Flight Test Preparation of an Ultra-Low Ballistic Coefficient Entry Vehicle

Abstract

This paper presents the adaptation of ParaShield, an ultra-low ballistic coefficient (ULβ) entry vehicle concept developed at the University of Maryland’s Space Systems Laboratory, for an experimental suborbital flight test under NASA’s RockSat program. Ultra-low ballistic coefficient entry vehicles with β less than 300 Pa experience significantly reduced peak stagnation point temperatures and heating rates, enabling the use of simplified thermal protection systems. ParaShield is a ULβ entry vehicle design that utilizes a deployable radiative heat shield constructed from high-temperature ceramic fabrics supported by an umbrella-like mechanical framework. Because the heat shield is decoupled from the spacecraft body, the payload is no longer constrained to a traditional conical geometry, allowing for greater flexibility in payload configuration and mission design. Adapting ParaShield to the RockSat mission architecture introduces a new set of constraints including payload envelope limitations, mass requirements, deployment timing, and initial flight conditions. This paper presents the system-level design refinements required to meet these constraints, including updates to vehicle geometry, mass distribution, and trajectory analysis for the nominal flight environment. Results demonstrate that the ParaShield design shows strong potential to be configured as a flight-ready experimental payload within the RockSat program guidelines. This suborbital flight test represents a low-cost opportunity to experimentally validate ParaShield’s entry behavior, informing future scaling efforts and advancing deployable thermal protection systems for atmospheric entry applications.