Introduction: Recent Developments in Supersonic Retropropulsion for Mars Entry, Descent, and Landing

摘要

A future that includes sending humans beyond the Earth-moon system, such as to the surface of Mars, will require significant technology advancements in conjunction with sustained U.S. space policy support over multiple decades. This issue of the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets contains several articles that discuss ongoing NASA developments for one such technology: supersonic retropropulsion (SRP). SRP is the use of propulsive methods to enhance the deceleration of an atmospheric entry, descent, and landing (EDL) vehicle at supersonic speeds. Supersonic parachutes have been used for all successful U.S. Mars landers (Viking, Phoenix) and rovers (Pathfinder's Sojourner, Spirit, and Opportunity; and Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity) to date. However, the scalability of parachutes approached a practical limit for Mars EDL with the landing of the 900 kg Curiosity rover in 2012. Recent NASA studies have consistently identified SRP as an enabling technology to land larger robotic and human-scale payloads with better precision than is currently possible.