Student Name: Wade Kovalik

Advisor: Dr. Jonathan Rogers

Milestone: PhD Thesis Proposal

Degree Program: Aerospace Engineering

Title: Sounding of the Martian Atmosphere Using Ballistic Projectiles

Abstract: Uncertainty in the Martian atmospheric state remains a primary limitation on entry, descent, and landing (EDL) performance, particularly for precision landing of future high-ballistic-coefficient vehicles. Existing atmospheric sounding techniques on Earth and Mars -- such as orbital remote sensing, deployable radiosondes, surface meteorology, or measurement of the entry and descent dynamics -- either do not provide the local atmospheric data required for real-time EDL support or are operationally infeasible to use on Mars. This proposal presents use of instrumented ballistic projectiles launched from a pre-deployed surface platform for Martian atmospheric sounding near a desired landing site. By sampling a vertical column of the atmosphere shortly before lander arrival, the proposed projectile system provides localized density and wind profile estimates suitable for improving landing accuracy on Mars. The primary contribution of this proposal is the development of the dynamic modeling, estimation methodology, and sensor selection required to perform atmospheric reconstruction using a system that is inherently insensitive to aerodynamic perturbations. A six-degree-of-freedom projectile dynamics model is formulated and linearized to inform the sensitivity of the projectile trajectory to changes in the atmospheric parameters. Parametric models for atmospheric density and horizontal winds are introduced, and their observability is analyzed using both batch estimation and square-root information filtering techniques. Linearized simulation results demonstrate the challenges posed by the thin Martian atmosphere and motivate the inclusion of a parachute descent phase to enhance wind observability. A sounding simulation then demonstrates accurate reconstruction of the density and wind profiles generated from a Martian global circulation model.

Date and time: 2026-01-29, 9:00 am

Location: Montgomery Knight 325

Committee:
Dr. Jonathan Rogers (advisor), School of Aerospace Engineering
Dr. Jonathan Rogers, School of Aerospace Engineering
Dr. Anirban Mazumdar, School of Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Glenn Lightsey, School of Aerospace Engineering