6-DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM ENTRY DISPERSION ANALYSIS FOR THE METEOR RECOVERYMODULE

A six-degree-of-freedom entry dispersion analysis for the multiple exp eriment transporter to Earth orbit and return mission is presented. Th is mission offers the capability of flying a recoverable science packa ge in a microgravity environment, The recovery module has no active co ntrol system. Hence, uncertainties in the initial conditions prior to deorbit burn initiation, during deorbit burn and exoatmospheric coast phases, and during atmospheric flight affect the splashdown location. Thus, this investigation quantifies the impact of these various exoatm ospheric and atmospheric uncertainties, Additionally, a Monte Carlo an alysis is performed to statistically assess the splashdown dispersion footprint caused by multiple mission uncertainties. The Monte Carlo an alysis showed that a 3-sigma splashdown dispersion footprint with axes of 43.3 (long), -33.5 (short), and +/-10.0 n mi (crossrange) can be c onstructed. A 58% probability exists that the recovery module will ove rshoot the nominal splashdown site.