Abstract
A numerical procedure for calculating free-molecular aerodynamic coefficients for a large class of spacecraft configurations is presented. This involves modeling the spacecraft via the use of basic geometric shapes. The surface of each shape is numerically divided into small elemental areas. Overall coefficients are determined by summing force contributions from each of the exposed surface elements. Surface shielding is accounted for through the use of a shadow-projection technique and simple geometric relationships. Forces on elemental areas are determined by using the gas-surface interaction model attributed to Schaaf and Chambre with experimental momentum accommodation data. The procedure is implemented as a computer program. To illustrate the use and accuracy of this procedure, it is applied to the complex Skylab configuration. Results are compared with analytical predictions from a previous study.
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