THE PROGRAM TO ADVANCE INFLATABLE DECELERATORS FOR ATMOSPHERIC ENTRY (PAI-DAE) WILL CONDUCT A SET OF GROUND…

Public award description

THE PROGRAM TO ADVANCE INFLATABLE DECELERATORS FOR ATMOSPHERIC ENTRY (PAI-DAE) WILL CONDUCT A SET OF GROUND TESTS (WIND-TUNNEL AND BALLISTIC RANGE), MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, AND SYSTEM TRADE STUDIES TO ADVANCE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE INFLATABLE DECELERATOR TECHNOLOGY. THE PAI-DAE PROGRAM IS JOINTLY FUNDED BY THE INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, AERONAUTICS MISSION DIRECTORATE, AND THE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NECESSARY TO DEMONSTRATE THE INFLATABLE AERODYNAMIC DECELERATOR (IAD) TECHNOLOGY AS BOTH AN ENTRY SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY AND A SUPERSONIC DECELERATOR TECHNOLOGY. THIS TASK IS TO PROVIDE TRAJECTORY ANALYSIS AND ENTRY SYSTEMS EXPERTISE FOR PAI-DAE TESTING AND TRADE STUDIES. 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK TO BE PERFORMED: THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PERFORM THE FOLLOWING TASK REQUIREMENTS: 3.1 THE CONTRACTOR SHALL CONDUCT TRAJECTORY STUDIES FOR SEVEN IAD FLIGHT CONDITIONS. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PERFORM FEASIBILITY STUDIES OF IAD TECHNOLOGY WITH RESPECT TO MULTIPLE MISSION APPLICATIONS. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL CONDUCT A PARAMETRIC STUDY FOR EACH FLIGHT CONDITION AND DETERMINE TRAJECTORY PARAMETERS (ALTITUDE VS. TIME, MAXIMUM HEAT RATE, TOTAL HEAT LOAD, AND TOTAL FLIGHT DURATION) FOR EACH BALLISTIC COEFFICIENT THAT RESULTS IN A TRAJECTORY THAT SATISFACTORILY MEETS SPECIFIED CRITERIA PER SPECIFIED INITIAL CONDITIONS. 3.1.1 THE CONTRACTOR SHALL DOCUMENT THE TRAJECTORY STUDIES IN DATA TABLES. 3.1.2 THE DATA TABLES OR ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTATION SHALL INCLUDE INITIAL CONDITIONS FOR EACH TRAJECTORY. 3.1.3 THE DATA TABLES OR ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTATION SHALL INCLUDE ANY ASSUMPTIONS FOR EACH TRAJECTORY. 3.1.4 THE DATA TABLES SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING PARAMETERS: BALLISTIC COEFFICIENT, STAGNATION POINT HEAT RATE, STAGNATION POINT HEAT LOAD, DYNAMIC PRESSURE, AND FLIGHT DURATION. 3.1.5 THE DATA TABLES SHALL INDICATE IF A TRAJECTORY MEETS SPECIFIED CRITERIA. 3.2 THE CONTRACTOR SHALL DESIGN A SUB-SCALE IAD DEPLOYMENT TEST WIND-TUNNEL EXPERIMENT USING THE NASA GLENN RESEARCH CENTER 10X10 UNITARY WIND TUNNEL FACILITY. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL DESIGN A WIND-TUNNEL EXPERIMENT INCLUDING TEST MATRIX, IAD SIZING, AND FIXTURING CONCEPTS. THE WIND-TUNNEL EXPERIMENT SHALL DOCUMENT TIME HISTORIES OF IAD ANGLE OF ATTACK WITH RESPECT TO TIME SINCE INITIAL INFLATION. THE TEST SHALL COVER DEPLOYMENTS AT A RANGE OF MACH NUMBERS FROM 2 TO 3. 3.2.1 THE CONTRACTOR SHALL DOCUMENT THE EXPERIMENT DESIGN AS A TEST PLAN. 3.2.2 THE TEST PLAN SHALL INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF WIND-TUNNEL TEST RUNS TO BE COMPLETED IN A TWO-WEEK ENTRY INTO THE WIND-TUNNEL, ASSUMING ONE-DAY FOR SET-UP AND ONE-DAY FOR REMOVAL. 3.2.3 THE TEST PLAN SHALL INCLUDE THE EXPERIMENT VARIABLES TO BE CHANGED PER WIND-TUNNEL TEST RUN (I.E. WIND-TUNNEL MACH NUMBER, WIND-TUNNEL DYNAMIC PRESSURE, IAD INFLATION PRESSURE, IAD ANGLE-OF-ATTACK). 3.2.4 THE TEST PLAN SHALL INCLUDE THE SPECIFIC DATA TO BE COLLECTED DURING TESTING. 3.2.5 THE TEST PLAN SHALL INCLUDE THE TYPE OF INSTRUMENTATION THAT WILL BE REQUIRED ON THE IAD TEST ARTICLE DURING TESTING. 3.2.6 THE TEST PLAN SHALL INCLUDE THE INSTRUMENTATION REQUIRED, IF ANY, FOR THE TEST THAT WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE AS PART OF NORMAL OPERATIONS OF THE GRC 10X10 UNITARY WIND-TUNNEL. 3.2.7 THE TEST PLAN SHALL INCLUDE A DIMENSIONED DRAWING OF A DYNAMICALLY SCALED IAD REQUIRED FOR TESTING. 3.2.8 THE TEST PLAN SHALL INCLUDE A DESIGN [DIMENSIONED DRAWING(S)] OF A MECHANISM FOR MOUNTING THE IAD IN THE WIND-TUNNEL DURING TESTING.PR: 4200188558