ASPIRE Flight Mechanics Modeling and Post Flight Analysis

Abstract

The Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research and Experiment (ASPIRE) is a series of sounding rocket flights aimed at understanding the dynamics of supersonic parachutes that are used for Mars robotic applications. SR01 was the first sounding rocket flight of ASPIRE that occurred off the coast of Wallops Island, VA on Oct. 4, 2017 and showed the successful deployment and inflation of a Mars Science Laboratory built-to- print parachute in flight conditions similar to the 2012 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. SR02 was the second sounding rocket flight that also occurred off the coast of Wallops Island on March 31, 2018 and showcased the successful deployment and inflation of a new strengthened parachute being considered for the Mars 2020 mission at fifty percent higher dynamic pressure than observed on MSL. Prior to both flights, a multi-body flight dynamics simulation was developed to predict the parachute dynamics and was used, in conjunction with other tools, to target Mars-relevant flight conditions. After each flight, the reconstructed trajectory was used to validate the pre-flight dynamics simulation and recommend changes to improve predictions for future flights planned for the ASPIRE pro- gram. This paper describes the flight mechanics simulation and the post flight reconciliation process used to validate the flight models