METHOD OF CONTROL OVER SPACECRAFT DESCENT IN ATMOSPHERE OF PLANETS Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC B64G1/24 B64G1/62 

FIELD: aircraft engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to spacecraft control in atmosphere of planet by adjusting its aerodynamics. Proposed method consists in selection of conditions for changing the angle of roll to zero at changing the spacecraft from isothermal descent section (IDS) to skip path. With spacecraft in IDS, angle of roll (γ) is, first, increased to decrease aerodynamic performances and to maintain constant temperature at critical area of spacecraft surface. As flight velocity decreases angle (γ) is decreased from its maximum. In IDS, increase in aerodynamics does not cause further temperature increase over its first peak. Therefore selection of the moment of changing to γ=0 allows efficient deceleration of spacecraft at the next step of flight. The best option is the descent of spacecraft of IDS when γ reaches its maximum. Here, angle of attack is set to correspond to maximum aerodynamic performances. This increases the duration of final flight stage and deceleration efficiency. Increase in angle of attach after descent from IDS and completion of climb results in increased in drag, hence, decrease in velocity at initiation of soft landing system.

EFFECT: minimised final velocity and maximum temperature at surface critical area, lower power consumption.

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