Calibration of the cryogenic densitometer - An upper atmosphere density probe
Calibration of cryogenic densitometer for mass density measurements of upper atmosphere
Youngblood, W. W.↗
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(abstract) Galileo Navigation: Launch to Jupiter Orbit
The Galileo spacecraft was launched on October 18, 1989. After a 3.7 billion kilometer journey lasting just over six years, the Galileo Orbiter and Probe arrived at Jupiter on December 7, 1995. The atmospheric Probe survived its atmospheric entry and successfully transmitted data to the Orbiter flying overhead. To date, the Orbiter has successfully completed the first three of the ten planned satellite encounters. Navigation for the Galileo Mission has proved to be a unique and challenging task. The challenges and results of navigating Galileo through the interplanetary transfer to Jupiter, delivery of the atmospheric entry Probe, Jupiter orbit insertion, and the orbital tour are presented in this paper.
Galileo Jupiter navigation orbits gravity assists ↗
Uranus Flagship-class Orbiter and Probe Using Aerocapture
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 National Academies of Sciences Planetary Decadal Survey. Since the Ice Giants are the farthest planets from Earth, traditional fully-propulsive orbit insertion missions have transit times to the planetary bodies bordering 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. Aerocapture uses aerodynamic forces generated by flight within a planetary atmosphere to decelerate and achieve orbit insertion. Aerocapture has been considered for several past missions but it has not been demonstrated. However, recent developments in thermal protection systems (TPS), guidance and control (G&C), and interplanetary navigation capabilities show the potential for using rigid, heritage entry vehicle configurations already flown at other planetary bodies for Ice Giants aerocapture. Aerocapture can robustly deliver spacecraft to Ice Giant orbits, while substantially increasing on-orbit payload mass (more than 40%) that can be used for a robust atmospheric entry probe. Additionally, the aerocapture maneuver would reduce the interplanetary transit time by 2-5 years (15-30%) relative to fully-propulsive orbit insertion. Recent work has shown that a flagship-class mission can be conducted in a shorter time than fully-propulsive missions if using aerocapture. This paper will consider the merits of including aerocapture as the orbit-insertion mechanism for a Uranus mission. Specifically, the implications of aerocapture orbit insertion for in-situ atmospheric probes will be discussed. The Uranus Orbiter and Probe concept mission study [3] is considered as the potential payload. Results from a recent NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)-funded activity that is designing an aerocapture mission for a Uranus orbiter will be presented.
Soumyo Dutta↗
Uranus Flagship-class Orbiter and Probe Using Aerocapture
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 National Academies of Sciences Planetary Decadal Survey. Since the Ice Giants are the farthest planets from Earth, traditional fully-propulsive orbit insertion missions have transit times to the planetary bodies bordering 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. Aerocapture uses aerodynamic forces generated by flight within a planetary atmosphere to decelerate and achieve orbit insertion. Aerocapture has been considered for several past missions but it has not been demonstrated. However, recent developments in thermal protection systems (TPS), guidance and control (G&C), and interplanetary navigation capabilities show the potential for using rigid, heritage entry vehicle configurations already flown at other planetary bodies for Ice Giants aerocapture. Aerocapture can robustly deliver spacecraft to Ice Giant orbits, while substantially increasing on-orbit payload mass (more than 40%) that can be used for a robust atmospheric entry probe. Additionally, the aerocapture maneuver would reduce the interplanetary transit time by 2-5 years (15-30%) relative to fully-propulsive orbit insertion. Recent work has shown that a flagship-class mission can be conducted in a shorter time than fully-propulsive missions if using aerocapture. This paper will consider the merits of including aerocapture as the orbit-insertion mechanism for a Uranus mission. Specifically, the implications of aerocapture orbit insertion for in-situ atmospheric probes will be discussed. The Uranus Orbiter and Probe concept mission study [3] is considered as the potential payload. Results from a recent NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)-funded activity that is designing an aerocapture mission for a Uranus orbiter will be presented.
Soumyo Dutta↗
Aerocapture: An Enabling Technology for Flagship-Class Uranus Orbiter and Probe Mission
Introduction: The current decadal survey published by the National Academies of Sciences has informed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to prioritize the study of the Ice Giants, especially Uranus. To gather the required data that addresses the science questions raised in this survey, a mission to Uranus with an orbiter and atmospheric probe must be designed. The Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) study, which the survey identified as the flagship mission of this decade, proposes a 2031 launch to take advantage of a Jupiter fly-by and utilizes a fully propulsive orbit insertion design with an Earth-to-Uranus transit times ranging from 13 to 15 years. This fully propulsive orbit insertion at Uranus will be very fuel expensive (wet mass percentages of around 60-70\%) thereby leaving less mass for the scientific payload and additional planetary probes. In addition, scientists are more interested in visiting Uranus before 2049, when the Spring Equinox will occur, as it allows studying Uranus seasons not seen during Voyager 2's flyby in 1987. A NASA Flagship-Class mission would require at least 10 years of lead time prior to launch thereby making the 2031 launch to take advantage of the Jupiter fly-by extremely challenging. The consequence of missing the Jupiter fly-by and launching in the late 2030s is the challenge of a fully-propulsive mission like UOP to have a feasible alternative interplanetary trajectory that reaches Uranus before 2050. As an alternative, to address the shortcomings of the fully propulsive mission, one can design a mission to Uranus using aerocapture. What is aerocapture: Aerocapture is an atmospheric maneuver that uses aerodynamic forces generated by flight within a planetary atmosphere to decelerate and achieve orbit insertion. Using aerocapture allows one to provide the change in velocity (Delta V) needed to slow down from the approach hyperbolic trajectory to achieve the desired captured orbit around the target planet using aerodynamic forces of the vehicle (lift and drag). Using aerodynamic forces instead of fully-propulsive maneuvers results in significant savings in the fuel. Furthermore, aerocapture can also allow one to consider interplanetary trajectories with higher approach hyperbolic velocities, thus reducing the mission transit times. Aerocapture as an enabling technology: To use aerocapture as an enabling technology for the Uranus exploration mission, one would require an integrated system-level design, including a Thermal Protection System (TPS), hardware needed for aerodynamic modulation, and autonomous Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) systems. Aerocapture has yet to be demonstrated, despite considering it for several past missions. Recent advancements in TPS and GNC capabilities show the potential for using rigid, heritage entry vehicle configurations already flown at other planetary bodies for Uranus aerocapture. Aerocapture can be a robust technology that can deliver spacecraft to Uranus science orbits while substantially increasing on-orbit payload mass (more than 40\%) that can enable robust atmospheric entry probes. Additionally, the aerocapture maneuver would reduce the interplanetary transit time by 2–5 years (15-30\%) relative to fully-propulsive orbit insertion. Recent work has shown that one can conduct a flagship-class mission in a shorter period than fully-propulsive missions if using aerocapture. What does aerocapture bring in for a Uranus Mission: Using aerocapture for a Uranus orbiter and atmospheric probe mission can provide one with considerable propellant savings. Spacecraft in interplanetary trajectories to Uranus typically need an Delta V in orders of kilometers per second to insert into science orbit. One would require thousands of kilograms of fuel to achieve such a Delta V using a traditional fully propulsive maneuver, leaving less mass for payload during the mission launch. Aerocapture can reduce the propulsion needs by dissipating energy in the sizable atmosphere of Uranus without a significant mass increase due to the need for an aeroshell. One can use the mass savings achieved using the aerocapture to reduce the launch vehicle requirements. In addition, one can also have additional science instruments on the orbiter or create a robust instrumentation suite on an atmospheric probe that can significantly increase the science outcome of the Uranus exploration mission. Furthermore, since aerocapture performance is relatively insensitive to increases in hyperbolic excess velocity, one can design the interplanetary trajectory to arrive at Uranus faster, reducing the interplanetary transit time and operations cost. All these savings, achieved using aerocapture, could help fit a larger class mission, such as the Uranus mission within a smaller capital, e.g., a Flagship-class orbiter mission in a New Frontiers class capital. Summary: This talk will provide an overview of how aerocapture can enable the Uranus exploration mission. Specifically, this talk will discuss the latest advancements made in the Uranus aerocapture study, such as investigating interplanetary trajectories with higher hyperbolic approach velocities and their implications on the aero heating and the TPS design, incorporating FNPAG (an advanced numerical-predictor guidance) and comparison of multiple navigation approaches. In addition, this talk will focus on mechanical design that can house more than one atmospheric probe and the six degrees of freedom simulation of aerocapture at Uranus. Findings from a recent NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)-funded activity studying the aerocapture as an enabling technology for a Uranus orbiter will be presented. Using the science payload recommended by the Decadal Survey for Uranus exploration, this work shows many improvements over the baseline fully-propulsive mission. These improvements include a shorter cruise phase, flexibility in launch opportunities late into the 2030s while reaching Uranus before the 2050 equinox for the desired science opportunities, and lower propellant mass needs. This talk will highlight how aerocapture can be utilized for Uranus science orbit insertion using a lower-risk, heritage entry vehicle configuration used extensively as a Mars entry, descent, and landing vehicle. Furthermore, this talk will explore how the demonstration of aerocapture at Earth can benefit the aerocapture-enabled Uranus mission.
Aerocapture↗
Outer planet atmospheric entry probes - An overview of technology readiness
Entry probe systems for characterizing, by in situ measurements, the atmospheric properties, chemical composition, and cloud structure of the planets Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter are examined from the standpoint of unique mission requirements, associated subsystem performance, and degree of commonality of design. Past earth entry vehicles (PAET) and current planetary spacecraft (Pioneer Venus probes and Viking lander) are assessed to identify the extent of potential subsystem inheritance, as well as to establish the significant differences, in both form and function, relative to outer planet requirements. Recent research results are presented and reviewed for the most critical probe technology areas, including: science accommodation, telecommunication, and entry heating and thermal protection. Finally presented is a brief discussion of the use of decision analysis techniques for quantifying various probe heat-shield test alternatives and performance risk.
Vojvodich, N. S.↗
Reports of workshops on Probe Measurements of Particles and Radiation in the Atmosphere of Titan
The planned 1995 joint ESA-NASA Cassini mission to the Saturnian system will include an atmospheric probe to be dropped into the atmosphere of Titan for in situ measurements during descent. Because of the unique properties of the Titan atmosphere it is necessary to consider the peculiar requirements for such measurements and applicable techniques. The proceedings of two workshops dealing with the measurement of particles and radiation in the atmosphere of Titan are presented in two parts. The first part dealt with the measurement of particulate matter in the atmosphere of Titan. The second part dealt with the measurement of radiation in the atmosphere of Titan. The proceedings were first published and distributed informally, and are presented with only minor editorial changes. In the report of the particulate matter workshop, discussions of the mission background, the importance of the measurements, and descriptions of the desired information are followed by a description of appropriate measurement techniques and conclusions and recommendations. The proceeding for the workshop on radiation measurement and imaging contains a discussion of the importance of radiation measurements and imaging, and presents a summary of participants' experience with such measurements made from entry probes. This is followed by a description of appropriate measurement techniques and conclusions and recommendations.
Ragent, Boris↗
Multiple deep Jupiter atmospheric entry probes delivered by a modified INSIDE Jupiter spacecraft
We discuss the INSIDE Jupiter (IJ) spacecraft. We detail the probes' science missions and data return and no-proprietary engineering aspects.
Jupiter atmosphere entry probes IJ spacecraft INSI↗
Saturn Deep Atmospheric Entry Probes Delivered by INSIDE Jupiter Derivative Spacecraft
In situ probes are the most reliable means for sampling composition and conditions deep in giant planet atmospheres. Deep constituent abundances at the giant planets offer clues to conditions in the solar systems protoplanetary disk and variations with heliocentric distance. Currently in situ atmospheric data are available from only one giant planet, Jupiter, and probes that penetrate deeper than the Galileo probe are needed there to measure the deep abundances of such important species as H2O and H2S. Deep probes at Saturn would extend the sampled heliocentric range to Saturn, providing important constraints on the conditions and variability of the protoplanetary disk, and would provide significant new information about Saturn and its evolutionary processes. Such a probe mission could be implemented using a derivative of the INSIDE Jupiter mission's spacecraft as the Carrier/Relay Spacecraft (CRSC), with probes per JPL/Team X and other design studies. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
Spilker, T. R.↗
Self-calibrating remote atmospheric electromagnetic probe and data acquisition system
Design and development of electromagnetic probe is discussed. Probe is designed to measure wind speed, turbulence levels, and aerosol content of atmosphere. Data are used to construct real-time, three dimensional map of atmospheric composition.
Kadrmas, K. A.↗
AERACEPT (Aerosol Rapid Analysis Combined Entry Probe/sonde Technology): Enabling Technology for Planetary Atmospheric Science Probes
Aerosols –clouds, hazes, and dusts –are a key part of planetary mass and energy balance, but difficult to study remotely. Current technology limits in situ measurements to once-in-a-lifetime flagship missions, which is not enough to characterize such highly dynamic systems. AERACEPT (AErosol Rapid Analysis Combined Entry Probe/sonde Technology) is an early-stage technology allowing asingle aeroshell body toact as both anentry vehicle and aerosol-samplingpassivedescent sonde, using the aeroshell’sown velocityto drive aerosol capture and separationthrough a series of embedded inlets.It takes advantage ofrecently developed thermal protection materials (3D-CC and 3MDCP)in combination withheritage aerosol sampling technologies fromboth planetary and airborne science (high-speed inlets and particle separation). By eliminating the need for heat shield separation, deployable parachutes, ordescent control, AERACEPT reducesthe mass, volume, and complexity ofplanetary aerosol sampling. Verifying AERACEPT’s performance involves modeling interdependencies between the size and geometry of the sampling inlets, the material response of the hypersonic phase of entry, the thermal conditions throughout the probe’s descent, the subsonic flow and particle sampling efficiency, the needed amount of sample, andthe cadence at which the sample can be analyzed. AERACEPT’s current predictions, using the Nephele Venus cloud mission concept (sampling between 63km to 39km, all subsonic) indicates AERACEPT can obtain >20 μL of particle material (roughly 10x the limit of detection) from droplets larger than 0.2 μm, with sample heating limited to <15 K above ambient. Validation testing for the thermal material response model has recently been performed at the UIUC Plasmatron facility, and for the flow and particle capture models is planned for this fall at the Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory.
AERACEPT↗
Entry heating and thermal protection
The book provides a documentation of progress in entry heating and thermal protection as related to two very challenging and very dissimilar applications, viz., the Jovian atmospheric probe as a key element of the Galileo mission, and the Space Shuttle. The Jovian atmospheric probe presents what might be the ultimate challenge in terms of the severity of entry. Success of the Galileo probe depends upon a design based on computational analysis largely unverified by experiment. Topics of interest include methods for predicting off-stagnation-point flowfields for planetary entry probes, modeling of radiative heating in base region of Jovian entry probe, gas heating with pressure gradients for the Space Shuttle, external tank laminar and rarefied aeroheating, and a study of the aerothermal entry environment for the Galileo probe.
Olstad, W. B.↗
Taylor instability in the shock layer on a Jovian atmosphere entry probe.
Investigation of the Taylor instability relative to the dynamical instability whose presence in the shock layer on a spacecraft entering the Jovian atmosphere is to be expected because of the difference in velocity across the shear layer. Presented calculations show that the Taylor instability at the interface between shock-heated freestream gas and ablation products is inconsequential in comparison to the shear layer instability.
Compton, D. L.↗
Direct measurements of planetary atmospheres by entry probes.
Direct planetary atmosphere measurement by vehicles entering atmosphere, using Mars and Venus model atmospheres for accuracy expectation
Seiff, A.↗
Remote probing of atmospheric particulates from radiation extinction experiments: A review of methods
The existing methodology for reconstructing the particle size distribution and inferring the refractive index of absorbing and scattering atmospheric particulates is critically reviewed. Emphasis is placed on method capabilities and shortcomings and, wherever possible, on achievable accuracy. The nature of the associated remote probing problem is analyzed with regard to the effects of the particulates on EM wave propagation in the atmosphere. The parameterization of size distribution is studied within the unifying framework of Pearson's distribution curves. The inversions of extinction measurements and their ratios are considered separately, and the potentialities of each type of measurement are identified. Work lacking in each of the methods reviewed is indicated. A method of determining both the effective complex refractive index and size distribution model parameters from the same data is also presented. Lastly, determination from extinction ratio data of the complex refractive index independent of size distribution is discussed and error analyzed.
Fymat, A. L.↗
Duplication in a shock tube of stagnation region conditions on a Jovian atmosphere-entry probe
Measurements are presented of the radiative emission from a shock-heated mixture of .85 H2 plus .15 He - the presumed composition of the dominant species in the Jovian atmosphere. The experiments were performed behind the incident wave in a Voitenko-compressor-driven shock tube at shock velocities of 61 and 67 km/sec. Agreement with predictions is good for both radiative emission and radiative cooling.
Compton, D. L.↗
Uranus and Neptune Missions: A Study in Advance of the Next Planetary Science Decadal Survey
The ice giant planets, Uranus and Neptune, represent an important and relatively unexplored class of planet. Most of our detailed information about them comes from fleeting looks by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in the 1980s. Voyager, and ground-based work since then, found that these planets, their satellites, rings, and magnetospheres, challenge our understanding of the formation and evolution of planetary systems. We also now know that Uranus- Neptune size planets are common around other stars. These are some of the reasons ice giant exploration was a high priority in NASA's most recent Planetary Science Decadal Survey. In preparation for the next Decadal Survey, NASA, with ESA participation, conducted a broad study of possible ice giant missions in the 2024–2037 timeframe. This paper summarizes the key results of the study, and addresses questions that have been raised by the science community and in a recent NASA review. Foremost amongst these are questions about the science objectives, the science payload, and the importance of an atmospheric probe. The conclusions of the NASA/ESA study remain valid. In particular, it is a high priority to send an orbiter and atmospheric probe to at least one of the ice giants, with instrumentation to study all components of an ice giant system. Uranus and Neptune are found to be equally compelling as science targets. The two planets are not equivalent, however, and each system has things to teach us the other cannot. An additional mission study is needed to refine plans for future exploration of these worlds.
Ice giant↗
Preliminary trajectory analysis of a Mars probe
Trajectory analysis for Mars atmosphere probe - Voyager Project
MARS PROBE↗