Hello everybody,
I am trying to simulate the Entry, Descent and Landing phase of the Mars Science Laboratory. However, I can hardly find credible information about the state of the MSL at entry point. Could anybody tell me the atmospheric entry conditions of the Mars Science Laboratory please?
Many thanks!
Zheng-shi,
I find that emailing the people responsible works rather well sometimes.
He was the PI for the MEADS atmospheric sensors and probably knows who has the accelerometer and entry state data.
The data are not in the PDS, at least, not that I can find.
go to NASA technical report server and type in the search box about msl entry conditions .you will get a list of reports on this
Cyril,
I tried that - most of the reports (all?) don't list the raw data - which is what I suspect young Zheng-shi is looking for. The next obvious place to look was the PDS - and I drew a blank there. There ought to be a few Mb of accelerometry kicking around on someone's machine - but apart from mailing the PI, I couldn't think of an easy route to it.
The data you seek may not exist. What instruments on the MSL would have measured them? I believe that our information on the upper layers of the Martian atmosphere come mostly from the Viking lander entry science experiments, which are documented in JGR articles back in 1976.
This paper may help some
http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/39664/1/05-3869.pdf
I suspect you should just take the surface pressure and vertical temperature profiles and develop your own reference atmosphere. You must remember that the Mars atmosphere varies substantially on an annual basis (and somewhat on a daily basis) - this is a planet where the reference atmosphere will need to be tailored to the Martian season at the time of entry..
I have recently viewed a paper titled
Mars Science Laboratory Launch-Arrival Space Study:
A Pork Chop Plot Analysis by
Alicia Dwyer Cianciolo , richard Powell, and Mary Kae Lockwood
Hope this would be useful
Hello Sebastian. Thank you for your response. I also read this paper, and find some (not specific) information about the entry condition. I am keep looking for the answer.
Dear Mr. Eubanks. Thank you for your answer. Perhaps there were not instruments on the MSL measuring the entry conditions, but at least the entry point should be predicted in the mission design phase. I just hope to find this information. I tried to contact with Schoenenberger who was recommended by Dr. Garry. Now I'm waiting for the response.
Hello, you can find a useful report here:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20090007730.pdf
Best regards,
Javier