Plasma source development for the qualification of thermal protection materials for atmospheric entry vehicles at IRS

Abstract

During re-entry of a spacecraft into the atmosphere of a celestial body, large amounts of energy are set free near the surface due to the high entry velocity. This energy leads to dissociation and ionization in the boundary layer and results in a high heat flux on the return body. These re-entry conditions must be simulated in ground test facilities to qualify for the necessary heat protection materials. For this purpose, several plasma wind tunnels were constructed at the Institut für Raumfahrtsysteme (IRS) of the University of Stuttgart and various plasma sources were developed to do justice to many qualification requirements for different missions, which will be presented in this paper.