Ballutes

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Ballutes

Gary — 11/9/2004 3:19:26 AM (archived)

I always get fidgetty when people start suggesting ballutes. Ballutes are supposed to be this magic sword that solves all difficult or impossible entry problems (sort of like using unobtainium or miraculum for tough structures problems). There are some guys at JPL who are always proposing ballutes for this, that and the other thing. The few honest studies that I've seen seriously proposing ballutes have shown the ballute system with a mass greater than a conventional TPS. Nobody knows how to analyse the dynamic structural issues of the ballute flapping around in the breeze.

Gary

The whole thread (20 posts)

Questions for Gary - from the CE board - Larry J - 11/5/2004 2:47:49 PM
- "Unfortunately all proposed CEV designs that I have seen are CM derivative." Mine aren't. (n/t) - Tom Brosz - 11/6/2004 3:05:12 AM
  - Okay, you have my attention. What's the shape? - Gary - 11/6/2004 5:56:06 AM
    - re: Okay, you have my attention. - Tom Brosz - 11/6/2004 6:37:16 PM
      - It's obscene! LOL! - SDAI-Tech1 - 11/9/2004 2:09:03 AM
- Answers for Larry - Gary - 11/5/2004 5:15:09 PM
  - Will Iraq kill the Bush space inititative the same way Vietnam did Apollo? - E.P. Grondine - 11/6/2004 2:36:27 AM
  - A somewhat related question for Gary. - Jacob Samorodin - 11/5/2004 6:21:15 PM
    - Answers for Jacob - Gary - 11/6/2004 5:37:41 AM
      - Follow up question - Larry J - 11/7/2004 3:24:33 PM
        
        Aerocapture - Gary - 11/7/2004 5:22:27 PM
        
        re: Aerocapture - Larry J - 11/8/2004 2:35:13 PM
        
        It all boils down to mass and launch cost - Gary - 11/8/2004 5:08:59 PM
        
        I was thinking along the lines of aerocapture followed by aerobraking... - Larry J - 11/8/2004 6:28:43 PM
        
        Ballutes - Gary - 11/9/2004 3:19:26 AM
        
        Sounds like we need a test flight - Larry J - 11/9/2004 3:10:18 PM
        
        Nonmilitary test flights are incredibly difficult to fund - Gary - 11/9/2004 4:56:27 PM
        
        I believe it - Larry J - 11/9/2004 5:50:30 PM
      - That would also explain why Soviet Zonds were targeted for the Indian Ocean. (n/t) - Jacob Samorodin - 11/6/2004 7:29:18 PM
  - Thanks - Larry J - 11/5/2004 5:29:46 PM

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The whole thread (20 posts)