Titan Ballute Aerocapture Using a Perturbed TitanGRAM Model

Abstract

Aerocapture using a towed, inflatable ballute system has been shown to provide significant performance advantages compared to traditional technologies, including lower heating rates and accommodation of larger navigational uncertainties. This paper extends previous results by designing a ballute aerocapture separation algorithm that can operate in a more realistic Titan atmospheric model based on TitanGRAM. This model incorporates both latitudinal variability as well as noisiness in the density profile.