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Topic: Aerocapture

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	aerocapture
		Similar to aerobraking, but distinct in that it is used to reduce the velocity of a spacecraft flying by a planet so as to place the spacecraft in orbit around the planet with a single atmospheric pass.
		Aerocapture could be very useful for planetary orbiters because it would allow a spacecraft to be launched from Earth at high speed, resulting in a short trip time, and then decelerated purely by aerodynamic drag at the target.
		An aerocapture maneuver would begin with a shallow approach to the planet, followed by a descent to relatively dense layers of the atmosphere.
	www.daviddarling.info /encyclopedia/A/aerocapture.html (355 words)

	Aerobraking - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		The spacecraft must also have suitable surface area and structural strength to produce and survive the required drag, but the deceleration and thus temperatures and pressures are not as significant as reentry or aerocapture.
		Aerocapture is a related but more extreme method in which no initial orbit-injection burn is performed.
		Instead, the spacecraft plunges deeply into the atmosphere without an initial insertion burn, and emerges from this single pass in the atmosphere with an apoapsis near that of the desired orbit.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Aerobraking (886 words)

	NASAexplores 9-12 Article: Stopping In Thin Air
		Aerocapture is part of a field of research looking at better ways of stopping once you get there.
		Aerocapture is a braking method that requires no extra fuel, but instead involves the use of a planet’s atmosphere to slow down a spacecraft.
		A vehicle using aerocapture would also have to have something to protect it from the tremendous heat that is generated from a rapid entry into an atmosphere.
	www.nasaexplores.com /show2_912a.php?id=03-023&gl=912 (865 words)

	Howstuffworks "How Mars Odyssey Works"
		Aerocapture involves using the Mars atmosphere to slow down and attain orbit.
		Aerocapture replaces the conventional thrusters that were once needed for a spacecraft to change course and go into orbit around a planet.
		Aerocapture is used to place a spacecraft into orbit.
	science.howstuffworks.com /mars-odyssey2.htm (435 words)

	Untitled Document
		The use of aerocapture is anticipated to save mass overall by eliminating the propellant and hardware required for an otherwise large insertion burn.
		Aerocapture is a relatively moderate deceleration (~5 gÕs max.), done in a single pass through the use of a heatshield and backshell which encapsulates the orbiter.
		The cruise stage is jettisoned prior to the aerocapture phase and the aeroshell is reoriented so that the aeroshell protects the enclosed orbiter during the high drag and aeroheating phase.
	www.fibrecity.co.uk /mars/2001/orbiter/gen-orbiter.html (2101 words)

	[No title]
		A nominal aerocapture trajectory was simulated in the presence of various combinations of dispersions in atmospheric density, entry angle and vehicle aerodynamics.
		The guidance scheme developed for this investigation, demonstrated that in a realistic aerocapture environment, where various dispersions are present, the integrated heat load could be significantly reduced as compared to that of the overshoot.
		It was found that the use of guidance by means of bank angle and angle of attack modulation decreased the integrated heat load for the worst off-nominal case by 51% compared to that of the nominal overshoot, while maximum heating rate was reduced by 23% compared to the nominal undershoot.
	www.mrc.uidaho.edu /entryws/abs/abs_Jits.html (611 words)

	[10.04] ISP Aerocapture Technology (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-07)
		Aerocapture technology development is a vital part of the NASA In-Space Propulsion Program (ISP), which is managed by NASA Headquarters and implemented at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
		Aerocapture is a flight maneuver designed to aerodynamically decelerate a spacecraft from hyperbolic approach to a captured orbit during one pass through the atmosphere.
		Aerocapture utilizing inflatable decelerators is also derived from previous efforts, but will necessitate further research to reach the technology readiness level (TRL) that the rigid aeroshell has achieved.
	www.aas.org /publications/baas/v36n4/dps2004/520.htm (337 words)

	NASA - NASAexplores - Express Lessons and Online Resources (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-07)
		Aerocapture, on the other hand, requires only one pass through the atmosphere, reducing the time necessary to reach the proper orbit from the months required for aerobraking down to mere hours.
		Just as a spacecraft re-entering Earth's atmosphere from orbit requires heat shielding to protect it from burning up, a vehicle using aerocapture would also have to have something to protect it from the tremendous heat that is generated from a rapid entry into an atmosphere.
		Using aerocapture on a spaceflight to another world also requires detailed knowledge of the destination since engineers would have to know specific information about what the atmosphere was like before designing a vehicle that would use that atmosphere for aerocapture.
	nasa.gov /lb/vision/universe/roboticexplorers/stopping_in_thin_air.html (867 words)

	NASAexplores 5-8 Article: Stopping In Thin Air
		Aerocapture is one idea for a better way of stopping once you get there.
		Aerocapture, on the other hand, requires only one pass through the atmosphere.
		This means that aerocapture could be used for manned spaceflights to other planets.
	www.nasaexplores.com /show2_5_8a.php?id=03-023&gl=58 (693 words)

	JPL Robotics: Research Tasks
		The task involves development of aerocapture technology which is an alternative orbit insertion technique to the conventional propulsive orbit insertion used on all past missions.
		Aerocapture has never been attempted, although missions have been conducted in the related aeroassist domains of atmospheric entry and aerobraking.
		The output of this task is close to a Phase A feasibility assessment and preliminary design of an aerocapture mission.
	www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov /tasks/showTask.cfm?FuseAction=ShowTask&TaskID=49&tdaID=1273 (133 words)

	NASA SOlicitation: Teaming Opportunity for Aerocapture Flight Validation for the New Millennium Program's Space ...
		The purpose of this announcement is to enable MSFC to obtain a teaming partner to participate in the development of the Phase A technical concept and proposal in response to the upcoming kickoff of the ST9 Phase A/Concept Definition studies.
		A flight validation is viewed as critical to maturing the Aerocapture maneuver for science mission use, since the combined flight environment and execution of the hypersonic maneuver cannot be simulated on the ground.
		Aerocapture will benefit spacecraft sent to orbit other planets, by allowing atmospheric drag to slow the spacecraft to low orbital velocities, saving significant amounts of propellant mass.
	www.spaceref.com /news/viewsr.html?pid=17392 (1641 words)

	Centauri Dreams » Blog Archive » Aerocapture: A Spectacular, Flaming Arrival
		One answer Ingersoll’s team is studying is aerocapture, which uses the destination planet’s atmosphere to alter the spacecraft’s trajectory, putting it into orbit after a single pass.
		NASA has been studying aerocapture for a long time, though at present its experience with actual missions has been limited to a milder variant called aerobraking; the broader term for all these maneuvers is aeroassist.
		More than most technologies, aerocapture is destination-dependent; Johnson told me that both Neptune and Titan are possible candidates for its use because of their interest and their great distance.
	www.centauri-dreams.org /?p=307 (694 words)

	NASA works on far-out propulsion plans - Space.com - MSNBC.com
		But where aerobraking requires multiple orbits and repeated burns by a spacecraft's engine, aerocapture is expected to put a vehicle in orbit after one pass without consuming one drop of fuel.
		In addition to a standard cone-shaped aeroshell approach to aerocapture, scientists have also looked using a protective nose ballute, and even dragging an inflatable, doughnutlike ballute behind a spacecraft during the flight maneuver.
		Johnson said his group is pursuing aerocapture along with two other propulsion methods — solar sails and the next generation of ion engines — in parallel to offer mission designers a choice of flight options to suit spacecraft needs.
	www.msnbc.msn.com /id/5673239 (1176 words)

	BATC News Release (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-07)
		“ Ballute aerocapture is really on the cutting edge of space technology right now, and we feel very fortunate to be involved with NASA at this early stage in its development,” says Harold Reitsema, director of Space Sciences Advanced Programs at Ball Aerospace.
		Aerocapture uses atmospheric drag to slow down an incoming satellite so that it enters an orbit around a planetary body more efficiently.
		The most important advantage of aerocapture is that it reduces the amount of propellant required to send a satellite into its proper orbit.
	www.ballaerospace.com /media/nr06_11_03.html (544 words)

	ballute
		An inflatable balloon-parachute, made from a thin, flexible, inelastic membrane, that provides a means of aerobraking or aerocapture.
		One option is to have the main spacecraft engine run at low idle thrust during aerocapture to provide an aerodynamic "spike" to reduce heating on the ballute, although the ballute would be replaced after each flight.
		A dramatic example of aerocapture into Jupiter orbit using a ballute system was depicted in the movie 2010: The Year We Make Contact.
	www.daviddarling.info /encyclopedia/B/ballute.html (182 words)

	[No title] (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-07)
		Aerocapture was deemed a high-priority technology within ISP, during a 2001 technology prioritization process.
		The Aerocapture Technology Project (ATP) uses a process of mission requirements, expert inputs, systems analysis, and hardware and software development to advance the readiness level of aerocapture so that it may be demonstrated in flight and used on science missions.
		Plans are focused on developing aerocapture subsystems to TRL 6 (ready for technology demonstration in space).
	probews2.arc.nasa.gov /abstracts/Munk_abs.doc (119 words)

	TECH ISP - Aerocapture (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-07)
		Aerocapture technology uses a planetary atmosphere to alter the velocity of a vehicle.
		Aerocapture technologies and system requirements now under investigation by NASA and its partners span a broad spectrum of mission needs.
		In addition to design and testing of ballutes and other aerocapture systems themselves, flight vehicles also are being studied to determine how use of aerocapture technologies impact vehicle aerodynamics, heat shielding and on-board guidance and controls.
	www.inspacepropulsion.com /tech/aerocapture.html (227 words)

	[No title] (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-07)
		Total anticipated budget for proposed work in the Aerocapture and Solar Sail areas under the ISP program in fiscal 2002 is $2 million, $17 million in fiscal 2003, and $18 million in fiscal 2004, contingent on budget approval.
		Aerocapture uses a planet's atmosphere rather than an onboard propulsion system to slow a spacecraft to capture into orbit about a planet.
		Using the analogy of a high performance racecar, the ability to slow down or stop is just as critical as going fast, which is what aerocapture provides.
	quest.arc.nasa.gov /aero/news/08-30-02.txt (459 words)

	[No title] (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-07)
		For aerocapture, the ballute must be released at the appropriate time in order to achieve the desired conditions at atmospheric exit.
		Since the peak deceleration loads and the maximum heating rates occur before the ballute is released for aerocapture, a ballute that is suitable for aerocapture, would work equally well for landing a payload on the surface.
		Some of the recent advances from the aerocapture study will show that ballutes are still a viable candidate technology for both aerocapture and entry, descent and landing.
	probews2.arc.nasa.gov /abstracts/Lyons_abs.doc (410 words)

	SPACE.com -- Redesigning Rockets: NASA Space Propulsion Finds a New Home
		An artist's conception of a spacecraft uses aerocapture to enter orbit around Mars.
		In addition to a standard cone-shaped aeroshell approach to aerocapture, scientists have also looked using a protective nose ballute, and even dragging an inflatable, donut-like ballute behind a spacecraft during the flight maneuver.
		Johnson said his group is pursuing aerocapture along with two other propulsion methods - solar sails and the next generation of ion engines - in parallel to offer mission designers a choice of flight options to suit spacecraft needs.
	www.space.com /businesstechnology/propulsion_techwed_040811.html (1139 words)

	AOE@VT: (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-07)
		Aerocapture technology development is a vital part of the NASA In-Space Propulsion (ISP) Program, which is managed by the NASA Headquarters Science Directorate, and implemented by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
		This seminar will provide a tutorial on Aerocapture, and an overview of the Aerocapture Technology Project (ATP), which uses a process of mission requirements, expert inputs, systems analysis, and hardware and software development to advance the readiness level of aerocapture so that it may be demonstrated in flight and used on science missions.
		Munk transferred to NASA's Langley Research Center, where she performed atmospheric trajectory simulations in support of JPL science missions, was on the Mars Odyssey Aerobraking Operations Team, and in 2001, became Program Manager for Technology Development.
	www.aoe.vt.edu /news/seminardetails.php?id=80 (273 words)

	Georgia Tech's Institutional Repository: A Survey of Ballute Technology for Aerocapture (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-07)
		Ballute aerodynamic decelerators have been studied since early in the space age (1960’s), being proposed for aerocapture in the early 1980’s.
		The concept of the thin-film ballute for aerocapture shows the potential for large mass savings over propulsive orbit insertion or rigid aeroshell aerocapture.
		Current studies of ballute aerocapture at Titan and Earth may lead to flight test of one or more ballute concepts within the next five years.
	hdl.handle.net /1853/8370 (200 words)

	[No title]
		Once appropriate materials and adhesives have been verified for aerocapture in relevant environments, larger scale system-level components and finally a representative aeroshell prototype will be demonstrated.
		An aerocapture mission to Titan can be accomplished in the near-term utilizing existing TPS materials, some of which are flight proven.
		An aerocapture mission to Neptune cannot be accomplished with existing TPS materials at acceptable aeroshell mass fractions.
	research.hq.nasa.gov /code_s/nra/current/NRA-02-OSS-01-ISPT/winners.html (5247 words)

	Forums: Aerocapture manoeuvre planned for 2007 (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-07)
		EADS Launch Vehicles plans to launch a demonstration flight to carry out a simulation of the aerocapture manoeuvre which will be used on future CNES/NASA Mars sample return missions.
		A proposed flight into the Earth's atmosphere is planned for 2007 using the European Space Agency's Atmospheric Re-entry Vehicle Demonstrator, which will be launched via a Starsem Soyuz ST-Fregat booster.
		The demonstrator will enter a 10,500 km by 27,000 km Earth orbit, making an apogee manoeuvre in order to reduce perigee to 60 km for the simulation of the aerocapture.
	industry.esa.int /CGForum/get/esainfo/80.html (89 words)

	Space capsules (CAPS4)
		In red, the approach trajectory towards the dense layers of the atmosphere.
		The principle of putting a satellite in orbit by aerocapture is based on a strong aerodynamic braking at high
		Thanks to the lack of combustible, Aerocapture reduces the satellite's weight, thus the cost of launching.
	www.onera.fr /cahierdelabo/english/caps4.htm (184 words)

	NASAexplores 5-8 Lesson: (Teacher Sheets)
		Aerocapture is an exciting new way to slow spacecraft down.
		There are four possible guidance systems that can be used during aerocapture.
		Research the success of the various missions that have used aerocapture.
	www.nasaexplores.com /show_58_teacher_st.php?id=030326161835 (620 words)

	SPACE.com -- Fly Higher, Fly Lighter: 'Ballute' Technology Aimed at Moon Missions
		A "ballute" was used to slow the spacecraft once it reached the giant planet, a device that allows for aerocapture around a celestial body that’s enveloped in an atmosphere.
		Taking this approach translates to using less propellant to slip a satellite into a proper orbit, lower launch costs, and makes more room on spacecraft for sensors and other payload gear.
		Given a ballute-enabled aerocapture, a payload could be released to drop into a pre-selected landing zone, touching down on Earth via parachute or parafoil.
	www.space.com /businesstechnology/technology/ballute_moon_041201.html (947 words)

	[No title] (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-09-07)
		The feasibility of using a high lift to drag (L/D) vehicle is examined for aerocapture missions to Mars and Jupiter.
		Potential advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of High L/D vehicles for aerocapture are addressed.
		This study compares and contrasts the performance of two high l/D vehicles with a 0.8 L/D spacecraft for non-optimized aerocapture trajectories.
	www.space-flight.org /AAS_meetings/1995_astro/abstracts/95-424.html (129 words)

	Energy Citations Database (ECD) - Energy and Energy-Related Bibliographic Citations
		Many planetary probes, landers and aerocapture concepts are conceived for entry trajectories where peak convective heat flux is in the range 150-400 W/cm2.
		TPS thickness and areal weight requirements were determined for current ablative TPS candidates (e.g., SLA-561V, PICA) where, for the large integrated heat loads associated with aerocapture, it is shown that some of these materials may not provide efficient thermal protection.
		A new concept, employing a low catalycity, high emissivity coating on a low-density ceramic tile is evaluated and shown to provide significant benefits for such missions.
	www.osti.gov /energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=20516075 (316 words)

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