The dynamic properties of a simple reentry maneuver are presented. The maneuver is designed to put the reentry vehicle on a smooth glide trajectory after a single skip. This maneuver is accomplished by a properly chosen zero-lift coasting period. The chosen coasting period satisfies general boundary conditions at the start of the glide. Wing loadings of 20 and 100 pounds per square foot are considered for reentry angles up to 6° with a lift-drag-ratio range of l/2 to 5. Reentry speeds corresponded to the energy levels of circular orbits at 655,000 and 490,000 feet.nThe simple single-skip maneuver was possible over a wide range of the parameters considered but, naturally enough, was easiest at low lift-drag ratios. The effects of wing loading were generally small. The higher lift-drag-ratio maneuvers were possible only at the higher reentry angles. The minimum reentry angle for a successful maneuver at a high lift-drag ratio was sharply reduced by the lower energy level. The precision of the maneuver was found to be highly sensitive to the time of the start of the coast and less so to the time of lift restoration. Coasting-distances of less than 1,000 nautical miles were only possible for lift-drag-ratio values under about 2.nMaximum normal accelerations had a roughly parabolic variation with reentry angle. The highest value calculated was 4.7g at a lift-drag ratio of 5 for a wing loading of 100 pounds per square foot and a reentry angle of 6°.
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