Development and Performance Assessment of Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator

Inflatable aerodynamic architectures are one of the candidate enabling technologies for landing large payloads on celestial bodies with atmospheres for both human and robotic missions. The primary challenge of deployable space inflatable design is to demonstrate robust predictability, rigidity, and scalability of the inflatable’s integrated structures. A unique inflatable architecture is tested and analyzed as proposed basis for Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD) applications. This Ultra-High Performance Vessel (UHPV) inflatable technology is a flexible-deployable softgoods pressure vessel comprising an impervious barrier structure enveloped by an integrated array of meridional tendons. A multidisciplinary computational tool was developed and improved to characterize very thin inflatable structures under severe structural conditions. The nonlinear aero-structural interaction tool was verified and validated against experimental data to simulate the behavior of very thin materials under typical loading conditions. Details of the UHPV design and its performance assessment are described. The simulation results in terms of unsteady load fluctuation, inflation pressures, and fabric deflections are presented at various angles of attack.