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Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL)
Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL)
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ItemEntry System Options for Human Return from the Moon and Mars(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-08) Putnam, Zachary R. ; Braun, Robert D. ; Rohrschneider, Reuben R. ; Dec, John A.Earth entry system options for human return missions from the Moon and Mars were analyzed and compared to identify trends among the configurations and trajectory options and to facilitate informed decision making at the exploration architecture level. Entry system options included ballistic, lifting capsule, biconic, and lifting body configurations with direct entry and aerocapture trajectories. For each configuration and trajectory option, the thermal environment, deceleration environment, crossrange and downrange performance, and entry corridor were assessed. In addition, the feasibility of a common vehicle for lunar and Mars return was investigated. The results show that a low lift-to-drag ratio (L/D = 0.3) vehicle provides sufficient performance for both lunar and Mars return missions while providing the following benefits: excellent packaging efficiency, low structural and TPS mass fraction, ease of launch vehicle integration, and system elegance and simplicity. Numerous configuration options exist that achieve this L/D.
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ItemNuclear Gas Turbine Propulsion System for Long Endurance Titan Exploration(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-07) Colby, Luke S. ; Prakash, Ravi ; Braun, Robert D.An innovative propulsion system concept that enables powered flight on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is discussed. This propulsion system concept uses waste heat from a NASA Multi-Mission Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) to power a gas turbine engine. The propulsion system captures MMRTG waste heat by utilizing the in-situ resources of Titan’s cold dense nitrogen atmosphere as a working fluid, passed through a heat exchanger. The heated gas is then run through a turbine to extract electrical power significantly greater than that available from the MMRTG’s thermoelectric effect. In addition to analysis, an experimental system was constructed to validate the feasibility of the proposed concept. This investigation compares the results obtained with this experimental system to analytic predictions. Experimental system performance exceeding 500 watts of measured power output was achieved. This propulsive performance enables consideration of a robotic vertical takeoff and landing vehicle with an altitude ceiling of 15 km, range of 50 km, endurance of 3-4 months, payload capacity of 25 kg, and a gross mass of 400 kg as a future Titan aerial platform.
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ItemA Survey of Ballute Technology for Aerocapture(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-06) Rohrschneider, Reuben R. ; Braun, Robert D.Ballute aerodynamic decelerators have been studied since early in the space age (1960’s), being proposed for aerocapture in the early 1980’s. Significant technology advances in fabric and polymer materials as well as analysis capabilities lend credibility to the potential of ballute aerocapture. The concept of the thin-film ballute for aerocapture shows the potential for large mass savings over propulsive orbit insertion or rigid aeroshell aerocapture. The mass savings of this concept enables a number of high value science missions. 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. This paper provides a survey of the literature with application to ballute aerocapture. Special attention is paid to advances in trajectory analysis, hypersonic aerothermodynamics, structural analysis, coupled analysis, and flight tests. Advances anticipated over the next 5 years are summarized.
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ItemDevelopment of a Planetary Entry System Synthesis Tool for Conceptual Design and Analysis(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-06) Kipp, Devin M. ; Dec, John A. ; Wells, Grant William ; Braun, Robert D.A Planetary Entry Systems Synthesis Tool, with applications to conceptual design and modeling of entry systems has been developed. This tool is applicable to exploration missions that employ entry, descent and landing or aerocapture. An integrated framework brings together relevant disciplinary analyses and enables rapid design and analysis of the atmospheric entry mission segment. Tool performance has been validated against Mars Pathfinder flight experience and has direct relevance to future NASA robotic and human space exploration systems.
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ItemCadmus: A Europa Lander Mission Concept(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-03) Thompson, Robert W. ; Francis, Scott R. ; Olsen, Randy ; Coffman, Robbie ; Braun, Robert D. ; Parsons, MichaelThe Cadmus mission responds to the need for a Europa surface exploration mission in the 2021 time frame that complements and extends the science performed by the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) and Galileo spacecraft. Cadmus will help prepare for future subsurface and sample return missions. Europa is one of the most intriguing outer solar system planetary bodies due to the compelling evidence that there exists an ocean of salty water approximately 20 km beneath the surface. This liquid water could make Europa a haven for life. The search for life in the solar system, and the resources necessary to support extraterrestrial life has been identified by the NASA Office of Space Science (OSS) as an important area of study. The Cadmus mission will investigate the habitability of Europa from the surface in order to determine the likelihood that life exists on the moon. By studying the crustal dynamics of the moon, the Cadmus mission will assess the extent to which there exists a flux of water and ice between the possible subsurface ocean and the surface. Cadmus will investigate the presence of nutrients and signs of energy resources in the crustal ice, and will also assess the environmental suitability of the Europa environment to the evolution and sustainability of life. The mission architecture includes two landers that will land on the surface independently and utilize a high degree of autonomy for reduced mission operations cost and complexity.
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ItemDaedalon: A Revolutionary Morphing Spacecraft Design for Planetary Exploration(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-01) Lafleur, Jarret M. ; Olds, John R. ; Braun, Robert D.The product of a study sponsored by the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC), Daedalon is a spacecraft design baselined for Mars which utilizes morphing wing technology to achieve the design objective of a standard, flexible architecture for unmanned planetary exploration. This design encompasses a detailed vehicle mass and power sizing study for the Daedalon lander as well as its cruise stage and entry backshell. A cost estimation and comparison study is also performed, and qualitative functionality comparisons are made between Daedalon and other Mars lander and airplane designs. Quantitative comparisons of gross mass and range are also made, including the results of scaling an existing Mars aerial vehicle design to match Daedalon functionality. Altogether, the Daedalon launch mass is found to be 896 kg for a 12 kg payload capacity. If five such vehicles are produced, it is found that the per-mission cost can be as low as $224 million. Given the necessary morphing wing technology development, it is concluded that the Daedalon design may be a feasible and cost-effective approach to planetary exploration 20-40 years in the future.