Sustaining Mature Entry System Technologies Crucial for Future In-Situ Venus MissionsSevere entry environments at Venus are a key challenge for all missions employing probes, landers, areal platforms, aerocapture and atmospheric skimming. Three specific mature technologies, PICA, HEEET, and ADEPT, are enablers for Venus in-situ missions but are at risk of atrophy or loss if not maintained. All three technologies were NASA-developed in partnership with US industry and rely on both organizations for intellectual property. These technologies are needed only for NASA missions and lack applicability elsewhere. NASA has experienced the loss of prior TPS technologies due to lack of use, including Apollo’s Avcoat (re-created at enormous expense for Orion) and Pioneer-Venus’ heritage carbon phenolic. Given the low flight cadence for planetary entry missions overall and the lack of non-NASA uses for these technologies, there is a real concern for the sustainment of key entry technologies.
Document ID
20190032634
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Poster
Authors
Venakatapathy, Ethiraj (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Cassell, Alan (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Ellerby, Don (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Feldman, Jay (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Gasch, Matt (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Hash, David (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Hwang, Helen (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Muppidi, Suman (Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Stackpoole, Mairead (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Wercinski, Paul (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
November 12, 2019
Publication Date
November 6, 2019
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
ARC-E-DAA-TN74856
Meeting Information
Meeting: Meeting of the Venus Exploration and Analysis Group (VEXAG)