Slide1:
Aerobraking Mollie Devoe Wells College
Agenda: Agenda What is Aerobraking?
How Aerobraking works
Aerobraking Simulation
Results
Program’s future
Setting the Stage: Setting the Stage
Slide4: What is Aerobraking? Aerobraking is a technique to transform an elliptical orbit into a circular orbit
Aerobraking exploits a planets atmosphere to perform a controlled drag maneuver.
Slide5: How Aerobraking Works Atmospheric molecules strike the spacecraft transferring energy and momentum.
The momentum transfer creates drag which aerobrakes the spacecraft.
Slide8: Types of Aerobraking Single-Pass
Multi-Pass
Slide9: Phase 1: Walk-in Propulsive maneuvers gradually drop the spacecraft’s periapsis
This allows evaluation of the vehicle’s response to the new environment in gradually increasing levels
Slide10: Phase 2: Main Phase A series of small propulsive maneuvers keep periapsis in control corridor
Slide11: Phase 3: Endgame Desired circular orbit is met
Propulsive maneuvers raise periapsis out of atmosphere to stop aerobraking
Project Goals: Project Goals To understand orbital mechanics
-calculate an orbit from initial conditions
-understand the effects of drag
Build a program that simulates aerobraking
About the Program: About the Program Application parameters
-planet mass, planet radius, spacecraft mass,
time lapse…
Current position
-x, y, r, theta, velocity, net force...
Updates current position, including total energy and angular momentum
Two Dimensional Integration: Two Dimensional Integration Choose coordinate system
-Origin at planet’s center
Position is a function of x and y:
Slide15: Velocity at Specific Position
Therefore the New Position After dt is...: Therefore the New Position After dt is... In x direction:
What About the Change in Velocity?: What About the Change in Velocity?
The New Velocity After dt is...: The New Velocity After dt is...
Running the Program: Running the Program Simulations run with the following initial velocities:
- 0 m/s
- 1200 m/s
- 1250 m/s
- 1275 m/s
- 1280 m/s
- 1300 m/s
Slide27: A Closer Look...
Slide28: The Program’s Future Run more simulations to gain a better understanding of drag
Three dimensional integration
Apply to other planets
Acknowledgments: Acknowledgments Professor Scott Heinekamp
Professor Carol Shilepsky
Frank Lacomb