Structural analysis of hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator pressure tub testing

Abstract Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) systems have the potential to deliver the large payloads required for human-scale Mars missions. The structural response of the HIAD is critical as the inflatable members are relatively compliant compared with traditional decelerators. Structural testing and analysis were conducted on a 3.7 m HIAD subjected to uniform pressure. A beam-based finite-element modeling methodology was developed to analyze the inflatable system that incorporates strap pretension and interaction between adjacent members, a significant advance relative to previous analyses of individual inflated HIAD components. The computationally efficient modeling approach accurately captured the load-deformation response of the HIAD system.