Using Aerothermodynamic Similarity to Experimentally Study Nonequilibrium Giant Planet Entry

What is it about?

Spectroscopic measurements in shock layer radiation during the entry into Saturn at 26 km/s was firstly performed with a blunt body test model in a ground testing facility, at the shock speed of 18 km/s. We show that using the test gas with a higher amount of helium as the inert gas than in the atmosphere can enable ground testing facilities to exceed their speed limitation, and to directly simulate gas giant entry radiation in the shock layer.

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