Closed-Form Reconstruction of Zoby–Sullivan Stagnation-Point Heat-Flux Scaling

What is it about?

Spacecraft returning to Earth or entering other planetary atmospheres experience intense heating at the front of the vehicle. Engineers often use legacy charts from the 1960s to adjust heat-flux measurements between different blunt-body shapes during ground testing. Because these charts exist only in graphical form, they require manual interpolation and can introduce inconsistency. This work converts those charts into a simple mathematical formula that can be used directly in computer tools. The result enables more consistent processing of test data and supports reliable heat-shield design for atmospheric re-entry.

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