NASA Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports

configuration spacecraft charging taking into account the peculiarities of their design and charging conditions are presented.
Author
Electrostatics; Elliptical Orbits; Spacecraft Charging; Spacecraft Models; Geosynchronous Orbits
20040111219 NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA
Structural Design for a Neptune Aerocapture Mission
Dyke, R. Eric; Hrinda, Glenn A.; [2004]; 13 pp.; In English; AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference and Exhibit,
16-19 Aug. 2004, Providence, RI, USA
Contract(s)/Grant(s): 23-800-90-40
Report No.(s): AIAA Paper 2004-5179; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy
A multi-center study was conducted in 2003 to assess the feasibility of and technology requirements for using aerocapture
to insert a scientific platform into orbit around Neptune. The aerocapture technique offers a potential method of greatly
reducing orbiter mass and thus total spacecraft launch mass by minimizing the required propulsion system mass. This study
involved the collaborative efforts of personnel from Langley Research Center (LaRC), Johnson Space Flight Center (JSFC),
Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Ames Research Center (ARC), and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). One aspect
of this effort was the structural design of the full spacecraft configuration, including the ellipsled aerocapture orbiter and the
in-space solar electric propulsion (SEP) module/cruise stage. This paper will discuss the functional and structural requirements
for each of these components, some of the design trades leading to the final configuration, the loading environments, and the
analysis methods used to ensure structural integrity. It will also highlight the design and structural challenges faced while
trying to integrate all the mission requirements. Component sizes, materials, construction methods and analytical results,
including masses and natural frequencies, will be presented, showing the feasibility of the resulting design for use in a Neptune
aerocapture mission. Lastly, results of a post-study structural mass optimization effort on the ellipsled will be discussed,
showing potential mass savings and their influence on structural strength and stiffness
Author
Aerocapture; Neptune (Planet); Structural Design; Space Missions; Spacecraft Design
20040111234 NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA
Defining Support Requirements During Conceptual Design of Reusable Launch Vehicles
Morris, W. D.; White, N. H.; Davis, W. T.; Ebeling, C. E.; [1995]; 12 pp.; In English; AIAA 1995 Space Programs and
Technologies Conference, 26-28 Sep. 1995, Huntsville, AL, USA
Report No.(s): AIAA Paper 95-3619; Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy
Current methods for defining the operational support requirements of new systems are data intensive and require
significant design information. Methods are being developed to aid in the analysis process of defining support requirements
for new launch vehicles during their conceptual design phase that work with the level of information available during this
phase. These methods will provide support assessments based on the vehicle design and the operating scenarios. The results
can be used both to define expected support requirements for new launch vehicle designs and to help evaluate the benefits of
using new technologies. This paper describes the models, their current status, and provides examples of their use.
Author
Reusable Launch Vehicles; Design Optimization
20040111372 Eagle Engineering, Inc., Houston, TX, USA
Evaluation of Space Station Meteoroid/Debris Shielding Materials, Supplement
September 30, 1987; In English
Contract(s)/Grant(s): NAS9-15800; TO-86-74; Proj. 02-001-12718
Report No.(s): NASA-CR-185627-Suppl; Eagle-87-163-Suppl; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; C01, CD-ROM
The following Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets are included. They were converted from Lotus version 2.1 to version 1A, which
is more common and can also be read by all subsequent versions. MS-DOS V.3.10 was used to format the diskette. Additional
information can be attained by contacting: Eric L. Christiansen, Eagle Engineering, (713)338-2682. 1) IMPACT.WKS
Analytical model described in Section 4.2 and Appendix A. 2) HUGONIOT.WKS Calculates peak shock pressure as described
in Appendix C. 3) FIGOFMER.WKS Empirical model described in Section 4.1 and Appendix B. 4) DEB_VDIS.WKS
Contains orbital debris velocity distribution for typical Space Station orbit. Calculates the fraction of debris below the velocity
causing aluminum projectiles to melt as described in Section 3.3. 5) MOD_CRIT.WKS Determines the critical orbital debris
and meteoroid size that a Space Station hab or lab module should be designed to protect against based on a 0.9955 probability
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