Meteorite aerodynamics during dark flight
An experimental investigation using a subsonic wind tunnel
S.G.V.S. Aduru (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
S.J. de Vet – Mentor (TU Delft - Astrodynamics & Space Missions)
S.M. Cazaux – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Astrodynamics & Space Missions)
A. Sciacchitano – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Aerodynamics)
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Abstract
The dark flight of the meteorite in the atmosphere complicates the estimation of the impact point on the Earth’s surface. The irregular shape of the meteorite affects the aerodynamic forces during the dark flight, which can influence the trajectory of the meteorite. This further complicates the meteorite recovery. Limited knowledge of the aerodynamic properties of meteorite is speculated as one of the major reasons for partial recovery of the meteorites. Therefore, this work experimentally investigates the meteorite aerodynamics during dark flight using a subsonic wind tunnel. The drag coefficient, free fall analysis from 10 km altitude and the rotational aspects were studied using a 3D printed meteorite model. Additionally, the results were implemented in a dark flight code to study the influence of these parameters for a hypothetical meteorite fall. This study proved that aerodynamic forces are very crucial in the meteorite dark flight and strongly influences the meteorite trajectory.