This paper presents an analysis of aerocapture options at Uranus. Vehicle configurations similar to those previously considered at Neptune were evaluated. Atmospheric entry corridor widths were evaluated as a function of entry velocity, target orbit apoapse altitude and vehicle aerodynamics. Stagnation-point heating rates and integrated heat loads were computed for a wide range of entry speeds. In general, entry corridors for a conic vehicle with a modest L/D of 0.5 were found to be sufficiently wide, and peak decelerations below 50 Gs were readily achieved. Aerocapture shows sufficient promise for Uranus missions to merit further study.
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