Atmospheric Flight Research Articles

Estimate of the onset of laminar-turbulent transition on a plate in flight in the Mars atmosphere

Comparative calculations of the location of the onset of the laminar-turbulent transition zone are performed using the eN-method for two points on the Mars "Pathfinder" entry trajectory. A three-component model of thermochemically nonequilibrium CO2–CO–O mixture is used in the calculations. The set of spatial disturbance frequencies is found using neutral curves for the first unstable modes of temporary disturbances. The transition Reynolds number ReδTis determined from the envelopes of families ofN-factor curves atNT= 8. In the hypersonic regime at M = 12.6, taking into account the developed thermochemical nonequilibrium leads to a significant decrease in the static temperature of gas in the lower part of the boundary layer. As a result, the onset of the laminarturbulent transition zone is displaced downstream by approximately 9% as compared to the case of a perfect gas.

Collisional broadening and pressure shift coefficients for the potassium D1 and D2 transitions in oxygen and carbon dioxide at high temperatures

Collisional broadening and pressure shift parameters for the potassium resonance doublet, near 770 nm, are reported for collisions with molecular oxygen and carbon dioxide. Experiments were conducted in a reflected shock tube from 1200–2200 K and used potassium chloride (KCl) salt as the atomic potassium source. The measured absorption lineshapes were fit with Voigt profiles to infer the collisional broadening and pressure shifts. Power-law correlations were then developed to describe the pressure-normalized results as functions of temperature. Generally, the collisional broadening coefficients in oxygen agree well with theoretical predictions and are similar to those in nitrogen. Conversely, the pressure shift coefficients in oxygen differ from those in nitrogen by up to 15%. Broadening coefficients in carbon dioxide disagree with theoretical predictions by 20% or more over the range of temperatures explored in this work. These results expand the existing database of potassium lineshape coefficients, and they are expected to be useful for further development of potassium sensing diagnostics in terrestrial, Martian, and Venusian atmospheric flight studies, and in combustion systems. Other anticipated applications include interpretation of astrophysical spectroscopic observations.

The 18 May 2024 Iberian superbolide from a sunskirting orbit: USG space sensors and ground-based independent observations

ABSTRACT On 18 May 2024, a superbolide traversed the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, culminating its flight over the Atlantic Ocean and generating significant media attention. This event was caused by a weak carbonaceous meteoroid of 1 m, entering the atmosphere at 40.4 km s$^{-1}$ with an average slope of 8.5$^\circ$. The luminous phase started at 133 km and ended at an altitude of 54 km. The meteoroid’s heliocentric orbit had an inclination of 16.4$^\circ$, a high eccentricity of 0.952, a semimajor axis of 2.4 au, and a short perihelion distance of 0.12 au. The superbolide was recorded by multiple ground-based stations of the Spanish Fireball and Meteorite Network and the European Space Agency, as well as by the U.S. Government sensors from space. Due to the absence of observable deceleration, we successfully reconciled satellite radiometric data with a purely dynamic atmospheric flight model, constraining the meteoroid’s mass and coherently fitting its velocity profile. Our analysis shows a good agreement with the radiant and velocity data reported by the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, with a deviation of 0.56$^\circ$ and 0.1 km s$^{-1}$, respectively. The presence of detached fragments in the lower part of the luminous trajectory suggests that the meteoroid was a polymict carbonaceous chondrite, containing higher-strength macroscopic particles in its interior due to collisional gardening, or a thermally processed C-type asteroid. The orbital elements indicate that the most likely source is the Jupiter-Family Comet region, aligning with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory comet family, as its sunskirting orbit is decoupled from Jupiter. This event provides important information to characterize the disruption mechanism of near-Sun objects.

Estimate of the Onset of Laminar-Turbulent Transition on a Plate in Flight in the Mars Atmosphere

Estimate of the Onset of Laminar-Turbulent Transition on a Plate in Flight in the Mars Atmosphere

Investigation of the Inverse Magnus Effect on a Rotating Sphere in Hypersonic Rarefied Flow

Explorations involving long-endurance and maneuvering flights in the upper atmosphere, as well as research on atmospheric entries of space debris or asteroids, call for a full understanding of hypersonic rarefied flows. The inverse Magnus effect occurs in the hypersonic rarefied flow past a rotating sphere, but the aerodynamic behavior is contrary to the Magnus effect in the continuum flow regime. In this article, a series of such flows are numerically studied using the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. By analyzing the flow fields, as well as the distributions of pressure and shear stress on the sphere, the formation of the inverse Magnus force can be attributed to the tangential momentum transfer between incident gas molecules and the windward surface. The variation laws of aerodynamic parameters with the rotation rate are presented and discussed.

A new method for high-precision starlight refraction indirect horizon-sensing positioning of atmospheric flight vehicles

The starlight refraction indirect horizon-sensing positioning method is a new type of autonomous celestial navigation method with broad application prospects. In view of this method currently being limited to the spacecraft outside the atmosphere, this article derives and establishes a starlight refraction indirect horizon-sensing positioning model between the starlight refraction angle and the flight vehicle’s position inside the atmosphere. Based on this model, a new starlight refraction indirect horizon-sensing positioning method for the flight vehicle inside the atmosphere is proposed. According to the atmospheric refraction law and the spherical atmospheric model, the refracted optical path of starlight entering the atmosphere and reaching the flight vehicle is traced, so as to establish a starlight refraction positioning model that reflects the relationship between the refraction angle and the 3-D position of the flight vehicle inside the atmosphere. Subsequently, by employing star sensors on the flight vehicle to measure the starlight refraction angle, and combining the starlight refraction positioning model that maps the starlight refraction angle and the flight vehicle’s position, a starlight refraction indirect horizon-sensing autonomous celestial positioning method, tailored for the flight within the atmosphere, is proposed. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through ground semi physical experiments, and an analysis is conducted to explore the factors that affect the positioning accuracy of the starlight refraction indirect horizon-sensing positioning method within the atmosphere.

Optimizing aerogravity-assisted maneuvers at high atmospheric altitude above Venus, Earth, and Mars to control heliocentric orbits

This paper analyzes the change in the heliocentric orbital elements due to the implementation of aerogravity and powered aerogravity assist maneuvers. Three cost functions were selected to maximize the planetocentric latitude, longitude, and velocity at the end of the atmospheric flight. An optimal control problem was solved to guide a spaceplane passing above the three inner planets: Venus, Earth, and Mars. The planets were selected because they have been relevant for gravity assists, and previous studies suggest that taking advantage of their atmospheres could increase the effects of the close approach. The research aims to analyze the variation in the heliocentric orbital elements of the trajectories after performing optimal aerogravity-assists and powered aerogravity-assisted maneuvers at high atmospheric altitudes. The trajectories were calculated via nonlinear programming to find the history of the control variables: angle of attack, bank angle, and thrust. Low-fidelity gravity and atmosphere models were implemented to evaluate this proof of concept. The optimization converged for all cases, and results show that maximization of the longitude increases the duration of the atmospheric flight, increasing the turning angle by almost twice the value of a single gravity assist. Furthermore, it reduces the energy and semimajor axis in half for approach angles between 20 and 90°, saving more than 10 km/s on propulsion. Maximizing the velocity with propulsion increases the semimajor axis by more than 1.1 times the semimajor axis of the respective planet, and the optimal latitude presents a change in inclination of more than 1.0°. This maneuver could be applied to collect atmospheric samples or increase the coverage above the planet of interest. Those kinds of applications are described at the end of this paper, including a brief discussion on the maturity of this technology.

Reentry trajectory design of a hypersonic vehicle based on reinforcement learning

In this research, we investigate control of a hypersonic vehicle (HV) following its reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, using deep reinforcement learning (DRL) in a continuous space. Here, we incorporate the basic kinematic and force equations of motion for a vehicle in an atmospheric flight to formulate the reentry trajectory satisfying the boundary constraints and multiple mission related process constraints. The aerodynamic model of the vehicle emulates the properties of a common aero vehicle (CAV-H), while the atmospheric model of the Earth represents a standard model based on US Standard Atmosphere 1976, with significant simplification to the planetary model. In an unpowered flight, we then control the vehicle’s trajectory by perturbing its angle of attack and bank angle to achieve the desired objective, where the control problem is based on different actor-critic frameworks that utilize neural networks (NNs) as function approximators to select and evaluate the control actions in continuous state and action spaces. First, we train the model following each of the methods, that include on-policy proximal policy approximation (PPO) and off-policy twin delayed deterministic policy gradient (TD3). From the trajectory generated, we select a nominal trajectory for each algorithm that satisfies our mission requirements based on the reward model.

Modelling the Wall Pressure Fluctuations on the VEGA-C Launcher in Supersonic Conditions

The prediction of pressure fluctuations generated over the external surface of aerospace launchers during the atmospheric flight remains a challenging task due to the complexity of the geometry and the effects of compressibility at high supersonic Mach numbers. An experimental database is here analysed to the scope of providing a procedure to model and predict the relevant statistics of the wall pressure fluctuations generated by a supersonic flow overflowing the VEGA-C Launcher Vehicle. Data have been obtained in an extensive Wind Tunnel test campaign carried out in the trisonic wind tunnel of the National Institute for Aerospace Research (INCAS) in Bucharest. Wall-mounted pressure transducers allowed for the computation of the pressure Auto- and Cross-spectra over the fourth (the payload region) and third stages of the launcher model. Coherence functions are modelled through exponential-like analytical functions following the approaches usually adopted in canonical boundary layer flows, whereas the auto-spectra models are based on polynomial fits. The approach adopted for the achievement of proper non-dimensional quantities as well as the procedure implemented for the full-scale extrapolation is presented and discussed.

Energy reference guidance for drag-modulated aerocapture

Aerocapture is a method of achieving orbit insertion via a single pass through the atmosphere of the central body. Single-event jettison drag modulation is a simple way of achieving control during atmospheric flight by effecting a discrete change in the aerodynamics of the vehicle. A novel guidance algorithm, energy reference guidance, is developed and implemented for a reference scenario of a small satellite aerocapture demonstration at Earth, and is compared to the baseline numerical predictor–corrector solution. The new approach is shown to achieve equivalent apoapsis targeting performance as the baseline algorithm with significantly lower CPU demand during atmospheric flight, although more onboard memory is required in exchange. The relationship between targeting performance and required memory is quantitatively explored for the new algorithm; the selected configuration generates approximately 3.3 MB of data, which is expected to be well within the capability of relevant avionics systems.

Control-oriented imitation learning for atmospheric flight control of launch vehicles under wind disturbance

The atmospheric flight control of launch vehicle is required to track the nominal trajectory while obeying path constraints on the aerodynamic load peak. Due to the wind disturbance, wind-induced angle of attack may increase the aerodynamic load peak, and reducing of it will lead to larger trajectory tracking error. Because of the cumbersome tuning of gain schedule and the dependency on accurate wind prediction, it is difficult for existing methods to handle the trade-off problem between reduction of the aerodynamic load peak and trajectory tracking error under uncertain wind disturbance. The presented research is intended to remedy this difficulty through learning based methods. The ascent flight phase is modelled as a multiple objective Markov decision process, where the trade-off under wind disturbance is precisely modelled as the optimization of a multi-objective vector under the stochastic state transition. A neural network flight control policy is then trained by a novel control-oriented imitation learning (CoIL) scheme. The CoIL scheme incorporates two control-oriented design within the standard reinforcement learning scheme: the inverse reinforcement learning that infers a proper reward from demonstration trajectories to represent the multi-objective vector of atmospheric flight control, as well as the policy hierarchy that simplifies interaction with the high order vehicle dynamics. Compared with previous learning-based attempts in the literature, this scheme uses orders of magnitude fewer demonstration trajectories and avoids hand-programmed reward design. Evaluations are performed under an ascent flight mission, indicating that the obtained policy outperforms the prevalent baseline controllers with reduction of the normalized maximum aerodynamic load by 28.3%, altitude error by 38.6%, velocity error by 17.1% and path angle error by 42.7% under unpredicted wind disturbance.

Aerodynamic optimization of airfoils shape for atmospheric flight on Mars planet

Fixed-wing aircraft are particularly attractive for Mars surface exploration, but Martian low-density atmosphere poses several issues to airfoil aerodynamic design. In this framework, the paper deals with an optimization procedure aimed at maximize the aerodynamic efficiency of Low-Reynolds airfoils. The design procedure embeds airfoil parameterization, aerodynamic computation, and optimization algorithm for a maximum efficiency objective at Re∞=2×105 and Re∞=3.4×104. Two airfoil parameterization models are developed and adopted within the design optimization. The XFoil solver is considered to address airfoil aerodynamics; while its optimal shape is generated with a genetic algorithm to simulate a cruising condition. Design optimization developed two different airfoils with (L/D)max=10.4 and 16.4, achieved at Re∞=3.4×104. Aerodynamic performances of these wing sections are discussed in the work. Optimal airfoils pointed out that maximization of aerodynamic efficiency is associated to both a thickness reduction and a curvature increase of the aeroshape. Finally, aerodynamics of the optimal airfoils are also investigated with computational fluid dynamics simulations.

Advanced Hypersonic Transportation Perspectives

High-speed transportation design concepts are examined for advanced civil aviation and space transportation applications. The design concept of transatmospheric vehicles, flying directly from earth to orbit, will enable launching and recovery of small telecommunication and remote sensing satellites, harvesting solar energy from space, and space tourism.Commonality of flight regimes in atmospheric flight, the similarity of fuels, propulsion technology, aerodynamic configuration design, and airframe structure materials used in these high-speed flight regimes for air and space transportation are discussed in detail.A single, Integrated Hypersonic Transport Programme, is recommended, based on small size, low risk, and low cost vehicles. A dual fuel, kerosene-hydrogen system meets the needs of such an Integrated Hypersonic Transportation Programme, with kerosene for take-off, powered landing and low speed ascent/descent flight. Hydrogen is used for high-speed cruise flight. India would greatly benefit by an Integrated Hypersonics Transportation Programme, with leading institutions like ISRO, NAL and ADA working together to jointly study, design and build a strong technology base for small, unmanned hypersonic flight demonstrators. This project could then lead on, safely and economically, to hypersonic Executive Jet aircraft, and small fully Reusable Trans-Atmospheric Vehicles for direct ascent of the hypersonic aerospacecraft to earth orbit.

Dependence of impact regime boundaries on the initial temperatures of projectiles and targets

Towards higher impact velocities, ballistic events are increasingly determined by the material temperatures. Related effects might range from moderate thermal softening to full phase transition. In particular, it is of great interest to quantify the conditions for incipient or full melting of metals during impact interactions, which result in a transition from still strength-affected to hydrodynamic material behavior. In this work, we investigate to which extent the respective melting thresholds are also dependent on the initial, and generally elevated, temperatures of projectiles and targets before impact. This is studied through the application of a model developed recently by the authors to characterize the transition regime between high-velocity and hypervelocity impact, for which the melting thresholds of materials were used as the defining quantities. The obtained results are expected to be of general interest for ballistic application cases where projectiles or targets are preheated. Such conditions might result, for example, from aerodynamic forces acting onto a projectile during atmospheric flight, explosive shaped-charge-jet formation or armor exposure to environmental conditions. The performed analyses also broaden the scientific understanding of the relevance of temperature in penetration events, generally known since the 1960s, but often not considered thoroughly in impact studies.

First lift-off and flight performance of a tailless flapping-wing aerial robot in high-altitude environments

Flapping flight of animals has captured the interest of researchers due to their impressive flight capabilities across diverse environments including mountains, oceans, forests, and urban areas. Despite the significant progress made in understanding flapping flight, high-altitude flight as showcased by many migrating animals remains underexplored. At high-altitudes, air density is low, and it is challenging to produce lift. Here we demonstrate a first lift-off of a flapping wing robot in a low-density environment through wing size and motion scaling. Force measurements showed that the lift remained high at 0.14 N despite a 66% reduction of air density from the sea-level condition. The flapping amplitude increased from 148 to 233 degrees, while the pitch amplitude remained nearly constant at 38.2 degrees. The combined effect is that the flapping-wing robot benefited from the angle of attack that is characteristic of flying animals. Our results suggest that it is not a simple increase in the flapping frequency, but a coordinated increase in the wing size and reduction in flapping frequency enables the flight in lower density condition. The key mechanism is to preserve the passive rotations due to wing deformation, confirmed by a bioinspired scaling relationship. Our results highlight the feasibility of flight under a low-density, high-altitude environment due to leveraging unsteady aerodynamic mechanisms unique to flapping wings. We anticipate our experimental demonstration to be a starting point for more sophisticated flapping wing models and robots for autonomous multi-altitude sensing. Furthermore, it is a preliminary step towards flapping wing flight in the ultra-low density Martian atmosphere.

Advances in the Synthesis of Preceramic Polymers for the Formation of Silicon-Based and Ultrahigh-Temperature Non-Oxide Ceramics.

Preceramic polymers (PCPs) are a group of specialty macromolecules that serve as precursors for generating inorganics, including ceramic carbides, nitrides, and borides. PCPs represent interesting synthetic challenges for chemists due to the elements incorporated into their structure. This group of polymers is also of interest to engineers as PCPs enable the processing of polymer-derived ceramic products including high-performance ceramic fibers and composites. These finished ceramic materials are of growing significance for applications that experience extreme operating environments (e.g., aerospace propulsion and high-speed atmospheric flight). This Review provides an overview of advances in the synthesis and postpolymerization modification of macromolecules forming nonoxide ceramics. These PCPs include polycarbosilanes, polysilanes, polysilazanes, and precursors for ultrahigh-temperature ceramics. Following our review of PCP synthetic chemistry, we provide examples of the application and processing of these polymers, including their use in fiber spinning, composite fabrication, and additive manufacturing. The principal objective of this Review is to provide a resource that bridges the disciplines of synthetic chemistry and ceramic engineering while providing both insights and inspiration for future collaborative work that will ultimately drive the PCP field forward.

Design and Construction of a UAV for High Atmosphere Flight Powered by Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Design and Construction of a UAV for High Atmosphere Flight Powered by Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Equilibrium flight theory-based orbit entry capability evaluation and guidance method of launch vehicles with thrust faults

<p indent="0mm">Considering the nonfatal engine faults (e.g., abnormal thrust) of a launch vehicle in the outer atmosphere flight phase, a method based on equilibrium flight theory for the evaluation of the vehicle’s orbit entry capability and continuous thrust guidance is proposed. First, the mechanism of mission failure caused by abnormal thrust fault is analyzed from the perspective of flight dynamics; on this basis, the simplified model of launch vehicle flight dynamics is established in the LVLH coordinate system, and the approximate analytical theory of equilibrium flight is provided. The conditions of an “equilibrium flight” and a “quasi-equilibrium flight” are further analyzed, and the differences between their guidance laws are compared. Next, the method and process of the online evaluation and decision-making of launch vehicles with an abnormal thrust are listed. Finally, numerical simulation is performed to reveal the relationship between thrust drop and orbit entry capability, as well as verify the correctness and practicability of the analytical theory of an equilibrium flight comprehensively. This simple and effective method integrates online capability evaluation and optimal orbit guidance, which can provide theoretical and technical support for rapid autonomous fault handling of launch vehicles with thrust faults.

Identifying meteorite droppers among the population of bright ‘sporadic’ bolides imaged by the Spanish Meteor Network during the spring of 2022

ABSTRACTThe extraordinary weather conditions available between February and March 2022 over Spain have allowed us to analyse the brightest fireballs recorded by the monitoring stations of the Spanish Meteor Network (SPMN). We study the atmospheric flight of 15 large meteoroids to determine if they are meteorite dropper events to prepare campaigns to search for freshly fallen extraterrestrial material. We investigate their origins in the Solar system and their dynamic association with parent bodies and meteoroid streams. Employing our python pipeline 3d-firetoc, we reconstruct the atmospheric trajectory utilizing ground-based multistation observations and compute the heliocentric orbit. In addition, we apply an ablation model to estimate the initial and terminal mass of each event. Using a dissimilarity criterion and propagating backward in time, we check the connection of these meteoroids with known complexes and near-Earth objects. We also calculate if the orbits are compatible with recent meteoroid ejections. We find that ∼27 per cent of these fireballs are dynamically associated with minor meteoroid streams and exhibit physical properties of cometary bodies, as well as one associated with a near-Earth asteroid. We identify two meteorite-producing events; however, the on-site search was unsuccessful. By considering that these fireballs are mostly produced by cm-sized rocks that might be the fragmentation product of much larger meteoroids, our findings emphasize the idea that the population of near-Earth objects is a source of near-term impact hazards, existing large Earth-colliding meteoroids in the known complexes.

Aerocapture Optimization Method with Lift–Drag Joint Modulation Suitable for Variable Structure Spacecraft

Aerocapture, the action of delivering a vehicle from a hyperbolic orbit to a planetary orbit by using the aerodynamic force, could potentially lower fuel consumption. By controlling the direction and size of the aerodynamic force, the vehicle can accurately enter the target orbit. This paper focuses on a preliminary study of the optimal trajectory for aerocapture on the basis of a novel flight control option, which considers lift and drag joint modulation so as to suit variable structure spacecraft. In the preliminary evaluation of such a flight control option, the aerocapture corridors under lift modulation and drag modulation and the influence of the ballistic coefficient on aerocapture were analyzed, demonstrating that joint modulation can achieve complementary advantages compared with pure lift modulation and drag modulation. Based on this flight control option, optimal aerocapture trajectories with different path constraints, target orbital constraints and control variable constraints were found. It bears noting that both the bank angle and the reference area were taken as control variables for lift modulation and drag modulation, respectively, during the atmospheric flight in the process of designing the optimal trajectories. The optimal results indicate that the flight control option with lift and drag joint modulation can greatly broaden the necessary conditions for aerocapture and extend the target orbital range.