WAKE FLOW ABOUT THE MARS-PATHFINDER ENTRY VEHICLE

A computational approach is used to describe the aerothermodynamics of the Mars Pathfinder vehicle entering the Mars atmosphere at the maxim um heating and maximum deceleration points in its trajectory. Ablating and nonablating boundary conditions are developed which produce maxim um recombination of CO2 on the surface. For the maximum heating trajec tory point, an axisymmetric, nonablating calculation predicts a stagna tion-point value for the convective heating of 115 W/cm(2). Radiative heating estimates predict an additional 5-12 W/cm(2) at the stagnation point. Peak convective heating on the afterbody occurs on the vehicle 's flat stern with a value of 5.9% of the stagnation value. The forebo dy flow exhibits chemical nonequilibrium behavior, and the how is froz en in the near wake. Including ablation injection on the forebody lowe rs the stagnation-point convective heating 18%.