Advanced Re-Entry Systems Based on Inflatable Heat Shields in the EFESTO Project: Preliminary IOD Mission and System Definition

The European Union H2020 project EFESTO is coordinated by DEIMOS Space with the goals of improving the TRL of Inflatable Heat Shields for re entry vehicles in Europe from 3 to 4/5 and paving the way to an In Orbit Demonstration (IOD) that could further raise the TRL to 6. This paper provides a synthesis of the EFESTO design and experimental achievements and sums up the inflatable heatshield IOD mission and system design. This is the final step of the EFESTO project. First, the initial IOD design resulted from a dedicated Concurrent Engineering Facility (CEF) session is introduced. The session core consisted of trading-off the system configuration options derived from the sequential design and testing campaigns, including the inflatable structure and F-TPS key subsystems. Additional aspects, such as launcher and landing site selection, were considered. The driving rationale is the maximization of the scientific return of the experiment while also taking into account feasibility considerations related to the current European space sector capabilities and market opportunities. The subsequent design phase focused on harmonizing the CEF mission and system definition and extending it with a preliminary assessment of the IOD system realization and mission implementation. This final output represents a unique contribution of the EFESTO project to the European know-how in inflatable heatshield technology and promotes the relevance of the EFESTO consortium in the frame of a European re-entry technology roadmap

THE EFESTO PROJECT: FLEXIBLE TPS DESIGN AND TESTING FOR ADVANCED EUROPEAN RE-ENTRY SYSTEM BASED ON INFLATABLE HEAT SHIELDS

The European Union H2020 project EFESTO has been implemented with the main objective to improve the technology readiness level (TRL) of flexible inflatable heat shields for re-entry vehicles in Europe from 3 to 4 or 5. For this purpose, two reference missions with atmospheric entry to Earth and Mars were selected. Both missions were designed to make best use of the Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) concept. Multidisciplinary design loops allowed prediction of the entry flight trajectory and identification of the aerothermodynamic environment on the exterior of the system. These results were the primary inputs to the design and testing of the Flexible Thermal Protection System (FTPS) layup and the underlying inflatable structure. This paper provides an insight into the efforts related to design, testing and numerical modelling of the FTPS for both applications. Advanced flexible materials were selected, some of which never had been considered in Europe before. These materials allow for a significant improvement upon previous design in system weight and maximum heat loads. Several multi-layer layups were developed for both applications, each of them allowing to keep the surface temperature below the material-specific upper limit. The most promising layups were selected for experimental simulation in DLR's arc-heated facilities LBK at flight relevant high-enthalpy conditions in realistic thermochemical environment. This testing covered both stagnation flow and tangential flow conditions in Mars and Earth atmospheres. Extensive numerical efforts were carried out to perform test rebuilding and allow cross-correlation between numerical and experimental simulations. The numerical models were calibrated with the wind tunnel data and further assisted in the analysis of the experimental results and the derivation of material specific properties and uncertainties. The project allowed to validate numerical models and simulations tools. This enables Europe to reliably design FTPS layups in future initiatives in the strategic field of re-entry solutions based on inflatable heat shields. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 821801

EFESTO - advancing European hypersonic inflatable heatshield technology for Earth recovery and Mars high-mass delivery missions

The European Union H2020 EFESTO project is coordinated by DEIMOS Space with the end goals of improving the European TRL of Inflatable Heat Shields for re-entry vehicles (from 3 to 4/5) and paving the way towards further improvements (TRL 6 with a future In-Orbit Demonstrator). This paper presents the project objectives and provides with a general overview of the activities ongoing and planned for the next two years, promoting its position in the frame of a European re-entry technology roadmap. EFESTO aims at (1) the definition of critical space mission scenarios (Earth and Mars applications) enabled by the use of advanced inflatable Thermal Protection Systems (TPS), (2) characterization of the operative environment and (3) validation by tests of both the flexible materials needed for the thermal protection (flexible thermal blanket will be tested in arcjet facility in both Earth and Martian environments) and the inflatable structure at 1:2 scale (exploring the morphing dynamics and materials response from packed to fully inflated configuration). These results will be injected into the consolidated design of a future In-Orbit Demonstrator (IOD) mission

The EFESTO Project: Advanced European Re-Entry System based on Inflatable Heat Shield

EFESTO is a project funded by the European Union H2020 program aiming for a revamp and growth of European know-how and systems engineering capabilities in the strategic field of Inflatable Heat Shield technology for re-entry vehicles. This project analyzes the use of Inflatable Heat Shields for Mars exploration and Earth re-entry applications that served as representative study-cases. In addition to design activities at system and sub-system levels, the EFESTO team focused on testing the aerothermodynamic properties of the Flexible TPS and the mechanical characteristics of the shield, the latter exploiting a manufactured high-fidelity Inflatable Structure demonstrator. The data gathered from the two test campaigns additionally served for experimental-numerical rebuilding and cross-correlation. Finally, a phase-0 feasibility study defined a preliminary IOD mission design to enable in-flight verification and validation of the critical technologies. This paper will present the whole excursus of the project, including the key phases of use-cases survey and investigation, mission scenarios definition and analysis, system engineering and sub-system design, technology development and ground demonstration, future roadmap identification with reference IOD feasibility analysis and early definition. The project achievements have improved the European TRL of Inflatable Heat Shields from 3 to 4/5, thus paving the way towards further developments in the mid-term future. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 821801

Etude de methodes numeriques et de modeles physico-chimiques pour des ecoulements hypersoniques reactifs. Application aux vehicules spatiaux

SIGLEINIST T 76125 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

Measurements on the EXOMARS Configuration in the High Enthalpy Shock Tunnel Göttingen (HEG)

Measurements on a lander capsule configuration for a future European Mars mission were performed in the High Enthalpy Shock Tunnel Göttingen (HEG), operated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The measurements contribute to the ESA-NASA ExoMars project which is part of the European Aurora programme. In addition to the contributing to the experimental aerothermodynamic data base (ATBM) of the project, two primary goals were pursuit. The first goal was to establish a cross check possibility between the two major European high enthalpy facilities, the HEG of DLR and the F4 of the Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales (ONERA). To accomplish this goal a new operating condition using CO2 as test gas was designed for HEG. This condition approximates the corresponding free stream of ONERA’s F4 facility. The second goal was to establish a new complementary free flight force measurement technique for high enthalpy testing in HEG additionally to the existing stress wave force balance in order to increase the confidence level of the experimental results that will be included in the ATBM. The present article presents a direct comparison between the HEG and F4 facilities, focusing on the results obtained for surface pressure and wall heat flux measurements and on the determination of the total drag of the vehicle. Additionally, high-speed flow visualisation of the flow past the capsule was performed

EFESTO - advancing European hypersonic inflatable heatshield technology for Earth recovery and Mars highmass delivery missions

The European Union H2020 EFESTO project is coordinated by DEIMOS Space with the end goals of improving the European TRL of Inflatable Heat Shields for re-entry vehicles (from 3 to 4/5) and paving the way towards further improvements (TRL 6 with a future In-Orbit Demonstrator). This paper presents the project objectives and provides with a general overview of the activities ongoing and planned for the next two years, promoting its position in the frame of a European re-entry technology roadmap. EFESTO aims at (1) the definition of critical space mission scenarios (Earth and Mars applications) enabled by the use of advanced inflatable Thermal Protection Systems (TPS), (2) characterization of the operative environment and (3) validation by tests of both the flexible materials needed for the thermal protection (flexible thermal blanket will be tested in arcjet facility in both Earth and Martian environments) and the inflatable structure at 1:2 scale (exploring the morphing dynamics and materials response from packed to fully inflated configuration). These results will be injected into the consolidated design of a future In-Orbit Demonstrator (IOD) mission

Mesure de flux de chaleur dans la soufflerie a haute enthalpie F4= de l'ONERA

Communication to : SFT 97 - Congres francais de thermique Sup'Aero, Toulouse (France), 20-22 mai 1997Available from INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : 22419, issue : a.1997 n.88 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueSIGLEFRFranc

European Flexible Heat Shields: Advanced TPS Design and Tests for Future in-Orbit Demonstration

The European Union H2020 EFESTO project is coordinated by DEIMOS Space with the end goals of improving the TRL of Inflatable Heat Shields for re-entry vehicles (from 3 to 4/5) and paving the way towards further improvements (TRL 6 with a future In-Orbit Demonstrator). This paper presents the project objectives and provides with a general overview of the activities ongoing and planned for the next three years, promoting its position in the frame of a European re-entry technology roadmap