Space Exploration Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [reentry]

Questions related to the movement of human-made objects as they enter atmosphere of Earth or other planetary bodies with atmospheres from space after being successfully launched.

Questions related to the movement of human-made objects as they enter atmosphere of Earth or other planetary bodies with atmospheres (Mars, Titan, Venus etc.) from space after being successfully launched. Such objects experience high thermal and aerodynamic loads. Reentry provides the means to dispose of space objects, or reduce propellants for successful landing. The latter necessitates special design measures to ensure survival of the object and its payload, provide precision landing/targeting capabilities and/or to enable controlled maneuvering in the atmosphere. Reentry is divided into ballistic and aerodynamic.

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What are the top temperatures occurring during reentry?

We all know spacecraft reentry causes extreme heat - plasma, ablator, flaming trail, all that jazz. I'd like to know just what level of heat are we dealing with - could someone throw some numbers, like what's the maximum temperature occurring in the…
SF.
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How does a Reentry Breakup Recorder survive reentry and then broadcast its data before impact?

Below are two cropped parts of File:ISS-28 Ron Garan prepares the Reentry Breakup Recorder.jpg In the Unity node of the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Ron Garan, Expedition 28 flight engineer, prepares the Reentry Breakup Recorder…
uhoh
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Requirements for full destructive reentry?

I was just wondering what variables are involved in a dead satellite deorbiting and fully burning up in the atmosphere. How much does mass/density/entry angle/velocity matter in the situation? If you were purposefully deorbiting something for…
shinythings
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What is the principle behind using a moment reference center to compute the moments acting on a spacecraft re-entering a planet's atmosphere?

I have seen the term "moment reference center" and from a general perspective, I understand that it is a point arbitrarily chosen to calculate moments acting on a entry vehicle (I am reading a lot on entry aerodynamics), my background is not in…
dareToDiffer07
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At what altitude does a spacecraft slow down?

So as far as I understand, at 100km atmosphere exists, although very faint. Could someone approximate the speed of a sphere at 50km altitude after re-entry from a high orbit? It might sound as a wierd question but I am trying to calculate a factor…
Sci00213
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Slipstream re-entry. Is it possible in theory?

Slip-streaming in cycle races saves a lot of energy by shielding the follower from a head wind. A sacrificial meteoroid precedes the re-entering spacecraft. It directs the hot plasma away from it. As it burns up it also slows. The spacecraft stays…
chasly - supports Monica
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What happens with re-entry at different angles?

I was reading the article on J002E3, and it mentions that most other S-IVB have entered the atmosphere and mostly burned until reduced to relatively small pieces. They did, however, enter the atmosphere with less energy than J002E3 would have coming…
Martin Argerami
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What's the minimium velocity for re-entry flames to start?

Considering a space shuttle re-entering Earth, what's the minimum velocity that would cause the vehicle to start burning? Is there an equation to calculate that? I presume it varies according to the materials that compose the shuttle and of the…
user8977154
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Why can't spacecraft slow down before entering Earth's atmosphere?

Given the dangers of the massive heat generated during re-entry, why can't spacecraft simply slow down using thrusters (or whatever) and just come in gently?
f0xr0x
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Could a steel drum perform reentry with a heat shield?

Suppose you have a regular steel drum with an ablative heat shield on the bottom. Theoretically, could this steel drum with heat shield perform a reentry from low earth orbit?
guest
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how is the g-load for an atmospheric re-entry vehicle measured? and why is it relevant?

Out of curiosity, I always heard about g-loads regarding entry vehicles and in aviation, I understand the relevance of the concept when humans are involved, and for unmanned missions I gather that due to higher accelerations during descend we would…
dareToDiffer07
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Why can't we use wings for reentry?

What's the reason why we don't let the spacecraft enter the atmosphere at a low angle, thus decreasing the vertical velocity and minimizing the crash-landing risks? If the speed and atmosphere density is right, some kind of wings could even provide…
Passiday
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Burial in space with reentry cremation

What formula could be used to describe the minimums required for an unprotected human body to burn up completely in reentry to Earth's gravity well? As a hypothetical, a burial of the deceased in orbit, who's last wish was to be cremated in such a…
Oktyabr
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