Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Vehicle path optimization”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Feasibility Study of a Multi Tilt-rotor Aircraft as the Artemis Lunar Training Vehicle

The Lunar Landing Research Vehicles (LLRVs) and the Lunar Landing Training Vehicles (LLTVs) provided astronaut candidates for the Apollo program with essential experience and confidence required to complete the missions, and contributed to six successful manned landings on the moon. The primary challenge in terrestrial training was being able to replicate the ratio of bank angle to linear acceleration that a pilot would experience in lunar gravity. Presently, as the Artemis program seeks to return humans to the Moon by 2025, engineers are evaluating suitable platforms to serve as an In-Flight Trainer (IFT) or Artemis Lunar Training Vehicle (ALTV) for astronauts training in the task of manual landing. The program is investigating the viability of current technology in the field of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles and is evaluating using a multi tilt-rotor aircraft platform as a candidate platform for a preliminary ALTV. The tilt-rotor capability enables the vehicle attitude to be decoupled from its flight path, which is a crucial requirement in realistically simulating lunar gravity on Earth. Other key considerations include compensating for a lack of aerodynamic forces while flying through the atmosphere of Earth, as well as the ability to simulate the dynamics of multiple different lander designs for the Human Landing System (HLS) program. This paper details the feasibility study and presents a preliminary flight control architecture for an IFT based on a notional multi tilt-rotor platform. The modeling-following control law, based on nonlinear dynamic inversion (NDI), removes the need for gain scheduling because the vehicle operates across a wide range of flight conditions. The inner-loop dynamic control allocation strategy consists of a static portion that is optimized offline for trim while compensating for the difference in gravity and a dynamic portion that is computed in real time. The reference model consists of the full closed-loop dynamics of a generic HLS design. The modularity of the flight control architecture enables evaluation of multiple HLS concepts with minimal modifications to the control law. Simulation results of the multi tilt-rotor configuration following the final portion of the Apollo 11 descent trajectory are shown.

Jing Pei↗
NASA NTRS1988

Trajectory optimization and guidance law development for national aerospace plane applications

The problem of onboard trajectory optimization for an airbreathing, single-stage-to-orbit vehicle is examined. A simple model representative of the aerospace plane concept, including a dual-mode propulsion system composed of scramjet and rocket engines, is presented. Consideration is restricted to hypersonic flight within the atmosphere. An energy state approximation is used in a four-state model for flight of a point mass in a vertical plane. Trajectory constraints, including those of dynamic pressure and aerodynamic heating, are initially ignored. Singular perturbation methods are applied in solving the optimal control problem of minimum fuel climb. The resulting reduced solution for the energy state dynamics provides an optimal altitude profile dependent on energy level and control for rocket thrust. A boundary-layer analysis produces an approximate lift control solution in feedback form and accounts for altitude and flight path angle dynamics. The reduced solution optimal climb path is presented for the unconstrained case and the case for which a maximum dynamic pressure constraint is enforced.

Calise, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Path-Adaptive Guidance Algorithm Trades for a Two-Stage Lunar Descent Vehicle

For the next generation of NASA’s missions, the necessity for path-adaptive guidance algorithms has become clear in order to provide the stability and customizability required for a safe and efficient descent to the lunar surface, while meeting specified program and vehicle constraints. Several descent algorithms have been tested and flown for single-stage landers through the Apollo and Altair programs, but thus far little analysis has been conducted involving the application of these algorithms for a two-stage descent vehicle. Due to the limited payload mass constraints of the existing fleet of launch vehicles, multi-stage descent architectures have become a viable course of action. This paper seeks to compare the performance of guidance configurations for a lunar lander system consisting of two stages, one of which separates partway through descent. Through development of this paper, an optimization suite has been written that is specifically designed for optimizing planetary non-atmospheric two-stage descent trajectories, and is used as a comparison baseline for the guidance algorithms tested. Time-to -go computational methods and ignition logic routines that may be employed in a lunar environment are also discussed. Further work is to be completed on trajectory design trades as well as the effects of modifying guidance targets in simulation based on trajectories that are optimized for different performance indices.

Jason M Everett↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Path-Adaptive Guidance Algorithm Trades for a Two-Stage Lunar Descent Vehicle

For the next generation of NASA’s missions, explicit, path-adaptive descent guidance algorithms must provide the stability and customizability required for a safe and efficient descent to the lunar surface, while also meeting program and vehicle constraints. Several descent algorithms have been flown and tested for single-stage landers through the Apollo and Altair programs, but thus far little analysis has been conducted involving the application of these algorithms to a two-stage descent vehicle. Due to payload mass and fairing constraints of the existing fleet of launch vehicles, multi-stage descent architectures are a unique option for achieving the greatest possible mass to lunar surface. This paper seeks to compare the performance of guidance configurations of a lunar lander system consisting of two stages, one of which separates partway through descent. Through development of this paper, an optimization suite has been written that is specifically designed for optimizing planetary non-atmospheric two-stage descent trajectories, and is used as a baseline to compare the guidance algorithms tested. Time-to-go computational methods and ignition logic routines that may be employed in a lunar environment are also discussed. Preliminary results are presented that show relative performance metrics for a range of different guidance algorithm configurations.

Jason M Everett↗
NASA NTRS2007

Capacitors Would Help Protect Against Hypervelocity Impacts

A proposal investigates alternatives to the present bumper method of protecting spacecraft against impacts of meteoroids and orbital debris. The proposed method is based on a British high-voltage-capacitance technique for protecting armored vehicles against shaped-charge warheads. A shield, according to the proposal, would include a bare metal outer layer separated by a gap from an inner metal layer covered with an electrically insulating material. The metal layers would constitute electrodes of a capacitor. A bias potential would be applied between the metal layers. A particle impinging at hypervelocity on the outer metal layer would break apart into a debris cloud that would penetrate the electrical insulation on the inner metal layer. The cloud would form a path along which electric current could flow between the metal layers, thereby causing the capacitor to discharge. With proper design, the discharge current would be large enough to vaporize the particles in the debris cloud to prevent penetration of the spacecraft. The shield design can be mass optimized to be competitive with existing bumper designs. Parametric studies were proposed to determine optimum correction between bias voltage, impacting particle velocity, gap space, and insulating material required to prevent spacecraft penetration.

Edwards, David↗
NASA NTRS1989

Optimal guidance and propulsion control for transatmospheric vehicles

Problems associated with on-board trajectory optimization and with the synthesis of guidance laws are addressed for ascent to LEO of an air-breathing, single-stage-to-orbit vehicle. A multimode propulsion system is assumed which incorporates turbojet, ramjet, scramjet, and rocket engines. An energy-state approximation is applied to a four-state dynamic model for flight of a point mass over a spherical nonrotating earth. An algorithm for generating fuel-optimal climb profiles is derived via singular perturbation theory. This algorithm results from application of the minimum principle to a low-order dynamic model that includes general functional dependence on angle of attack and a normal component of thrust. Switching conditions are derived which, under appropriate assumptions, govern optimal transition from one propulsion mode to another. The use of bank angle to modulate the magnitude of the vertical component of lift is shown to improve the index performance. Numerical results illustrate the nature of the resulting fuel-optimal climb paths.

Corban, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Small Launch Vehicle Design Approaches: Clustered Cores Compared with Multi-Stage Inline Concepts

In an effort to better define small launch vehicle design options two approaches were investigated from the small launch vehicle trade space. The primary focus was to evaluate a clustered common core design against a purpose built inline vehicle. Both designs focused on liquid oxygen (LOX) and rocket propellant grade kerosene (RP-1) stages with the terminal stage later evaluated as a LOX/methane (CH4) stage. A series of performance optimization runs were done in order to minimize gross liftoff weight (GLOW) including alternative thrust levels, delivery altitude for payload, vehicle length to diameter ratio, alternative engine feed systems, re-evaluation of mass growth allowances, passive versus active guidance systems, and rail and tower launch methods. Additionally manufacturability, cost, and operations also play a large role in the benefits and detriments for each design. Presented here is the Advanced Concepts Office's Earth to Orbit Launch Team methodology and high level discussion of the performance trades and trends of both small launch vehicle solutions along with design philosophies that shaped both concepts. Without putting forth a decree stating one approach is better than the other; this discussion is meant to educate the community at large and let the reader determine which architecture is truly the most economical; since each path has such a unique set of limitations and potential payoffs.

Waters, Eric D.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Collaborative Analysis Tool for Integrated Hypersonic Aerodynamics, Thermal Protection Systems, and RBCC Engine Performance for Single Stage to Orbit Vehicles

Presented is a computer-based tool that connects several disciplines that are needed in the complex and integrated design of high performance reusable single stage to orbit (SSTO) vehicles. Every system is linked to every other system, as is the case of SSTO vehicles with air breathing propulsion, which is currently being studied by NASA. An RBCC propulsion system integrates airbreathing and rocket propulsion into a single engine assembly enclosed within a cowl or duct. A typical RBCC propulsion system operates as a ducted rocket up to approximately Mach 3. Then there is a transition to a ramjet mode for supersonic-to-hypersonic acceleration. Around Mach 8 the engine transitions to a scramjet mode. During the ramjet and scramjet modes, the integral rockets operate as fuel injectors. Around Mach 10-12 (the actual value depends on vehicle and mission requirements), the inlet is physically closed and the engine transitions to an integral rocket mode for orbit insertion. A common feature of RBCC propelled vehicles is the high degree of integration between the propulsion system and airframe. At high speeds the vehicle forebody is fundamentally part of the engine inlet, providing a compression surface for air flowing into the engine. The compressed air is mixed with fuel and burned. The combusted mixture must be expanded to an area larger than the incoming stream to provide thrust. Since a conventional nozzle would be too large, the entire lower after body of the vehicle is used as an expansion surface. Because of the high external temperatures seen during atmospheric flight, the design of an airbreathing SSTO vehicle requires delicate tradeoffs between engine design, vehicle shape, and thermal protection system (TPS) sizing in order to produce an optimum system in terms of weight (and cost) and maximum performance. To adequately determine the performance of the engine/vehicle, the Hypersonic Flight Inlet Model (HYFIM) module was designed to interface with the RBCC engine model. HYFIM performs the aerodynamic analysis of forebodies and inlet characteristics of RBCC powered SSTO launch vehicles. HYFIM is applicable to the analysis of the ramjet/scramjet engine operations modes (Mach 3-12), and provides estimates of parameters such as air capture area, shock-on-lip Mach number, design Mach number, compression ratio, etc., based on a basic geometry routine for modeling axisymmetric cones, 2-D wedge geometries. HYFIM also estimates the variation of shock layer properties normal to the forebody surface. The thermal protection system (TPS) is directly linked to determination of the vehicle moldline and the shaping of the trajectory. Thermal protection systems to maintain the structural integrity of the vehicle must be able to mitigate the heat transfer to the structure and be lightweight. Herein lies the interdependency, in that as the vehicle's speed increases, the TPS requirements are increased. And as TPS masses increase the effect on the propulsion system and all other systems is compounded. The need to analyze vehicle forebody and engine inlet is critical to be able to design the RBCC vehicle. To adequately determine insulation masses for an RBCC vehicle, the hypersonic aerodynamic environment and aeroheating loads must be calculated and the TPS thicknesses must be calculated for the entire vehicle. To accomplish this an ascent or reentry trajectory is obtained using the computer code Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories (POST). The trajectory is then used to calculate the convective heat rates on several locations on the vehicles using the Miniature Version of the JA70 Aerodynamic Heating Computer Program (MINIVER). Once the heat rates are defined for each body point on the vehicle, then insulation thicknesses that are required to maintain the vehicle within structural limits are calculated using Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer (SINDA) models. If the TPS masses are too heavy for the performance of the vehicle the process may be repeated altering the trajectory or some other input to reduce the TPS mass. E-PSURBCC is an "engine performance" model and requires the specification of inlet air static temperature and pressure as well as Mach number (which it pulls from the HYFIM and POST trajectory files), and calculates the corresponding stagnation properties. The engine air flow path geometry includes inlet, a constant area section where the rocket is positioned, a subsonic diffuser, a constant area afterburner, and either a converging nozzle or a converging-diverging nozzle. The current capabilities of E-PSURBCC ejector and ramjet mode treatment indicated that various complex flow phenomena including multiple choking and internal shocks can occur for combinations of geometry/flow conditions. For a given input deck defining geometry/flow conditions, the program first goes through a series of checks to establish whether the input parameters are sound in terms of a solution path. If the vehicle/engine performance fails mission goals, the engineer is able to collaboratively alter the vehicle moldline to change aerodynamics, or trajectory, or some other input to achieve orbit. The problem described is an example of the need for collaborative design and analysis. RECIPE is a cross-platform application capable of hosting a number of engineers and designers across the Internet for distributed and collaborative engineering environments. Such integrated system design environments allow for collaborative team design analysis for performing individual or reduced team studies. To facilitate the larger number of potential runs that may need to be made, RECIPE connects the computer codes that calculate the trajectory data, aerodynamic data based on vehicle geometry, heat rate data, TPS masses, and vehicle and engine performance, so that the output from each tool is easily transferred to the model input files that need it.

Stanley, Thomas Troy↗
NASA NTRS2014

2016 Mars Insight Mission Design and Navigation

Scheduled for a launch in the 2016 Earth to Mars opportunity, the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport (InSight) Mission will arrive to Mars in late September 2016 with the primary objective of placing a science lander on the surface of the Red Planet followed by the deployment of two science instruments to investigate the fundamental processes of terrestrial planet formation and evolution. In order to achieve a successful landing, the InSight Project has selected a launch/arrival strategy that satisfies the following key and driving requirements: (1) Deliver a total launch mass of 727 kg, (2) target a nominal landing site with a cumulative Delta V99 less than 30 m/s, and (3) approach EDL with a V-infinity upper limit of 3.941 km/s and (4) an entry flight-path angle (EFPA) of -12.5 +/- 0.26 deg, 3-sigma; the InSight trajectories have been designed such that they (5) provide UHF-band communications via Direct-To-Earth and MRO from Entry through landing plus 60 s, (6) with injection aimpoints biased away from Mars such that the probability of the launch vehicle upper stage impacting Mars is less than 1.0 X 10(exp 4) for fifty years after launch, and (7) non-nominal impact probabilities due to failure during the Cruise phase less than 1.0 X 10(exp 2).

Landers↗
NASA NTRS2014

Extravehicular Activity Asteroid Exploration and Sample Collection Capability

One of the challenging primary objectives associated with NASA's Asteroid Redirect Crewed Mission (ARCM) is to demonstrate deep space Extravehicular Activity (EVA) and tools and to obtain asteroid samples to return to Earth for further study. Prior Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) spacewalks have benefited from engineered EVA interfaces which have been designed and manufactured on Earth. Rigid structurally mounted handrails, and tools with customized interfaces and restraints optimize EVA performance. For ARCM, EVA complexity increases due to the uncertainty of the asteroid properties. The variability of rock size, shape and composition, as well as behavior of the asteroid capture mechanism will complicate EVA translation, tool restraint, and body stabilization. The unknown asteroid hardness and brittleness will complicate tool use. The rock surface will introduce added safety concerns for cut gloves and debris control. Feasible solutions to meet ARCM EVA objectives were identified using experience gained during Apollo, Shuttle, and ISS EVAs, terrestrial mountaineering practices, NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 16 mission, and during Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory testing in the Modified Advanced Crew Escape Suit (MACES) suit. This paper will summarize the overall operational concepts for conducting EVAs for the ARCM mission including translation paths and body restraint methods, potential tools used to extract the samples, design implications for the Asteroid Redirect Vehicle (ARV) for EVA, and the results of early development testing of potential EVA tasks.

Sipila, Stephanie A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Extravehicular Activity Asteroid Exploration and Sample Collection Capability

One of the challenging primary objectives associated with NASA's Asteroid Redirect Crewed Mission (ARCM) is to demonstrate deep space Extravehicular Activity (EVA) and tools and to obtain asteroid samples to return to Earth for further study. Prior Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) spacewalks have benefited from engineered EVA interfaces which have been designed and manufactured on Earth. Rigid structurally mounted handrails, and tools with customized interfaces and restraints optimize EVA performance. For ARCM, EVA complexity increases due to the uncertainty of the asteroid properties. The variability of rock size, shape and composition, as well as behavior of the asteroid capture mechanism will complicate EVA translation, tool restraint, and body stabilization. The unknown asteroid hardness and brittleness will complicate tool use. The rock surface will introduce added safety concerns for cut gloves and debris control. Feasible solutions to meet ARCM EVA objectives were identified using experience gained during Apollo, Shuttle, and ISS EVAs, terrestrial mountaineering practices, NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 16 mission, and during Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory testing in the Modified Advanced Crew Escape Suit (MACES) suit. This paper will summarize the overall operational concepts for conducting EVAs for the ARCM mission including translation paths and body restraint methods, potential tools used to extract the samples, design implications for the Asteroid Redirect Vehicle (ARV) for EVA, and the results of early development testing of potential EVA tasks.

Sipila, Stephanie A.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Optimal Propellant Maneuver Flight Demonstrations on ISS

In this paper, first ever flight demonstrations of Optimal Propellant Maneuver (OPM), a method of propulsive rotational state transition for spacecraft controlled using thrusters, is presented for the International Space Station (ISS). On August 1, 2012, two ISS reorientations of about 180deg each were performed using OPMs. These maneuvers were in preparation for the same-day launch and rendezvous of a Progress vehicle, also a first for ISS visiting vehicles. The first maneuver used 9.7 kg of propellant, whereas the second used 10.2 kg. Identical maneuvers performed without using OPMs would have used approximately 151.1kg and 150.9kg respectively. The OPM method is to use a pre-planned attitude command trajectory to accomplish a rotational state transition. The trajectory is designed to take advantage of the complete nonlinear system dynamics. The trajectory choice directly influences the cost of the maneuver, in this case, propellant. For example, while an eigenaxis maneuver is kinematically the shortest path between two orientations, following that path requires overcoming the nonlinear system dynamics, thereby increasing the cost of the maneuver. The eigenaxis path is used for ISS maneuvers using thrusters. By considering a longer angular path, the path dependence of the system dynamics can be exploited to reduce the cost. The benefits of OPM for the ISS include not only reduced lifetime propellant use, but also reduced loads, erosion, and contamination from thrusters due to fewer firings. Another advantage of the OPM is that it does not require ISS flight software modifications since it is a set of commands tailored to the specific attitude control architecture. The OPM takes advantage of the existing ISS control system architecture for propulsive rotation called USTO control mode1. USTO was originally developed to provide ISS Orbiter stack attitude control capability for a contingency tile-repair scenario, where the Orbiter is maneuvered using its robotic manipulator relative to the ISS. Since 2005 USTO has been used for nominal ISS operations.

Bhatt, Sagar↗
NASA NTRS2005

Autonomous Navigation by a Mobile Robot

ROAMAN is a computer program for autonomous navigation of a mobile robot on a long (as much as hundreds of meters) traversal of terrain. Developed for use aboard a robotic vehicle (rover) exploring the surface of a remote planet, ROAMAN could also be adapted to similar use on terrestrial mobile robots. ROAMAN implements a combination of algorithms for (1) long-range path planning based on images acquired by mast-mounted, wide-baseline stereoscopic cameras, and (2) local path planning based on images acquired by body-mounted, narrow-baseline stereoscopic cameras. The long-range path-planning algorithm autonomously generates a series of waypoints that are passed to the local path-planning algorithm, which plans obstacle-avoiding legs between the waypoints. Both the long- and short-range algorithms use an occupancy-grid representation in computations to detect obstacles and plan paths. Maps that are maintained by the long- and short-range portions of the software are not shared because substantial localization errors can accumulate during any long traverse. ROAMAN is not guaranteed to generate an optimal shortest path, but does maintain the safety of the rover.

Huntsberger, Terrance↗
NASA NTRS2006

Advances in Hot-Structure Development

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has actively participated in the development of hot structures technology for application to hypersonic flight systems. Hot structures have been developed for vehicles including the X-43A, X-37, and the Space Shuttle. These trans-atmospheric and atmospheric entry flight systems that incorporate hot-structures technology are lighter weight and require less maintenance than those that incorporate parasitic, thermal-protection materials that attach to warm or cool substructure. The development of hot structures requires a thorough understanding of material performance in an extreme environment, boundary conditions and load interactions, structural joint performance, and thermal and mechanical performance of integrated structural systems that operate at temperatures ranging from 1500 C to 3000 C, depending on the application. This paper will present recent advances in the development of hot structures, including development of environmentally durable, high temperature leading edges and control surfaces, integrated thermal protection systems, and repair technologies. The X-43A Mach-10 vehicle utilized carbon/carbon (C/C) leading edges on the nose, horizontal control surface, and vertical tail. The nose and vertical and horizontal tail leading edges were fabricated out of a 3:1 biased, high thermal conductivity C/C. The leading edges were coated with a three-layer coating comprised of a SiC conversion of the C/C, followed by a CVD layer of SiC, followed by a thin CVD layer of HfC. Work has also been performed on the development of an integrated structure and was focused on both hot and warm (insulated) structures and integrated fuselage/tank/TPS systems. The objective was to develop integrated multifunctional airframe structures that eliminate fragile external thermal-protection systems and incorporate the insulating function within the structure. The approach taken to achieve this goal was to develop candidate hypersonic airframe concepts, including structural arrangement, load paths, thermal-structural wall design, thermal accommodation features, and integration of major components, optimize thermalstructural configurations, and validate concepts through a building block test program and generate data to improve and validate analytical and design tools.

Rivers, H. Kevin↗
NASA NTRS2012

In-Space Propellant Production Using Water

A new era of space exploration is being planned. Manned exploration architectures under consideration require the long term storage of cryogenic propellants in space, and larger science mission directorate payloads can be delivered using cryogenic propulsion stages. Several architecture studies have shown that in-space cryogenic propulsion depots offer benefits including lower launch costs, smaller launch vehicles, and enhanced mission flexibility. NASA is currently planning a Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer (CPST) technology demonstration mission that will use existing technology to demonstrate long duration storage, acquisition, mass gauging, and transfer of liquid hydrogen in low Earth orbit. This mission will demonstrate key technologies, but the CPST architecture is not designed for optimal mission operations for a true propellant depot. This paper will consider cryogenic propellant depots that are designed for operability. The operability principles considered are reusability, commonality, designing for the unique environment of space, and use of active control systems, both thermal and fluid. After considering these operability principles, a proposed depot architecture will be presented that uses water launch and on orbit electrolysis and liquefaction. This could serve as the first true space factory. Critical technologies needed for this depot architecture, including on orbit electrolysis, zero-g liquefaction and storage, rendezvous and docking, and propellant transfer, will be discussed and a developmental path forward will be presented. Finally, use of the depot to support the NASA Science Mission Directorate exploration goals will be presented.

Notardonato, William↗
NASA NTRS1990

Decomposition technique and optimal trajectories for the aeroassisted flight experiment

An actual geosynchronous Earth orbit-to-low Earth orbit (GEO-to-LEO) transfer is considered with reference to the aeroassisted flight experiment (AFE) spacecraft, and optimal trajectories are determined by minimizing the total characteristic velocity. The optimization is performed with respect to the time history of the controls (angle of attack and angle of bank), the entry path inclination and the flight time being free. Two transfer maneuvers are considered: direct ascent (DA) to LEO and indirect ascent (IA) to LEO via parking Earth orbit (PEO). By taking into account certain assumptions, the complete system can be decoupled into two subsystems: one describing the longitudinal motion and one describing the lateral motion. The angle of attack history, the entry path inclination, and the flight time are determined via the longitudinal motion subsystem. In this subsystem, the difference between the instantaneous bank angle and a constant bank angle is minimized in the least square sense subject to the specified orbital inclination requirement. Both the angles of attack and the angle of bank are shown to be constant. This result has considerable importance in the design of nominal trajectories to be used in the guidance of AFE and aeroassisted orbital transfer (AOT) vehicles.

Miele, A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Decomposition technique and optimal trajectories for the aeroassisted flight experiment

An actual geosynchronous earth orbit-to-low earth orbit (GEO-to-LEO) transfer is considered with reference to the aeroassisted flight experiment (AFE) spacecraft, and optimal trajectories are determined by minimizing the total characteristic velocity. The optimization is performed with respect to the time history of the controls (angle of attack and angle of bank), the entry path inclination and the flight time being free. Two transfer maneuvers are considered: direct ascent (DA) to LEO and indirect ascent (IA) to LEO via parking earth orbit (PEO). By taking into account certain assumptions, the complete system can be decoupled into two subsystems: one describing the longitudinal motion and one describing the lateral motion. The angle of attack history, the entry path inclination, and the flight time are determined via the longitudinal motion subsystem. In this subsystem, the difference between the instantaneous bank angle and a constant bank angle is minimized in the least square sense subject to the specified orbital inclination requirement. Both the angles of attack and the angle of bank are shown to be constant. This result has considerable importance in the design of nominal trajectories to be used in the guidance of AFE and aeroassisted orbital transfer (AOT) vehicles.

Miele, A.↗
NASA NTRS2018

A Common Probe Design for Multiple Planetary Destinations

Atmospheric probes have been successfully flown to planets and moons in the solar system to conduct in-situ measurements. They include the Pioneer Venus multi-probes, the Galileo Jupiter probe, and Huygens probe. Probe mission concepts to five destinations, including Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, have all utilized similar-shaped aeroshells and concept of operations, namely a 45 deg sphere cone shape with high density heatshield material and parachute system for extracting the descent vehicle from the aeroshell. Each concept designed its probe to meet specific mission requirements and to optimize mass, volume, and cost. At the 2017 IPPW, NASA Headquarters postulated that a common aero-shell design could be used successfully for multiple destinations and missions. This "common probe" design could even be assembled with multiple copies, properly stored, and made available for future NASA missions, potentially realizing savings in cost and schedule and reducing the risk of losing technologies and skills difficult to sustain over decades. Thus the NASA Planetary Science Division funded a study to investigate whether a common probe design could meet most, if not all, mission needs to the five planetary destinations with extreme entry environments. The Common Probe study involved four NASA Centers and addressed these issues, including constraints and inefficiencies that occur in specifying a common design.Study methodology: First, a notional payload of instruments for each destination was defined based on priority measurements from the Planetary Science Decadal Survey. Steep and shallow entry flight path angles (EFPA) were defined for each planet based on qualification and operational g-load limits for current, state-of-the-art instruments. Interplanetary trajectories were then identified for a bounding range of EFPA. Next, 3-DoF simulations for entry trajectories were run using the entry state vectors from the interplanetary trajectories. Aeroheating correlations were used to generate stagnation point convective and radiative heat flux profiles for several aeroshell shapes and entry masses. High fidelity thermal response models for various TPS materials were used to size stagnation point thicknesses, with margins based on previous studies. Backshell TPS masses were assumed based on scaled heat fluxes from the heatshield and also from previous mission concepts.

Hwang, Helen H.↗