We examine the current state of readiness of aerocapture at several destinations of interest, to identify what technologies are needed and to determine if a technology demonstration mission is required, before the first use of aerocapture for a science mission. The study team concluded that the current state of readiness is destination dependent, with aerocaptured missions feasible at Venus, Mars, and Titan with current technologies. The use of aerocapture for orbit insertion at the ice giant planets Uranus and Neptune requires at least additional study to assess the expected performance of new guidance, navigation, and control algorithms and possible development of new hardware, such as a mid-lift-to-drag entry vehicle shape or new thermal protection system materials. A variety of near-term activities could contribute to risk reduction for missions proposing the use of aerocapture, but an end-toend, system-level technology demonstration mission is not deemed necessary before the use of aerocapture for a NASA science mission.Nomenclature L∕D = lift-to-drag ratio of vehicle V ∞ = hyperbolic excess velocity, km∕s ΔV = velocity change, km∕s
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.