Radiating hypersonic flow studies using a super-orbitalexpansion tube

摘要

The capability of using a super-orbital expansion tube to study the radiating flow condi-tions in front of a capsule entering the Martian atmosphere has been investigated. Optical techniques have been implemented to characterize the flow over a quasi-two-dimensional cylindrical body. Holographic interferometry was used to determine the refractivity of the gas which is related to the flow density. Emission measurements have been performed to determine the relative spectral radiance along the stagnation streamline over the wave-length range 330 - 430 nm. The results showed that this is a suitable ground-based testing environment for obtaining valuable data for comparison with numerical simulations.