A high-fidelity thermal model of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was developedfor use in an autonomous aerobraking simulation study. Response surfaceequations were derived from the high-fidelity thermal model and integratedinto the autonomous aerobraking simulation software. The high-fidelity thermalmodel was developed using the Thermal Desktop software and used in allphases of the analysis. The use of Thermal Desktop exclusively, represented achange from previously developed aerobraking thermal analysis methodologies.Comparisons were made between the Thermal Desktop solutions andthose developed for the previous aerobraking thermal analyses performed onthe Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter during aerobraking operations. A variablesensitivity screening study was performed to reduce the number of variablescarried in the response surface equations. Thermal analysis and response surfaceequation development were performed for autonomous aerobraking missionsat Mars and Venus.
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