Abstract
The Tianwen-1 Mars entry vehicle successfully landed on the surface of Mars in southern Utopia Planitia on May 15, 2021, at 7:18 (UTC+8). To acquire valuable Martian flight data, a scientific instrumentation package consisting of a flush air data system and a multilayer temperature-sensing system was installed aboard the entry vehicle. A combined approach was applied in the entry, descent, and landing trajectory reconstruction using all available data obtained by the inertial measurement unit and the flush air data system. An aerodynamic database covering the entire flight regime was generated using computational fluid dynamics methods to assist in the reconstruction process. A preliminary analysis of the trajectory reconstruction result, along with the atmosphere reconstruction and aerodynamic performance, was conducted. The results show that the trajectory agrees closely with the nominal trajectory and the wind-relative attitude. Suspected wind occurred at the end of the trajectory.
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Abbreviations
- a x, a y, a z :
-
acceleration (m/s2)
- ADB:
-
aerodynamic database
- B:
-
angle of sideslip (°)
- CFD:
-
computational fluid dynamics
- EDL:
-
entry, descent, and landing
- FADS:
-
flush air data system
- IMU:
-
inertial measurement unit
- M :
-
mass (kg)
- M ∞ :
-
free stream Mach number
- p t :
-
total pressure (Pa)
- p ∞ :
-
static pressure (Pa)
- \({\bar q_\infty}\) :
-
dynamic pressure (Pa)
- RCS:
-
reaction control system
- UTC:
-
universal time coordinated
- α, AoA:
-
angle of attack (°)
- ρ ∞ :
-
atmospheric density (kg/m3)
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Ying Li for extraction of the raw pressure and temperature data, Fajun Yi for calibration of pressure sensors, Minwen Guo for providing inertial data, and Francois Forget and Millour Ehouarn for collaboration in the Martian atmospheric model.
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Haogong Wei is a systems engineer at Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, working in the area of planetary entry, descent, and landing. He is the recipient of the second prize of Science and Technology Progress Award of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. He received his B.S. degree in aerospace engineering from Beijing Institute of Technology, and his M.S. degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Purdue University. E-mail: weihaogong@aliyun.com.
Wei Rao, researcher, was graduated from Beihang University in August 1993. He participated in the development of Chang’e-1, Chang’e-2 lunar probes and Mars probes, serving as the product assurance manager and deputy designer of Mars probes. He has won the third prize of National Defense Science and Technology Progress Award once, the special prize of National Science and Technology Progress Award twice, the National Outstanding Youth, etc.
Guangqiang Chen, senior engineer of China Academy of Aerodynamics of Aerospace (CAAA), was graduated from Beihang University in January 2008. He is academically focusing on flushing air data sensing (FADS) technologies, including algorithmic design method based on neural network technology, fault diagnosis and fault tolerance design, wind tunnel test calibration, etc. E-mail: guangqiangchen@sina.com.
Guidong Wang, researcher, Ph.D. in fluid mechanics, was graduated from Northwestern Polytechnical University in August 1998. He completed the aerodynamic identification research of dozens of flight test of Shenzhou spacecraft, lunar spacecraft, and other aircraft. He has won the first prize of Science and Technology Progress of Sichuan Province and the third prize of Science and Technology Progress of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Xin Zou, senior engineer, was graduated from Changchun University of Science and Technology in 2009. As the chief designer of the engineer parameter measurement system, she is responsible for the measurement system design, analysis, and verification of Chang’e-5 and Mars probes. She has won the third prize of Science and Technology Progress of Beijing Municipality.
Qi Li, researcher, was graduated from Beihang University in 2008 with a degree in fluid mechanics. As the head of the Entry and Re-entry Pneumatic Department, she is responsible for the aerodynamic design, analysis, and verification of Chang’e-5 and Mars probes. She has won the first prize of Science and Technology Progress lof Sichuan Province and the second prize of Science and Technology Progress Award of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Yanqi Hu received his Ph.D. degree in space physics from National Space Science Center in 2008. Since 2008, he has been an engineer with the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing. His current research interests include radiation effect simulation of spacecraft, space environment modeling, and Mars atmosphere.
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Wei, H., Rao, W., Chen, G. et al. Tianwen-1 Mars entry vehicle trajectory and atmosphere reconstruction preliminary analysis. Astrodyn 6, 81–91 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-021-0116-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-021-0116-y