Abstract
Long term operation of space stations provides valuable opportunities for space science experiments. These space products and samples need to be fully evaluated on the ground. Although SHENZHOU and TIANZHOU manned spacecraft can carry these samples, their capacities are limited to 50 kg for each time, which limits the development of space scientific experiments. This paper investigates the aerodynamic deceleration of ultra-large deployable heat-resistant structures for efficient descending of space station payload. The ultra-large deployable heat-resistant structure was designed and modeled. The flow fields in the supersonic flow under different Mach numbers and angles of attack were simulated and aerodynamic forces were analyzed with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The results demonstrate that large vortexes were produced on the back of the aircraft due to the viscosity. With the increase of Mach number, the compressibility effect of airflow is more significant. The increase in the angle of attack leads to the change of the position of the stagnation point of the spacecraft. Moreover, the static analysis of the aeroshell and unfolding structure was carried out to guarantee the safety of the spacecraft. The proposed aerodynamic deceleration technology is an efficient and low-cost scientific approach to deliver high-mass payloads for space scientific experiments, which will advance the development of supporting technologies for space sciences.
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This article belongs to the Topical Collection: Research Pioneer and Leader of Microgravity Science in China: Dedicated to the 85th Birthday of Academician Wen-Rui Hu
Guest Editors: Jian-Fu Zhao, Kai Li
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Hou, X., Nie, H., Wang, H. et al. Aerodynamic Deceleration of Ultra-large Deployable Heat-resistant Structures for Efficient Descending of Space Station Payload. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 34, 55 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-022-09972-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-022-09972-1