Plume Modeling and Application to Mars 2001 Odyssey Aerobraking

A modified source flow model was used to calculate the plume flowfield from a Mars Odyssey thruster during aerobraking. The source flow model results compared well with previous detailed computational-fluid-dynamics results for a Mars Global Surveyor thruster. Using an isodensity surface for the Odyssey plume, direct simulation Monte Carlo simulations were performed to determine the effect the plumes have on the Odyssey aerodynamics. A database was then built to incorporate the plume effects into six-degree-of-freedom simulations over a range of attitudes and densities expected during aerobraking. Six-degree-of-freedom simulations that included the plume effects showed better correlation with flight data than simulations without the plume effects.