DRACO (Destructive Re-entry Assessment Container Object) ESA mission will be the world’s first demonstration of a controlled break-up process of a satellite during re-entry. It is based on a representative small satellite platform with surviving capsule to transmit data on ground.
DRACO mission objectives are three-fold: to demonstrate the break-up process of a spacecraft during re-entry to...
Highly Eccentric Orbits (HEO; eccentricities above 0.8 and perigee above the drag regime) are favourable for scientific and observations missions since the satellite is outside of the Earth’s radiation belt for most of the orbital period, avoiding noise and radiation effects which can interfere with Earth and Universe observations. Over the years, more than 30 missions have been operating in...
The Kentucky Re-entry Universal Payload System (KRUPS) provides a quick-turnaround, low-cost plat- form to conduct atmospheric entry experiments. KRUPS is designed to test multiple types of thermal protection systems (TPS) and scientific instrumentation. Five KRUPS capsules were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) via the NG-20 Cygnus resupply vehicle. After the completion of the...
