Radiative heating about outer planet entry probes

Abstract

A study has been conducted to define the radiative, heating-rate distributions about spherically capped, 60 deg half-angle conical entry probes to the outer planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. The radiative heating rates are calculated by a direct method for the solution of the inviscid flow equations with coupled, nongray radiative transport. Results are presented for a range of entry conditions using the atmospheric models denoted as nominal, warm, and cool for each planet which show that both the magnitude and distribution of radiative heating rate are strongly dependent on the atmospheric model and the free-stream conditions.