ON A RELATIVELY COOL TRANSITION FROM A SATELLITE ORBIT TO AN EQUILIBRIUM GLIDE
Abstract
ONE FAMILY OF SOLUTIONS IS PRESENTED FOR A MONOTONIC TRANSITION FROM A CIRCULAR ORBIT TO AN EQUILIBRIUM GLIDE. It is performed at high lift coefficient and low L/D, and terminates at a match point where the prescribed conditions of the glide are met. The vehicle then continues on the glide at a higher value of L/D. The high rag required during transition entails the use of a large auxiliary light-weight drag body, which is jettisoned upon arrival at the match point. The presence of this drag body results in a reduction of the total heat load on the vehicle itself. The exact amount of this reduction depends on the details of the design, but it can be typically of the order of 3/4 in an entry with a peak acceleration of the order of 7 g. As a result, the maximum average vehicle temperature can be made relatively low, with consequent advantages in the structural design, and in the thermal protection of the payload. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0265550
Entities
People
- B. Etkin
Organizations
- University of Toronto