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Aerothermal Analysis and Design of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) SpacecraftThe Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) primary mission will be performed by making measurements of the inter-satellite range change between two co-planar, low altitude near-polar orbiting satellites. Understanding the uncertainties in the disturbance environment, particularly the aerodynamic drag and torques, is critical in several mission areas. These include an accurate estimate of the spacecraft orbital lifetime, evaluation of spacecraft attitude control requirements, and estimation of the orbital maintenance maneuver frequency necessitated by differences in the drag forces acting on both satellites. The FREEMOL simulation software has been developed and utilized to analyze and suggest design modifications to the GRACE spacecraft. Aerodynamic accommodation bounding analyses were performed and worst-case envelopes were obtained for the aerodynamic torques and the differential ballistic coefficients between the leading and trailing GRACE spacecraft. These analyses demonstrate how spacecraft aerodynamic design and analysis can benefit from a better understanding of spacecraft surface accommodation properties, and the implications for mission design constraints such as formation spacing control.
Document ID
20000037787
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Mazanek, Daniel D.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA United States)
Kumar, Renjith R.
(Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. Hampton, VA United States)
Qu, Min
(Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. Hampton, VA United States)
Seywald, Hans
(Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. Hampton, VA United States)
Date Acquired
September 7, 2013
Publication Date
April 1, 2000
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
L-17946
NAS 1.15:210095
NASA/TM-2000-210095
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 259-30-10-51
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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