Abstract

An aerocapture trajectory specific to the Mars 2001 mission scenario is presented with results of aerothermal and heatshield thermal protection system (TPS) mass estimates that are required to protect the spacecraft orbiter payload. Specifically, a point design of the Mars aerocapture vehicle was selected and using an overshoot, lifting trajectory, a full 3D aerothermal flowfield was simulated for selected trajectory points. The computational flowfield models were then directly used in a TPS mass sizing algorithm that estimated the overall TPS mass of the aerocapture vehicle forebody and afterbody heatshield and the thickness distributions. This analysis methodology has never been previously attempted for a 3D flowfield in a Mars aerocapture trajectory and the results presented in this paper represent NASA Ames' current capabilities to support the complex simulation challenges associated with aerocapture maneuvers at Mars.

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