A 3-D Coupled CFD-DSMC Solution Method With Application to the Mars Sample Return Orbiter

A method to obtain coupled CFD-DSMC, 3-D flow field solutions for highly blunt bodies at low incidence is presented and applied to one concept to the Mars Sample Return Orbiter vehicle as a demonstration of the technique. CFD is used to solve the high-density blunt forebody flow defining an inflow boundary condition for a DSMC solution of the afterbody wake flow. By combining the two techniques in flow regions where most applicable, the entire mixed flow field is modeled in an appropriate manner.