An Optimization Method for the Preliminary Design of Interplanetary Aerobraking Missions (Spacecraft, Orbit Mechanics)
Hoffman, Stephen James
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/70623
Description
Title
An Optimization Method for the Preliminary Design of Interplanetary Aerobraking Missions (Spacecraft, Orbit Mechanics)
Author(s)
Hoffman, Stephen James
Issue Date
1984
Department of Study
Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
Discipline
Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Engineering, Aerospace
Abstract
The use of atmospheric drag to circularize spacecraft orbits, a concept referred to as aerobraking, can significantly increase the useful payload mass fraction for various types of missions. A procedure is devised which determines the optimal combination of aerobrake shielding area and initial orbit period to maximize the spacecraft mass in the final orbit. Two computer codes are constructed and the results from each are compared. The first simulation assumes only aerodynamic drag perturbations and uses simplified analytical expressions. The second is a detailed numerical integration including perturbations due to drag, atmospheric rotation, planet oblateness, third-body effects, and solar radiation pressure. Hypersonic aerodynamic heating rate equations for two different shield configurations are discussed and their performances are compared. Illustrative numerical examples for a Venus and a Mars mission are included.
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