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An Overview of NASA's Current Materials Development Efforts for Mars EDLCurrent roadmaps point to landing heavy masses (cargo, followed by manned vehicles) on Mars in the 2030's and the existing entry, descent and landing (EDL) technology will not be sufficient to facilitate such missions. In 2009 the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) established the Entry, Descent and Landing Technology Development Project (EDL TDP), to be managed programmatically at Langley Research Center (LaRC) and technically a Ames Research Center (ARC). The purpose of the project is to further the technologies required to land heavy (approximately 40 metric ton) masses on Mars to facilitate exploration. The EDL TDP contains three technical elements. They are: 1) Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) development 2) Modeling and Tools (MAT) development 3) Supersonic Retropropulsion (SRP) development The primary goals of the EDL TDP TPS element is to design and develop TPS materials capable of withstanding the severe aerothermal loads associated with aerocapture and entry into the Martian atmosphere while significantly decreasing the TPS mass fraction contribution to the entry system. Significant advancements in TPS materials technology are needed in order to enable heavy mass payloads to be successfully landed on the Martian surface for robotic precursors and subsequent human exploration missions. The EDL TDP TPS element is further divided into two different TPS concepts for Mars EDL those being: 1) Rigid TPS for a mid L/D aeroshell with the capability to withstand dual pulsed heating environments as high as 500 W/square cm for aerocapture and 130 W/square cm for entry 2) Flexible TPS for a deployable aerodynamic decelerator with the capability to withstand dual pulsed heating environments as high as 120 W/square cm for aerocapture and 30 W/square cm for entry NASA, along with its vendors, has begun developing and testing materials for each of the deceleration approaches. These include multi-layer rigid ablators and flexible ablative materials. In order to model the response of these types of materials, new and improved modeling techniques will be required. This presentation will outline the types of materials that are under development and illustrate the need for advancement in modeling of ablative materials.
Document ID
20110012048
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Presentation
Authors
Beck, Robin A. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Gasch, Matthew (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Calomino, Anthony (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
March 1, 2011
Subject Category
Fluid Mechanics And Thermodynamics
Report/Patent Number
ARC-E-DAA-TN3114
Meeting Information
Meeting: 4th AF/SNL/NASA Ablation Workshop
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Country: United States
Start Date: March 1, 2011
End Date: March 3, 2011
Sponsors: NASA Ames Research Center, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Sandia National Labs.
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 307162.04.02.01.02
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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