AERODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF COMMERCIAL EXPERIMENT TRANSPORTER REENTRY CAPSULE

An aerodynamic analysis of the Commercial Experiment Transporter re-en try capsule has been performed using the laminar thin-layer Navier-Sto kes solver LAURA. Flowfield solutions were obtained at Mach numbers 1. 5, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 27.5. Axisymmetric and 5-, 10-, and 20-de g angles of attack were considered across the Mach-number range, with the Mach 25 conditions taken to 90-deg angle of attack and the Mach 27 .5 cases taken to 60-deg angle of attack. Finite-rate chemistry soluti ons were performed above Mach 10; otherwise, perfect-gas computations were made. Drag, lift, and pitching-moment coefficients were computed, and details of a wake flow are presented. The effect of including the wake in the solution domain was investigated, and base-pressure corre ctions to forebody drag coefficients were numerically determined for t he lower Mach numbers. Pitching-moment comparisons were made with dire ct simulation Monte Carlo results in the more rarefied flow at the hig hest Mach numbers, showing agreement within 2%. Thin-layer Navier-Stok es computations of the axial force were found to be 15% higher than th e empirical/Newtonian-based results used during the initial trajectory analyses.