TY - JFULL AU - Tang Wei and Yang Xiaofeng and Gui Yewei and Du Yanxia PY - 2015/7/ TI - Aerodynamic Prediction and Performance Analysis for Mars Science Laboratory Entry Vehicle T2 - International Journal of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering SP - 1039 EP - 1045 VL - 9 SN - 1307-6892 UR - https://publications.waset.org/pdf/10001723 PU - World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology NX - Open Science Index 102, 2015 N2 - Complex lifting entry was selected for precise landing performance during the Mars Science Laboratory entry. This study aims to develop the three-dimensional numerical method for precise computation and the surface panel method for rapid engineering prediction. Detailed flow field analysis for Mars exploration mission was performed by carrying on a series of fully three-dimensional Navier-Stokes computations. The static aerodynamic performance was then discussed, including the surface pressure, lift and drag coefficient, lift-to-drag ratio with the numerical and engineering method. Computation results shown that the shock layer is thin because of lower effective specific heat ratio, and that calculated results from both methods agree well with each other, and is consistent with the reference data. Aerodynamic performance analysis shows that CG location determines trim characteristics and pitch stability, and certain radially and axially shift of the CG location can alter the capsule lifting entry performance, which is of vital significance for the aerodynamic configuration design and inner instrument layout of the Mars entry capsule. ER -