Aerocapture: A Historical Review and Bibliometric Data Analysis from 1980 to 2023

AP Girija - arXiv preprint arXiv:2307.01437, 2023 - arxiv.org
Aerocapture is a technique which uses atmospheric drag to decelerate a spacecraft and
achieve nearly fuel-free orbit insertion from an interplanetary trajectory. The present study …

Quantitative assessment of aerocapture and applications to future solar system exploration

AP Girija, SJ Saikia, JM Longuski, Y Lu… - Journal of Spacecraft and …, 2022 - arc.aiaa.org
A quantitative and comparative assessment of the feasibility and mass benefit of using
aerocapture at all atmosphere-bearing solar system destinations is presented, considering …

ADEPT Drag Modulation Aerocapture: Applications for Future Titan Exploration

AP Girija - arXiv preprint arXiv:2306.10412, 2023 - arxiv.org
The Cassini-Huygens mission has transformed our understanding of Titan from a hazy
veiled moon to a place surprisingly like the Earth, with terrestrial physical processes such as …

A Low Cost Mars Aerocapture Technology Demonstrator

AP Girija - arXiv preprint arXiv:2307.11378, 2023 - arxiv.org
The ability to launch small secondary payloads to Mars on future science missions present
an exciting opportunity for demonstration of advanced technologies for planetary exploration …

Aerocapture: Enabling Small Spacecraft Direct Access to Low-Circular Orbits for Planetary Constellations

AP Girija, SJ Saikia, JM Longuski - Aerospace, 2023 - mdpi.com
Small satellite constellations in multiple-inclination, low-circular orbits around Mars and
Venus have the potential to perform a range of high-value science investigations within cost …

[PDF][PDF] Very low earth orbit mission concepts for earth observation: Benefits and challenges

JV Llop, PC Roberts, Z Hao, LR Tomas… - Reinventing Space …, 2014 - researchgate.net
ABSTRACT Very Low Earth Orbits (VLEO) can be defined as the orbits with a mean altitude
below 450 km. Operating in these orbits can provide a number of benefits to Earth …

[PDF][PDF] Enabling and Enhancing Science Exploration Across the Solar System: Aerocapture Technology for SmallSat to Flagship Missions

A Austin, G Afonso - Bulletin of the American Astronomical …, 2021 - assets.pubpub.org
Aerocapture technology provides a far-reaching capability for missions at destinations
across the solar system, from SmallSat to Flagship class. It will enable a new class of …

Uranus Flagship-class Orbiter and Probe Using Aerocapture

S Dutta, E Shellabarger, JB Scoggins… - AIAA SciTech 2024 …, 2024 - arc.aiaa.org
The 2022 Planetary Science Decadal Survey released by the National Academies of
Science identified the exploration of the Ice Giants, particularly Uranus, as the primary next …

Feasibility and mass-benefit analysis of aerocapture for missions to Venus

AP Girija, Y Lu, SJ Saikia - Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, 2020 - arc.aiaa.org
A numerical assessment of the feasibility of aerocapture at Venus is presented, and the
mass benefit of aerocapture is compared with propulsive orbit insertion. This paper …

Aerocapture as an enhancing option for ice giants missions

S Dutta, G Afonso, SW Albert, HK Ali, GA Allen… - 2020 - ntrs.nasa.gov
Investigation of Uranus and Neptune, via orbiter and atmospheric probes, is required to
answer pressing science questions that have been raised in previous Decadal Surveys. As …