Study of Technology Requirements for Atmosphere Braking to Orbit About Mars and Venus
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" .. ," NASA CONTRACTOR ~..NIA REPORT STUDY OF TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS FORATMOSPHERE BRAKING TO ORBIT ABOUT MARS AND VENUS Volume I - Summary Prepared by NORTH AMERICANROCKWELL CORPORATION Downey, Calif. for Ames Research Center NATIONALAERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON,D. C. SEPTEMBER 1968 w NASA CR-1131 / /-- /J STUDY OF TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS FOR y a.e ATMOSPHERE BRAKING TO ORBIT BOUT MARS AND VENUS 14 b ' -. Distribution of this report is provided in the interest of informationexchange. Responsibility for the contents resides in the author or organization that prepared it. / SD 67-994-1" 9 ,/Prepared under Contract No. NAS 2-4135 by NORTH AMERICAN ROCKWELL CORP- Downey , Calif . for Ames Research Center NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION - " - . - ~ ". .. .. For sale by the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information Springfield,Virginia 22151 - CFSTI price $3.00 FOREWORD This volume presents a condensed summary of the study. It is being submitted in accordance with Paragraph 2. 6 of Specification A-12241 contained in Contract NAS2-4135, Study of Technology Require- ments for Atmosphere Braking to Orbit About Mars and Venus, which was issued by the Mission Analysis Division, National Aeronautics and Space Adminis- tration. The data were generated between January and October 1967 and are presented in three volumes: Volume I - Summary (SD67-994- 1) Volume I1 - Technical Analyses (SD 67-994-2) Volume I11 - Appendices (SD 67-994-3) Volume IV - Final Briefing (SD 67-994-4) CONTENTS Section Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION . 1 2. 0 STUDYGUIDELINES AND SCOPE . 4 3. 0 AEROBRAKING MISSION-SYSTEM DESCRIPTION 6 4. 0 SIGNIFICANTRESULTS . 9 4. 1 AerobrakingVehicle Requirements . 9 4. 2 ConfigurationAnalysis . 12 4. 3 RecommendedConfigurations . 16 4. 4 SensitivityAnalyses 17 4. 5 Modular Approach to Vehicle Synthesis 20 4. 6 Testand Qualification Considerations . 21 5. 0 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER NASA PROGRAMS . 21 6. 0 SUGGESTIONS FORFUTURE WORK . 22 6. 1 Planetary-CaptureMission-System Analyses 22 6. 2 Atmosphere-Braking-Vehicle TechnologyStudies 23 -v- ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 MarsAerobraking Maneuver . 1 2 Initial Mass in Earth Orbit - Mars Missions 2 3 Initial Mass in Earth Orbit - Venus Missions 2 4 Study Logic Diagram . 3 5 Flared-Cone Concept . 4 6 Mars and Venus Parking-Orbit Characteristics 6 7 MarsAerobraker Miss'ion Profile . 7 8 Spacecraft Configurations . 7 9 Effect of Orbit Eccentricity on Vehicle Weight 10 10 Lift-to-DragRatio Requirements . 10 11 Effect of m/C+ and Analytical Model on Mars AerobrakerStagnation-Point Heating . 11 12 Effect of Entry Velocity on Heatshield Weight 12 13 Heatshield Weight Breakdowns . 17 14 Modular Approach to Aerobraker Synthesis . 20 TABLES Table Page 1 Entry Parameters . 4 M ission Trip Times Trip2 Mission . 5 M ars Orbiter Mission VehiclesMission Orbiter 3 Mars 13 M ars Lander Mission Vehicles 13 Vehicles Mission Lander4 Mars V enus Orbiter Mission VehiclesMission 5 Orbiter Venus . 14 M odu le Shape Variations Shape6 Module . 14 7 AerobrakerSpacecraft Weight Sensitivities . 18 - vii - " . .. ~ . 1.0 INTRODUCTION Manned missions to Mars and rational selection at the earliest Venus, although not a stated national date. goal, are a logical extension of the currentspace program. Overall Previous studies have shown that technical feasibility of such mis- atmosphere braking to orbit about sions appears within the current and Mars and Venus (shown schemat- projected near-term state of the art. ically in Figure 1) offers the poten- However, the eventual accomplish- tial of significantly lower gross ment is constrained by certain key system weights in Earth orbit as issue? which must be resolved in the compared to retropropulsive cap- earlyplanning phases. One key ture. Weightcomparisons for decision which must be made early aerobrakers using space-storable in the program involves the choice propellants for planet-orbit depar- of the mode to effect planet capture ture and all nuclear retrobrakers (i.e. , retrobraking or aerobraking). are shown in Figures 2 and 3 for Each mode obviously must be Mars and Venus mission opportuni- studied intensively to develop the ties from 1980 to 2000. Both orbiter requisite background data for a and lander missions which are shown 1000 KM ALTITUDE I APO PLANET OF SPACECRAFT SPACECRAFTRETRACTS ALL EXTERNAL EQUIPMENT ll AND ASSUMES ATTITUDE SPIRAL MANEUVER FOR ENTRY INTO MARS -*.. V. .., -._ / SPACECRAFTFIRES /Q."" , D- .-. - - - - SPACECRAFT HALTS SPIN Figure 1. MarsAerobraking Maneuver 1 NUCLEAR EARTHDEPARTURE STAGES ASSUMED 800 km (430 n mi) CIRCULAR PARKING ORBIT AEROBRAKERS AT MARS (SPACESTORABLE PROPELLANTS) 1 IO3 Ib n 24w Z r 1980I9821984 1986 1988 19W 19931995 IW9 1980I982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1W3 1995 1999 LAUNCH YEAR Figure 2. Initial Mass in Earth Orbit-Mars Missions IO3 kg IO3 Ib 0NUCLEAR RETROBRAKERS Mars, while the Venus data were AEROBRAKERS (SPACE-STORABLE obtained from the recently completed I200 PROPELLANTS) -24M) 45.400 kg P/L Commonalitystudy(2). The three (100.000 Ib) opportunities for Venus represent 8 the minimum, nominal, and maxi- 2 BO 3 mum energy requirements for Venus missions'in the 1980 to 2000 period. m The use of elliptical parking orbits at Mars and Venus result in 0 - significant weight reductions for both 1988 198890 91 90 91 aerobrakersand retrobrakers. For LAUNCH YEAR example, results obtained for Venus Figure 3. InitialMass in Earth orbiter missions showed that the Orbit-VenusMissions nuclear retrobraker wasapproxi- mately 50 percent heavier for circu- weresynthesized using AV require- lar orbitsand 20 percentheavier for mentsdetermined by Deerwester(1)elliptical orbits than the aerobraker forVenus-swing-by missions for utilizing space -storable propellants (lberwester, J. M. and S.M. D'Haem."Systematic (2)Codik, A. and R. D. Meston,"Final Report - Comparison of Venus Swingby Mode With Standard Technological Requirements Commonto Manned Mode of Mars Round Trips. " Journ. of Spacecraft Planetary Missions. " North American Rockwell andRockets. Vol. 4 No. 7(July 1967). pp. 904-912. Corp., Space Division, SD 67-621 (Dec. 1967). 2 for all possible mission years. The the advantages and disadvantages of aerobraking maneuver is potentially this mode could be evaluated. more complex than the retrobraking Included were parametric and con- maneuver, however, and the space- ceptual design studies to define the craft designs contemplated are more spacecraft weights and their sensi" than an order of magnitude larger in tivity to variations in the environ- mass and volume than the largest mental models assumed, crew size, entry vehicles yet considered. mission profile, propellants , etc. , Potential technology problems in the as well as internal packaging fields of gasdynamics ,-thermodynam- arrangements. A secondaryobjec- c_ ics, structuresand materials, and tive was to analyze the requirements guidance and control could possibly for system simulation, testing, and negate some of the indicated weight qualification. savings; additionally, no serious consideration has previously been The study was conductedin accord given to the problems of system test with the logic diagram shown in Fig- and qualification. ure 4. Initially,the aerobraking vehicle requirements, including The primary objective of this entry corridors, heating, loads, and study was to conduct a detailed packaging, were determined para- investigation of integrated aerobrak- metrically for a wide range of mis- ing spacecraft and the associated sion and vehicle parameters. With technology implications so that both these requirements established, a -ITUDIOBJECllVES .CONFlGUlUllON .DtMLOPMlNI REQUIREMENTS DAlA R~QUIREMfNlS lEQUlREMENlS .SCALING UWS .GlOUND ltS1S EUlH AIMOSWEI 6 CIS-LUNAR SPACE PROfElUNlS I RfIRO 6 AtR0 Figure 4. Study Logic Diagram 3 I. .. configuration analysis was initiated. selected, and the technology impli- Concurrently, sensitivity analyses cations associated with each were were conducted to establish the delineated.In addition, preliminary effects of variations in mission consideration was given to test and parameters, propellant selection, qualificationrequirements. The and module selection on the vehicle pertinent results are summarized in designs.Over 30 detaileddesigns this volume; more detailed analyses were generated and evaluated on are presented in the volumes comparative performance, size, entitled, Technical Analyses and weight, and technology requirements. Appendices, SD 67-994-2and In the final phase, the four most 67-994-3. attractive configurations were 2.0 STUDY GUIDELINES AND SCOPE The candidate configurations were Entry trajectories were deter- derived from a family of symetri- mined'for the entry velocities and cal, biconic shapes trimmed to atmosphere models specified in operate at lift-to-drag ratios of from Table 1. Allowableentry corridors 0.5 to 1.0. In addition, a blunt, were determined assuming a 10-km Apollo-type configuration was ana- (32,810-ft) minimum-altitude con- lyzed to determine its applicability straint at Mars and 5- and 10-g tothe aerobraking mission. The undershoot trajectories at Venus. basic biconic configuration is shown An approach corridor guidance- in Figure 5. accuracy capabilityof 20 km ( 10 n.mi.) Table 1. EntryParameters I Planet I Entry Velocity 1 AtmosphereModels (32, 810 ft/sec) VM-8, MSC-3( 4) 12 km/sec MSFCLDM, I Venus I (39, 370 ft/sec) MDM, UDM (4) (3)Martin, C. D., Physical Characteristics and Atmospheric Data for Mars, NAA/SID 65- 1684 (Nov. 1965). (4)Venus and