Speaker
Description
With the deployment of space-based systems becoming increasingly accessible, the desire for affordable and sustainable return technologies is growing rapidly. Atmospheric re-entry from space presents extreme thermal challenges due to aerothermal heating, so the ability to predict and optimize the thermal performance of conceptual, prototype or production orbital return technologies is critical. In this work we present progress towards a transient thermal simulation of a novel return technology, referred to as an Inflatable Atmospheric Decelerator (IAD). With respect to traditional re-entry devices such ablative heatshields, retrorockets (propulsive landing), parachutes, and air brakes, this inflatable heatshield enhances mass efficiency while reducing cost. We explore here the thermal performance of this disruptive technology that functions as both a reusable radiatively-cooled heat shield and a high-velocity parachute for cargo returning from orbit to Earth.
To evaluate the transient thermal performance of the IAD we simulate a dynamic trajectory that begins near Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and descends from an altitude of 260 km to a much lower altitude of 30 km. Boundary conditions such as an altitude-dependent atmospheric profile, transient spacecraft velocity and changing return vessel orientation with respect to Earth are incorporated temporally. Radiative exchange with the Earth and space are included in the thermal analysis, as are both direct and Earth-reflected solar loading. The dominant heat source experienced by returning spacecraft is aerodynamic heating, and we demonstrate a method for predicting the convective heat flux at stagnation point(s) and distributed across the various surfaces of the re-entry object. We compare the results of this approach to previously-published results to verify the suitability of such a method for transient thermal prediction, ensuring appropriate accuracy while reducing the burden on thermal analysts through the use of a unified, automated simulation workflow.
