Universal Atmospheric Entry Capsule

I would like to propose an entry capsule design that would work on any mass in the universe that has dense atmosphere. It would work on Venus, Earth, Mars and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn that have atmosphere. It is an evolution of my previous idea “Space Capsule Slow Down Using Suction”.

The design will work as follows:

The space capsule will approach the atmosphere at a very low angle. It will open up the air inlets on its nose. The air entering from the nose will go through narrowing passages and will heat up from this compression, like in a scramjet. The heated and compressed air will then be exhausted from the nozzles perpendicular to the direction of motion. The exhausted gas will slow down the air trying to fill the void behind the moving capsule. Therefore, a low-pressure zone will form behind the capsule, whereas the nose of the capsule experience high pressure. The pressure difference will create suction effect which will slow down the capsule. The low angle of attack on the atmosphere will increase the duration of the fall and help a more gradual slow down. As a result, the payload will experience much less G compared to other designs. When the capsule reaches a certain speed, the parachute will be deployed to further slowdown the capsule.

Depending on the density of the atmosphere, an improved version of the design can be utilized. The capsule would have a wing shell on its outside. As it approaches the atmosphere the wings would be opened and locked. The rest of the capsule design would be the same. The addition of wings will allow much longer flight time and smoother deceleration.

Both designs have one major benefit as well and that is the steerability of the capsule during its descent. Some of the warm gas exhaust nozzles can be closed on demand during flight. As a result, the capsule can be directed. Allowing a more precise landing and obstacle avoidance.

On my next articles, I will propose variations of this design. A capsule falling on earth marks the completion of a mission. Whereas the descending of a capsule on a planet marks the beginning of the most important part of a mission. Therefore, the capsules should be optimized for each mission.