Method for calculating spacecraft longitudinal motion parameters during landing on the surface of a small celestial body

The article describes a method for calculating longitudinal motion parameters of a spacecraft during landing on the surface of a small celestial body. The method takes into consideration the reaction applied to the movable legs from both the surface soil and operation of the thrusters. The article discusses application of the method for dynamic analysis of the spacecraft motion during its landing on the surface of the Moon, taken as an example. In case of the vertical landing, the optimal value of the force in shock absorbers is selected, which makes it possible to obtain reasonable angles of struts after the landing with moderate forces of soil response on the legs. The authors estimate the impact of the angular orientation of the spacecraft relative to the Moon ’s surface on the change of the legs position, as well as the impact of soil response normal forces on the legs, and shock absorbers deformation during landing. The article contains graphs of the spacecraft longitudinal and vertical velocities, which are calculated considering the influence of legs motion during the non-simultaneous contact with the soil.

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