Spacecraft break-up models for the atmospheric re-entry from highly eccentric and interplanetary trajectories
Spacecraft break-up models for the atmospheric re-entry from highly eccentric and interplanetary trajectories
During the past decades space agencies, and more recent space industry and academia as well, have developed software models to evaluate the break-up and demise of spacecraft during re-entries. Due to limited observational data for validation of these models and the operational needs of the agencies, these models are focused on re-entries from nearly circular orbits or controlled re-entries. This in turn implies that their usability for atmospheric re-entry from highly eccentric orbit and interplanetary trajectories is based on extrapolation, in some cases ignoring the physical differences. This work reviews the limited available observational data on uncontrolled spacecraft re-entries with high flight path angle. It establishes a first order approximation for the predicted break-up altitude during the re-entry from given trajectory conditions postulated on an equivalence with circular re-entry cases via the aero-thermal environment along the trajectory. The equivalence is analysed by means of simulation and inter-tool comparison.
Lemmens, Stijn
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Siminski, Jan
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Letizia, Francesca
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Funke, Quirin
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Merz, Klaus
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3 June 2017
Lemmens, Stijn
a27d6f8e-bb73-4a76-ad93-c356ef74d5b1
Siminski, Jan
a40eba69-2cae-4a4d-9149-b04c3037564e
Letizia, Francesca
2cd64b5f-c294-4856-9c50-ad002c25bb31
Funke, Quirin
b30221ab-1fc0-433b-84fa-93090ec3854b
Merz, Klaus
98f5ca26-887f-446c-ad53-400bfea9d7d9
Lemmens, Stijn, Siminski, Jan, Letizia, Francesca, Funke, Quirin and Merz, Klaus
(2017)
Spacecraft break-up models for the atmospheric re-entry from highly eccentric and interplanetary trajectories.
Joint Conference: 31st ISTS, 26th ISSFD & 8th NSAT, , Matsuyama, Japan.
03 - 09 Jun 2017.
4 pp
.
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
During the past decades space agencies, and more recent space industry and academia as well, have developed software models to evaluate the break-up and demise of spacecraft during re-entries. Due to limited observational data for validation of these models and the operational needs of the agencies, these models are focused on re-entries from nearly circular orbits or controlled re-entries. This in turn implies that their usability for atmospheric re-entry from highly eccentric orbit and interplanetary trajectories is based on extrapolation, in some cases ignoring the physical differences. This work reviews the limited available observational data on uncontrolled spacecraft re-entries with high flight path angle. It establishes a first order approximation for the predicted break-up altitude during the re-entry from given trajectory conditions postulated on an equivalence with circular re-entry cases via the aero-thermal environment along the trajectory. The equivalence is analysed by means of simulation and inter-tool comparison.
More information
Published date: 3 June 2017
Additional Information:
Related publication:
Letizia, F. et al (2017). Evaluation of re-entry conditions from orbits at the libration points. Paper presented at 7th Space Debris Conference, Darmstadt, Germany.
Venue - Dates:
Joint Conference: 31st ISTS, 26th ISSFD & 8th NSAT, , Matsuyama, Japan, 2017-06-03 - 2017-06-09
Organisations:
Aeronautics, Astronautics & Comp. Eng
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 411722
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/411722
PURE UUID: 7c918596-3a40-422f-9c29-7bea07d27d88
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 22 Jun 2017 16:31
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 18:00
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Contributors
Author:
Stijn Lemmens
Author:
Jan Siminski
Author:
Francesca Letizia
Author:
Quirin Funke
Author:
Klaus Merz
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