Hypersonic Reentry Dynamics

Faculty Advisors

Professor Mease (UC Irvine)Dr. Helen Boussalis (CSULA)

Student Assistants

Katie DemkoShing Chi Chan

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Mission

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Background

Image and Video from reference 4

NASA - Constellation2.rv

Orion vs. Apollo

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Basic ForcesAIRPLANE

2

2

1

21

2

L

D

L v SC

D v SC

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ORION SPACE CAPSULE

Basic Forces

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Trajectory Control via Drag Tracking

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Horizontal Velocity cos( )

Vertical Velocity sin( )

Horizontal Distance cos( )

1So finally,

s V

r V

s V dt

s dED

γ

Equations of Motion for Reentry (Drag)

2

2

2

1 cos sin 1'

cos

1 1' cos sin

1' sin

1 1 1 1' sin cos cos tan 2 (tan sin cos sin )

cos

1 cos 1' cos 2 cos cos

r D

r D

rD

L

V D r D VD

L Vg

V D r D VD

where is longitude, is latitude, r is the radius from the vehicle to the center of the Earth,

is the heading angle, is the flight path angle, is the rotational speed of the Earth,

D is the dra

g force and V is the velocity of the vehicle

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Simulation Parameters for Lifting Entry

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Simulation Conditions

2

92

92

1Energy Law

2

1 (398653 10 / )(10200m/s) 10484.4

2 6378000

1 (398653 10 / )(340m/s) 62446.6

2 6378000

i

f

E Vr

x m sE kJ

m

x m sE kJ

m

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Lifting Entry with σ=0°

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 300020

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

Downrange, km

Alt

itud

e, k

m

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Lifting Entry with σ=0°

0 100 200 300 400 500 600-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

Tim e, s

Flig

ht P

ath

Ang

le,

deg

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sin( )r V

Lifting Entry with σ=60°

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 100020

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

Downrange, km

Alt

itud

e, k

m

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Lifting Entry with σ=60°

0 50 100 150 200 250 300-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

Tim e, s

Flig

ht P

ath

Ang

le,

deg

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sin( )r V

Lifting Entry with σ=60°

0 50 100 150 200 250 300-1.4

-1.2

-1

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0

Tim e, s

Hea

ding

, ra

d

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Heading Convention (UCI):

0 °= E

270 ° = S

180° = W

90° = N

Lifting Entry with σ=60°

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9-1.6

-1.4

-1.2

-1

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0

Longitude, deg

Lati

tude

, de

g

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Advantages to Skip Entry

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Downrange Distance

Earth

Moon

Entry into the AtmosphereLanding Spot

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Downrange, km

Alti

tude

, km

sigma=0

sigma=45deg

sigma=60deg

The Next Step

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References 1) Bairstow, Sarah H., and Gregg H. Barton. "Reentry Guidance with Extended

Range Capability for Low L/D Spacecraft." AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference and Exhibit Hilton Head, SC, August 2007.

 2) Benito, Joel, and Kenneth D. Mease. "Nonlinear Predictive Controller for

Drag tracking in Entry Guidance." American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics :14.

 3) Lickly, D.J., H.R. Morth, and B.S. Crawford. "Apollo Reentry Guidance."

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY N73-7461 (1963): 23. 4) "NASA - Constellation Main." NASA - Constellation Main. 26 Oct. 2009

<http://www.nasa.gov>. 

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