The Use of Inflatable Structures for Re-entry of Orbiting Vehicles
901835
09/01/1990
- Event
- Content
- Inflatable recovery systems offer the unique advantage that a large high-drag shape can be stored initially in a relatively small package. The resulting shapes decelerate rapidly with lower heating inputs than other types of re-entry vehicles. Recent developments have led to some lightweight materials that, with little thermal protection, can withstand the heating inputs to such vehicles. As a result, inflatable recovery vehicles offer a simple, reliable and economical way to return various vehicles from orbit. This paper examines the application of this concept to a large and a small vehicle with the accompanying dynamics that might be expected. More complex systems could extend the concept to emergency personnel escape systems, payload abort and satellite recovery systems.
- Pages
- 12
- Citation
- Kendall, R., and Maddox, A., "The Use of Inflatable Structures for Re-entry of Orbiting Vehicles," SAE Technical Paper 901835, 1990, https://doi.org/10.4271/901835.