Hypersonic gas dynamics of a Marco Polo reentry capsule

Earth reentry of capsules, space shuttles and meteors are characterized by the presence of very strong shock waves that generate huge temperatures (over 10 000 K). At these temperatures, powerful endothermic chemical reactions start to take place, thus decreasing the temperature field. Unfortunately, the mechanism of these chemical reactions that alleviate the task of thermal shield of reentry space vehicles is not very well understood. For this reason, the present paper deals with the application of two chemical reaction mechanisms to a Marco Polo reentry capsule.