The paper examines the utilization of aerodynamic forces to capture a vehicle into a closed orbit and/or to modify an orbit. Attention is given to two techniques: aerobraking which uses drag during successive passes through the upper atmosphere to circularize a highly elliptical orbit, and aerocapture which transfers a vehicle into a closed stable orbit from a hyperbolic flyby trajectory. Sample missions employing both techniques are discussed.
Aerobraking and aerocapture for planetary missions
1980-02-01
Miscellaneous
No indication
English
Aerobraking for planetary missions
NTRS | 1979
|Aerobraking techniques for planetary missions
NTRS | 1981
|British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003
|