Aerodecelerator Systems and Technologies
Enveloping Aerodynamic Decelerator (EAD) Gold Dual-use Lifting Ballute Mars transportation architecture
Enveloping Aerodynamic Decelerator (EAD)
An Enveloping Aerodynamic Decelerator (EAD) is an inflatable atmospheric brake. EAD technology was patented (US 9,884,693 ) by Global Aerospace Corporation as the result of NASA supported work on a small Earth reentry probe design study. EAD technology was recently extended to a Pluto lander mission for NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program . The EAD innovation enables missions...
Gossamer Orbit Lowering Device (GOLD) for Low-Risk Satellite De-Orbit
Global Aerospace Corporation is developing a Gossamer Orbit Lowering Device (GOLD) for safe and efficient removal from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) of dangerous space junk. The patented GOLD system concept uses a very large ultra thin balloon envelope to increase the aerodynamic drag by a factor of several hundred. This will cause the space junk to enter the earth’s atmosphere quickly...
Dual-use Lifting Ballute
GAC designed a Dual-Use Lifting Ballute for Mars orbit capture and entry. The controlled lift of the toroidal ballute enables reduction in decelerator mass, heating, and g-loads and provides trajectory flexibility. The ballute envelope inflation and pressure maintenance controls the envelope...
Mars transportation architecture
Under NASA funding of a Mars transportation architecture, GAC has designed a Mars Shuttle (top-right) and Taxi (bottom-right). The Mars Shuttle transports a crew of 10 to and from the Martian surface base and the Mars Spaceport near Phobos. The Mars Shuttle supports crew needs during the very short transit (~3 hours) between the Mars Base and the Mars Spaceport. In addition, the Mars Shuttle carries out delta-V maneuvers, performs aero-entry and landing maneuvers within the Martian atmosphere, navigates autonomously during all maneuvers, provides electrical power to its subsystems and carries RRU cargo from the Mars Spaceport to the Mars Base. The Mars Shuttle is designed to travel only between the Mars surface and the Mars Spaceport at Phobos. The Taxi ferries crews between the Mars and Earth Spaceports and the Astrotel that transports crews between Earth and Mars. The nominal Taxi system aeroshell design is an elliptical raked cone. Taxis utilize LOX/LH propulsion to escape planets and place them and their crew onto hyperbolic rendezvous trajectories with the interplanetary orbiting Astrotels...