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Planned Flight of the Terrestrial HIAD Orbital Reentry (THOR)The Terrestrial HIAD Orbital Reentry (THOR) is planned for flight in 2016 as a secondary payload on an Orbital Sciences commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station. THOR will launch with its Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) stowed as a small cylinder between the second stage motor and the launch vehicle fairing. Once the Cygnus cargo vehicle has separated from the second stage, THOR will likewise separate, autonomously re-orient itself, perform a deorbit burn, then inflate the HIAD to a 3.5m diameter cone before atmospheric interface. THOR is a follow-on mission to the IRVE-3 flight test of 2012. The high energy of orbital reentry will allow THOR to demonstrate the performance of its improved, second-generation inflatable structure and flexible TPS materials, in a more energetic entry environment than previous suborbital test flights.This paper discusses the sequence of events planned to occur as part of the THOR mission. Specific topics will include the THOR mission concept, reentry vehicle design for the expected flight environment, the on-board sensors that will allow quantification of vehicle performance, and how we intend to retrieve the flight data from a reentry vehicle splashing down in international waters.
Document ID
20140011452
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Dillman, Robert
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Hughes, Stephen
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
DiNonno, John
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Bodkin, Richard
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
White, Joseph
(Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. Hampton, VA, United States)
DelCorso, Joseph
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Cheatwood, F. M.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 9, 2014
Publication Date
June 16, 2014
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
NF1676L-18744
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Planetary Probe Workshop
Location: Pasadena, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: June 16, 2014
End Date: June 20, 2014
Sponsors: Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech., NASA Headquarters, European Space Agency
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 662122.04.07.19
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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