of several coronagraph design families that the community is assessing as part of NASAs Exoplanet Exploration Program Segmented aperture coronagraph design and analysis (SCDA) team. The APLC is a Lyot-style coronagraph that suppresses starlight through a series of amplitude operations on the on-axis eld. Given a suite of seven plausible segmented telescope apertures, we have developed an object-oriented software toolkit to automate the exploration of thousands of APLC design parameter combinations. This has enabled us to empirically establish relationships between planet throughput and telescope aperture geometry, inner working angle, bandwidth, and contrast level.In parallel with the parameter space exploration, we have investigated several strategies to improve the robust-ness of APLC designs to fabrication and alignment errors. We also investigate the combination of APLC withwavefront control or complex focal plane masks to improve inner working angle and throughput. Preliminaryscientic yield evaluations based on design reference mission simulations indicate the APLC is a very competitiveconcept for surveying the local exoEarth population with a mission like LUVOIR.

coronagraphic starlight suppression system↗
NASA NTRS2019

Electra: A Modular-Based Expansion of NASA's Supercomputing Capability

NASA has increasingly relied on high-performance computing (HPC) re- sources for computational modeling, simulation, and data analysis to meet the science and engineering goals of its missions in space exploration, aeronautics, and Earth and space science. The NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) Division at Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, Calif., hosts NASA’s premier supercomputing resources, integral to achieving and enhancing the success of the agency’s missions. NAS provides a balanced environment, funded under the High-End Computing Capability (HECC) project, comprised of world-class supercomputers, including its flagship distributed-memory cluster, Pleiades; high-speed networking; and massive data storage facilities, along with multi-disciplinary support teams for user support, code porting and optimization, and large-scale data analysis and scientific visualization. However, as scientists have increased the fidelity of their simulations and engineers are conducting larger parameter-space studies, the requirements for supercomputing resources have been growing by leaps and bounds. With the facility housing the HECC systems reaching its power and cooling capacity, NAS undertook a prototype project to investigate an alternative approach for housing supercomputers. Modular supercomputing, or container-based computing, is an innovative concept for expanding NASA’s HPC capabilities. With modular supercomputing, additional containers—similar to portable storage pods—can be connected together as needed to accommodate the agency’s ever-increasing demand for computing resources. In addition, taking advantage of the local weather permits the use of cooling technologies that would additionally save energy and reduce annual water usage. The first stage of NASA’s Modular Supercomputing Facility (MSF) prototype, which resulted in a 1,000 square-foot module on a concrete pad with room for 16 compute racks, was completed in Fall 2016 and an SGI (now HPE) computer system, named Electra, was deployed there in early 2017. Cooling is performed via an evaporative system built into the module, and preliminary experience shows a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) measurement of 1.03. Electra achieved over a petaflop on the LINPACK benchmark, sufficient to rank number 96 on the November 2016 TOP500 list [14]. The system consists of 1,152 InfiniBand-connected Intel Xeon Broadwell-based nodes. Its users access their files on a facility-wide file system shared by all HECC compute assets via Mellanox MetroX InfiniBand extenders, which connect the Electra fabric to Lustre routers in the primary facility over fiber-optic links about 900 feet long. The MSF prototype has exceeded expectations and is serving as a blueprint for future expansions. In the remainder of this chapter, we detail how modular data center technology can be used to expand an existing compute resource. We begin by describing NASA’s requirements for supercomputing and how resources were provided prior to the integration of the Electra module-based system.

Biswas, Rupak↗
NASA NTRS2010

TERRA Battery Thermal Control Anomaly - Simulation and Corrective Actions

The TERRA spacecraft was launched in December 1999 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, becoming the flagship of NASA's Earth Observing System program to gather data on how the planet's processes create climate. Originally planned as a 5 year mission, it still provides valuable science data after nearly 10 years on orbit. On October 13th, 2009 at 16:23z following a routine inclination maneuver, TERRA experienced a battery cell failure and a simultaneous failure of several battery heater control circuits used to maintain cell temperatures and gradients within the battery. With several cells nearing the minimum survival temperature, preventing the electrolyte from freezing was the first priority. After several reset attempts and power cycling of the control electronics failed to reestablish control authority on the primary side of the controller, it was switched to the redundant side, but anomalous performance again prevented full heater control of the battery cells. As the investigation into the cause of the anomaly and corrective action continued, a battery thermal model was developed to be used in determining the control ability remaining and to simulate and assess corrective actions. Although no thermal model or detailed reference data of the battery was available, sufficient information was found to allow a simplified model to be constructed, correlated against pre-anomaly telemetry, and used to simulate the thermal behavior at several points after the anomaly. It was then used to simulate subsequent corrective actions to assess their impact on cell temperatures. This paper describes the rapid development of this thermal model, including correlation to flight data before and after the anomaly., along with a comparative assessment of the analysis results used to interpret the telemetry to determine the extent of damage to the thermal control hardware, with near-term corrective actions and long-term operations plan to overcome the anomaly.

Grob, Eric W.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Heatshields for Aerogravity Assist Vehicles Whose Deceleration at Titan Saves Mass for Future Flagship Class Exploration of Enceladus

This paper reports the feasibility of using mature heatshield materials for an aerogravity assist (AGA) vehicle whose deceleration in Titan’s atmosphere is a mass-saving enabler for nine different Enceladus missions (T. Spilker et al. 2009). A geometry for the Titan AGA vehicle is recommended as are high-fidelity flow computations on that shape.

James O. Arnold↗
NASA NTRS2014

NASA Space Launch System Operations Outlook

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS) Program, managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), is working with the Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program, based at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), to deliver a new safe, affordable, and sustainable capability for human and scientific exploration beyond Earth's orbit (BEO). Larger than the Saturn V Moon rocket, SLS will provide 10 percent more thrust at liftoff in its initial 70 metric ton (t) configuration and 20 percent more in its evolved 130-t configuration. The primary mission of the SLS rocket will be to launch astronauts to deep space destinations in the Orion Multi- Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), also in development and managed by the Johnson Space Center. Several high-priority science missions also may benefit from the increased payload volume and reduced trip times offered by this powerful, versatile rocket. Reducing the lifecycle costs for NASA's space transportation flagship will maximize the exploration and scientific discovery returned from the taxpayer's investment. To that end, decisions made during development of SLS and associated systems will impact the nation's space exploration capabilities for decades. This paper will provide an update to the operations strategy presented at SpaceOps 2012. It will focus on: 1) Preparations to streamline the processing flow and infrastructure needed to produce and launch the world's largest rocket (i.e., through incorporation and modification of proven, heritage systems into the vehicle and ground systems); 2) Implementation of a lean approach to reach-back support of hardware manufacturing, green-run testing, and launch site processing and activities; and 3) Partnering between the vehicle design and operations communities on state-of-the-art predictive operations analysis techniques. An example of innovation is testing the integrated vehicle at the processing facility in parallel, rather than sequentially, saving both time and money. These themes are accomplished under the context of a new cross-program integration model that emphasizes peer-to-peer accountability and collaboration towards a common, shared goal. Utilizing the lessons learned through 50 years of human space flight experience, SLS is assigning the right number of people from appropriate backgrounds, providing them the right tools, and exercising the right processes for the job. The result will be a powerful, versatile, and capable heavy-lift, human-rated asset for the future human and scientific exploration of space.

Hefner, William Keith↗
NASA NTRS2014

NASA Space Launch System Operations Outlook

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS) Program, managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), is working with the Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program, based at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), to deliver a new safe, affordable, and sustainable capability for human and scientific exploration beyond Earth's orbit (BEO). Larger than the Saturn V Moon rocket, SLS will provide 10 percent more thrust at liftoff in its initial 70 metric ton (t) configuration and 20 percent more in its evolved 130-t configuration. The primary mission of the SLS rocket will be to launch astronauts to deep space destinations in the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), also in development and managed by the Johnson Space Center. Several high-priority science missions also may benefit from the increased payload volume and reduced trip times offered by this powerful, versatile rocket. Reducing the life-cycle costs for NASA's space transportation flagship will maximize the exploration and scientific discovery returned from the taxpayer's investment. To that end, decisions made during development of SLS and associated systems will impact the nation's space exploration capabilities for decades. This paper will provide an update to the operations strategy presented at SpaceOps 2012. It will focus on: 1) Preparations to streamline the processing flow and infrastructure needed to produce and launch the world's largest rocket (i.e., through incorporation and modification of proven, heritage systems into the vehicle and ground systems); 2) Implementation of a lean approach to reachback support of hardware manufacturing, green-run testing, and launch site processing and activities; and 3) Partnering between the vehicle design and operations communities on state-ofthe- art predictive operations analysis techniques. An example of innovation is testing the integrated vehicle at the processing facility in parallel, rather than sequentially, saving both time and money. These themes are accomplished under the context of a new cross-program integration model that emphasizes peer-to-peer accountability and collaboration towards a common, shared goal. Utilizing the lessons learned through 50 years of human space flight experience, SLS is assigning the right number of people from appropriate backgrounds, providing them the right tools, and exercising the right processes for the job. The result will be a powerful, versatile, and capable heavy-lift, human-rated asset for the future human and scientific exploration of space.

Hefner, William Keith↗
DOE OSTI2026

Toward Trustworthy Autonomous Science: A Two-Year Community Roadmap

One year ago, the AISLE roadmap argued that autonomous laboratories operated as isolated islands and proposed a grassroots network organized around five critical dimensions. The field has since moved faster than that roadmap anticipated: multi-agent systems have produced experimentally validated hypotheses, self-driving laboratories have grown more interoperable and orchestrated, reasoning-trained and domain foundation models have raised the capability ceiling, and the Genesis Mission has placed autonomous experimentation at the center of U.S. federal science strategy, with industry emerging as a primary actor. Progress has met a sobering counter-current, including a corrected flagship discovery result, benchmarks showing that agents which rival experts on closed-ended questions still complete only a fraction of open-ended research, and fabricated citations surfacing at leading venues. We read this as the defining tension of the field: producing a candidate discovery is no longer the hard part, but verifying it is, and this asymmetry now limits autonomous science more than raw model capability. Accordingly, we update the roadmap around seven dimensions, revisiting the original five and elevating two former cross-cutting concerns, trust, verification, and reproducibility, and safety, security, and governance, to first-class status. We assess the original milestones (M1 through M14) as achieved, partially achieved, reframed, or open, add four new milestones (M15 through M18) for the elevated dimensions, and scope the path forward to a two-year horizon, with the first year concentrating on interfaces, protocol adoption, and the scaffolding of verification, and the second targeting federation, zero-trust coordination, and governance. Throughout, we position the grassroots network as the interoperability fabric that lets national programs, international initiatives, and commercial platforms connect rather than re-silo.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
NASA NTRS2005

Satellite and Ground System Solutions at Your Fingertips

In the summer of 1998, the blockbuster action movie Armageddon captivated audiences with a thrilling doomsday plot about a meteor the size of Texas that was racing towards the Earth. Though the premise of the movie was purely fictional, the unfortunate reality is that near-Earth asteroids such as the one portrayed in the film do exist. On December 23, 2004, NASA announced that an asteroid it anticipated to pass near the Earth on April 13, 2029, had been assigned the highest score to date on the universally used Torino Impact Hazard Scale. At first, the flyby distance for the asteroid, dubbed MN4, was uncertain and an Earth impact could not be ruled out. The odds of impact were initially believed to be 1 in 300, high enough to merit special monitoring by astronomers around the world, but were then escalated to 1 in 37 on December 27. NASA officials noted, however, that these odds should not be of public concern, since they were likely to change on a day-to-day basis as new data were received. The officials were correct in their assertion, as any chances of an impact with Earth in 2029 were completely ruled out later that same day. Integral Systems, Inc., a leading provider of satellite ground systems and the first company to offer an integrated suite of commercial-off-the-shelf software products for satellite command and control, is helping NASA keep a careful watch for any close-encountering asteroids with its tracking technology. The company supported the first NASA Discovery mission, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) program, back in 1996, and has expanded its business by building more ground systems for a greater variety of satellites than any other company in the world. (NASA has since launched seven more Discovery missions, with the eighth lifting off earlier this year.) The experience gained from the company s participation in developing satellite command and control ground systems for the NEAR program has bolstered its flagship product line, the EPOCH Integrated Product Suite (IPS), first featured in Spinoff 1997, and led to the creation of its latest product, the Skylight Direct Broadcast Ground Terminal.

Source record↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aerocapture Enabling Flagship-Class Uranus Orbiter and Probe

Exploration of the Ice Giants, especially Uranus, via orbiter and atmospheric probes, is required to answer pressing science questions that have been raised in the latest Decadal Survey. As the Ice Giants are the farthest planets from Earth, traditional fully-propulsive orbit insertion missions have transit times to the planetary bodies nearing 13-15 years and require a large amount of propellant (wet mass percentages of around 60-70%) for the orbit insertion maneuver, leaving less mass for the scientific payload and a planetary probe.

Soumyo Dutta↗
NASA NTRS2011

AVIATR - Aerial Vehicle for In-situ and Airborne Titan Reconnaissance A Titan Airplane Mission Concept

We describe a mission concept for a stand-alone Titan airplane mission: Aerial Vehicle for In-situ and Airborne Titan Reconnaissance (AVIATR). With independent delivery and direct-to-Earth communications, AVIATR could contribute to Titan science either alone or as part of a sustained Titan Exploration Program. As a focused mission, AVIATR as we have envisioned it would concentrate on the science that an airplane can do best: exploration of Titan's global diversity. We focus on surface geology/hydrology and lower-atmospheric structure and dynamics. With a carefully chosen set of seven instruments-2 near-IR cameras, 1 near-IR spectrometer, a RADAR altimeter, an atmospheric structure suite, a haze sensor, and a raindrop detector-AVIATR could accomplish a significant subset of the scientific objectives of the aerial element of flagship studies. The AVIATR spacecraft stack is composed of a Space Vehicle (SV) for cruise, an Entry Vehicle (EV) for entry and descent, and the Air Vehicle (AV) to fly in Titan's atmosphere. Using an Earth-Jupiter gravity assist trajectory delivers the spacecraft to Titan in 7.5 years, after which the AVIATR AV would operate for a 1-Earth-year nominal mission. We propose a novel 'gravity battery' climb-then-glide strategy to store energy for optimal use during telecommunications sessions. We would optimize our science by using the flexibility of the airplane platform, generating context data and stereo pairs by flying and banking the AV instead of using gimbaled cameras. AVIATR would climb up to 14 km altitude and descend down to 3.5 km altitude once per Earth day, allowing for repeated atmospheric structure and wind measurements all over the globe. An initial Team-X run at JPL priced the AVIATR mission at FY10 $715M based on the rules stipulated in the recent Discovery announcement of opportunity. Hence we find that a standalone Titan airplane mission can achieve important science building on Cassini's discoveries and can likely do so within a New Frontiers budget.

UAV↗
NASA NTRS2006

Exploring Europa with an RPS-Powered Orbiter Spacecraft

This paper describes a conceptual flagship-class Europa orbiter concept that was assumed to launch as early as 2012, arriving at Europa approximately 8 years later using inner solar system gravity assists to reach Jupiter. Jupiter's intense radiation environment limits the mission duration at Europa to 30 days for this study, though the duration is a result of multiple trades and is by no means fixed. The Europa Subgroup of the Outer Planets Assessment Group identified six primary science objectives for this concept.

Europa↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aeroheating Environments of Aerocapture Systems for Uranus Orbiters

Aeroheating environments for an aerocapture system enabling flagship-class science at Uranus are presented. Applicability of a low lift-to-drag entry vehicle aeroshell with flight heritage for Martian entries is considered in the context of an end-to-end Uranus orbiter and probe mission design using aerocapture for orbit insertion. A feasible trajectory space for aerocapture orbit insertion based on various launch opportunities and interplanetary trajectories yield atmosphere-relative entry velocities between 22 km/s and 31 km/s with maximum freestream densities on the order of 10−5 kg/m3. A preliminary study of the aerothermal environments for the entire trajectory space is discussed followed by a more detailed study of the nominal design trajectories. Design conditions are based on laminar, thermochemical nonequilibrium Navier-Stokes flowfield simulations with coupled radiation transport for full lift-up (deep) and lift-down (shallow) design trajectories. Convective heating is found to be the dominant heating mode, with radiation accounting for only 1 % to 5 % of the total heat flux for the design trajectories. The peak design conditions are found to be 422 W/cm2 for heat flux, 10.5 kPa for pressure, 149 Pa for shear stress, and 88.1 kJ/cm2 for the total heat load.

Uranus↗