Reentry Technology in Aerospace Research

Today’s Successful SpaceX’s Reentry and Returning Super Heavy Rocket Boosters illustrated a great ongoing development towards next generation aerospace technology. SpaceX’s innovations have influenced the space industry globally, with other companies like Blue Origin and ESA. These advancements have made space travel more accessible and sustainable, marking a new era in space exploration, that reduce the costs of launching satellites for telecommunications, Earth observation, and other industrial and environmental applications.

On October 13, 2024, SpaceX achieved a significant milestone with the launch of its fifth Starship test flight. This mission saw the Super Heavy booster return to its launch site and be caught by a launch tower using mechanical arms (chopsticks system). By adjusting the angle of the engines during reentry, SpaceX can control the booster’s descent (Thrust Vector Control).

Reentry Technology Developing Solutions & History:

Aerodynamics Heating:
-Maximum Reentry Speed can reach to 7,500 m/s (27,000 km/h), depending on trajectory and vehicle design.

-Reentry Aerodynamic Can Heating Up to 1,650°C (3,000°F) due to intense heat generated by compression of atmospheric air, friction and plasma formation in front of the vehicle.

Thermal Protection:
Special protective material and cooling systems, such as Ablative Material that chars and absorbs heat, are needed.

History of returning rocket boosters:
Early efforts focused on expendable rockets, where each stage would burn up or fall into the ocean. However, the idea of reusable rockets gained momentum with NASA’s Space Shuttle program in the 1980s, which involved partially reusable systems like the solid rocket boosters. These would parachute into the ocean and be refurbished for future flights. Yet, full reuse remained a challenging goal.

A major leap came with SpaceX, particularly with its Falcon 9 rocket in 2015. SpaceX successfully landed a first-stage booster back on solid ground for the first time. Subsequent landings on drone ships solidified their approach, proving that boosters could be recovered at sea and reused.
Mastering reentry opened also a new chapter for ESA via IXV mission since February 2015

Extra Challenges:
– Precise Navigation
– Fuel Efficiency and Weight: For a booster to have enough fuel to perform a controlled descent and landing, it must carry extra fuel, which adds weight during the ascent phase.
– Substantial refurbishment after each flight.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has played a crucial role in the development of reentry technology including:
– Aerodynamic Heating Models
– Thermal Protection System (TPS)
– Ablative Material Performance
-Shockwave-Boundary Layer Interaction
-Plasma Effects Models

Advancement in reentry technology can dramatically

References: Space.com, ​SpaceNews, ​Hindustan Times, ES, World-Academies.Com

#Aerospace #spaceexploration #satellites #aerodynamics #SpaceX #CFD #NASA #ESA