Identifying method of entry and exit conditions for aerocapture with near minimum fuel consumption

Identifying the entry and exit conditions for aerocapture can be an important aid for mission analysis and design. The objectives of this paper are to present methods for computing the exit conditions to transfer a post-aerocapture orbit into a specified target orbit with near minimum fuel consumption and corresponding entry conditions to maximise entry zone and to identify several other uses for the conditions. This paper presents: 1) an approach to the solution of exit conditions according to orbital mechanics and 2) an approach to calculate the entry conditions based on the theory of controllable set. To illustrate their effectiveness, the conditions are employed to characterise the performance of Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)-type vehicle for Mars aerocapture. The entry states dispersion analysis under uncertainties of ballistic coefficient, lift-to-drag ratio and atmospheric density are discussed. Roles for the conditions in choosing nominal entry and exit states are described.