Prediction of the Aerothermodynamic Environment of the Huygens Probe

An investigation of the aerothermodynamic environment of the Huygens entry probe has been conducted. A Monte Carlo simulation of the trajectory of the probe during entry into Titan’s atmosphere was performed to identify a worst-case heating rate trajectory. Flow-field and radiation transport computations were performed at points along this trajectory to obtain convective and radiative heat-transfer distributions on the probe’s heat shield. This investigation identified important physical and numerical factors, including atmospheric CH