AEROFAST

AEROcapture for Future spAce tranSporTation

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'AEROFAST main goal is to invest and improve the AEROCAPTURE transportation mean. An important step to allow for human expansion into the solar system is to develop advanced transportation systems to move humans and cargo between GEO and LEO, and also returning them from the Moon or from Mars. Typically such vehicle must rely on aerocapture to be mass effective: using atmospheric drag to slow space vehicles is regarded as one of the largest contributors to making both lunar and Martian missions affordable. In the coming decade’s aerocapture will become one of the core capabilities for planetary transportation. This technology allows for large amount of mass saved (up to 30 %) at launch and is fully adapted to large weight missions (Sample return missions and manned missions): for an insertion into a low Mars orbit with propulsion, 41% of the initial mass is put on final orbit whereas with an aerocapture manoeuvre 82% of the initial mass is put into final orbit. Today the technology readiness level of such an aerocapture mission is roughly 2 to 3 in Europe. AEROFAST goal is to prepare for a flight demonstration on a planet with atmosphere (earth or even more attractive Mars) and to reach TRL 3 to 4 in the frame of this FP7 first call.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

European scientists are developing more fuel efficient space travel, thereby allowing more room for crew and cargo. Manned missions bringing back heavy samples are the impetus.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Space vehicles travel at astonishingly high speeds. They use propulsive techniques (relying on the use of their propellants or fuels) to slow and guide them so they can be captured into orbit around a planetary body.

For any such body with an atmosphere, aerocapture is an attractive alternative. It is an orbit insertion technique that relies on atmospheric drag to decelerate a spacecraft and place it in its circular orbit. Aerocapture requires only a single pass with a brief corrective propulsive manoeuvre.

Although it has never been attempted, technology is coming to fruition having been studied and developed for over 20 years. It could save up to 30 % of payload mass at launch time by reducing fuel requirements. This is particularly important in heavy missions such as manned and sample-return missions (those in which samples are brought back to Earth).

These are already on the horizon for the Moon and Mars and will be necessary for docking and exchange missions between low-Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites. Thus, aerocapture is expected to become one of the core capabilities for planetary exploration.

A European consortium is raising the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for aerospace capture with EU funding of the 'Aerocapture for future space transportation' (Aerofast) project. The overarching project goal is to lay the groundwork (TRL of three or four) for a flight demonstration. Actual operational readiness requires a TRL of six.

Aerofast scientists made significant modifications to algorithms for planetary navigation and aerocapture and built test equipment to evaluate performance. They also demonstrated a prototype thermal protection system for such a mission and defined onboard instrumentation to be used in the recovery (descent) phase of aerocapture.

Aerocapture technology is complex and multidisciplinary and human lives will depend on its faultless operation. Aerofast is increasing the level of readiness for such technology by laying the groundwork for a demonstration mission. Its successful completion will bring the world one step closer to cost-effective, long-distance, heavy payload missions such as those with humans and cargo (sample return missions).