Planetary Landers and Entry Probes
Planetary Landers and Entry Probes
James Garry, Universiteit Leiden
Ralph Lorenz, The Johns Hopkins University
Viktor Kerzhanovich, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
This book provides a concise but broad overview of the engineering, science and flight history of planetary landers and atmospheric entry probes designed to explore the atmospheres and surfaces of other planets. It covers engineering aspects specific to such vehicles which are not usually treated in traditional spacecraft engineering texts. Examples are drawn from over thirty different lander and entry probe designs that have been used for lunar and planetary missions since the early 1960s. The authors provide detailed illustrations of many vehicle designs from different international space programs, and give basic information on their missions and payloads, irrespective of the mission's success or failure. Several missions are discussed in more detail to demonstrate the broad range of the challenges involved and the solutions implemented. This will form an important reference for professionals, academic researchers and graduate students involved in planetary science, aerospace engineering and space mission development.
- Covers engineering aspects specific to landers and entry probes in one volume
- Includes drawings and basic information on every lander or probe design flown
- Provides references to a broad range of literature and includes a detailed bibliography
Reviews & endorsements
Review of the hardback: '… the book is a must for professionals, graduate and undergraduate students involved in planetary exploration, space mission design and engineering as it is (currently) a unique collection of information in the filed.' Planetary and Space Science
Review of the hardback: 'As the preface states, this volume seeks to provide 'a concise but broad overview of the engineering, science and flight history of planetary landers and atmospheric probes'. In this, it certainly succeeds. … This nicely designed book, complete with specially commissioned line drawings, is recommended as a valuable addition to the technical literature about the challenges that face engineers and scientists who seek to explore alien worlds with automated spacecraft.' The Observatory
Review of the hardback: '… very nicely written … an excellent addition to technical space literature.' Spaceflight
Product details
February 2010Paperback
9780521129589
364 pages
244 × 170 × 19 mm
0.58kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I. Engineering Issues Specific to Entry Probes, Landers or Penetrators:
- 1. Mission goals and system engineering
- 2. Accommodation, launch, cruise and arrival from orbit or interplanetary trajectory
- 3. Entering atmospheres
- 4. Descent through an atmosphere
- 5. Descent to an airless body
- 6. Planetary balloons, aircraft, submarines and cryobots
- 7. Arrival at a surface
- 8. Thermal control of landers and entry probes
- 9. Power systems
- 10. Communication and tracking of entry probes
- 11. Radiation environment
- 12. Surface activities: arms, drills, moles and mobility
- 13. Structures
- 14. Contamination of spacecraft and planets
- Part II. Previous Atmosphere/Surface Vehicles and Their Payloads:
- 15. Destructive impact probes
- 16. Atmospheric entry probes
- 17. Pod landers
- 18. Legged landers
- 19. Payload delivery penetrators
- 20. Small body surface missions
- Part III. 'Case Studies':
- 21. Surveyor landers
- 22. Galileo probe
- 23. Huygens
- 24. Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner
- 25. Deep Space 2 Mars microprobes
- 26. Rosetta lander Philae
- 27. Mars exploration rovers: Spirit and Opportunity
- Appendix: Some key parameters for bodies in the Solar System
- List of acronyms
- Bibliography
- References
- Index.
