Analysis of a Landing System for Planetary Payloads Utilizing Passive Energy Absorbing Composite Structure

Delivery of a payload from space to a planetary surface currently requires the development of an application specific landing system to protect the payload from forces imparted during. Often used active energy attenuating systems such as retro-rockets, deployable parachutes, and airbags are susceptible to system faults which may limit or completely negate their energy attenuating capability. Researchers at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) have conducted extensive research into developing energy absorbing components for the attenuation of impact energy under various loading conditions. The current study leverages this research to design a lightweight planetary delivery system which utilizes unique outer mold line (OML) geometry and passive energy absorbing structural design to limit landing loads across potential planetary surface environments. The OML geometry is designed to control impact orientation and provide self-righting capabilities for slopped impact surfaces. The developed planetary delivery design concept will be evaluated using finite element (FE) model analysis. Simulations of landing impacts with representative surface environments will be used to characterize the energy absorbing capabilities of the landing system. The design showed higher peak acceleration in the concrete compared to soil landing for a vertical impact of 50 ft/s.