Title:
BioDOME: Concept of an EDL System for Returning Small Biological Samples from LEO
BioDOME: Concept of an EDL System for Returning Small Biological Samples from LEO
Author(s)
Rossman, Grant
LeVine, Matthew
Lawlor, Sean
Sloss, Tyler
Mishra, Pranay
Tan, Zu Puayen
Braun, Robert D.
LeVine, Matthew
Lawlor, Sean
Sloss, Tyler
Mishra, Pranay
Tan, Zu Puayen
Braun, Robert D.
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Abstract
A conceptual design of an Earth return vehicle is
presented with the goal of safely returning biological
samples from orbit. Key entry, descent, and landing trade
studies were completed at the conceptual level for two
different mission scenarios: return from the International
Space Station (ISS) and an autonomous, free-flying
vehicle returning from Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The
analyses that follow for each key subsystem drove design
decisions to create the Biopan Deployment in Orbit for
Microgravity Exposure (BioDOME) vehicle with the
versatility to satisfy both of the aforementioned mission
scenarios.
The final design features a ballistic entry, a 45 ◦
spherecone aeroshell with a diameter of 88-cm, a PICA
heatshield with a thickness of 7.7 cm, and a passive
landing system containing an 8-m diameter ringsail
parachute combined with a 7.8-cm thick crushable
carbon foam. Analysis of the vehicle performance
verified survivability of biological samples due to heat
and deceleration loads from entry. Trajectory dispersion
analysis yielded crossrange and downrange limited
to ±1.5-km and ±30-km, respectively, while landing
velocity was confirmed to be ≤ 4.0-m/s for all cases.
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Date Issued
2015-06
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Text
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Paper
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