Inside a Capsule: Bus, Heat Shield and Recovery
What are the main components of a manufacturing capsule system, and where does engineering risk sit?
Chapter summary
a manufacturing free-flyer has three parts: a satellite bus that provides power, propulsion, attitude control and communications while in orbit; a capsule that holds the process module and survives re-entry; and a recovery system of parachutes, beacons and landing gear or flotation.
Key takeaways
- 1
The heat shield is the critical part: it must survive re-entry at above Mach 25.
- 2
Varda moved from a bought bus to its own (W-4 onward) and from bought heat-shield material to its own C-PICA, a licensed NASA technology, by W-5.
- 3
Recovery has been the most common failure point for new entrants.
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