NASA Ames Thermophysics Ground Test Facilities Supporting Future Planetary Atmospheric Entry
Whitepaper #424 submitted to the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032. Topics: giant planets systems; Mars; Venus
by Megan MacDonald, John Balboni, Charles Cornelison, Joe Hartman, Magnus Haw, Ernest Fretter, Brett Cruden, Michael Wilder, and Helen Hwang
Published onMar 18, 2021
NASA Ames Thermophysics Ground Test Facilities Supporting Future Planetary Atmospheric Entry
This paper reviews current capabilities at NASA Ames for ground testing Thermal Protection Systems and quantifying entry environments relevant to Planetary Science and Astrobiology. While these facilities are considered sufficient for supporting future missions, expanded capabilities would reduce vehicle design uncertainties and applied margins.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0)
