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Spacecraft Demand Tasking and Skip Entry Responsive Maneuvers Air Force Institute of Technology AFIT Scholar Theses and Dissertations Student Graduate Works 6-16-2011 Spacecraft eD mand Tasking and Skip Entry Responsive Maneuvers Robert A. Bettinger Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.afit.edu/etd Part of the Aerospace Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Bettinger, Robert A., "Spacecraft eD mand Tasking and Skip Entry Responsive Maneuvers" (2011). Theses and Dissertations. 1310. https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/1310 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Graduate Works at AFIT Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of AFIT Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SPACECRAFT DEMAND TASKING AND SKIP ENTRY RESPONSIVE MANEUVERS THESIS Robert A. Bettinger, Captain, USAF AFIT/GA/ENY/11-J03 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AIR UNIVERSITY AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the United States Government. This material is declared a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. AFIT/GA/ENY/11-J03 SPACECRAFT DEMAND TASKING AND SKIP ENTRY RESPONSIVE MANEUVERS THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Graduate School of Engineering and Management Air Force Institute of Technology Air University Air Education and Training Command In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering Robert A. Bettinger, BS Captain, USAF June 2011 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED AFIT/GA/ENY/11-J03 SPACECRAFT DEMAND TASKING AND SKIP ENTRY RESPONSIVE MANEUVERS Robert A. Bettinger, BS Captain, USAF Approved: ___________________________________ ________ Jonathan T. Black, Ph.D, USAF (Chairman) Date ___________________________________ ________ Kerry D. Hicks, Ph.D (Member) Date ___________________________________ ________ William E. Wiesel, Ph.D, USAF (Member) Date AFIT/GA/ENY/11-J03 Abstract The purpose of this research was to parametrically investigate the viability of skip entry maneuvers as an alternative to vacuum-only maneuvers, and to identify whether skip entry maneuvers can extend spacecraft mission lifetime by limiting propellant expenditure through the exploitation of the aerodynamic interaction between the upper atmosphere and an example entry vehicle and remote-sensing orbital platform. Employing the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) and a notional satellite design as the example entry vehicles, the entry profile dynamics of a skip entry maneuver were characterized with varying trajectory initial conditions such as entry altitude, entry flight- path angle, and vehicle aerodynamics. In addition, the requirements of skip entry maneuvers were characterized, specifically the required to complete one or more successive skip entry trajectories as well as to execute a desired change in orbit inclination angle. iv Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge and express my sincere gratitude to my research advisor, Dr. Jonathan Black, and all of the professors and instructors at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) for their invaluable academic guidance and mentorship with not only the engineering courses comprising my degree program, but also the composition of this thesis. I would also like to thank my family, specifically my wife and parents, for without their steadfast encouragement and unwavering support my aspirations of attaining my graduate degree in Astronautical Engineering would not have come to fruition. Robert A. Bettinger v Table of Contents Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi List of Figures .................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables ................................................................................................................. xixii I. Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 General Issue ..................................................................................................................1 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................2 Research Objectives .......................................................................................................3 Research Focus ..............................................................................................................4 Investigative Questions ..................................................................................................4 Methodology ..................................................................................................................5 Assumptions/Limitations .............................................................................................10 Preview ........................................................................................................................16 II. Literature Review ..........................................................................................................16 Chapter Overview ........................................................................................................18 Relevant Research ........................................................................................................18 Summary ......................................................................................................................25 III. Methodology ...............................................................................................................26 Chapter Overview ........................................................................................................26 Skip Entry Maneuver Simulation Algorithm ...............................................................26 Vacuum-Only Maneuver Simulation Algorithms ........................................................32 Simple Plane Change .............................................................................................33 Combined Change to Inclination and RAAN ........................................................33 Coplanar and Noncoplanar Phasing Rendezvous ..................................................34 Test Subject: X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) .......................................................40 Test Subject: Notional Satellite ...................................................................................44 Summary ......................................................................................................................49 IV. Analysis and Results ...................................................................................................50 vi Chapter Overview ........................................................................................................50 Results of Skip Entry Maneuver Simulations ..............................................................50 Results of Vacuum-Only Maneuver Simulations ........................................................87 Orbit Inclination-Change Analysis ..............................................................................97 Investigative Questions Answered .............................................................................104 Summary ....................................................................................................................106 V. Conclusions and Recommendations ..........................................................................107 Chapter Overview ......................................................................................................107 Conclusions of Research ............................................................................................107 Significance of Research............................................................................................108 Recommendations for Action ....................................................................................108 Recommendations for Future Research .....................................................................109 Summary ....................................................................................................................110 Appendix A: Skip Entry Maneuver Matlab Code ...........................................................111 Appendix B: Vacuum-Only Maneuver Matlab Code ......................................................137 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................146 Vita ..................................................................................................................................149 vii List of Figures Page Figure 1. General Skip Entry Profile .................................................................................. 5 Figure 2. ECI and Planet-Fixed Reference Frames ............................................................ 9
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