Aerocapture Design Reference Missions for Solar System Exploration: from Venus to Neptune

TL;DR

This paper compiles a set of design reference missions across multiple planetary destinations to evaluate the feasibility and requirements of aerocapture, a fuel-efficient spacecraft orbit insertion technique, using the AMAT tool.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic approach to defining baseline aerocapture missions for various planets, aiding future system architecture and feasibility studies.

Findings

Feasibility of aerocapture varies by destination.

Provides initial estimates of entry conditions and control requirements.

Establishes baseline mission parameters for further analysis.

Abstract

Aerocapture is the technique of using planetary atmospheres to decelerate a spacecraft in a single pass to achieve nearly fuel-free orbit insertion. Aerocapture has been extensively studied since the 1980s but has never been flown yet. The entry conditions encountered during aerocapture are strongly destination dependent, and performance benefit offered by aerocapture is also destination dependent. Aerocapture is applicable to all atmosphere-bearing destinations with the exception of Jupiter and Saturn, whose extreme entry conditions make aerocapture infeasible. A recent study by the NASA Science Mission Directorate highlighted the need for baseline design reference missions, as a starting point for system level architecture studies. The present study uses the Aerocapture Mission Analysis Tool (AMAT) to compile a list of design reference missions at Venus, Earth, Mars, Titan, Uranus, and Neptune. These reference missions can provide an initial assessment of the feasibility of aerocapture for a proposed mission, and provide intial baseline values for more detailed system studies. The reference mission set provides a quick estimate of the entry conditions, control requirements, and aero-thermal loads for architectural level studies.