Suhir, Ephraim (2021) Braking power required for safe landing: probabilistic approach. Acta Astronautica, 187. pp. 394-396.

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Abstract

A probabilistic approach is applied to assess the required and the available retrorocket-phase (RRP) power needed to prevent, to an extent possible, unsafe landing of a spacecraft on a planet, such as, e.g., Mars. It is shown that the available power of the rocket engines should exceed considerably the required power at this phase to make sure that the probability of unsafe landing, because of insufficient power, is low enough. The obtained results can be used to select, on the design stage and on the probabilistic basis, the level of RRP braking power for situations of the type in question. They indicate, however, that landing on a planet will remain a highly risky business for many years to come.

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